admission essay template

admission essay template

The Importance of a Well-Structured Admission Essay

1. Introduction

The purpose of the admissions essay is to prove that the application is a worthy candidate for the school in consideration. It is a portrayal of reasons for application, past experiences, possibly a portrayal of the applicant’s character, and an assessment of how the applicant views themselves. College administration builds an image of an ideal candidate for their school, and an admissions essay is the tool used to fulfill this image. A well-written essay can paint a clear picture of the applicant, and often times these pictures are what the administration uses as arsenal for decision. This is a grand difference in comparison to the standard research paper or creative writing assignment, where the grade is the only thing considered. With the essay being so crucial, pitfalls are abound for an applicant who is ill-prepared. This can lead to frustration in the writing process and general dissatisfaction with the results. A well-structured guide can circumvent these possibilities, and this is the intention of this work.

Admission to colleges and specific university programs requires apt illustration of motives and past experiences, which can be facilitated through the means of an admissions essay. This essay will provide an introduction to the work and the significance of a well-structured essay. An essay in this category has to be compelling as it is the tool that the administration uses to measure an individual’s desire, creativity, and general fit with the values of the school. This essay will be a general guide to what to do and what not to do in the creation of this document. Features specific to certain types of admissions, such as law schools or medical schools, will not be covered. This essay could also be beneficial for a student applying for a university scholarship as well.

2. Expressing Personal Motivation

There are two primary categories or factors of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation concerns factors that are related to the achievement of personal satisfaction or the individual’s interests related to the task he or she is performing. A student who writes an admission essay motivated by the ideal of understanding or practicing it further in future studies related to this course is an example of intrinsic motivation where the student is concerned with the subject matter for its own sake. Extrinsic motivation concerns factors that are related to the environment that is around the person from the task he or she is performing. An example of this for a student writing an admission essay would be to get a good grade so that he or she can pursue a path in higher education. The extrinsic motivation is studying in order to attain something else. Very often intrinsic and extrinsic motivation combine with the former providing a base and the latter providing a more specific goal. It is important for an admission essay writer to be sure which sort of motivation they are driven by when they apply for an institution. This will allow him or her to include in the essay the factors that have motivated him or her to come to this decision. Reasons are often the driving force behind one’s motivation so a person writing an essay with the former mentioned ideal might want to know exactly why and how the subject of interest has developed in his or her mind. All motives are relevant to their respective individuals so it helps to include every known factor when writing the essay.

3. Highlighting Relevant Experiences

Discussion of personal experiences is a powerful method to enhance an essay beyond telling the reader what happened by recounting a story. This strategy is most notable in dodging the two biggest hazards of personal statement writing, event recounting and failure to identify the significance of an event. These two problems, when addressed using the experiences outlined below, will increase a candidate’s chances of success. The candidate must be aware that failure to distinguish between recounting events and recounting personal experiences can paint them as an individual with low self-awareness. A personal experience is something that makes a lasting impression and significantly affects how someone thinks and behaves; an event is usually something that happens that may not have any immediate impact. Unfortunately, many candidates start their essay in a manner similar to the common example below.

4. Demonstrating Academic Achievements

Demonstrating academic achievements needs to be placed under its own category. An applicant must always ask whether his or her academic record does justice to his or her intellectual abilities. For students who have performed well throughout their high school years, whether through honor roll, student council, or awards, this is a chance to clear up any discrepancies between who they are as a student and their academic profile. It is also a chance to highlight any hardships that were overcome or any interfering circumstances that were adequately dealt with. These things are communicated best through anecdotal references with the use of vivid details. An example of this would be: It may be difficult to justify to some people that it is possible to maintain above an 80% average while skipping 2 or 3 days of class almost every week. I was able to overachieve in this sense.

5. Conclusion

In short, a well-written admission essay is the single most important original document that an individual can create. It has the potential to turn a maybe into a yes! There are many aspects to crafting a successful essay; however, the most important is to be genuine. Remember, the purpose of the personal essay is to convey an impression of who you are as a person. The person reading your essay will also have a perspective of you, and you want to show the characteristics and qualities that they like, not persuade them to like you. Often, a student is assessed on their academic performance and extracurricular activities. Write about your best asset in these fields. It is your initiative and leadership that might make you the ideal candidate. Show the readers that you will make a meaningful contribution; be someone on campus who will make a difference to the student body, and someone who will put your stamp on the future of the institution. This might take some soul searching; you must focus on your accomplishments and lessons learned through difficult experiences. Always try to illustrate the concepts that you explain with an anecdote. This often breathes life into an otherwise stale essay. An event through which the reader can see your actions and subsequently their results is a very effective means to paint a portrait of you as the person you are describing. Through it all, you must show your excitement and enthusiasm at the prospect of the following learning experience. Enthusiasm is contagious, and the person who reads your essay will likely be a proponent of a well-matched learning environment.