Use vocabulary and writing skills you already have to write a clear and compelling essay. Write naturally but remember that your Honors essay is not a casual communication like a text message or social media post.

But don’t try to summarize your whole life! Choose an experience in which you played a central role and write about something personally meaningful. Doing this will make your essay unique.

Don’t use your essay to summarize your academic achievement or extracurricular activities if those things are already a part of your transcript or your Common App.

It’s tempting to use the same statement for multiple applications, but it’s important to be sure your answer fits the question. If different answers are needed you should write separate statements.

Grammatical and spelling errors are distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate. Treat the Honors essay like a class assignment – write it early, revise, and carefully proofread.

Don’t write on your phone or on the application website. You’ll be able to monitor your word count and can easily catch any typos or grammatical errors and also save your progress and return later. Grammarly is a great option! Paste your finished essay into the text block and then review one more time for formatting issues.