Alan Gelb, author of “Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps,” delivers tips on how to keep a college essay within bounds in The Choice’s recent article, “Advice on Whittling Your Admissions Essay.”

As most college admissions essays require that students don’t exceed 500 words, college essay expert, Gelb reveals that it is essential to stick to the crux of your story and the message you’re trying to convey. Excess verbiage typically doesn’t lead to a better essay. We encourage you to check out his article for good suggestions on keeping the word count down.

The college essay is an essential component of any college application. While this doesn’t necessarily mean it holds the same level of importance as your GPA or SAT/ACT scores, it can help distinguish you as a candidate for admission to a college. In an applicant pool filled with students falling in the same score range, it may be your essay that sets your application apart.

Check out some videos below of A-List Education’s President, Scott Farber, discussing the essay’s significance and offering his advice on writing a standout college essay. And don’t forget to give College Essay Organizer (CEO) a try for a simple way of finding all your college essay requirements, and writing the least number of essays for all your colleges; watch the intro to CEO video below to learn more!

The Founding of College Essay Organizer:

The Founding of College Essay Organizer from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

How Important is the College Essay?

How Important Are Your College Essays? from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

How to Get Started on Your College Essays:

How Do You Get Started On Your College Essay? from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

Common College Essay Mistakes (& How to Avoid Them):

Common Essay Mistakes from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

What to Write When College Ask Why You’re Applying:

What To Write When Colleges Ask Why You’re Applying from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

How do You Know When Each Essay is Done?

How Do You Know When Each Essay Is Done? from College Essay Organizer on Vimeo.

What makes a great college essay? Check out what these admissions officers had to say.

Marcus, Dave. “Some of the More Mundane Moments in Life Make Great Essays”  The New York Times: The Choice.  October, 11, 2010.

A-List partner, College Essay Organizer and it’s founder Dan Stern, were featured in this article about the college essay process! Check it out!

Verdon, Joan. “College essays are his passion, business.”  NorthJersey.com.  October 3, 2010.

When applying to college, SAT preparation is important, but there is more to the college admissions process than standardized test preparation and SAT scores. The college essay gives you the opportunity to share a part of yourself that an SAT score or high school transcript cannot convey. Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Harvard College, William R. Fitzsimmons, recently wrote in a piece for The New York Times, “One of the great clichés of college admissions is the exhortation that students find their own voices in the essay (and interviews)—and ‘be themselves.’ It’s a cliché because it’s good advice.”

At this point, you’re probably well on your way to having an impeccable college essay that will blow admissions officers away, but you also probably feel like you have been working on it forever! Remember the difference between a good college essay and a great college essay is that extra time you put into the writing process, so don’t skip out on the crucial final stages!

• EDIT: “Perhaps this point would fit in better at this part of my essay,” or “Maybe this really doesn’t support my topic” might be a few of the considerations that come to mind while editing your college essay. Do my ideas flow logically? Am I getting my point across? Review every element of your essay with a critical eye. Good editing skills and attention to detail will help you transform your rough draft into a perfectly polished essay.

• PROOF: There’s no room for spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in your essay, so get rid of them! Consider making appropriate changes for improving writing style and consistency. During this stage it might pay off to have someone else take a look at your writing. You’ve probably been working on this for some time, and a new set of eyes could very well pick up on something that you’ve missed.

• POLISH: You’ve finished proofreading and correcting all of the errors you came across. Now, it’s time for finishing touches. Does everything read well and flow smoothly? If you effectively worked your way through each stage of the college essay writing process, polishing should simply be matter of crossing your “t”s and dotting your “i”s.

English author, Samuel Johnson once said, “What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.” The college admissions essay could be one of the most important essays you ever write. Taking the time to write it well and to really find your voice in your subject matter could pay off—big time.