an admission essay editing

 an admission essay editing

Enhancing Your Admission Essay

1. Introduction

The reader will learn from the start the critical importance an admission essay has in the selection process at most colleges and universities. Yet, the essay is given very little attention. The e-book prepares the student to perform at an optimum level. A student with average writing abilities can learn to craft a well-written essay if he applies himself. Step one of the process begins before any writing takes place. One must analyze the primary purpose of the essay. Is the goal to write an essay that will grab the interest of the reader and cause him to linger on every word? Or will the writer simply inform or persuade someone? Without a clear goal, there is no way to write a quality essay. Finding out what the university is looking for in the essay provides a better starting point and will help to decipher what the university’s intentions are. High school guidance counselors often do not know the expectations of the writing that needs to take place for entrance to a particular college. This makes it difficult for a student, especially if their writing skills do not reflect their intelligence. With no oversight, the first reaction of most students is to write the essay and turn it in and attempt to write the essay that will gain acceptance.

This much-needed resource takes the reader through the process of crafting an admission essay and can be used to improve almost any kind of essay writing. It doesn’t enrich only writing techniques but the thinking process as well. The e-book is in a user-friendly, down-to-earth style that will appeal not only to students but also to their teachers and parents. The text begins with the highest-scoring essays written by students over the years, critiques their weaknesses and strengths, and then uses the lessons learned to teach all students how to write a successful college admission essay.

2. Identifying Weaknesses

Identify the changes you have made this year to become a better student and discuss your future or long-term academic goals. Time and time again, studies have shown that students who have goals and a future are more successful. This is a simple fact that most admissions officers understand. They want students who will be successful in their classes and eventually earn a degree. If you are applying to college, it is assumed that you have some idea as to what you want to do when you finish school. Whether it is a specific job or a field of work, colleges want students who are motivated to reach these goals and be successful. A bright academic future at your school is an ideal success story for any admissions officer. A student who can accurately describe his past achievements and the changes he has made to achieve future success is someone who has a clear identity. Now back to our student who has learned from his mistakes. This could simply be his future success story. He will convince the admissions officer that he is a different person, dedicated to a brighter future. This is a perfect candidate.

Although it’s easier to examine someone else’s work, it’s important to analyze your essay’s weaknesses as you know this is what the admissions board will be doing. Your teachers, parents, and friends often have perspectives that are correct and useful, but when it comes to writing your admission essay, the power to see things that they can’t is your responsibility. It is an essay that is on you and about you. This will be your impression to give, not someone else’s. For admissions officers will make assumptions about you based on this essay, whether they are fair or unfair, accurate or not, they will happen, and you can’t stop that. One assumption we don’t want is that you had too much help or that you tried to appear someone that you are not. So as I modify and suggest ways of improving an essay, I will keep these assumptions in mind. Since this is your essay, I believe that the power to change it is your own. You may of course show my suggestions to a teacher to get their opinions, but when it comes to making an improved version, the effort must be your own.

3. Strengthening Your Content

You should read through your essay and ask yourself the following: Does the content make sense? Have I answered the question or given information the topic asked for? Often topics are set that require a student to elaborate a specific experience or background that has led them to apply for that particular course. Within the content, this should be made clear to the reader. If the topic asks to elaborate why you might be an asset to that course or college, it would be a good idea to identify some defining characteristic or past experience that proves this. For example, if the essay were on an experience at a summer camp working with disabled children to improve their quality of life, it would be quite an asset to a medical course. The experience should also be explained as something you did, not something that somebody else did which affected you. This is an essay about you, not a biography; and admissions officers are trying to learn about what you are like.

Once you have found your ideas and thought about exactly what you want to say in your essay, you should review your content. This is the way to strengthen your content.

4. Polishing Your Writing Style

In writing, tone is defined as the attitude of the author toward the subject and the audience. The tone should be reflective of the aims of a piece of writing. An important factor that must be considered will be the intended purpose of your writing. For example, if you are trying to argue a point, your goal is to be persuasive to obtain the readers’ support. If your purpose is to recount a story or to recount events, you will want to write in past tense, using a consistent tone as it is easy to become sidetracked. This may involve some brief diversions in the story, but you should stay focused on your goal. Finally, if your aim is to describe a person, place or thing, then you are wanting to write descriptively. There is often a subjective element to description which can be difficult for some learners to grasp. You may need to describe something in the best way you can in order to put an image in the reader’s mind. Here the choice of vocabulary is of utmost importance as the aim is to convey as much detail as possible. Form an outline before you begin your writing in order to keep you on track. In a piece of description, the last thing you want is to repeat yourself. This is where a thesaurus can be a useful tool. A descriptive piece is usually in the third person past tense, though it does vary. With all forms of description, you are trying to paint a picture in the mind of the reader, and so simulation of the senses is your prime goal. This can be achieved by giving the reader a mental image of the subject and recreating the sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of the subject said.

5. Finalizing Your Essay

Sharing your essay Do not underestimate the importance of looking over your essay. It will lead you to revise it and ask others to help you improve it, because, Others can spot things you might miss no matter how thorough you are. Always find someone to review your essay. It is good to have someone, such as a teacher, parent or friend, to give you both evaluation and feedback on your work. Make sure you feel comfortable with the person you’re asking to revise it. You want honest criticism and someone who can tell you what they believe will make the essay better. Also, express your interest in receiving feedback. Comments on earlier drafts may be helpful, but the more people who read your essay at this stage, the less input you will receive, so don’t be afraid to ask anyone who might help. An opinion from someone who probably doesn’t know you is going to count more. It can be a very critical approach, but in many situations it provides a good result. An admission counselor can provide a different perspective on your essay, especially the segue between the essay and the rest of your application. Step away from the essay and come back later. You might want to step away from your essay for a day or two before you begin the revising process. Coming back with a clear head, you will then see the mistakes and the weaknesses.

Proofing your essay Proofreading is a process which helps to get a final impression of the text and its quality which is to be submitted to the college. Proofreading is most important for an admission essay. The things you should check during the proofreading process are: • Are there any grammatical/typo errors? • Are there any spelling errors? • Are the sentences incomplete? • Are there any run-on sentences? • Are the paragraphs built around an idea? • Are the punctuation properly used? • Does the essay show the clear idea of the writer on a particular topic?

In this section you will learn: • Proofing your essay • Sharing your essay • Fixing mistakes