College Essay Tone: How to Sound Like Yourself on Paper
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How do you sound like yourself in a college essay? Most students over complicate this. Voice type your essay. You speak far more than you write.
Voice typing gets that onto the page: the rhythm, the word choice, the way you actually talk. That’s what you’re aiming for. It’s okay if it’s a little or even a lot messy when you edit. Say the change out loud before you make it.
If you’d never say it that way in conversation, rewrite it or cut it. Sounding like yourself is the easiest thing to do. If you’re not trying to sound like someone else. Your speaking voice is already your best writing voice.
Short answer: Voice type your essay.
Longer answer: You speak far more than you write. Voice typing gets that onto the page — the rhythm, the word choices, the way you actually talk. That’s what you’re going for.
When you edit, say the change out loud before you make it. If you’d never say it that way in conversation, rewrite it or cut it.
Sounding like yourself is the easiest thing to do — when you’re not trying too hard to sound like whoever you think you’re supposed to sound like.
Reference: the Common App essay prompts.
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