How To Write The Best College Admission Essay

How To Write The Best College Admission Essay If you write about the effect of a death, divorce, or illness on your life, tell about but don't dwell on your bad luck and disappointments. Do tell a story in an interesting and engaging way. Don’t just relay the facts, but pretend you are sitting in a coffee shop talking to a friend. Don’t repeat what is found elsewhere in your application, unless you’re adding pertinent information to round it out. Do write in your own style and using your own words. Essays that state, “No one could possibly be better qualified for your program than me,” or some variation of that, risk a backlash from Admissions Directors. Well, I’ll be the judge of that.” Instead, illustrate why you are so well qualified and let readers come to that conclusion themselves. Think of some meaningful or extraordinary events that turned your life upside down and keep writing them. Stay honest, and if you have a misfortunate story to tell, share it too. Beware of the chronological list of events that produces dull reading. Remember, also, to accent the positive rather than the negative side of an experience. Try to break your work into several parts and devote some time to writing your essay daily. Most college essay topics will be assigned to you by the Common App or whatever university you're applying to. If you're trying to think of ways to answer prompts, try making a brag sheet of things you've done or accomplished that you were proud of. This will increase the level of readers’ liking for your personality. Give yourself at least a week to write the essay and don’t postpone. Five hundred or less words isn’t much, so be sure that the essay remains focused on fully answering all aspects of the prompt, as they are asked. One “don’t” that I think is particularly important is to resist the urge to sell yourself. Take the time to make sure your essay is something you’re proud of. Do provide new information that is not on your application. As time consuming as it can be to write several essays, you must address each prompt properly. While you may be able to incorporate similar material from one essay to the next, be careful with your formatting and proofreading if you do any copy/pasting. College admission essays can both be a fun and stressful part of the admission process at any university. Reflecting on those experiences could give you plenty of material to write about. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. You might be tempted to try to make the admissions officer who is reading your essay laugh. Humor is a great way to make friends or break the ice with someone new, but you should try not to rely on it in your admissions essay. You have no way of knowing what the admissions officer's sense of humor is like, and you don't want to run the risk of a joke falling flat or, even worse, offending someone. Do understand the mission of the school and how you will fit in. Do not embellish your essay or have someone else write it for you. Do not go over the word count â€" make it concise and smart. There are many do’s and don’ts regarding the college application essay. A particularly critical “do” is to make sure that your essay stays on point. Applicants will sometimes digress, then fall in love with their digression and not be willing to cut it.