High schoool students, no matter how smart they are or how well they write, generally panic a little when faced with the prospect of writing their college admission essays.

Even if they are good students with rich, multi-faceted lives, college applicants often look at the blank page and have no idea what they should write. No amount of parental nagging will help these students get started – what they need is a plan!

We have broken essay writing down to five basic stages; tackling these steps one at a time will give you an easy-to-follow framework for handling your essay.

Step 1: Find the Right Topic
Brainstorm with a friend, family member or teacher to come up with the right topic. Try free association: write down people, movies and books that come to mind and see if they trigger a topic idea. Write down memorable events in your life. Consider writing about ways in which you’ve helped others or overcome adversity – but don’t try to portray yourself as overly noble.

Stage 2: Write the First Draft
Before you have a chance to obsess, just get going – write a few paragraphs and see where that leads you. Once you’ve gotten something down on paper, try to map out the path of the essay. Start with an opening sentence and paragraph that will grab the reader’s attention – a quotation or song verse can be a good starting point.

The main body of the essay should contain several paragraphs, each with a topic sentence you will go on to explain and illustrate. When you write the conclusion, make sure to refer back to the introduction in some way – this will bring the essay full circle.

Stage 3: Revise the First Draft
After finishing the first draft, wait at least a day before looking at it again – this will give you a fresh perspective. Then take a close look at what you’ve written to make sure you’ve answered the question and supported your main point with personal and concrete examples. Make sure you haven’t wandered too far from your topic. Check to see that the essay sounds personal and that your thoughts seem to flow smoothly throughout.

Stage 4: The Final Edit
This is your chance to fine tune your revised draft with some smart editing. Now is the time to take out extraneous words and phrases you might have overused. Make sure your point is clear. Remove any cliches and ty to vary the length of your sentences. Read the essay out loud and see how it sounds.

Stage 5: Proofread
Last chance: check for typos, correct use of capitalization and proper punctuation. Use spellcheck but don’t rely on it too much – it won’t catch every problem. Make sure there is subject/verb agreement and that your use of the past and present tense is consistent. It’s a good idea to have someone whose writing ability you trust proofread too.

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These five steps will put you on the right path for a successful essay. Using them as a guideline will keep you focused and organized, and prevent the essay writing process from becoming overwhelming.