Why is writing college essays so stressful?

college essay deadline

Well, the stakes are very high. While you can’t get into the school of your dreams with a great college essay alone, your college essay does have a large impact on your application’s success. Also, writing the college application essays is inextricably linked to that moment when students are moving on toward college, separating from their parents — so there is a lot of emotional energy swirling around. In practical terms, this makes it very, very hard for parents to effectively comment on their children’s college essays. I’ve found that I can make the same suggestions a parent might make without anyone rolling their eyes or bursting into tears. I’m also a writer myself, and this helps me be empathetic (I know all about deadline stress and the pain of revision) and constructive (over the years, I have gathered tips and strategies that help writers defeat writer’s block and move through the revision tunnel without getting stuck). As much as I can, I try to take the stress out of the essays.