Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay.
Many kids all over the world grow up with the notion that going to college is the key to a great career and a successful future.
That’s why when it comes to college application essays; students often doubt themselves and worry about not being interesting enough. Some of them ask their family members for help and advice.
Below are some of the tips for writing an effective application essay:
Don’t Spread Yourself too thin
When we want to make a good first impression, sometimes we end up trying too hard. That applies to the application essays as well. If you try to fit too many experiences, hobbies, or activities into your essay, it will not stand out among many others.
That’s why it’s always better to focus on one event or maybe even one hour of your life. If you concentrate on just one specific experience, you can do a better job at describing what exactly you felt and how it affected you.
You can be a truly well-rounded person, but you shouldn’t show it by writing about as many things as you can. Focus on the one that shows your uniqueness and reflects your personality.
Avoid Clichés
Sure, there are some universal experiences that we all go through, and your admissions officer might relate to them. However, such topics are not the best choice for your application essay. First of all, your essay will not be special.
If you write about something that everyone has gone through, anyone else could write the same essay, so there’s a high chance that it will end up in the rejection pile. Besides, your essay doesn’t have to be relatable.
You can’t possibly guess what kind of person will be reading your essay, so don’t even try to write about something you think they might like. After all, it only matters whether you are passionate about your topic or not.
Start with a Hook
Imagine that you are an admissions officer who’s been reading essays all day long. Before reading yours, they might have already read dozens of essays on the same day. You need to make them want to read your essay.
Sentences like “This essay will be about a life-changing experience” won’t spark too much excitement. Think about an introduction that will make the reader want to read the text till the very end.
Show Your Personality
When you’re writing your essay, ask yourself whether it will give the reader an accurate impression of what kind of person you are. Being the best version of yourself is all well and good, but if you pretend to be someone you’re not, it’s not that hard to tell, even through writing.
Besides, colleges don’t want to accept just one particular kind of students. They know most of the people strive in diverse environments where they are exposed to different personalities, beliefs, and cultures. If you are meticulous and always pay attention to details, show it in your essay.
If you are the joker of the group, describe a situation where your sense of humour helped you to see something from a new perspective.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
One of the most common mistakes students make is describing their feelings and emotions with some vague words and not talking about any actions they took.
Remember, your reader is an intelligent person who can tell what conclusions you made and can probably guess how proud or how devastated you felt at that particular moment.
Don’t say that you’ve learned a lot from some experience, say exactly what you learned and how your life has changed by recounting the actions you took afterward. That will prove that you’re not only vulnerable and sensible but also know how to learn from your mistakes and take action.
Forget about the Thesaurus
As we said earlier, you shouldn’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. So if you don’t use rare long words in your daily life, don’t put them into your essay.
Most of the time, it doesn’t sound natural or may not even be appropriate. Besides, if you’ve never used that word before, you might end up using it in the wrong way.
Do not Recount your Resume
While choosing the topic of their essay, many students think their biggest achievement is the best option. However, it isn’t always true.
Your biggest achievements are all listed in your resume, so they will definitely be noticed and appreciated by the admission committee. There’s no need to bring attention to them in your application essay again.
Focus on Yourself
If you’re a modest person, it might be hard for you to focus on yourself in your essay. That’s why some students end up writing about their idols, the family members they admire, or thier best friends.
However, that’s not who you should write about in your essay. If those people influenced you a lot, talk more about how they changed your life and what kind of person you are thanks to them.
Show your Interest
Although you should be the central figure of your essay, it is also important to show why you are applying to that particular school. Many students send the same essay to different schools or even forget to change the school’s name in the essay.
State the reasons why you would like to get into that school so that the admissions officer can see that you did your research and you really want to get accepted. If there’s a particular course you want to take or a faculty member you’d like to meet, make sure you mention it too.
Learn from the above tips for writing an effective application essay. You will be glad you did.