Once you decide to enter a college, you face some requirements that are not always clearly explained or detailed. You have made up your mind and want to enter a college, but the must do’s are too challenging. You have decided to start a new periode in your life but the fear not to succeed is there. If these are some doubts that can make you hesitate while choosing a new beginning, then there is an easy solution to them.
To enter a college you will be asked to write an admission essay. Not having the opportunity to be interviewed, the admission essay is a sort of an ID card to present yourself. Form and content are important to consider here. It helps to understand
- who you are
- how you can contribute to the program
- which are your capacities to overcome difficulties and face challenges.
So writing a good essay can make a difference and influence the final decision over the admission.
There is no pre-established structure to do an admission essay. Normally the admissions offices will give you one or more questions that you must answer throughout the essay. The first rule is that your essay must fully answer the question or questions that were asked. Be specific and stick to the topic. Do not try to impress by writing down philosophical and abstract ideas, because your essay will most likely not be well received by the admissions offices.
Some institutions focus more on the personal side of the candidate, while others put more interest on the academic and professional side. Through the guidance of professional admissions consulting you can get answers to many doubts and clarify your fears.
Generally, the questions to focus on in the topics are three:
- Who you are?
- Why did you choose that program?
- What can you contribute to the program?
Here are some tips on how to write an effective application essay, nevertheless, creativity and individuality are valued a lot.
The Task and the Topic
Make sure to read carefully the whole task before starting writing. Sometimes the topic is already assigned. If not, you can choose one. If the topic is already assigned read the title carefully and stick to the question. Avoid redundancies and not coherent information. Be as specific as possible.
If you need to choose the topic coonsider:
- Do you know enough about the topic?
- How specific can you be?
- Do you have relevant arguments and examples on the topic?
Brainstorming
Do a brainstorming writing down all the ideas that come to your mind regarding the topic. Fill a white sheet of paper with all sorts of things that come to your mind. Afterwards, take a minute to connect similar ones in groups and erase unimportant ideas. Once you are done it’s time to start an outline.
Outline
What does the outline mean?
It is a planification of your essay very briefly.
After the brainstorming you are ready to start with an outline. Write down the title of your essay on the top of the paper and start planning and organising your ideas. After each idea leave some space to add more information if needed. Each idea in your outline will need at least one relevant argument and one example if possible. Try not to be too general.
Thesis Statement
When we hear the combination “Thesis Statement” we are scared , because it sounds so complicated. But it is nothing more than the summary of your whole essay. It should not include anything that is not going to be dealt in the article. There are some tips on how to write an effective thesis statement, however, some structures that are offered are too basic. Just take a minute to think and write down a meaningful thesis statement that will resume your essay.
Introduction
The introduction is an extra and decorative part of your essay. It can be a history or even direct speech of someone talking about the topic you will write about in the essay. It normally comes before the thesis statement and gives some general information about the theme that you will treat in the essay. Once the thesis is clear the introduction can be added to it fulfilling the whole context. Do not write a long introduction and balance it with the other parts of your writing paper.
The Body
The body of an essay should argue, describe, explain or contradict your ideas. Consider the amount of words you are asked to write and do not exceed it too much. If you exceed a few words it is not a problem, meanwhile too many can be considered as an incapacity of organising your ideas properly. The body is where you develop the ideas mentioned in your thesis statement. Use connectors to make your language rich. be Specific, argument your statements and give examples if possible.
Conclusion
Conclusion is the final part of the essay. It should be proportional and less than the body. do not write a long conclusion, nobody will read it. Conclusion should include the repetition of what is already written in the article but briefly. Do not add new information to your conclusion. There are many ways to begin a conclusion by using “to sum up, to conclude, to resume…” but you can find your own way of concluding your essay. Close the essay in a creative way.
Final Revision
Have a cup of coffee, take a nap and, afterwards, read it again once more and make the last touches. Sometimes, there can be minor mistakes or you may feel that some ideas must be changed. Reread the whole text once again and ask yourself a few questions.
- Would you read the essay if it was not yours?
- Do you completely understand what is written in the essay?
- Does the title sum up the content?
- Are the parts of your essay proportional?
- Is it entertaining?
- Would you recommend it to your friends?
If all the answers are positive then you have touched the goal and fulfilled the challenge. Writing a good admission essay is always manageable, you just need some nicely explained tips and a clear goal.