A well written application essay gives students a big advantage in the admission process at many of the nation's best colleges and universities. This book guides prospective college entrants through the do's and don'ts 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's 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.