Your college essay is about you. Don’t get trapped telling someone else’s story, e.g. your grandmother who raised you.

If it’s boring to write, then it’s boring to read.

Tell a story about yourself, rather than list your qualities or experiences.

Show, don’t tell.

Think about some events in your life where you experienced change or growth.

Hook the reader from the onset by establishing the event or experience using imagery.

Add details and language use to keep the reader’s attention and help drive the story: imagery, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, alliteration, and hyperboles.