6 Tips For Writing A Great University Admissions Essay

6 Tips For Writing A Great University Admissions Essay Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application. If you’re interested in applying to colleges or universities that do require admission essays, check out ourEssay Writing Center for tips and advice you can use to improve your essay writing skills. Parents and teachers are good candidates for this task, but you can also make use of a college consultant for an experienced proofreader with specialized knowledge of the admissions process. Your college essay should reflect your authentic speaking voice, but that doesn't mean that you can write it like a lengthy text message. Here are some college application essay dos and don’ts for students to keep in mind as they complete their applications this fall. Admission officers read plenty of application essays and know the difference between a student’s original story and a recycled academic essay, orâ€"worseâ€"a piece written by your mom or dad or even plagiarized. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear. Your college application essay needs to breathe life into your application. It is a common belief that students who get good grades have a greater edge when it comes to getting accepted to the school of their choice but that is not always the case. With so many students applying even with good grades the competition is fierce. The single thing that will really set you apart from the pack and ensure you get your foot in the door is your admission essay and how you present it. Having a few extra pairs of eyes to read your essay is one of the best forms of college admission essay help. Ask your proofreaders to specifically look for grammar and spelling errors. Your assistants can also make suggestions on the content, such as identifying areas that need more detail or pointing out where you've written too much. If you feel yourself drawn to a particular prompt, think about why you're being drawn to it. Reflect on your life to find any personal anecdotes that work well with that prompt. The template is there as an aid to your creativity, not a restriction. There's simply no excuse for any major grammatical or spelling errors on your essay. After you've completed your essay, go over it with a fine-toothed comb to look for any technical errors. A second pair of eyes can be essential; sometimes, writers are blind to their own mistakes. If you and your helper can't agree on the proper grammar for a particular phrase, rewrite the phrase to avoid the thorny issue. Use the sample college admission essay template as a scaffolding to build the rest of your essay around, rather than a fence to keep your thoughts contained. College admissions officers see hundreds of essays every year, and you do yourself no favors if you adhere slavishly to a template that the officers have seen before. Depart from the sample essay for college admission whenever you feel that it would improve your essay. You won't score extra point with the admissions department for finishing your essay in an hour. Also take the time to read your essay aloud; certain phrases may sound fine in your head, but hearing them spoken can highlight awkward phrasing or unclear wording. Before you begin to write, brainstorm some ideas. Most likely, the university gave you a prompt or a choice of prompts to write about. Take your time to carefully consider each prompt. It should capture your genuine personality, explaining who you are beyond a series of grades, test scores, and after-school activities. But that’s not nearly as scary as it seems, because you get to choose what to share and how to share it. What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your applicationâ€"nor should it repeat it. This isn't the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores. Unless you've helped write the State of the Union, your admissions essay will likely be the most influential essay you've written so far, at least as it relates to your own life. Give yourself at least a week to compose your essay.