How to Write an Admission / Applications Essay
Are you about to enter college, university or grad school? Your school is probably one of those that requires you to write an applications essay. Not every school makes this mandatory, but it is always a bonus to do so, and we can help you write an effective one.
The important point to understand is why you are required to write about a specific topic, determined by the university or college to which you are applying. What are the members of the admissions board looking for in your essay? Check the university’s website. Sometimes, they will write exactly what they are going to evaluate.
You should understand the purpose of such essays. You can read about it on the Internet. Also, check with your teachers. If you are considerate and respectful, they might even help you pick the right idea for your paper.
Tips for Creating a Great Admission Essay
Universities prefer to accept students who want to study and succeed, have the potential and aren’t applying just because. You have to show you are exactly the right kind of student in a relatively short essay. Here is some advice on how you can achieve that:
- Start brainstorming your topic right away. Sometimes, an admissions board requires a personal essay, so aside from tips and guides, there is nothing very useful you can find on the Internet. They want you to open up, and so some self-analysis is in order.
- Choose one point of focus for your essay. You are required to write one to three pages, so there is not much space to fit in everything. Select the most powerful experience in your life and build you essay on that.
- Make clear and concise statements and use simple words and phrases that are understandable to all people, no matter what field in which they specialize. That will look good in the eyes of admissions board.
- Follow the basic essay structure of introduction, body and conclusion. Even in a personal statement, you need to tell the readers what topic you want to discuss. Then, at the end of your paper, make sure that you fulfilled your purpose.
- Don’t write anything negative about anyone, be it your family, friends or yourself. That won’t look good, and it will just set the committee in a bad mood. Another bad course of action is to compare yourself to others. This can sound selfish or undermining, or just plain rude, and it won’t make a good impression of you.
- Give an example from your life that will provide anecdotal evidence to the points you are trying to relay to the audience. This will make your essay more personal, also.
- When you are through writing, look back on your essay and highlight the longest sentences. Make them more concise and on point. Probably, half of the words there are unnecessary. The least you can do is to break those sentences into shorter ones, making them easier to understand.
- If you have several smaller ideas, try combining them into a more complex idea. Sophisticated writing will get you more points.
- School life is busy, so make a schedule for writing. You don’t want small things to interfere with achieving your goal, but if you neglect important people in your life, it won’t end well for you, either.
If none of these tips help, read some applications essays. It’s not hard to find the most successful essays on the Internet; maybe they can inspire you. An alternative is to buy a good example from a reputable service.
Other Useful Information
Ask your family to help you. First of all, they can help you keep up with your schedule, and they avoid distracting you. Also, they know you better than anyone else and so they can help you select the best information to put in your essay. They can also say what they think about the finished paper and how it touches them.
Don’t worry about what people might think of you personally. If you have done everything possible to deliver a great essay and for some reason it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe that university just wasn’t right for you. However, if you slacked off or refused help, you should worry concerning what people think about your skills. You should think about your skills, as well.
