An admission essay is unquestionably one that carries a considerable weight in your college application. Even without spectacular grades and outstanding extracurriculars, the right essay has the power to help your personal voice shine through and get you a chance of securing a seat in your favorite college.
“These essays give students an opportunity to clearly state their objectives and show their personality directly to the admission office,” says Ann Stephens, a professional consultant at WritePaper.com, an expert writing service that caters to thousands of students.
So, with this in mind, let us consider how you can create a compelling admission essay.
1. Start Early
More often than not, students keep their admission essays to the last minute. But amidst the homework and stress of senior year, it can be draining to focus on writing. The best time to work on your essay is the summer before the senior year starts. You can go online to see the essay requirements for the colleges you want.
If you are unsure how to get started, you can look for samples online to get inspiration. There are also academic platforms that can help you with the process. For instance, WritePaper provides homework help on any topic and also provides you with guidance for admission essays. This way, you will get time to work through a few different versions until you are happy.
In addition to this, you might also have to submit other forms of writing. So getting the main essay done early will allow you some breathing time to avoid rushing through other parts of your application.
2. Brainstorm
It is possible that your prospective college or university has a few different prompts for you to write about. As we discussed earlier, this can be the main admission essay or the supplementary one. If you like a particular idea, consider what you can contribute that will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.
Crucially, if you are unable to find any personal connection, it might be better to look at the next topic. It is suggested that you include personal anecdotes that will allow you to show your individuality. Creating an outline and some rough ideas before you sit down to work on the draft might also be helpful.
3. Choosing the Topic
If you are to choose the topic by yourself, then this is where things get tricky for many students. Even with a prompt, you will have to narrow down your core idea to one specific area. However, you do not want to put your whole life into an essay.
Instead, you can focus on one specific experience, an incident, or a hobby that tells a story about how you think, what you value, and portray your strengths. Students can also think about writing an essay that talks about their background. As we suggested earlier, you can get online homework help on Writepaper.com so that you can find more time to focus on getting your admission essay just right. Moreover, you do not always have to discuss an accomplishment in your essay. It only needs to be thoughtful and give an insight into who you are.
Additionally, you should be writing something that you don’t already know in your essay. You don’t have to discuss extracurricular activities unless you are discussing something unique.
4. Avoid Talking too Much About the Past
Of course, you are going to be writing about your past experiences, but that does not mean that your essay should focus exclusively on that. While you are highlighting your growth, the admission office would also like to see how that experience is going to affect your future.
At the same time, you do not want to brag or describe events. Instead, talk about how the experience made you the person you are now and connect it to your aspirations for the future.
5. Avoid Summarizing
While it pays to be succinct, you do not want to state the point of your essay. Unlike the writing assignments you deal with in college, an admission essay will fail to get the point across if you are spelling it out for the reader.
For instance, you can try to avoid phrases like ‘the most important lesson’; this sounds unconvincing to the reader. This can, in fact, help you to stand out from others. Instead of you pointing out the conclusions, the admission officers should be able to derive that by themselves.
In this regard, you could ask someone else to read your essay and tell their first impression. This will give you a better idea of how others will perceive your essay.
6. Stick to the Suggested Length
Most essays have a limit of 650 words. So, if you write an essay that is too long or too short, you will indeed stand out, but not exactly in the way you want. Similarly, you might also come across ‘suggested word limits’ in essay requirements.
And preferably, stick with that suggested limit and do not go over it, no matter how exciting you think your essay is. Supplement essays, on the other hand, tend to be shorter.
7. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread
There is absolutely no room for error when it comes to proofreading. This is one step that you do not want to skip, especially when you are submitting a piece of writing that can define your future head. Most students do not proofread mainly because of the lack of time. This is why we suggest that you start early, so you have time to get back to your essays.
If possible, leave a few days after you complete the draft and initial proofread, so you can read your essay with a fresh set of eyes. An essay filled with spot typos and grammatical errors is the last thing you want to be submitted to the admission officer.
If you are comfortable, do not hesitate to get others’ feedback. With a little bit of care and brainstorming, your college essay can turn out to be an impressive part of your application. Every student has something unique to say, and all you need is to figure out what is yours and combine it with decent writing skills.
