How To Write A Great Admission Essay

How To Write A Great Admission Essay Admissions officers read thousands of essays every year. Yours doesn’t have to be the most creative; it just has to be a good read. Another very simple tip, but many of the less compelling essays we read each year fail to focus. Think about the special nugget of information you want the reader to know about you at the end of your essay and write with that central theme in mind. Finally, colleges can use the essay to begin picturing how you’ll connect with and make the most of resources within their specific campus communities. The moral to the college essay is that there need not be a moral. She provided thoughtful feedback and kept prompt communication to meet my deadline. I highly recommend Emily if you need assistance for your college essay. Admissions writing truly requires a new set of skills which most high school applicants don’t frequently get to practice or cultivate. However, avoiding some of these pitfalls will help you as you refine your CommonApp, supplemental and scholarship essays. You are writing a personal narrative, not a parable, so don’t feel compelled to conclude with a lesson learned or a happy ending. Regardless of the topic about which you choose to write, be sure the essay reveals more about you than the other characters or places in the story. Still, Jager-Hyman says that some parents who get their hands on their kids’ essays go too far and change the tone or tenor. Some essays she read were “too stiff, too adult and too formal,” â€" not the student’s work. Colleges want to “hear specifically what you learned from an experience” â€" not clichés. College counselors weighing in on the college review website Unigo indicated that, depending on the school, up to four people could read a single essay. For the application season, the Common Application announced that their 600-plus member schools, which include many private and public universities, need not require essays . Demonstrate that you are a leader and a thoughtful citizen, and you will not only improve your extracurricular portfolio, but also demonstrate your commitment to making a difference in college and beyond. Good editors help students describe what makes them different and special. We serve students who have not yet begun the college application process, students who may already have a draft they want to polish, and students who are anywhere in-between. The language in your essay should be a more refined version of how you normally speak, but don’t try to be overly flowery in your writing in an attempt to woo the admissions officers. You don’t want to confuse the reader or come off as pretentious. Community involvement is key to being a well-rounded individual and college candidateâ€"it shows the admissions office that you will be involved with student life on campus. It’s never too late to get involved in community service at your place of worship, youth group, local soup kitchen, or nearby homeless shelter. Inside Higher Ed, a popular website monitoring issues in higher education, estimated that 20 percent of members will eliminate the essay requirement. My 17-year-old is working with Russell on a college essay. He is thorough, highly knowledgeable and patient. He has so many tips about writing a solid college essay. Emily guided me through the revision process of my writing and helped clarify my drafts for a supplemental college essay. Your admissions essay must be fundamentally reader-friendly. It should not read like a dense PhD dissertation OR an informal e-mail to your best friend; it should strike a balance between the two. Do write in your own language and remember to show rather than tell. DON’T reveal something you would never consider telling your parents â€" while honest essays can be strong, your college essay is not the place to admit to shoplifting or drunk driving. DO tell a story; your college essay will be more similar to your creative writing or journal assignments that to your persuasive essay. Jager-Hyman notes that every writer has an editor, and editors can help select topics, tell students where the essay is lacking and help them organize their thoughts. In this competitive climate, many students think their essay must reflect an earth-shattering achievement, like curing cancer or ending world starvation, but that’s not its purpose. It’s also not a place to reiterate one’s résumé or explain away a bad semester (there’s a section in the application for that).