How to Write a Good College Application Essay

chillibreeze writer — Bhaswati Ghosh

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Notching good grades in school or college, undergoing notable work experience, engaging in community service and other extra-curricular activities, and following all this up with competitive SAT, GRE, or GMAT scores—these would seem to be the ideal ingredients for grabbing a seat in a good college. However, any informed student aiming to receive higher education in these institutions would know just how critical another factor is when it comes to securing admission. We are talking about the all important college admission essays here. Every year, universities receive thousands of applications, many with comparable academic credentials. What, then, helps college admissions committees to sift through this heap of applications? The set of admission essays that students are required to write. But how does one go about writing an essay that would make the admissions committee sit up and take enough notice so as to send out an interview call, or in some cases, an actual admission offer? A few pointers:

1. ANSWER THE TOPIC/QUESTION CLEARLY: More than anything else, it's clarity that gives edge to an admission essay. Most schools offering admissions to students require them to answer specific topics or questions. These topics could include a student’s short and long-term goals, passions in life, failures—professional or personal, and ethical dilemmas one has faced in one’s life. Whatever the topic, students increase their chances of making their applications soar above the slush pile if they answer each part of an essay question in succinct and specific, as opposed to long-winded and vague, terms. An essay written in plain English but with clarity is likely to score more than one that uses decorative language but has little substance.

2. USE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES TO MAKE THE POINT: College admission essays aren’t just about assessing a student’s ability to communicate effectively. These essays are also a window to a student’s life, aspirations, and attitudes. Furthermore, the topics or questions are framed in a manner that allows the admissions committee to have an honest appraisal of every student. Both these factors encourage, and even necessitate, the inclusion of personal experiences to corroborate the points one makes in an essay. Most essay question are personal in nature, asking, for instance, describing a situation in which the applicant failed to reach his or her goal and the lessons the student received from that experience. Or the essay could ask applicants to write about their interests outside of work. Such topics obviously need the student to share the relevant personal information with the admissions committee.

3. HONOR THE WORD COUNT: This may sound too obvious to be pointed out, but there are students who overlook this part of essay writing. Almost every school sets a certain word count for each of their essay topics. Sure, it’s not a crime to either be short of this limit or exceed it to a certain extent, but to grossly ignore the given count can tantamount to getting oneself rejected by the admissions committee, notwithstanding how great the writing is.

4. USE LANGUAGE THAT MERITS THE QUESTION/TOPIC: Many students feel daunted by the task of writing multiple essays for the schools they apply to. Truth is; these essays are much more than just an opportunity for a student to sell his or her strengths to the admissions committee. The very diversity of the essay topics presents a relishing scope to bring into use one’s analytical as well as creative faculties. Whereas an essay on the applicant’s goals and reasons for pursuing higher studies merits a more cogent response, one that asks a student to talk about her passions or cross-cultural experiences can be written in an informal voice and with free-style creative inputs. The student must, however, use her discretion to estimate the tone of the question itself and then apply appropriate language.

5. FORGET EXAGGERATION: Given the cut-throat competition prevailing in the higher education domain, an applicant has no choice but to put his best foot forward. In doing so, he might feel tempted to embellish his skills and accomplishments a bit more than what they are for real. Even though it may not be evident at the time of submitting the application, exaggeration in essays can backfire during one’s interview with the admissions committee. In the end, it pays off to remain honest and straightforward in one’s essays, while at the same time effectively highlighting the strengths one already has.

Is there a rule or a formula to scripting a college admission essay? Not really. Every applicant will have a different approach—stylistically as well as intellectually—to handle these essays. It always helps, however, if one keeps in mind the pointers discussed here while writing the essays.

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