writing the perfect application
|
Print this page
|
Think your essay has to be the most polished and perfect piece of writing ever? Think again! The admissions folks aren't looking for Shakespeare, they want to hear from the REAL you. Your essay should help the admissions committee learn about your unique qualities and accomplishments.
Here are five tips to an excellent essay!
1. Write it yourself. It's okay to have someone make suggestions on how to improve your essay, but in the end, the writing has to be all you, baby.
2. Use your own voice. Grammar is important, but admissions officers don't expect your prose to be super sophisticated BEFORE you're admitted to their colleges-only after you graduate.
There's no such thing as a perfect personal statement, but you can avoid some dangerous traps- if you know what they are.
Make No Mistake . . .
- Don't write a boring first sentence. College admissions officers pour through thousands of essays, and they'll be more likely to read past the first sentence of yours if it's an attention-grabber.
- Don't focus on others. Colleges want to learn about YOU. Unless you are specifically asked to write about someone else, don't.
- Don't use clich? Nothing makes an essay reader more frustrated than having to read the same expression over and over.
- Don't get weird in order to seem creative. You do want to take a creative approach to an essay topic, but you don't want to cross the line into bizarre.
- Don't use flowery, artificial language. It just says, "trying too hard."
- Don't procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute is a surefire way to sabotage a powerful essay.
- Don't whine. Nobody wants to hear someone complain.
- Don't restate your resume. A laundry list of extracurricular activities does not offer interesting insights into your life and dreams.
- Don't be repetitive. Communicate your points once and well.
- Don't plagiarize. The admissions people know about all the college essay websites and books that have tons of essays. You will most likely get caught. Then you'll get rejected.
3. Be an individual. Don't write what you THINK they want to hear. What are you, psychic? Besides, admissions offices can get pretty bored reading the same tired essay topic over and over.
4. Think small. That's right. Narrow down your statement from say, how we can achieve world peace, to something like, how you used diplomacy to stop your little brother from throwing water balloons at your dates.
5. Make it personal. Reveal some kind of personal growth, deeply held value, or unique interest by focusing on a particular event in your life. You can write about the time you helped another person achieve a goal, the moment you realized you wanted to be a doctor, the lessons you learned at a job or internship, a relationship that changed your life, or any topic that demonstrates insight and growth.
This website may contain information from a third party or links to third party websites as a convenience to users. Upromise does not endorse or take responsibility for any such information. Such information is general in nature and not intended to be the opinion of Upromise.
