Have you ever felt like the more advice you get about the elusive college admission essay, the more stressed out you become? I don’t know about you, but poring over books of successful essays from Ivy League schools just makes me feel inadequate. So don’t think of this post as advice – consider it a psych-up session to start writing your essay!

First, a few don’ts:

• DON’T write about the big game. It’s been done, done again, and then WAY overdone.
• DON’T thesaurusize (yes, it’s a word – check your Urban Dictionary).
• DON’T go on and on and on and on. We got the point five run-on sentences ago.
• DON’T use clichés. Sound like a plan?
• DON’T forget who will be reading your essay. Save words like “cool” and “wack” for your dawgs.

Now that we’ve gotten the negative instructions out of the way, let’s talk about choosing a topic. If you’ve experienced a personal tragedy that you feel comfortable sharing and that allows readers to get to know you, by all means write about it. Sometimes the most interesting essays are based on a personal struggle or challenge that you have overcome or are in the process of overcoming. If your life has been tragedy-free up to this point, consider yourself lucky and choose another theme that illustrates your personality. Something as simple as an object, a conversation, or an event that has affected you can make surprisingly good reading.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, start writing, and keep it specific. Whether you’re describing your old teddy bear, your crazy family dinners, or a tree you love to climb, concentrate on the details. The more specific you make your essay (e.g., not your love for the whole animal kingdom, but that special horse you connected with one summer), the more compelling it will be. Think small moments.

Make your essay a judgment-free zone. Admissions officers don’t want to read a negative, cynical personal statement. Take responsibility for your actions and don’t blame others for your misfortunes. That doesn’t mean you have to sugarcoat difficult events in your life – just find a way to be honest and keep your tone positive. If you’ve got to rant, get a diary.

And sometimes, you just need to remember to KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. The more you stress about this essay, the scarier it will become. The KISS principle is a reminder to pick a direction and just start moving. Even writing a couple of sentences one day can be enough to get you started and help you feel less overwhelmed.

You don’t have to be a brainiac to write a good admission essay; you just have to be you. So stop procrastinating. Get started!

-Robyn Tellefsen