How to End a College Essay: The Do’s and Don’ts

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In-depth and expert-backed examples to polish off your college essay
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Deadlines are whizzing by, primary-colored pennants are waving, and keyboards are clicking and clacking…it’s college admissions season! Beyond the test scores and grade point averages, your personal statement is your one chance to show colleges who you are—and for some reason, wrapping up that essay can be the hardest part. We spoke to expert academic tutor and educational consultant Alexander Ruiz to give you strategies for concluding your college essay, along with the examples included in this comprehensive guide to college essay conclusions.

Things You Should Know

  • End your college essay by returning to an idea or image you included in your intro or as your hook. This callback satisfies your reader with a full-circle effect.
  • Look to the future to conclude your college essay on a positive and hopeful note. Describe your goals and the impact you’ll have on the world.
  • Finish your college essay with a lesson learned. After sharing life experiences, describe what you’ve learned and how they’ve prepared you for your next step.

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Section 1 of 2:

Strategies to End Your College Essay

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  1. Research the school and know exactly why you want to attend. Describe why the university fits you well, but be specific. Name certain programs you’re enthusiastic about so the admissions reader feels your passion and excitement through your writing.
    • As expert educational consultant Alexander Ruiz explains, universities are “trying to understand ‘How do you see that you fit within our school?’ Even though the prompt is asking ‘Why did you choose the school?’, it really is truly asking ‘How do you fit within the student body? How do you fit within our campus?’”
    • Example of a “college address” conclusion: I want to be part of the long legacy of civil rights activists and leaders, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have studied within the walls of Boston University. I’ve planted the seeds of this work through my two years of volunteering and campaigning in local elections. If admitted to your globally renowned Political Science program, I will be thrilled to grow my skills in Public Policy Analysis and ultimately serve the dynamic and deserving communities of Greater Boston.
  2. Use the sandwich method, meaning that you start and end your essay with the same idea. Keep it simple, with one or two sentences calling back to the opening of your essay. This technique makes a satisfying conclusion for readers by pulling everything together into a neat and impactful ending. [1]
    • Example of a “full circle” conclusion: This year was a challenge in many ways. But I know that when I drive across those state lines again next fall, I’ll be looking back at the swirling blues and grays of the Boise sky, already anxiously awaiting the next time I get to come back home.
    • Example intro hook for above conclusion: As my parents drove us across the Idaho state line, I looked out at the cloud-covered sky and thought: Well, this sure doesn’t look like home.
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  3. Reflect on personal growth and how your experiences have shaped who you are today. Make sure you refer to things that you’ve discussed in the essay, so it’s clear to readers what lessons you’ve learned and why. [2]
    • Example of a “lesson learned” conclusion: Having the opportunity to travel around Latin America—bouncing between coastal towns like Sayulita and sprawling cities like Buenos Aires—I learned the importance of understanding other cultures and their perspectives. In expanding the limits of my physical world, I also had the opportunity to expand my worldview.
  4. End on a hopeful or positive note by connecting to your college or career goals. Highlight what made you want to attend this university and what you hope to achieve. Be careful not to use generalities or clichés when using this method. [3]
    • Example of a “look forward” conclusion: When my great-great-grandchildren fasten their shoes with a futuristic version of Velcro and head down the road to school, they will do so with excitement and purpose. They’ll look forward to the day’s tasks of digging in the garden for Biology, journaling on their socio-emotional well-being in Health class, and debating the issues of their times in Social Studies. An education system built around students, their needs, and their futures—as a hopeful member of your teaching college, that is a future I am enthusiastic to have a hand in.
  5. Remove your thesis or connecting idea from the start of your essay. By narrating seemingly unrelated experiences throughout your text, your reader will wonder what links all these stories. To keep them engaged until the end, write with lots of action words and descriptive imagery.
    • Example of a “last-minute reveal” conclusion: After multiple paragraphs of stories from swim meets throughout the writer’s life, they conclude with, I wasn’t just swimming to beat the stopwatch hanging around my coach’s neck. I was swimming because it gave me freedom, a place to reflect, and an ability to push back against even the strongest currents.
    • This strategy is difficult to pull off, as our instinct is to put our thesis right at the top. However, when it comes to college admissions, academic tutor Alexander Ruiz warns against “the five-paragraph format, the intro, body, body, body, conclusion.”
    • As Ruiz continues to explain, “When it comes to telling your story and sharing how valuable your experience will be to a school, [the five-paragraph format] is not going to be able to portray that in a way that's going to be very attractive. So I think that one of the main mistakes that people make is saying these quantitative measures are going to speak for themselves, and they don't put enough work into being able to tell their story in their essays.”
  6. Surprise the reader by ending your essay in a different place than you started. Like an action movie or a gripping novel, a twist ending will leave an impression on your admissions officer. This strategy requires planning and organization to write a good overall college essay . [4]
    • Example of a “plot twist” conclusion: Every law office I interned at over the past four years, despite their intensity, was instrumental in shaping my path and who I am. They prepared me for college and a career and gave me a clear view of what I wanted to do: not study law. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of learning about the inner workings of our legal system, but now I want to put that knowledge toward my true passion: helping foster kids via a social services career.
  7. Leave your essay in the reader’s hands with a thought-provoking question or call to action. If you leave a lingering thought in the admissions officer’s mind, they’re much more likely to remember you and green-light your acceptance. [5]
    • Example of a thought-question conclusion: After all, with no other world to compare ours to, who are we to say a better world isn’t possible?
    • Example of a “call to action” conclusion: Now that I’ve spent some thousand-odd words advocating for voter rights, voter registration, and rattling off anecdotes of my door-to-door campaigning, I just have one question left: are you registered to vote?
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Section 2 of 2:

Things to Avoid in Your College Essay Conclusion

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  1. Don’t repeat the same ideas or thesis from the body of your essay. Although you should do this when writing an academic essay , college admissions officers see this as lazy or boring. Instead, end your essay with a strong impact or message that lingers in your reader’s mind. [6]
  2. These common transitional phrases come off as wooden and stiff when written. They also might signify to a reader that all you’re about to do is summarize what you’ve already said, so they might as well stop reading. Although these might work in formal essays, your college admissions essay is personal and authentic to you. Rather than telling your reader your story is concluding, show them how your journey has come to a natural and satisfying end. [7]
    • Don’t: In conclusion, my family’s struggle with poverty over the past five years taught me much about resilience.
    • Do: Tonight, my dad will put food on the table, as he always manages to. My mom will kiss him on the cheek as soon as she walks in the door from work, sighing as she finally sits down for the day. Despite all the challenges of the last five years, I’ve watched my parents overcome every obstacle with resilience and grit—and what I’ve learned from them is something I wouldn’t give up for the world.
  3. Avoid using statements like “I’m intelligent” if you’ve spent the essay giving examples of your smarts and academic skills. Likewise, avoid simplified statements that will seem obvious to the reader, like “High school is hard” or “People love dogs.” [8]
    • Don’t: I’m a hard worker.
    • Do: Juggling rigorous academics with grueling morning soccer practices has taught me the value of hard work and discipline.
    • Don’t: Climate change is a problem.
    • Do: My generation is already suffering the real-time effects of climate change, like our snow days turning to smoke days as wildfires burn around our homes.
  4. Avoid begging for admission or coming off as needy in your essay. Admission officers know that every student who applies wants to attend their school. Instead, use that space to tell them about you, your goals, and why you’re a good fit for their institution. [9]
    • Don’t: Please consider me.
    • Do: As shown by the four years I volunteered at my local children’s hospital, community service is a priority for me in my future personal and professional life. Seeing what your university does for its surrounding neighborhood and the people there, I feel confident I would be a natural fit at your school.
  5. Don’t use famous quotes and vague statements that anyone could use or write in their essay. The goal of your essay is for “the admissions officer to come away…saying ‘I understand who the student is a little bit better’” instructs educational consultant Alexander Ruiz. Clichéd phrases don’t help colleges get to know who you are.
    • Don’t: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
    • Do: In my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would be the lead in my senior play. Cut to now, and I’m singing my heart out to an applauding audience of parents and peers. From this moment forward, I will always understand and uphold the value of betting on yourself, even when you don’t know the outcome.
    • Don’t: College will help me reach my dreams.
    • Do: I’m enthusiastic about starting my next chapter—attending a school that will help me grow, learn, and take my next step toward my dream of becoming a doctor.
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How Do You End a College Admissions Essay Effectively?


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      • Be specific in your essay—admissions officers want to hear about you and your life, so tell details about who you are and your experiences. [10]
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      • Be authentic—admissions officers have read enough college essays to know when someone is phoning it in. Be true to yourself, write how you speak, and let your personality shine through. [11]
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      • Show enthusiasm—if you’re talking about the school or your future, show excitement for what the next four years will hold for you.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about preparing for graduation, check out our in-depth interview with Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. .

      References

      1. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
      2. ↑ https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/write-amazing-closing-line/
      3. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
      4. ↑ https://essaypro.com/blog/how-to-write-a-conclusion
      5. ↑ https://essaypro.com/blog/how-to-write-a-conclusion
      6. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
      7. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
      8. ↑ https://students.tippie.uiowa.edu/sites/students.tippie.uiowa.edu/files/2022-05/effective_claims.pdf
      9. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
      1. ↑ https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/how-to-write-your-best-college-application-essay-493692/
      2. ↑ https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/how-to-write-your-best-college-application-essay-493692/

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