Jan

10 Tips for an Excellent Admissions Essay

The admissions essay is extremely important. It can knock an excellent candidate out of the running, but it can also propel a marginal student to acceptance. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while you’re sharpening your pencil:

1. Reveal your personality, passions and character

Colleges use essays to gain deeper insight into the true “you”, and this is your chance to show a different side of yourself than grades and extracurriculars. A great way to express your personality is by telling a personal story - something that exemplifies your positive traits or a major event that helped shape who you are as a person.

2. Use solid structure

A basic structure you can use begins with an attention grabbing anecdote or quote that clearly fits the main idea of your essay. Then, everything written in the body supports your main idea clearly and concisely. The conclusion should refer back to your intro to create a nicely wrapped and focused essay.

3. Keep the focus on you

While you’re telling stories and funny anecdotes it is easy to get distracted from your purpose. Don’t forget that colleges only want to learn more about you - not your Uncle Ned and his crazy antics.

4. Don’t just list everything that makes you so great

Colleges do not want to read another list of all your academic awards, honors, and ping-pong trophies. Remember, this is your chance to show them something different. It’s hard not to come across as a braggart when your writing an essay that’s supposed to reveal your best qualities, so try to use a tone that expresses some humility and schools won’t think your head is too big to fit on their campus.

5. Don’t whine

Perhaps nothing is worse than an admissions essay filled with excuses and complaints about why your academic achievements are not up to par. No one wants to hear sob stories about why your SAT score or GPA isn’t higher. If you didn’t do as well as you would have liked in certain areas, write about how you’ve learned from the experience.

6. Get feedback from those you trust

When you are finished rewriting it once or twice, have your parents or teacher take a look at your essay and let you know their honest opinions. Constructive criticism can be difficult to take, but it can be extremely helpful when it comes from people you trust.

7. Use good mechanics

This one is obvious, but I still have to say it. Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes will have a negative impact on how colleges perceive you. Mechanical mistakes make you appear lazy and careless since you didn’t take the time to read it over carefully.

8. Take it easy on the thesaurus

When you write to impress, it is tempting to bust out that trusty thesaurus and fill your essay with words that you can barely pronounce. Too many words that are not in your normal vocabulary will affect your overall tone, your ability to appear genuine, and possibly your ability to make sense. All of these things are not in your best interest, so keep the thesaurus under control.

9. Don’t procrastinate

Do not wait until the day before the application deadline to start on your essay. You should revise and rewrite at least three times. Plus, you’ll need time to get feedback from others and proofread the final draft.

10. Be funny, but not too funny

Don’t be afraid to add some humor. It shows your personality and makes your essay more memorable. One warning to all the comedians though, too much humor will make both you and your essay look foolish.

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