College Application Essays That Get Noticed
College entrance exams are always a jittery time whether you are applying to online colleges or traditional campus based schools. It comes with a lot of apprehension as well an excitement. A lot of the anxiety and trepidation can be eased if you have a college essay prepared. Almost all colleges require an entrance essay to be submitted, so it would work well if you plan it out beforehand and have it prepared. There are some basic guidelines which can ensure that as far as the assay is concerned, you come out with flying colors.
You may not be confident in your essay skills but remember this is the opportunity for a new start. Whether you are returning to college after working for a few years or you are applying straight from high school you can use these five rules to craft your killer essay and get into college.
1. Read the assignment over a couple of times and make a summary to ensure that you understand what the college is expecting of you. Conduct extensive research and jot down all the ideas before you start writing the essay. Organize the ideas and information according to categories and create a complete outline of the essay. This will help you structure the essay once you begin writing it. Make a rough draft and show it to people who have some expertise in the respective field and will be able to guide you to improve on your effort
2. If your school of choice asks for a personal essay make sure that you make it just that, personal. When colleges ask for this type of essay they are trying to gauge what type of student you will become. The school wants to know if you are mature enough for college level work. This is your time to sit down and write with a level of directness and honesty. You should write about some original and creative parts of your life always making sure to answer the question clearly and directly. Write about what you care about because it shows through and the essay will have passion and conviction.
3. Don?t clutter the essay with heavy words. While going through the essays, colleges are more interested in finding out about your thoughts, feelings and experiences than about the length of your vocabulary. The essay needs to reflect your emotional and intellectual involvement. Use the dictionary and Thesaurus only as editing tools.
4. Don’t write about your personal drama. It may be important to you but it wont help you get into college. It is better to focus on stories and thoughts that are unique to you but also share something uplifting and enjoyable. You want the reader to come away with positive impression about you and the people you surround yourself with.
5. Review and edit your essay heavily. Don?t be afraid to remove sentences or paragraphs that are redundant or not on point. This is another opportunity to review the questions to make sure you answered all of them fully. It is also a good idea to have someone else read it and give you their opinion. You don’t need to agree with everything your editor tells you but keep in mind the first things they see may be the first things that standout to the admissions people as well. Make sure to take all this information in so that you can have clear sharp essay that is on point.
If you use these simple rules you will be able to write an essay that gets you noticed. The most important thing is to let your personality shine through. After all the schools want to know why you should be accepted and why you are a good fit for their school. Now that you have the blue print go ahead and write those killer application essays.
