by Catharine Beale

Created on: February 12, 2009   Last Updated: October 06, 2011

Stressed about your college application? Anxious over counselors who are lining up to tell you not to worry about the Essay?

Don't believe them. Those words on paper are capable of vaulting you past hundreds of other students, and landing at the finish line - or dash all hope of ever getting in.

Here's why.

Admissions officers pore over thousands of numbers and glowing recommendations, all day long. The work of staring at AP and AT I and II digits, class ranks and GPAs might be fun if you're an actuary. But they'll put most people to sleep. Even the lofty recommendations are still mere sales pitches. What's left? Your Essay.

This is the real key to getting into a great college.

It helps if you're a good writer. Good writing is smooth and natural, like a conversation you're having with your best friend. It doesn't try to impress anyone - it's real, it's honest, it's sincere and it's totally believable. Pick a topic, and put your own words into a letter to the admission committee. Then clean it up. Sticking to a few simple rules will shape an essay that can change your life.

It helps to review a few before you pick your topic. You can read some real essays on the internet at Vault.com, which offers a 3-month membership that includes access to college essays and the colleges the applicant got into - or was rejected from. Frankly, looking at some of those essays might even assure you that you've got nothing to worry about.

Rule #1: BE YOURSELF. Unless you talk in 3-syllable words, the most important thing you can do is be natural. Pick a topic that you sincerely care about. Then keep your feet on the ground. Don't try to use verbal acrobatics to impress the committee; that's what SATs are for. Be you.

Rule #2: PICK A TOPIC YOU CARE ABOUT. Think of the 10 most important moments in your life and what you felt about them. Don't think too much - focus on nouns, verbs and feelings. When you're done, cross out the word "VERY" every time you see it. (Most of the time, it actually weakens your message - by separating the word from the modifier.)

Rule #3: BE UNIQUE. Look at your extracurriculars, your best subjects, your free time - who are you? Think of yourself as a product, and package yourself. Focus on your strengths and your "brand". If you're good at Math, discuss a book you've read - Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and the implications for the Third World, perhaps - or solve the financial crisis, or a teacher who declared you were bad at Math! An athlete?

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