By Victoria Ayodele
Duke University
December 22, 2025
How many college essays did you have to write? How did you feel about having to write that many essays?
Before the summer, I was interested in twenty top colleges in the United States. This would require me to write 60 written responses with 75% of them being essays and 25% being short-word responses. Logically, I felt quite intimidated seeing I would have to write this much, but I did not calculate the amount of writing this process would require at the start since my college list fluctuated. The feeling of procrastination crept up on me during writer’s block. However, I was motivated to convey to these institutions the kind of student I am and will become at their institutions. This mindset – instead of calculating the amount of writing – is what allowed me to push through.
How did you organize yourself and make sure you kept on top of the deadlines?
I created a college essay organizer (through Google Docs) to keep track of application deadlines (Restricted Early Action (REA), Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), and Regular Decision (RD)). I created a checklist in my Notes app (iPhone users know!) to brainstorm ideas, chose an essay theme, drafted, and revised my essay each day. Additionally, I created a list based on selectivity of the school, completing essays for safety schools more quickly to have more time to concentrate and finalize essays for reach schools. Just like jigsaw pieces, I noticed how the edge pieces require less concentration and time to place together before paying more attention to the intricate pieces toward the middle.
When should you start writing college essays?
Writing college essays is the most time-consuming portion of the college application process, so it is recommended to begin essays at least a month before applications are due. Many successful students start their essays the summer before their senior year, since they have more free time outside of school and can revise with teachers in the fall.
Did you use the same essay for multiple colleges? How did you make sure they fit the prompt for the school or scholarship you were applying to?
There was absolutely no way I was going to have time to write 60 college essays from scratch every time! Learning how to reuse essays was crucial in my process. One thing students catch onto quite quickly when writing multiple essays is the similarities and differences in prompts. Before beginning the writing process, it is helpful to look over common essay prompts, such as “the time you were challenged by a different perspective,” “Why [institution]?,” and “Community/Experience” prompts. In the early stages of the drafting process for an essay, I always found it important to highlight the keywords in a prompt that you must answer well within your essay. As I continued writing essays with noticeably similar prompts, I already knew the content that would be placed within the essay. However, something I always advise is to establish the differences between similar prompts. Students should attempt tweaks in every essay they submit to ensure it is their best work and have fully addressed the prompt and included other details! While copying and pasting your work to other applications is generally okay, students place their best foot forward when reading over their essay (e.g. changing the school/scholarship title – this mistake can be quite embarrassing, writing specific details about the school that are relevant, etc.).
What advice would you give to students who have to write 10+ college and scholarship application essays?
My advice is to set a timeline and pay attention to deadlines for your applications. Start early!
How long does it usually take for you to finalize an essay for an unseen prompt? How about a similar prompt to one you’ve worked with?
While I was not very strict with time management, I kept a roadmap in mind of the different application cycles, including how many prompts each school required, and how important each application was to me. This allowed me to knock out the schools with early application deadlines to dedicate more time to the Regular Decision (RD) schools and others I knew were top choices in my mind. I loved reusing essays. It’s also important to consider how your previous essay can be improved each time you use past essay responses; as you continue writing, you’ll find better and more original ideas that can replace past content.
What resources did you use to write all of your college and scholarship application essays?
Especially when struggling in the drafting process, I searched on Google how other students answered these prompts by typing in the prompt. As long as there isn’t any form of plagiarism, seeing how students successfully bridge ideas and their writing style can help applicants better craft their story. CollegeEssayGuy is especially helpful here, and I was part of Matchlighters Scholars – a college access program in the organization. It was essential in the brainstorming process for most of my college essays. Additionally, I’d highly recommend a college access program that helps with essay editing, such as Matriculate, Notable Narratives, Ron Brown GPS, First Gen Scholars, and Upward Bound if eligible. Other resources include asking trusted teachers and individuals for review.
How did Matriculate provide college essay writing help?
Matriculate was the best resource because my advisor helped me throughout the entire process. Working with a student attending a top college, she offered critiques I had not even thought of, inspiring a more compelling essay. As someone very hesitant to begin writing an essay from scratch, she provided comfort in knowing that my first draft would become finalized and ready to submit before the application deadline.
Anything else?
Trust me, you don’t need to write 60 essays to have a successful college application process. If I could go back in time, I would center my attention on narrowing down my college list. No matter if you plan to write 3 essays or even 100 essays, you got this!
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Victoria Ayodele
Victoria is from Atlanta, Georgia and is a High School Fellow Recruitment Ambassador at Matriculate. Before this role, she was a High School Fellow going through the college application process with her Advising Fellow. Amidst this role, she studies nutrition and neurology at Duke University on the pre-medical route. In her free time, she loves being part of Duke’s dance team, gymnastics, and traveling to new places.