Tips When Writing Your College Essay for Liberty

Oct 15, 2020 • Rachel F.

Applying to college is fun but can be stressful and overwhelming. There’s a lot of pressure on college applications because they will ultimately influence admissions decisions. I was once there too and completely understand how you feel. Writing college essays was always the trickiest part of the application process for me. When you apply to Liberty University, you are required to answer two different essay prompts:

1. Describe how your personal faith and beliefs contribute to your college search process. (Examples include reasons for choosing Liberty, background information about your personal faith and beliefs, or other information you deem relevant.)
2. Liberty’s mission is to develop Christ-centered leaders. Describe how you will contribute to this mission as a Liberty student. (Examples include interests in church or community service, personal achievements of goals, or other examples of what you hope to achieve as a student.)

With a word count of 100-150 for each prompt, you need to convey not only why you chose to apply to Liberty but also why you would be an asset as a student. Don’t freak out – I know it’s a lot to unpack in so few words, but I’ve been there and it’s not as intimidating as it may seem. From someone who was once in your shoes, here are a few tips for working on your essay.

1. Don’t just start writing

If you’re like me, there’s probably so much that you want to say, but it’s important to think about what you want to write before writing. My suggestion would be to make a list of your ideas and evaluate which are most important. From there, you can create an outline and maintain a consistent flow. How to start a college essay can be the hardest part, but brainstorming before you start writing can help you make sure the most important points are included. When creating your outline and brainstorming, make sure to stay on topic and focused on Liberty’s mission to develop Christ-centered leaders.

2. Keep it straight and to the point

Your essay is similar to an interview. When you’re in an interview, you never want to ramble because eventually the interviewer will tune out or not hear what’s important. The same goes for your college admissions essay. If you have run-on sentences or a lot of rambling, what you want the admissions department to know could get skipped over. Once you start writing, you’ll realize how much you want to include.

3. Be personal and honest

Your essay is not a school paper, so try not to write it like one. Have fun with it! Include a personal story or something that says more about who you are. While important, the admissions team is not grading your paper based off of grammar or writing style but they are looking to see how your personal faith and beliefs will contribute to the mission of Liberty. At the end of the day, your college essay is the biggest representation of who you are when it comes to your college application. Your essay is the chance to relay who you are beyond your test scores and transcripts. It is essentially the selling point as to why Liberty should accept you. That being said, don’t false advertise. You should be completely honest in your college essay – don’t try to stretch the truth or exaggerate. When writing, be honest and be yourself!

4. Get outside perspectives and seek advice

Your friends, family, and teachers all want you to succeed! Don’t be afraid to ask those around you for help because they will see things you don’t see. When I wrote my essay, I asked one of my teachers and a few college students to look over it for me. As a current college student looking back, I cannot recommend enough to reach out to someone already in college. They can help you tremendously with college applications, especially when it comes to writing your essay.