format for college admission essay

format for college admission essay

The Importance of a Well-Structured College Admission Essay

1. Introduction

The college admission essay brings an opportunity to demonstrate the difference between acceptance and rejection. For students with an instinct to elucidate with text the experiences that have shaped them, the essay offers a platform to convey vivid and focused self-expression. However, the verbal masonry should be utilised well, if at all, since the essay is typically a once-only task which requires thoughtful organisation, a strong sense of style and depth. In juxtaposition to the more objective and quantifiable information conveyed in the application, the essay is also a chance to address issues of personal significance, to present the case for the appropriateness of the student’s goals and to create a positive impression. This is the importance of the well-structured essay. A general conception that an essay is successful if the writer can convey something heartfelt speaks to a false idea. Primarily, the essay is a mode of reasoning, an attempt to convince others of the truth or viability of a certain perspective. It follows that the better able a writer is to develop an overall argument, the more likely it is that the reader will be persuaded. In the development of a persuasive essay, the structure holds the key. When editing his first draft, a writer should assess whether the essay’s organisation is likely to serve his thesis in the best way possible. He must consider the sequence of the presentation, checking that it maintains the strategy and purpose of his thesis. Often this may involve elimination of some points and the addition of others. No matter what changes he makes to his actual written work, the writer should add an outline to his overall work. The outline functions as a map that shows the direction of the essay. Going from the thesis statement, each section will develop the work done previously and move toward the ultimate goal of proving the thesis true. Without a clear plan and well thought out strategy, the essay is likely to end up a confused and directionless work, and a confused essay will convince very few people.

2. Choosing a Compelling Topic

When considering your choice of topic, remember that your personal essay should convey excitement and passion. This is because the essay is a more personal form of expression than an academic one. A successful essay might involve a work of literature, an event in which leadership skills had to be demonstrated, or a thing of beauty you encountered, enjoyed, or for which you developed a strong opinion. A good way to catch the reader’s attention is to take your time to think about the reasons why your topic is significant to you. If you’re stuck, try listing the things you like to do and the things you’ve learned in and out of school. This may generate an idea. Ask yourself why these things are important to you. Step back and look at your list in terms of the prompt. Note those subjects you are able to discuss knowledgeably. These are probably topics you are very comfortable with and would generate not only a well-written but an interesting essay.

3. Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement

A standard thesis statement is not very strong. For instance, “Smoking is bad for your health” is not a very strong thesis, since it isn’t really debatable. A stronger thesis would be, “While there are many opinions on the morality of stem cell research, the pursuit of cures using stem cells is a necessary endeavor in medical research.” A strong thesis is not simply the first thing that comes to mind. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand. Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For instance, if you are writing a paper on the morality of capital punishment, you might have a very strong view against capital punishment. Consider the fact that the first example that “Capital punishment is no longer an effective deterrent for deterring crime and protecting society members” is a stronger thesis than the second.

4. Supporting Your Ideas with Personal Experiences and Achievements

Another experience that adds to the theme of the essay is the author’s internship at ABC Sales. When asked what his biggest professional achievement to date was, the internship was the first thing that came to mind. Beginning junior year, my high school sponsors an internship program where students leave the last two weeks of school to shadow a professional in a job field they are interested in. Although ABC Sales was not high on his internship choices, Joe found himself learning and growing a great deal in a field he had never before been exposed to. His first exposure to corporate America, he learned a great deal about professionalism and the inner workings of business. This experience is a typical example of how one can grow from an experience that did not start out promising.

Now, I will discuss social achievement. The most apparent social achievement in the play is Biff’s state championship in high school football. Biff is the epitome of a promising young athlete with a plethora of Division One college offers.

Supporting your ideas with personal experiences and achievements takes your essay to the next level. The role of the introduction remains the same, bringing the reader into the topic, but it is done in a more specific way. The thesis is still in there, but it is more specific about what the essay will discuss. The introduction leads in with the story of Biff and Willy deserting a piece of land they have bought to pursue an adventure in the jungle.

5. Conclusion: Making a Lasting Impression

Stephanie Schiffrin, a former admissions officer at Cornell University, states that “the best writing is often the most simple and direct.” This does not mean ‘dumbing it down’ or writing in a simplistic manner. It means getting your key points across in a clear, concise fashion. Scholars and academia have surrounded themselves with their own language that very few outside of the field understand. Your admissions officer may be only an adult who is unfamiliar with the admissions process and perhaps knows little about what a major in your field of interest actually means. This point leads to an obligatory reminder: never assume that the admissions officer will know something about your particular area of interest. The simplified writing approach is making sure everyone can easily understand what you are trying to say. That does not mean you cannot utilize a nice vocabulary, you can still do that and add a nice touch to your writing, but avoid the sauntering prose that is often found in applications. Always use words that are appropriate for the situation and are not forced. Avoid the sauntering prose or ‘big’ words because you assume they will impress the reader of the essay. It can come off as ‘fake’ writing and that is not what you are going for. Always write in your natural tone and make sure the writing is a representation of you.

“Admissions officers are looking for candidates to make a lasting impression, not be another face in the crowd. How do you convince an admissions officer that you are a unique candidate who should be considered for admissions? Your college admission essay. Your essay is your only chance to show the admissions officers who you really are and why you deserve a shot at the academic or professional goal that you have in mind. The essay is your chance to add a personal touch to your application and it is easier to do than you may think.”