The Importance of a College Admission Essay

Have you ever tried to lay out the story of your success in an essay? Have you ever thought how difficult it can be to describe the story of your life with the focus on your achievements, strengths, and weaknesses? If you have decided to apply to a college, it is high time to accomplish such an essay. An admission essay is a piece of writing, where you should convince a reader that you deserve being accepted in a college. Usually, admission essays include personal experience and success in the education and life. College authorities expect an essay about the things you are proud of. Most students consider admission essay writing as a stressful job, which requires much effort and extensive resources. However, such writing can be a joy and bring you happiness and satisfaction from what you do.

Some students are sure that admission essays mean nothing and only their grades of any values. However, such opinion is wrong. College admission officers read admission essays. The point is about the time. Most of the essays require just one look to see that they do not deserve any time to spend on them. More paper need less than 2 minutes to skim them to see that they are good enough to be considered. At the same time, only several papers are actually read from the first till the last lines, these are the best essays, which will definitely be recommended for being accepted. Therefore, each student should understand that the first sentence should express not only the main idea, but should be your voice, show your essence, and prove your desire to enter this particular college.

Despite the fact that admission essays usually have the same purpose, it is still important to clarify what a particular college you want to apply to expects from your writing. Here are the questions you can ask yourself while writing your paper:

  • Is the college interested in my purpose of education?
  • Does the college check whether your skills can fit campus and curriculum?
  • Is the college interested in facts and statements or in creativity and originality?
  • Who the college is looking for: students able to cope with difficulties, leaders, smart and professionally directed students?

These are the questions, which can help you understand what you should write in your essay and how to ensure a top-quality paper.

The Beginning of Writing

An admission essay is your opportunity to show what kind of a person you are. College admission officers bear responsibility for students they accept as those are going to protect the dignity and status of a college. GPA and SAT scores do not show hot intelligent a person is, how string hi/her desire to continue education in this specific college, and what purposes and life goals one pursues. Therefore, an admission essay becomes the only source of information for college officers about you as a personality. Use this chance to show your high motivation and string faith in your experience and skills to be able to become a deserving member of the college.

Brainstorming technique is the best way to reveal and highlight who you really are and why the college should choose you among other hundreds of students. Here are three questions, which may be helpful for you in writing an admission essay. The answers and some comments below each question can help you develop your goals and structure your thoughts in your struggle for admission.

1. What are you looking for?

  • Answer: I want to gain knowledge and skills in managing people
  • Why: Because I want to be helpful and improve the working environment to help employees develop their skills and contribute to the organization
  • How: Since childhood I saw the whole picture and the smallest details in the situation and could predict the outcomes of the affairs. I was a class leader in the high school since I could organize my classmates in different projects and find the best strategies for their implementation in terms of time spent and resources used.

The points mentioned above can be a good beginning for essay writing. Here, a student can use the statement of the purpose of admission in the particular college. Further, the student will provide a grounded argumentation of personal motivation why the particular profession was chosen and why a particular college was selected. Personal experience in the field of knowledge will also be helpful as only in this way a student can share their ability to lead and make an emotional connection.

2. Why should a college choose your admission?

  • Answer: I have a strong desire and motivation for studying and have some unique vision of problem solving due to cultural peculiarities, which is a core skill in management.
  • Why: I am a reprehensive of two different cultures, and this feature makes me able to collaborate and find ta common ground with more people. Multiculturalism is one of the main features of the contemporary society and understanding the issue from personal experience will be a good advantage for your college.
  • How: Studying at the high school, I saw several examples of misunderstanding between peers from different cultures. My personal ability to see these differences helped avoid a number of conflicts.

These ideas can direct students’ writing in persuading college admission officers in the validity of students’ ideas and an importance of the one to become a new member of a college team. A student should begin writing with defining the importance of multiculturalism and state why the one belongs to it.

3. Do you have an experience which made a string influence on you?

Answer: Organizing a prom in a college

Why: While working on a program for a prom, I had to schedule a lot of tasks and ensure that everything was completed on time. I was responsible to organize a lot of people, make sure that everything was properly planned and the outcome was magnificent.

How: I used the experience of my teachers and my parents, who helped me understand the principles of managing and motivating people

The admission essay focused on this question can be directed at the analysis of personal practical experience, analysis of achievements, and stress on some weaknesses and mistakes. The analysis of personal mistakes will help the admission officers the understanding that you clearly understand your mistakes and can analyze your limitations

What Should I Pay Attention to While Writing?

Colleges usually disclose the guidelines for writing and expectations from the best admission essay. Use these guidelines to complete your writing. Here are some general ideas of what colleges may require:

  • Word count
  • Font, margins, and spacing
  • Particular ideas and directions of content
  • Specific ideas to cover
  • Tone and style of writing
  • Deadline

Be Creative, but Mind Limitations

Usually, colleges want students to be creative and original. However, each educational establishment still has some limitations to keep students in frames. Usually, colleges set strict guidelines in terms of word count and deadline. Even the best essays will not be considered if they are sent later. In addition, the extensive word count or lack of it may spoil the impression even from the most superior paper. Just keep yourself in frames and you are on the half way to success. It is important to check the rules of admission writing in a college you want to apply to for specific question to be answered. Make sure that you answer the question if you have the one. These simple guidelines help college admission officers understand how you can follow the rules.

Be Impressive from the Beginning

As it has already been mentioned above, most officers read 1-2 sentences to assess the quality of your essay. Make sure that you put original ideas from the very beginning of your writing. Be yourself from the very beginning and allow the college authorities to notice it.

Words Matter, but Tone and Flow of Ideas Weight More

Of course, writing a paper you are sure to select the most fitting words for admission writing. However, one of the main mistakes students make is a wring tone and lack of smooth flow of information. Remember, that you are writing to the college authorities and these people want to see academic tone along with your personal voice. Your ideas should be logically arranges, without skipping from one statement to another. Hint: use active voice and descriptive language.

Impressive Conclusion Adds to Impression

Even if you are sure that college admission officers never read essays till the end, you must develop a strong conclusion, which highlights the main ideas of your writing with the final statements you have. Remember, some officials read the introduction and the conclusion of your essay to create personal impression, do not spoil it.

Do not Forget about Editing and Proofreading

Having completed your admission essay, do not hurry up to hand it in. You should structure your work in such a way, that you have enough time to edit your paper. Editing usually involves reading, proofreading, and rewriting some parts. It is difficult to write an ideal paper from the first time. You are sure to have some extra ideas and new thoughts after your essay is completed. Thus, this stage can help you provide the best content. Grammar, punctuation, and stylistic mistakes are noticed in a day or two after writing. Have this time to check your paper to guarantee its quality. Finally, ask someone to read your paper and provide a feedback. Use it and you are sure to experience fun and joy from writing.

Check also: Admission Papers