Why Your College Admission Essay Matters?
The role of admission essay
Have you ever been stumbled when faced with the task to write that notorious college admission essay? Well, you are in a good company then. Many students – just like you – find themselves overwhelmed to compose the essay that does not seem different from the myriad of other essays completed during the school years. There is, however, a difference: perhaps, the greatest challenge is to announce “who you are”. In this regard, college admissions essay is unique in its nature as compared to other academic papers. If you try to see it from the positive perspective, it is an excellent platform, a great chance to introduce yourself. Your essay yields an outstanding opportunity for admission committee to see how you are different from other applicants and learn about your potential yet to be released. It is needless to stress that college admission essay – besides your test scores and other credentials – is part of your application package and has a major role to play in your academic choice and future career life.
No other essay stirs as much anxiety and fear in the minds of high school senior students as the college application essay. Although the subjects equate the scale of a regular essay, students tremble and feel stressed out at the mere thought of writing the paper that is just meant to express their opinions. You are judged by answering these questions to the point that your essay becomes the decisive piece of application to the college of your dream: “How do you feel about the most unforgettable experience in your life? What are your academic interests? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?”
Application Essay Characteristics
Today, an application essay is known to be a vital part of the college admission procedure. Although the grades, admission test scores and strength of curriculum continue remaining the top factors you are judged on, the essay can make the decisive difference between the competing applicants. What is so special about the common application essay? Although the paper demonstrates your ability to write and support your arguments with logical and cohesive arguments, it also serves to reveal the character of the prospective student. Today, a large portion of colleges and universities require application essay as a mandatory part of the admission procedure. A great application essay considerably increases the chances of a student to enter the institution of his or her choice, whereas a poorly written paper diminishes the chances of a stellar student to get enrolled.
On more point adds importance to college application essays: they go beyond the academic level and expand further to the career choices of students. They demonstrate student’s analytical skills, critical thinking abilities, reasoning power and observational or creative talents. Thus writing an application essay is claimed to be the hardest examination in the world, although students can typically choose from a couple of topics. It might be required to write 500 words, or sometimes just 250 words or less, yet how can you find those right combinations of words that will win your credentials over that “competitors”? How can you find the words that fall together like a jig-saw puzzle and present a comprehensive picture of your personality, including your character, strengths, motivation, dedication, perseverance, maturity, resistance to stress, talents and other capabilities that will make you the winner in an ultra-competitive environment?
Best tips for you to succeed with your application essay
- Be concise: make sure your essay responds to the required question and does not go beyond the determined word limit. Do not strain the patience of your examiners by making them read more than they are expected. This way, you also reveal courtesy to other people’s time and respect for what they are doing.
- Reveal your character: be honest and do not try to exaggerate your talents, abilities, titles, achievements: you do not have to be a superstar in everything, and there is no need to inflate yourself. Try to use the tone that shows your confidence rather than pride. Colleges are not seeking to enroll A+ and superstar students, but rather what is called good citizens in their campus communities.
- Be vivid and accurate, and be human as you are: you can use some humor but do not go over the ridge with your good tone. Get the feel of some of the possible college application essay topics: “What do you know about our college?, Who is your role model?
Introduce yourself: why are you unique?
Admission officers, who have read thousands of admission essays over the years, are looking for something more than just a list of your accomplishments or achievements. In fact, they are not looking for the superstars or stellar students, but rather want to see who you are as a personal and how the college would benefit by having you enrolled. You need to bring sense to your admission essay about what you find meaningful about your experience, your visions and aspirations. Reflection, creative energy, self-examination, introspection, your inner voice are important. How, where and why you respond to challenges or engage in charity activities or scientific research is something that your examiners want to find out about you.
Visualize your story
The best strategy to apply when writing your admissions essay is making the reader “feel it”. Do not be afraid to be unusual, intellectual or thoughtful. Tune your tone and voice to provide your ambitions and personal values. Be quirky, creative, bold, and elaborate on your own personal story, and do not shy to give details about your failures or achievements. Nobody is perfect, and your revelation how you were struggling with challenges might look compelling. For example, you can write about how you have managed to motivate your school-mates as a mentor while the teacher was on a sick leave. You can describe how self-government among your mates has regulated their actions, and how the loosened feel of authority has stimulated them to study and do their chores. You can make your reader feel the constructive atmosphere and feelings of creativity, compassion and unity that came out as the biggest surprise of your unusual role.
Things to avoid
Writing college admission essays can be very tricky as there are many personal things that come into sight, and they should be avoided. One of the typical traps, for example, is the reflection on your negative experience. You can reflect on the mistakes that you made in the past, but you should fragment them through a positive prism as the lessons that you have learned that allowed you to succeed further in your life. Other common mistakes are the unwillingness to “show off” a bit when visualizing your story, boring tone and language, or telling anecdotes or memories that have the meaning only to those people who were there.
Be quirky, creative, bold and elaborate on your personal story. If you got stuck with your essay, ask your friends, parents or pals to have a look at it and give you some fresh-eye feedback. You can also use our help whether you need just editing, proofreading or writing from scratch. Our team of professional writers is eager to help you to succeed with your college admission essay!
We wish you success with your academic and future career choice. Need more help? Do not hesitate to use our services: our expert writers will help you to succeed with you application essay!