Overcoming Perfectionism: How to Write A College Essay Without Pressure

There are several stages in life, and it can be incredibly daunting to cross from one stage to another: finishing high school and going to university, graduating and beginning a new job, or moving to a different city for a fresh start. No matter which one of these stages of life you are in, transitions can be challenging–even more so when the transition can have a lasting impact on the trajectory of your life. Because of this, the prospect of applying to college can be an equally exciting and overwhelming ordeal for any student, particularly when it comes to crafting an essay that will help you achieve your dreams. 

 Students often approach their college applications with checklists in hand, eager to create the perfect package for their desired school. The arduous application process, however, can lead many students to self-doubt and ruminate on the potential flaws that can impede their plans, asking questions such as, “What if my essay isn’t as interesting as I hope to be? What if my words aren’t eloquent enough? What if I can’t make my message come across clearly in writing?” Ultimately, all of these questions boil down to one underlying fear: “What if my application isn’t good enough?”

There is a misconception that your essay has to turn out perfectly, sometimes even from the first draft. But, even then, what guarantees that the essay is “perfect”? This idea of perfection is even more nebulous when it comes to the personal nature of the college essay. Setting an unrealistic expectation can paralyze students, leading them to delay starting their essays altogether.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I even procrastinated when writing this piece for fear that it would not turn out perfect or that it would not be up to the standards of you, the reader! Ultimately, what helped me overcome this fear and finish my task was the realization that every single person who has the courage to write anything has a certain advantage; no one else can replicate their unique point of view. In short, everyone’s story is one of a kind, and there is no one more qualified to tell it than you. 

Working as a College Essay Advisor for Write The World, I have had the incredible opportunity to review many personal essays from high school students from all walks of life who have struggled with this fear of not being good enough. While the stories vary in setting, voice, plot, and imagery, there is not one that can be seen as “less” than others. Writing can be improved upon, plot can morph, imagery can be detailed in extent, but the voice is the fire which ignites these changes. Your voice is the one which will give life to the essay and your voice is unique. In order for improvements to occur, one must be able to make peace with the fear of your work being deemed “not good enough” by others. Some of the best writers of the 21st century, whose works have been praised endlessly, admit that they still carry this fear of not creating the perfect book.

So, if you’re in this situation right now, I want you to start by thinking of one specific story of your life, no matter how insignificant or small it may seem. The story can vary from a life-altering moment to a brief occurrence. Once you have the idea brewing in your head, set a countdown for ten minutes on the clock and just start writing about it. What is the setting like? How were you feeling during that period of your life? What did you learn from the experience? Why did you choose that specific experience in the first place? Don’t be afraid to go into detail if need be.

 However, there is a trick to this exercise. I want you to allow yourself to write free of any inhibitions, to make mistakes. Treat this piece of writing as a draft of a draft, as work that will only ever be seen by you. At the end of those ten minutes, you might find yourself wanting to keep going with your ideas, an incentive which I encourage. Funnily enough, the story you thought of might give birth to a new idea you may not have considered otherwise.

 This act of free writing is not necessarily designed to bring you the winning idea, which can be seen as an advantageous consequence, but rather to show you that it is ok to write without the expectation of perfection. It will show you that it is ok to write free of any inhibitions. Oddly enough, the cure for perfectionism is to get out there and create the most imperfect piece you can think of. Only after you create it will you have the opportunity to build upon it. Knowing that you can always improve, you must first have something to improve. The only way to overcome perfectionism is by lunging directly through it.