Signs that an Online Sample College Application Essay Is Not Worth Your Time
As a prospective college student who is going into the process of writing your “about myself” essay, it is common that you will browse the net to search for a sample “essay about myself” that will guide you and give you ideas on how to write an effective essay. But not all sample essays are worth your time. The following are just to site a few characteristics of a sample essay that you should be wary of.
The sample essay contains unforgivable grammar errors
It is imperative to note that in an “essay about myself,” there should have no room for grammatical errors. One of the objectives of writing this essay is to show the admissions panel that you know how to write well. So why will you waste time looking at sample essays full of grammatical errors? Well-written essays contain no errors whether grammatical or typographical. Knowing this one common mistake in writing an essay can help you in avoiding such lapses when making your own.(1)
The flow of ideas is not that clear or logical
When you notice that the sample “essay about myself” that you are reading seems to be too redundant and pointless, then it is definitely not a good example. Essays should be vivid and rational in presenting the topics that are being discussed. The essay’s structure should have a coherent flow of arguments, experiences, and accounts so the correct message will be conveyed to the readers. To develop a sense of spontaneity, thoughts should be organized properly in a narrative form to keep hold of the readers’ attention.(2)
You lost interest in it after reading the first paragraph
The introduction part of the admission essay is the most crucial part. Time and effort should be devoted in creating an introduction that will capture the attention of the readers. As you read those sample essays with dragging first paragraphs, try to put yourself in the shoes of the application committee. How will you find the interest to read further when the introductory part displeased you already? It is only then that you will be able to appreciate the value of the introduction and for sure, you are not going to repeat the same mistake in your own essay.(3)
(1) http://www.acm.edu/uploads/cms/documents/acm-writing-essay.pdf
(2) http://www.gradschools.com/Article/essay-writing-lesson4-transition/989.html
(3) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14347374/
April 12th, 2010 at 5:56 am
As an incoming freshman, you would want to have things easy for you and thus look around the internet for example essays in which you can base your application essay from. But, it is always best to keep in mind these questions, when choosing an example essay; do you think these would impress the panel? How do you find the example essay? Is it a little bit too common? Are the ideas presented organized?
First of all, when you write your essay, you would want to impress the panel. You would want to make them approve of your entry to their university; you would want to leave a positive and lasting impression in their minds. With that said, if you really want to a positive impression to the panel, you must first consider whether what you yourself think about the example essay. Read it, word of word, digest every little bit of information you can from it. How do you find the example essay? Is it a little bit too generic? Is it common? Are the ideas presented in the essay unique and organized? It is important to know what you think about it, before even deciding to use it as a basis for your own application essay.
Remember, that your application essay is the key to your acceptance in your dream university, and it would do you good if you gave your very best in writing it. Word for word must be original and should not be plagiarized. All the ideas presented must be organized and well-constructed; it should not be rambles or rants, but rather, a systematic web of sentences that are intertwined with one another. If you really want to base your application essay on examples online, then it would be best to look for examples that have been approved and rated by many as effective.