Almost all colleges require applicants to include an essay during their application (usually a personal statement or similar essay) with their application documents. Admission essays are a very important part of the application requirement, as more students are applying to be selected into the universities than ever, and many of these universities place less emphasis on standardized test results than these essays.
Many student applicants may ignore or give less importance to this part of the process. But one of the easiest ways to scale through the college application is through your application essay.
Yet with the right attitude and strategy, you can write an essay that will improve your candidacy for admission. A good college application essay will not overcome poor grades for a student at the lowest end of a school’s applicant pool, but it can help a qualified candidate stand out from the crowd.
In this article, you will get all the relevant information and tips you will need to help you write a great college application essay. Also, it cannot be over-emphasized how a great essay can increase your chances of making your application stand out from the crowd of other applications, from preparation to submission.
Table of contents
Preparing to Write Your College Application Essay
Before anything else preparation is key. Preparation reduces errors, prevents you from redoing your essay, and shortens the time.
A well-prepared essay writing will take much less time. Also, reduces the chances of getting stuck halfway. Here is how to prepare for your essay writing:
Make sure you understand what the essay is all about
Read the instructions carefully. Needless to say, it needs to be read very carefully, and this needs to be emphasized. If you do not follow the guidelines in your application essay, the admissions officer may assume that you cannot follow the instructions of the university program.
Page and word limits are mentioned for a reason and you must be able to organize your submission by perfectly following these rules.
There’s no shame in asking someone who has passed that stage to guide you. Your success depends on understanding what is wanted from you and delivering just that.
Do your research as you create a basic outline.
It’s as well very important to roll research and get an initial outlining process into place.
As you research, create info, and try dumping a bullet-pointed list of the points you want to get known about you and all the topics you want to cover. Add links to articles and citations as you go so you can refer to them easily.
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Figure out every necessary thing you have to say.
What is the major argument you want to prove, or what ideas do you want to express in your essay to prove that you deserve to be chosen?
Before you start, you need to keep all the relevant information you don’t want to forget. You need to have a point before you can make one.
Create an outline.
Once you have a clear vision of the important ideas and discussions you want to prove, organize the information, remove everything that isn’t important, and organize your outline.
How to Write A Good College Application Essay
It’s time to impress college admission officers with a great application essay. College application essays are usually about 500 words, and these words can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
You spend days studying and writing an essay, but admissions officers only have a few minutes to read it, so you need to get their attention.
#1. Research your application essay
When researching application essays, it’s a good idea to read some great essay examples for inspiration. This is a great exercise, but the examples too influenced many students and use many clichés to impress admissions officers.
Remember that thousands of other students are applying to the university of your choice. You need to be excellent. Reread the essay and erase the sentences that sound like clichés to find a more original perspective.
#2. Read the instructions carefully
They say the hardest part is starting an essay. Needless to say, is to read the instructions carefully, but given all the excitement and stress that it characterizes this needs to be emphasized.
If you do not follow the guidelines in your application essay, the admissions officer may assume that you cannot follow the instructions of the college program.
Page and word limits are mentioned for a reason. After reading the instructions a few times and collecting notes, you can create an outline to organize your essay and decide which message to send. Now you are ready to create your first draft.
This is the second steps taken when you write a good college application essay.
#3. Start with a wonderful introduction
Admissions officers spend only a short time reviewing your essay, so you need to start with a lively paragraph that keeps them busy. The introduction should show the reader what your essay is and get their attention.
You can start with anecdotes or interesting stories that highlight some of your personality and the best aspects of your personality and provide insights to help admissions officers get to know you.
#4. Give good examples
Give relevant examples of what you have achieved and what you will want to achieve in the future. A college application essay is a glimpse of how your mind works and how you see the world.
If you want your essay to be credible, you need to make sure that everything you write supports that perspective. Take the time to understand how the essay questions related to your personal qualities, then write from a particular angle.
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#5. Be Authentic
Universities seek authenticity and quality of thought. So, instead of shaping your essay around phrases and ideas that people have used many times, base it on your true beliefs.
Application essays are your opportunity to convince admissions officers with your determination and your existing knowledge of the subject of your choice. Make sure it reflects all your skills and ambitions and shows how the program you choose will help you reach your future goals.
#6. Proofread your work
You want to create a good college application, so you should read it many times to make sure there are no typing, spelling, or grammatical mistakes. However, after a while, a new perspective may be needed.
It’s best to have someone who hasn’t seen it see it, as you’re likely to see a flaw you don’t see.
Asking someone else to proofread your essay will not only help you find mistakes but will also help you make sure your text sounds like you.
After reading so many examples and following these instructions, it’s hard to tell if you’ve just written a statement about who you are. Make sure your essay is clean with the help of others.
This is the last step to write a good college application essay.
Simple Dos and Don’ts
Here are a few dos and don’ts for a college application essay that you
should keep in mind:
Dos:
- Pay attention to formatting.
- Stay within the required (or recommended) word length.
- Make sure your essay reflects you.
- Present yourself in a dimension that goes beyond grades, recommendations, and test
scores.
Don’ts:
- Writing about anything fake and outrageous.
- Avoid making use of words that aren’t formal vocabulary.
- Repetition of information.
- Avoid repeating your CV.
Ultimately, your college application essay is your chance to show the admissions committee who you are and what’s important to you. Tell them your story. This could be your best chance for success as an individual, so take advantage of it.
Conclusion
Besides the main essay, some colleges require applicants to submit one or more sample papers. Students are often asked to explain why they are interested in a particular school or academic area in these supplemental essays, which are shorter than the main essay.
You’ll want more time for the writing process if the schools they’re applying to require additional essays.
References
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