MRHS Guidance Department

College Application Essay

Share your draft with others, ask for constructive criticism,
and expect constructive criticism.


  • What is the worst part?
  • What’s the most memorable?
  • What parts of the essay are unclear?
  • What parts of the essay don’t support my main argument or are immaterial to my case?
  • What does the essay reveal about my personality?
  • Could anyone else have written this essay?
  • What was my essay about?
  • Was my sentence structure varied or do I use all long or all short sentences?
  • Did I use clichés?
  • Did I transition my paragraphs okay?
  • Did the imagery I used make the essay clearer or more vague?
  • What was the best part of the essay?