I’m no college admissions officer, but I do believe I’ve picked up some helpful ideas during my time writing college essays. Hopefully you will find them helpful too:

1) Start Early. Especially when it gets close to submission dates, all I hear from my friends is how they wished they had started earlier than they did. Learn from their last-minute mistakes! Don’t put yourself in that position. Being stressed about not having enough time adds unnecessary pressure to a situation that is already full of stress. You’re not going to understand how much time and effort it takes to write a college essay until you start the process yourself, and too often you underestimate the amount of time and effort it takes. The summer before your senior year is a great time to get rolling on your essays because then you don’t have the pressures of school or application deadlines.

2) Don’t limit yourself, especially in the beginning. You might think that you have a defining experience or influential moment already lined up to write about for your college essay, but don’t close yourself off before even starting. Take some time before writing to look at the specific prompt and let your mind wander within the parameters of that prompt to see where you end up. You might be surprised at where you do. The essays I used for college were not the ones I thought I would write. They ended up being the essays I thought of on a whim during such brainstorming exercises.

3) Sleep on it. Sometimes when you are caught up in the passion of writing, words flow that just sound remarkable, incredible, and seem to not need a second glance. But nothing that you write the very first time will be perfect. Always take the time to stop, sleep on what you wrote, and return to it the next day, or even the next week. All of the essays I used evolved over months of rewrites. Make sure to sleep on “finished” drafts and come back to them for review.

4) The more eyes, the better. Having your siblings, parents, and friends look over your essays is helpful. The more people you have to give input, the better. Just remember two things: (1) don’t lose yourself in everyone’s suggestions and (2) family’s and friend’s suggestions are great, but remember they aren’t your college admissions officers! Also, try to get an English teacher, counselor, or someone else more directly related to writing or college to take a look at your essay. (Current college students, especially freshmen, are great too because they just went through this process. Try to pick students you know at the schools you want to go to, if possible.)

5) Be yourself, and stand out. Colleges get tons of applications. Even though you spend countless hours perfecting your college essays, college admissions officers spend only minutes reading them. This may seem unfair, but it is understandable considering how many applications they have to read. Knowing this, however, should prove to you the importance of making your essay unique and of being yourself. Everyone has unique and fun experiences. Just spend some time trying to remember yours. And remember that the largest event in your life may not always be the most revealing of who you are. Sometimes quirky, seemingly less-significant stories paint an even better picture of who you are. Also, trying to write as if you are someone you are not is easy to see through. Be authentic. If you think that you need to change who you are in an essay to be admitted into a particular college, think twice about whether that college is right for you.

I hope these tips help you as you start to think about your college essays. If you give yourself enough time to make the process less stressful, writing about yourself and your experiences can not only be rewarding but actually kind of fun. And remember that when you begin to write your essays — have fun with them!