Writing A Winning Application Essay
One of the secrets of an essay that could grab the attention of the admissions committee is that it is engaging. An engaging essay is something that can tickle the minds of the readers and leave a lasting impression. But how can you effectively write an engaging application essay? Family Education gives tips on how to write your essay in a way that would hook the readers.
Follow the rules
Some schools assign the topics for the essay. The pages are also pre-determined. This is why before you start writing your essay, you need to know if there are rules and special instructions in writing the essay.
Follow directions and stay on task. Do what the college asks you to do. Most colleges prepare topics for you to address or questions for you to answer. If the college asks for 700 words and you write 1,000 or more, the extra words could work to your disadvantage.
How you follow instruction is one of the things that the admissions panel notice. This is why as much as possible, stick to the rules. You also have to be prepared to handle the various possible topics the committee will provide.
Some essay questions are fairly conventional. They’ll ask you to write about the most memorable character you ever met. Others are bolder and request you describe an event that had a life-altering effect on you. Some are totally unconventional and ask you to write page 175 of your 200 page autobiography–or something equally bizarre.
The most important thing you have to remember is to be yourself all the time. Write as honestly as you can and let the admissions panel judge you.
Be original in your application essay
When writing your personal statement, bear in mind that you are writing to distinguish yourself from all other applicants. Write about your special talents, skills, and traits. Originality is a valuable factor since the admissions committee read hundreds or thousands of essays.
Offer each college an original piece of work. Don’t try to warm up an essay that got you a good grade in your senior English class or try to make the same essay work for several colleges. Your failure to create an original and targeted essay will be more obvious than you would ever suspect. Don’t take the chance.
Again, make sure that you are being honest. Don’t embellish your essay with the superficial illusions about yourself.
Undergo the essay writing process
Writing is a process, and you need to finish each step of the process in order to come up with a perfect essay.
a. Develop an outline.
b. Determine the best format to present your message.
c. Prepare a draft.
After you have prepared a draft, it is now time to start writing the actual essay.
d. Review and edit the draft for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage.
e. Evaluate your writing style and treatment of the topic.
The final and equally important stages of the writing process are the editing and proofreading of your work.
f. Rewrite and edit as necessary.
g. Proofread and prepare for submission.
You have to edit and proofread your essay several times to greatly minimize errors. You can let others read your essay and ask for their honest comments.
According to this blog, writing an application essay is not easy.
Writing college application essays can be scary and nerve-wracking. Finding the perfect words to make a college admissions counselor put your application in the yes pile is no easy task. It is essential to not only make sure you have all the pieces — good grades, extracurricular involvement, leadership experience, etc. — but to write your essay in a way that will make you stand out among the (thousands) of other applicants.
This is actually right. Writing a personal statement is a daunting task. But through the tips mentioned above, you can make it on top of the list. You need to check and follow instructions, make sure your essay is original, follow the step-by-step writing process, and then edit and proofread your essay, and let others read it too.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:13 am
Exactly, most people would ask, why do universities require their students or incoming freshmen to write application essays prior to being admitted to the institution. Is it just for fun? Why are we obliged to write such essays? Or would it be something they require because it can help them assess and determine whether you are qualified or not for the standards of the university? And why must they be so hard to do and meticulous about these application essays?
Well, for one thing, universities require their incoming students to write application essays prior to admission because it can be one of their basis on whether or not they should accept you in the university. It certainly isn’t just a for fun thing in which you do not feel obligated to do such essays because the truth is, you are required and obliged to write such essays so that you can get the approval of the panel. They make you write these essays because they want to know what kind of person you are, they want to know what makes you “YOU”, what makes you tick and what are your strengths and weaknesses. They want to know who exactly is the person standing right in front of them; can you follow instructions easily? Do you meet their standards? Would you be a nuisance to the university? Or are you someone who would opt to copy their essay from a website or someone? These are just some of the questions that may arise in the prying and doubtful eyes of the panels that will judge you accordingly and fairly in so that whether you can be admitted, or be rejected from the university.
All in all, writing a college application essay is a very hard task and the only way you can make it easier is to be yourself. Never lie because this piece of paper will determine your success or failure in life. This single piece of requirement could simple make or break you. Remember to be honest and be truthful in every single word you write.