A well written application essay gives students a big advantage in the admission process at many of the nation best colleges and universities. This book guides prospective college entrants through the do and dons of the essay writing process, advising on how to choose a topic, then describing how to create a rough draft and polish and edit the writing into a finished essay. Author George Ehrenhaft points out that a successful college application essay always conveys the student interests, personality, and thinking in a clear, concise manner. He recommends a variety of strong essay topics, and includes excerpts from successful application essays as well as several full-length sample essays from recent students. Each essay comes with a critique that discusses its strengths or indicates missteps. Here is important instruction and advice for all college applicants, and a solid general guide to good writing.