Almost all colleges require applicants to include an essay with their application documents. Many applicants ignore this part of the process or devote less attention to it, but many universities pay more attention to essays than to standardized test scores.
A good college application essay will not solve the problem of a student’s poor grades, but it can help a qualified candidate stand out from the crowd. This article will provide you with all the necessary information and tips you will need to assist you in writing a great college application essay.
How Does the Application Essay Affect the Admission to the University?
Such a document has a double value: it can serve as an important argument for admission. Universities will give preference to the most motivated applicants with identical scores.
In addition, by writing an essay, the applicant has an additional opportunity to think over and argue their decisions, to confirm their conviction to enter the appropriate educational program or vice versa, and to change their mind.
Every higher education institution prescribes the requirements for application essays in the admission rules. Up-to-date information on when, where, and how to send the document should appear on the universities’ websites.
Why is it logical? When universities choose future students, admissions officers want to see more than just the knowledge that standardized math, history, or language tests can measure.
Stages of Writing an Admission Essay
Carefully read and analyze the topic and brief writing instructions
If you do not follow the guidelines in your essay, the admissions committee may assume that you are not responsible for the rules. Page and word limits, the expected style, and formatting are mentioned for a reason. Your task is to take all this into account while writing.
Brainstorm
You can start the essay writing process by asking yourself the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What are your achievements?
- What are you proud of?
- Why do you want to study at this particular university or in this particular program?
- What will be the privilege for the university if you become its student?
Do not write about what you think the admissions committee wants to read. Write your thoughts and reflections so that this enthusiasm captures the reader.
Do not edit your writing while brainstorming. Note down everything that comes to your mind, and you can organize and edit these thoughts later. One more way is to ask for a help from expert writers of https://essayshark.com/, who can assist with your custom essay.
Write a Plan
An outline will help you organize your thoughts and make a skeleton for further work on your admission essay.
Write down the main thesis and ideas you want to convey in your work. Do not forget about the structure:
- a short, catchy introduction;
- the main part where you develop your ideas and provide arguments and facts;
- an accurate and brief conclusion.
Write!
The structure of your essay is essential because the reader’s impression depends not only on your ideas but also on how well they are formulated and organized. But you do not necessarily have to start writing your essay with an introduction. Revise the outline again and choose the easiest part for you now. As soon as you dive into the work, you will be able to find more ideas and apt words for the whole essay.
Proofread and Edit
This is probably the most important step because the editing process gives you the opportunity to develop and improve your essay. There are many methods you can use to proofread your essay, and you should try them. Read your essay aloud and ask for feedback from peers or friends. It is a good idea to take a break from your essay after you have been working on it for a while and come back to it in a few days and revise it. While editing, make sure that you also pay close attention to spelling and grammar mistakes.
General Tips for A Perfect University Essay
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Confident
Although modesty is a good trait, most universities want to see strong and ambitious students with energy and leadership qualities. There is only one main character in your application essay: you. Do not write about someone else (another person who has influenced you or a favorite activity). Do not waste paragraphs on extraneous topics because it is important for the committee to see your personality. Therefore, focus on your experience, sports, social activities, school performance, etc.
The main thing is not to lose your personality. This is one of the most important aspects of the essay. Always be honest with your readers. It doesn’t matter if your friends have cooler stories than you. If you want to influence the board with your essay positively, you must remain frank, and the text must be personal.
Avoid Questionable Humor
You should avoid any humor that may include strange and off-beat jokes. Understandably, you want to sound original. However, humor may not be the best way to showcase your personality. Be aware that what you think is funny may not seem so to the evaluator. Avoid using humor about politics and conflict-sensitive topics such as ethnicity, gender, and religion.
The First Reading of Your Essay Will Take 10 Seconds
This is the thought you should keep in mind while writing the text. After all, it is from this that the structure of the essay and all other parameters it must meet will follow. During these ten seconds, the reader should see something that will make him want to come back and look at you better. After all, sometimes thousands of applications come for an opportunity, and you need to stand out to be noticed. The first question you should ask yourself before writing is what is in my story that will intrigue a person and encourage them to read more. This information should be placed at the beginning of the text.
We hope these tips will be useful for you. If you listen and really take a couple of days to write, your essay will be original, high quality, and fresh. Moreover, a well-written essay will increase your chances of successful admission to the university of your dreams.
