college admission essay tutor

college admission essay tutor

How to Succeed in College Admission Essays

1. Understanding the Importance of College Admission Essays

In today’s college selection process, it becomes more clear that there are thousands of great students and only so many spots. The colleges need a way to see more about a student than just their GPA and test scores. An interview is a way to see more about a student, but it is not possible to interview every student that applies to the school. Thus, the essay becomes more important as a way to see what a student is really like. Many people believe that the essay is the most important aspect of the college application. This is a chance to let the college see who you are beyond your test scores, GPA and extracurricular activities. The essay gives the college an idea of how well you can communicate, as well as who you really are as a person. This information is very important to a college, as they are looking to admit students who have the qualities to succeed and make an impact at the school. From your essay, a college can gather that information and compare it to other students. If two students are similar in other ways, the student with the better essay has a better chance of being admitted. An essay can make a student stand out, and this is because most students don’t utilize the essay to the best of their ability. With so many essays to read, most college admission officers will only spend a few minutes reading each essay, so it is important to make it interesting and easy to read. When students put out their best effort and make the essay the best it can be, the admissions officer will be able to see the time and effort put into the essay. A well-written essay can sway an officer up from a waitlist, or even open the doors to being admitted. On the other hand, a bad essay can make a student forgettable or give the impression that a student is not really serious about attending the school. This is why we, the writers of this book, believe that the essay is the most important aspect of the college application. With a great essay, you can offset bad test scores or a less than perfect GPA and show that you belong at a particular school.

2. Choosing the Right College Essay Tutor

Begin your search by determining exactly what kind of help you need. If you know which schools you are interested in, look on their websites and see if they have provided any guidelines about writing college admission essays. Many times, there will also be sample essays that you can look at. If you have a specific prompt that you most likely will be writing about, search through college applications or contact the school and ask if there are any past successful essays that you can look at. By doing this, you will be able to compare your own essay with those that you find and hopefully gain some insight on how to improve your own. Once you are familiar with what the essay should entail, your next step is to discover the kind of person who will be able to provide this. You will surely come across many private college essay tutors; some will be much better suited for you than others. First, you must consider the amount of help that you will need for your essay. If you are confident about the content of your essay, Elance.com can provide a good outlet to submit your essay to qualified editors. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you can select the bid that an editor places on your project. If you are looking to write your essay from scratch and brainstorm ideas, a private tutor is the way to go. When you meet with a tutor, be sure to ask the right questions and find out what their method of teaching is. There are many ex-English teachers and professional writers who are tutoring to make some extra money in their retirement. They will most definitely be able to provide quality help, but will charge a hefty price for it. A younger tutor or current university student may be a more cost-effective choice. These people will likely be more in-tune with the college admission process and will know what kind of essay will work best for you.

3. Crafting a Compelling Personal Statement

Your personal statement is an opportunity to help a college admissions officer get to know you better. It gives them the chance to learn about your motivations for applying to a specific college, your experience, and your aspirations for the future. This essay is your introduction to the school and the admissions officer. It should be friendly, thoughtful, and well written. It should create and keep their interest in you. It should also give them a good sense of your writing style – this is important because it helps an admissions officer judge if you would be able to handle the level of writing required at the college. This essay should be seen as a reflection of who you are and what is important to you. Take this as your opportunity to share those things with the college. Your personal statement is the most open-ended part of your college application. It can also be the most time consuming. Unlike the rest of your application, which consists largely of objective facts like grades and test scores, your application essay allows you to truly express yourself. Be yourself. This is your chance to let them know who you are. Talk about your dreams, aspirations, and important experiences from your life that have brought you to this point of applying to college. This is your chance to talk about the things that have meaning to you, that are important to you, even things that have helped shape you as a person today. It is important to get across these ideas to the admissions counselor, because they are the things about you that may not be found in the rest of your application. It is essential to let the college know this information about you because it can be what makes you stand out from other applicants. Show the college what you have to offer them. Make the connections between yourself and the school. From here you can discuss what you wish to make of your college experience. This can show the admissions officer more about your goals and motivations. A main point of your personal statement should be to connect yourself to that college. Maybe you have a background or story that is so central to your identity that your application would be incomplete without it. This will give admissions an idea of things you may offer to the college community. This is a great opportunity to share what you are planning to do during your time at college. From this you can express your expectations and goals. Let them know what you are striving to do. This can be a great way to further show your connection with the college because you can tie what you wish to accomplish with your experience at that college. Try to finish your essay by summing up what you have said. This conclusion should be strong and bring your essay to a close. This is your last chance to articulate your thoughts and so leave a lasting impression of you. Remember that your personal statement should give the admissions officer a good idea of who you are – what has influenced your life, and who you want to be. You should give them something that they can use to analyze what kind of person you are. What are your passions, your long term goals, and can this institution offer everything you need to succeed and make that transition to a new level in life. Your application essay is not just a piece that you will whip up overnight. This essay should take a lot of time, thought, and effort. It is a chance for you to let the college see the real you. Key Points: – Show your motivation and drive to further your education – Show how you have been shaped by your experiences and how they have influenced your career goals – Show a connection between yourself and the college – Show what makes you special – the kind of student the college wants to have on their campus

4. Showcasing Your Unique Qualities and Experiences

2. Seek advice from others. With an understanding of the things you feel are important to express, the next step is to gather others’ perceptions of you. This can be very important because it is likely that other people see things in you that you can’t see yourself, or they can confirm the things that you do know. Choose the people you consult with carefully. The goal is to get new insight and confirm things you already know. You do not need other people to tell you who you are. Some people to consider are parents, peers, teachers, and coaches. Remember, the goal is to gain insight from others, not for them to tell you who you are. Therefore, questioning these people in a similar manner to the questions in the self-assessment is a more effective strategy. Step three can also be done simultaneously with these first two steps.

1. Self-assessment. Allowing sufficient time for a self-assessment is an essential component to a successful college essay. Ask yourself which character traits and experiences are truly worth sharing. Being able to confidently express who you are and the life lessons you have learned are the best way for an admissions counselor to connect with you on a personal level. The more you understand yourself, the more you are able to express it to others and find the most fitting ways to do so. Self-assessment is an ongoing process; therefore, this step, along with the brainstorming step, should take some time and be done thoughtfully.

Differentiating yourself from the hundreds of applicants to a particular college requires a strong plan, which can be accomplished through showcasing your unique qualities and experiences! Below is a step by step plan for getting the most out of showing what makes you unique and most importantly, proving it.

5. Perfecting Your College Admission Essay

Many students are involved in the same activities, so it is difficult to set yourself apart from the crowd. An awesome essay can do just that. An essay gives insight into you as a person. If you are an excellent student, an essay that demonstrates your personality will be much more effective than one that shows your genius. A deep longing to contribute positively to the world will be evident in a well-written essay, whereas a mechanical rendition of one’s accomplishments is not so compelling. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals errors in the essay’s flow, highlights grammatical errors, and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended.

Some people are gifted with the ability to turn a phrase, and these are the people who can write a great essay without a lot of effort. Others, however, are not so lucky. Often, other college applicants and their families can easily offer to proofread an essay, but their main suggestion may be to add a little description. These are not the people you should look to for essay advice. It is really helpful to ask someone who doesn’t know you very well because they will have no preconceived ideas about your character and will be objective in their response.