After all the extra work you must put in during the final year of highschool, you must really encourage yourself to also sit down and work on the essay that you have been putting off for so long!
Yes, the essay that you must send to the university admission officers! And you know you are expected to summarize the last almost-two-decades of your life into paper, which must certainly stand out against thousands and thousands of other candidates.
It is easy to get overwhelmed and panicked and start to run in circles! But, the tips below will clear a bit of the haze and help you leap to ‘accepted’ status:
Every single word written in the instructions of the application is important and is there for a reason. You may be exhausted of the similar directions in the applications of all the universities you have applied to – but it is a must to follow them!
Read the essays that have worked in the previous years! The letters are not from Shakespeare, but they are pieces of a person’s life that the admissions officer will not put down!
Whenever you feel like you have got the topic, sit down and write from your heart for an hour at the most! It will definitely not take longer!
Then, show the essay to someone whose opinion you value! Afterwards, take a few days away from it only to come back once to edit and send! That’s right – do not keep reading it as it will only drive you nuts!
The universities do not have the time to research every applying student, so make sure you do put something in front of them that will make connecting the dots possible. Imagine you are sitting next to the admissions officer and responding the questions. That’s what your essay should reflect!
After having read millions of examples of successful essays, and the ideas you have laid out to present – now make a plan and be concise with it! Write about one subject at a time in the maximum allowed number of words, without trying to cover everything in your life here. Organize it in the three parts: introduction, body, and the conclusion!
You can start with an anecdote – engage your reader from the very beginning! Start by sharing a moment that will naturally grab the attention and involve them in the story!
Think outside the typical opening catchy first liners! Focus on revealing your character and personality. Think of doing that through your introductory anecdote. Show how it has shaped you into the person you are and the person you will be.
It is a great aspect to think about and understand that it is important for the universities to have students that will graduate and become influencing personalities in the world and then have exactly the university enjoy the association. So incorporate the side of you that thinks critically, loves to learn, and has a deep passion for particular things, whatever those things are.
This is one of those mistakes that is always present in spite of all the people that have been repeating this same old sentence ‘Stop trying so hard’. Trying hard to impress will get you further down the list. The beauty lies in the everyday subjects!
The admissions officers have been reading too much of the same dough – the time when you had a spectacular moment for yourself and the team and winning this specific game and what it meant for you and the community! Get creative, really!
And please do not try to sound like you are the reincarnation of Shakespeare! Plus, you’re only 18!
Do not try to understand what would matter to your admission’s officers. Just focus on what matters to you. Authenticity and thought quality is what the admissions officers are after. There you have it!
Anything can be the perfect topic – as long as you are capable of showing how you think, your logic, and your ability to keep your reader’s attention! Think about what you would say if you had the chance to meet them and talk to them for 10 minutes in person.
In your personal essay, write only how you would speak! The act of showing your repertoire of words will be required for another portion of the application!
You do not want to create any unnatural feelings or distance between you and the reader! It is a document of the self, after all…
Yes, the usual – BE YOURSELF! – quote! Roughing up your background will not win you the cause!
The most important thing is how you frame your topic and what you have to say, regardless whether the topic involves the mundane!
The essay is supposed to reveal a glimpse into your mind, your view of the world and your perspective! It is okay if you have never had an earth-shattering experience that has rocked your world!
Above all:
Be vivid and a bit controversial in your writing – so that it does not come out as a bland essay without a stand! Do not pretend you have the final truth, whatsoever! Colleges are here for the discussion of ideas and that’s what matters in your essay, too! And be cautious in your use of humor, if you must use it!
Good luck!