It's college/university application time and you're being inundated with fliers, folders, pamphlets, addresses, campuses, and more. You've sifted through the paperwork and have chosen your top five (or ten) schools and you've begun the tedious task of filling in form after form. And then there's the acceptance letter requirement.

As a teenager, most of the writing you've probably done has been comparing and contrasting Shakespeare in class, or maybe you have a diary you scribble in every night. Now you're being asked to dig deep and write a letter that could mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. Scary.

The point of an acceptance letter is to help you stand apart from the hundreds of thousands of other applicants that weary admissions officers will reading about.

Your goal is to persuade that person that you're worth acceptance and that you're a unique individual, more than just a grade average. They're looking for someone who is going to work hard and become another success story.

Although a daunting, it's not an impossible feat. You can find tons of great "how-to" hints and tips on the Internet.

Quintcareers.com was able to narrow down the many suggestions into three simple steps: brainstorming, choosing a topic, and writing the essay.

First things first, according to Quintcareers.com, you need to brainstorm the subject matter that you will consider using in the essay.

Take your time with this, maybe one to two weeks. This way you'll be able to sort out the pertinent information from the fluff that will make you sound like everyone else.

What sort of things are you looking to discuss in your essay? You'll want to talk about major accomplishments in your life; not just ones you have been formally recognised for, but also those that have been crucial in your life and help distinguish your character- maybe you lost 20 pounds or you taught yourself sign language.

Talk about the attributes that make you special, the types of books or people who have influenced you up until now, your dreams and aspirations for the future, or even hobbies or volunteer opportunities that seem relevant.

That one time you helped your elderly neighbour carry her groceries in doesn't count, but volunteering with a local sports team shows the officer you're well rounded - a trait most schools are looking for in prospective students.

By now you will know what information you want to include in the essay.

You may wish to focus on one particular aspect of your life or you might decide an overview of who you are would be more effective. Which ever you choose, you must make sure the topic will allow you to produce an essay about your personal experiences that answers the question being asked - why do you want to attend college/university? It's going to be difficult to impress someone who's probably reading 50-100 of these essays a day.

A few tips:

Regardless of the event that you're discussing, this letter is about your personal qualities so don't get caught up in the delivery. If it was a difficult situation, talk about how you overcame it.

Make sure the topic fits in with the application and that the information is not redundant (you don't want to regurgitate the answers you've already given in the forms you are submitting along with the essay).

Don't talk about your weaknesses unless it is absolutely necessary that you explain them. You want to make a positive first impression.

Be honest. Write an essay about your life and your experiences. It's what you know best.

Next, ask yourself these questions:

Does your topic describe something of importance to you? Can you support it with vivid personal experiences?

Will it keep the reader's interest from the first word to the last?

How will people perceive your letter? Will it offend anyone?

Will the admissions officer remember your essay after the hundreds of others they'll read? This can go along way into helping you write an essay that is interesting and unique.

Now you are ready to sit down and write the essay. You've made sure that you're essay topic is going to answer the question. Be original and be yourself in the delivery, no one knows you better than you do.

Also, where you may be tempted to break out the thesaurus, you don't need big words to make you sound smart - you're stellar grades can speak for themselves. Only use big words if they're appropriate and make sure you use them correctly.

Don't over think the essay. If you find yourself struggling, take a break and decide whether the topic is a good one.

Leave it for an hour, a day, even a week (but don't forget about it!). You'll come back with a new perspective and with any luck the words will just flow from your fingertips.

For added help, get someone edit what you've written - a parent, teacher or guidance councillor will do.

A second (or third or fourth) set of eyes can help clear up any confusions, correct grammatical mistakes or cut out any words, sentences or paragraphs that are just dead weight.

Now you've written your winning essay and you can feel good about dropping it into an envelope and sending it off to your prospective school.

Good luck!