college admission essay heading

college admission essay heading

The Importance of a Strong College Admission Essay

1. Introduction

It’s important to communicate effectively what it is that makes the applicant an ideal match for the colleges he or she is applying to. This is accomplished by talking about experiences and by demonstrating clearly and honestly what motivates and excites. It’s a good idea to get a second opinion on the essays and be sure to edit and erase all mistakes in spelling and grammar. Whether it’s the first, last, or only chance to speak to an admissions counselor, the college admissions essay is the perfect chance to market oneself to the college of choice. With rhetoric and persuasion, the essay can present a strong and convincing argument for the applicant’s admission. With time, thought, and effort, it can be perfected and help ensure a spot in the applicant’s ideal college. A strong college admissions essay is a vital tool in the college application process.

The college admissions essay can play a big role in the college admissions process. “The essay helps the committee build upon the impression they have of you,” says Kimberly Bryant, an independent college admissions counselor. “It’s a means to an end, and that end is enrolling in a college that will provide the sort of educational experience and environment you seek.” Before writing, it’s suggested to map out the things to be covered and organize materials into different categories. This will help the writer stay on track and not get off-topic.

2. Choosing a Compelling Topic

Now, to the fear aspect that most of us have about writing this article. This is something that will take quite a few drafts and a lot of proofreading, so it is definitely in your best interest to start this well before the time you plan on submitting your application. The cause for this concern is that most students are not confident in their writing capabilities, and sending this article to people you know for proofreading may even make you more nervous. What you must remember is that this essay is about you, and the people proofreading it should not change the content of the essay, so as long as there are no spelling or grammatical errors, which I’m sure wouldn’t be a problem for those of you applying to college, your essay is good as is. Finally, this essay will be somewhat of a tying factor when your application is being compared to others with similar test scores and high school records. This is your chance to prove yourself if you feel that your marks are not an adequate representation of the student that you are.

Those who are reviewing your application see this as an opportunity to evaluate your priorities and who you are. Setting the time aside to brainstorm and compose an essay shows that you are so much more than just the average student who does only what is necessary in school. From your perspective, it may just be an essay, but it could be your ticket into the college of your choice. Consider this.

For high school students who are applying to college, one of the scariest parts of the admission process is writing the dreaded application essay. For those of you who are not familiar with this term, it’s a 600-700 word article that you compose about yourself. The topic is your choice, but I do suggest that you make it something that you are interested in, something that they did not have you write about for school, and something that shows your true self. Many students are inclined to do the minimum requirements in order to scrape through a class and this article, in hopes of doing just that, are simply asking “if I do the minimum requirements to get into your school, why should I do more?”

3. Crafting a Captivating Opening

This kind of opening is not simply a story. It can provide clues to the essence of what the writer is. By telling how certain events have led up to where the person is now, the present state of mentality and emotion can be inferred from the story. This says I’ve done some silly things and I’ve had some very moving and strange experiences. This example is contrasted with the person whose opening is a simple report. By meticulously examining the intricate system of the toilet he can figure out what’s wrong without calling a plumber, writes said report in an application to be given a chance at a plumbing internship. A connoisseur of human emotion and behavior will find this example an amusing character study. However, it is too revealing of acts and upbringing and does not do much to hint at what kind of a person this writer is today. An application essay should focus on the now and the action which led to the now. The report is more appropriate for an essay on a past experience with failure and achievement.

The margin of error in setting an example should be small. At the time when the first impressions mean everything, the opening sentence is crucial. Admissions officers tolerate high school students, but say goodbye to the kid who begins with the “unexpected” definition, the cute slogan, or the simple statement. They are looking for the right hook which will draw an applicant’s work to the forefront of the endless muddle of papers on the desk. This is no easy task. With the right kind of opening, an enrollment paper is expected to shine with that ambiguous force that wins over the indifferent external reader. It should make them hang on every word, still wanting to glean further information about the student. An anecdote is a staple beginning. The writer sets the scene with just enough information to tantalize his readers. He gives them only a small piece of the pie and so they want more. Expert execution of this strategy has landed us at Thanksgiving at the Tapp’s… mom, the Thanksgiving fanatic is setting the table with the good china and crystal, an obvious no-no. She makes sure to inform her father, with her twelve-year-old brother as her spy, that he must shower and dress for the feast at his house, thus saving her cleaning time and the damage of the china and crystal in his bachelor pad. After that, we move to the next day. They will never know what occurred only hours before their left guest holding ice cream cones would decide that play-by-play majoring the discovery of the mysterious pieces of aluminum foil could replace the blundering escapades of the Pilgrims.

4. Developing a Cohesive Narrative

In conclusion, narrative can be told in many ways and there is no definite way how to tell a story. But this method clearly is the more effective one and can bring better ideas and perception to the writer and the reader. Considering that the purpose of an essay is to change and then find the better idea compared to the last one, there is no doubt that this narrative can deliver ideas and change above the others. Step by step, it can guide the writer and can become a self-checklist as to what the story is bringing and what the final message that the writer can deliver to the reader. With the plot still fresh in the mind, college admission essay can change life for the writer and, in the end, make the college admission essay experience a treasure.

But we should still remember that an essay is not about being informative, but should still link to the main goals. Sometimes it can lose track of the main goal and become lost in the essence of some stories. We should always keep the reader updated on the change of ideas and create a smooth transition to the better idea. By using links and shifts at the conclusion of an event or at the beginning of a new paragraph, it can bring the reader unconsciously follow the change of idea. For instance, by using words such as “so,” “at the end,” and “but,” it can inform the reader that we are linking to a new idea. Then, by occasional reminders of the main goal, it will prevent straying from the main topic and remain on the right conflict and change phase. This can happen to story A and story B. The change of the idea to the better one with comparing and contrasting the result of those two accounts can bring a stronger conclusion to this kind of essay. In this manner, we can see a great change of the word from the easy narrative to the twist and turn, comparing and contrasting ideas to make the better life to the reader.

Every story is about conflict and change, and the truth is that essays are about conflict and change, too! The difference is that in an essay, the conflict is between different ideas, and the change is in the way we should perceive those ideas. That means that the easy and simple way is to write how you feel, what you believe in, and what experience you own in your own life, and then change that into the main good statement with an introduction, body, and conclusion. This would serve as a must the logical order in the mind, and this can guide you to tell your stories. Then, by putting event A and then the result of that event, by changing the result, it can create an interesting twist and turn. This will avoid the boredom of the readers. Then it can lead to redemption or enlightenment. This can make a good ending. With a strong and solid introduction and conclusion, the basic structure can mirror the main idea and give guidelines as to what stories should be about and how they can be told. After finding the correct structure, the next step is to fill the essay with the correct content. With a better and more responsible strategy, sometimes it’s better to write what is important compared to the most interesting stories. But hey, if you can find interesting stories to tell, just go on and there is no harm in trying. With cohesive ideas and symbols, it can bring life to the event and change to better perception. Then, by involving ourselves in the descriptive word, it can truly describe the story.

5. Concluding with Impact

Admissions officers reading these essays are trying to put together a team of students who have diverse skills, backgrounds, and experiences. They are not screening for good or bad stories, they are seeking to identify students who will bring something unique to their campus community. After evaluating the rest of the essay, a conclusion gives these readers the assurance that you have been thorough in presenting your ideas. A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But beware. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything off-color. High school seniors are faced with the challenge of summarizing the last 17 years into 600 words, all while showcasing their “unique” personality against thousands of other candidates. It’s not an easy task. For some, it’s the greatest challenge they may have encountered. Head on. In a concluding paragraph, it’s better to be clear and strong than to fade out weakly. The key is to incite interest and be remembered. This is why the last piece of the essay must be solid and interesting enough to warrant a second look. A separate pair of eyes can catch errors you might miss. Another danger to both revising and concluding the essay is that the last thing the reader will have read is the first thing that comes to mind. A complex thesis statement can usually be restructured into a more theoretically complex (or challenging) statement. And, it will carry all the new meaning. The problem with overly praising “surface” aspects is that it is of the least concern to the reader.