Benjamin C.
Author's Bio
Benjamin C. holds an MS in Marketing from Imperial College Business. He has over 6 years of experience in academic research and writing, specializing in admissions essays, personal statement writing, and scholarship essays. Benjamin has contributed articles to reputable publications such as USA Today and The Huffington Post. He is the recipient of the National Association for College Admission Counseling's Rising Star Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field of college admissions essay writing. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, Benjamin has helped many students achieve their academic and professional goals.
Competences:
- Ivy League Admissions Essays
- Personal Statement Writing
- Scholarship Essays
Articles by Benjamin C.
Your essay is done, or almost. Now you need the exact specs before you submit: font, spacing, margins, whether to include a header, and how to paste into Common App without the formatting collapsing. Everything is below, starting with the quick specs and ending with a full pre-submit checklist.
You're inside the Common App, staring at that 650-word box, and you want to know: is that a hard limit, a target, or just a rough guide? Here's the short answer: 650 is the hard cap for the Common App personal statement, and you should get as close to it as possible without going over. The rest of this page covers every major platform, what to do when a prompt gives no word count, and what "close enough" actually means in practice.
You've got an essay to write and probably a lot of advice telling you to "be yourself" and "start early." This is not that. Below are 15 specific, tested tips, organized by phase so you know exactly when each one applies, that separate admission essays that get remembered from ones that disappear into the pile.
Most college essay mistakes have nothing to do with writing ability. They are choices made before the first draft, during it, and in the last five minutes before you hit submit. This guide covers everyone, sorted by phase, with a specific fix for each.
It's 11 pm. You've had the Common App open for an hour. The cursor is blinking at you inside an empty text box, and your deadline is circled in red on your calendar. You know this essay matters. You just have no idea where to start.This guide walks you through the exact process: six steps, in order, with a clear deliverable at each stage. By the time you reach Step 6, you'll have a submission-ready draft.
You open the Common App for the first time, click into the requirements, and see it: "Personal Essay." You have heard the term, but you are not sure what it actually is, what it is for, or how much it matters compared to your GPA. This guide covers all of it: what the college admission essay is, the different types you will encounter, how much weight it carries, and what admissions officers are actually looking for when they read yours.
Your essay is drafted. The deadline is two weeks out, maybe less. You've read it enough times that you can't tell anymore whether it's good. This checklist is what to run through before you submit. Eight sections, in order. Check each item only when the answer is a clear yes. If you're uncertain, that uncertainty is the signal to fix it.
