Dos and Don'ts for Writing the Admissions Essay
Anna Davis
Whether you're a high school senior applying to college or you're a college graduate applying to graduate school, most applications will require an essay. This part of the application process can cause students large amounts of anxiety and stress. Questions such as "How will I choose a topic?" and "What will make my essay stand out?" arise. It may seem a little stressful at first -- so take a deep breath, calm down, and read on.
Colleges and universities require essays because they want to a) make sure you have good communication skills and b) learn more about you as a person. Whether you have hopes of becoming an English teacher, an engineer, or a doctor, you need to be able to write clearly and communicate effectively. Colleges use admissions essays to learn more about you than what your grades, transcript and recommendations can provide. This is your chance to share more about yourself; possible topics include a risk taken, a challenge overcome, or a unique experience that you had. While there are an endless number of possible topics, what matters most is how the essay is written. Think of your essay as your personal megaphone to the admissions committee; it's an opportunity to distinguish yourself.
Do be yourself – Humor and creativity can be powerful in an essay and can make you memorable to an admission committee. That said, you only use humor and creativity if these come naturally to you -- your admissions essay is not the time to try your hand at stand up comedy. Humor or not, the best topics are familiar topics. -- do not try to write about books, authors, characters, etc. that you don't know well.
Do plan ahead – give yourself plenty of time to write and edit. You should start your essay at least a month before the application deadline. After writing your essay, put it aside for a few days before re-reading and editing.
Do know the colleges where you're sending your essay. This is especially important for colleges that ask you to answer a question about why you are applying to that particular school. If you write that you want to be a marine biology major, make sure the college offers a marine biology program. If you can, mention specific classes you'd like to take, a professor with whom you'd like to collaborate, or an organization you'd like to join.
Do not use a thesaurus – Use your own words in order to make the essay flow. Big words will not impress the reader, especially if they do not fit with the rest of your essay.
Do not write your resume in paragraph form. If you do, you will be wasting an opportunity. Narrowing your topic and expand on an activity, job, or trip.
Do proofread your essay and ask a trusted friend, teacher or another adult to help. Although the essay should be written by you and in your own words, it's advisable to have another set of eyes to check for mistakes, grammar, typos, etc.
Follow the above tips, be yourself, and have fun when writing your admissions essay. If you enjoyed writing it, they'll enjoy reading it.
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