When admission officers read your essay, they first consider if you’re fit for their college and then your ability to write well. However, beyond this, your essay is also used as a means to evaluate your attitude to learning, resilience, and intellectual curiosity.
Now, all this is indeed scary and overwhelming for college applicants. After all, how are you going to put yourself as a worthwhile candidate and stand out from thousands of other applications which are trying to convey the same?
So, let us break down how you can plan a perfect admission essay to impress the admission office.
1. Work With a Professional Writer
As we noted above, your writing skills play a crucial role in your admission essay. That said, not everyone’s an expert writer. Nevertheless, they might shine in other areas that make them an excellent choice for the school.
However, if you are unable to express this through words, you might not be able to convince the admission officers. In case you are doubtful about your writing skills, it might be best not to gamble with your future. Instead, we would urge you to consult a professional who can put your thoughts and ambitions into the right words. Platforms such as buyessaygo have writers that can work with you and help you craft an admission essay that reflects your personality.
Before creating your college application, you can choose a writer from this service and explain to them what you seek. You will receive the perfect admission essay tailored to your needs that will elevate your college application.
2. Don’t Obsess too Much About the Prompt
If your chosen college has given two or three prompts to choose from – you might find yourself obsessing over which one to pick. The thing is that it does not matter which one you choose; it does not make much difference to the admission officer.
They are looking to see if you are a good fit for the college and if you write well. So, the easiest way to go would be to pick something that helps you describe the world you come from and how it shaped your dreams and aspirations.
This comes down to the basics and helps you explain why you serve the opportunity to study in a specific college.
1. Engage the Reader
This goes for any college paper that you will write. However, when it comes to admission essays, you might be wondering how you can grab the attention of the reader.
So, the answer is simple – make your admission essay a narrative one. In other words, include as many sensory details as you can of the incident or time of life you are describing. This will help to get the reader interested. You need not be entirely formal with the essay; you can write it in the second person or even include colloquial details that make it more personal to the reader.
2. Get Inspired
You do not want to plagiarize your essay; however, that does not mean you can’t seek inspiration. This is especially the case for students who are not so keen on writing.
What you can do is find some well-written essays and read them. This will help you collect ideas on different ways to present a sentence, what details to include, and different tones and techniques that you can use.
These need not be admission essays. There are several books that compile similar writings, such as ‘The Best American Essays,’ that can offer you valuable insight into how to plan your admission essay’s narrative style.
3. Write Several Drafts
If you are unsure about which prompt to choose or how to approach a similar prompt, you can also write several drafts. Sometimes, even when the prompt might seem simpler, when you start writing it, it can turn out to be more challenging.
The same could be the case with a seemingly challenging prompt. Once you get started with it, you might be able to write an essay that is better than you imagined. Needless to say, this approach works best if you have dedicated sufficient time for admission essays.
4. Proofreading
The initial focus should go on getting the words onto the page. But, once the draft is done, now comes the most important part. You should check and recheck your writing in order to make sure that there are no conventions or grammatical errors.
This includes spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing. You should also make sure that you are following any formatting requirements specified by the university.
5. Get Feedback
You might not be eager to let others read your college essay, especially if you have included something personal. However, admission officers highly recommend getting your writing read by someone you know a little bit and understand what impressions they get about you.
This can give you insight into how the essay will come across and whether you need to make any changes.
If possible, you can also get feedback from your teacher or your college counselor. And before sending it, once again, check to make sure that your essay is free of any spelling or grammar errors.
6. Tailor Your Essays
If you are applying to different colleges, it might be tempting to write an essay that would be relevant to all schools. However, it is crucial to create an essay that is tailored to each college.
This is also important because the programs offered, the facilities, and the faculty vary from school to school. Researching the college beforehand and mentioning what attracts you most to the school should also be reflected in your essay.
There is also no need to repeat information such as your grades or test scores in your essay. Those details have been included in your application already.
And finally, leave sufficient time to plan and execute the entire college application process. There is no point in perfecting the strategy if you do not leave time to carry it out.