Essay editing works. Now matter good your is, how well your , or , there's always lots of room for improvement after the first draft. So what are some tips for editing, revising, and refining your admissions essay until it's perfect? What are the keys to effective admissions essay editing?

Decide whether your essay makes the grade.

The sometimes-painful first step in essay editing isn't about revision at all--it's more about analysis. Not every first draft has the potential to be a first-rate essay. So before you do anything else, you need to determine whether or not you're going to stick with what you've written thus far.

Just because an essay has a lot of mistakes doesn't mean you should abandon it. After all, mistakes can be corrected.

Some typical unresolvable problems with admissions essay first drafts include:

• The essay is dull. If the first draft puts you to sleep, the final draft probably won't be a thriller.
• The essay is impersonal. Admissions essays must be personal and reveal something about the author. If your essay is completely impersonal, no amount of essay editing will fix the problem.
• The topic just doesn't work. Sometimes a topic is hard to evaluate until you've seen it put down on paper. If you just weren't able to pull it off, don't be afraid to pull the plug.

It's tough to go back to the drawing board, but the admissions essay is important and you need to come up with the best essay you possibly can.

Put it away for awhile.

When you've been working on an essay for a long time, you get too close to really evaluate it. After you've written a first draft and decided that you like it, put the essay in a drawer for at least a week (if you've left yourself enough time). When you take it out to begin the process of essay editing, you'll see it from a fresh perspective and be able to make improvements you hadn't considered earlier.

Edit for content.

Look at the big things first. Are there chunks of the essay that are awkward or don't make sense? Are there weak parts that can be be improved or eliminated? Are there good parts that can be expanded upon? Does the order in which you discuss things make sense? Are there any gaping holes in the story or narration? Does it flow well? Are there things you can do to improve the essay's clarity or focus?

Edit the essay for grammar and style.

Once you've taken a look at your essay as a whole, it's time to review the nitty-gritty. Yes, that includes looking at spelling and grammar with a sharp eye. But you should also look for awkward transitions, overly-repeated words, passive sentences, and other such problems. And any time you can take a phrase and make it better or more interesting, you should take the opportunity to do so--editing isn't just about fixing mistakes.

Get help.

Your essay should always be your own work. But that doesn't mean you can't have someone look it over for you. Show your essay to someone you trust and ask for his or her feedback. While a parent or teacher (with a strong command of the English language) can help with some aspects of the essay, the best reviewer is someone who's familiar with the college admissions process. If you don't have access to such a person, you should consider using a college counselor or review service. Just remember--your essay should always be your own work!