A “race-to-the-finish” mentality can take hold in those final few rounds of revisions. It’s easy to go into auto-pilot and forget that Drafts Four, Five, and Six are just as important as One, Two, and Three. Here are five tips that I recommend keeping in mind as you move toward the end of your editing process. These are broader suggestions to ensure you maintain curiosity about your writing up until you press that submit button. Here we go!

Tip #1: Look back at your very first draft

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I always encourage my coaching students to look back to earlier drafts to track the progress of their revisions. I encourage students to think about the core values they wanted to explore when they first opened their Google or Word Docs. Oftentimes, those initial writerly impulses are the most compelling. So, I have my students hold two questions in mind when they return to their first drafts: 1) What is one unique feature from this essay that you think is crucial in expressing who you are? 2) Have we maintained that feature through the revision process? If the answer to Question Two is “No,” there’s work to do to capture that magic!

Tip #2: Read your essay out loud

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I know, I know. It can feel so cringe-y to read your writing out loud, but it’s the best way to track its flow. We at Prompt are always doing this. But, you should be as well! This way, you can flag moments that may misrepresent your ideas or sound as though they don’t capture your unique voice as a writer.

Tip #3: Move slowly through each suggestion, even if they’re minor

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As coaches, we know it’s tempting when the end’s in sight to simply accept suggestions willy-nilly and go with your first impulses when revising unclear sentences. But I believe that the final few drafts of your essay are the times when it’s most critical to slow down. Be sure to carefully take in the feedback you receive and give each draft the attention it's due.

Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to make content adjustments

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While we certainly do not want to be ripping up the structure of your essay in Draft Five, it’s important to keep an eye out for moments in your writing you can deepen with a new or different experience. Perhaps there’s an extracurricular activity you just realized would be perfect for showcasing your determination and drive. Or perhaps you forgot about that research project you spent the beginning of junior year working on that would brilliantly describe why you want to pursue your major. Stay open to these possible changes to the content of your essay and discuss with your coaches the pros and cons of making these types of adjustments.

Tip #5: Celebrate your journey

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To bring us back to Tip #1, I invite you to take a moment and celebrate your success in moving through your revisions. Coaches are always congratulating students after that final check: you produced a piece of writing that effectively tells your story. No small feat! So take that “Congratulations” to heart–your hard work is worth celebrating.

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You may have a bunch of Drafts 4, 5, or 6’s open on your computer or you may just be starting the process of crafting your application material. Either way, use these tips to reset whenever you feel like rushing through revisions. Savor those final few edits–you won’t regret it! 

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