how to write an admission essay

how to write an admission essay

How to Write an Admission Essay

1. Understanding the Purpose of an Admission Essay

An admission essay is designed to find out more about the individual applying for knowledge in a specific area of study. The intended purpose is usually to determine your potential as a student and graduate of the program in addition to the place at our institution. Applicants are often asked to write about the course of study they are interested in, how they came to that decision, and what experience they have had in the field. Often admission essay prompts ask the student to consider changes in their life which have led to an improved course of study and how that can translate to success at our institution. The answer to these topics should provide an essay that is more about you than it is about what you have done. This is your opportunity to let us hear your voice. Your essay should tell the committee about the person you are and about the person you are capable of becoming. Each of these topics posed in the admission essay prompts are designed to better understand the individual who is applying and are trying to obtain a better understanding of what makes you, you.

2. Choosing a Compelling Topic

Once you have generated some ideas, it’s important to decide what kind of essay or writing you will write. It is important to choose a topic that is specific, manageable, and a good portrayal of you. Often times you can reuse an essay topic for the Common Application, or an essay for a college specific application. It is generally better to write about something that you are already familiar with although it can be exciting to delve into something new. One way to gauge what a good topic is would be to jot down a list of your interests and hobbies. From there, try to think of an event or time in your life that demonstrated the interest. This is what we call “showing” the reader your story instead of just “telling”. Another way that you can decide what a good topic is may be to choose an event in your life that was a turning point of some sort. Attend a quiet place and think about the topic. Imagine yourself as the character in the story telling it to a close friend, and really delve into it like you are really telling your friend a story. At any point, if it feels like a hard story to tell, then it is probably not a good essay topic. A good essay has the following: it is objective, it tells the story and has no analytical tone, it is expressive, nothing is forced, everything is natural, and it is reflective. About 80% is reflection providing insight to the reader. A strong essay leaves the reader with a deeper understanding about you, it has enlightened the reader. This is the true task in finding the perfect topic.

3. Crafting a Strong Introduction

Crafting a strong introduction, it can be helpful to start with a broad statement to introduce the reader to the topic. Then, more specific statements are used to lead the reader to the thesis statement. A thesis statement acts as the roadmap for the reader. It should begin to set up the expectations of what is to come in the essay. The reader should begin to see the focus of the essay start to take shape. The thesis statement can be the most difficult part of the introduction to generate, but it is essential to place it in the introduction. A well-written thesis statement will allow the reader to easily follow the main topic. This should not give away the specific arguments that will be in the body paragraphs, but it should be a strong enough statement that the reader can understand what is coming. Essentially, the thesis statement is the anchor of your essay. This is what you will continue to come back to and what you will argue for. A strategic way to make sure you have set up a good introduction is to open up with three general statements on the topic and make the last statement the thesis statement. Now delete the last two general statements. If what remains is a strong, clear thesis statement, then you have done a good job.

4. Showcasing Your Unique Qualities

Once you have an “event” or “time” to showcase, you will need to explain its importance in the most basic level. Imagine that your 5-year-old cousin has asked you “Why did that happen?” You will want the answer to be very concise, but still accurate to the point. In your essay, you should be sure to demonstrate that you have read the passage, make a quick thesis with passing the qualifying assessment. If assessment is too long, you may want to make it seem shorter so the readers can effectively pull it. Note that from this point and on, the test will be somewhat different in nature than those you will see in the rest of the passage. Your essay should’ve been the qualifying assessment and thesis you have just made. Additionally, whenever you make a generalization or claim, you need to support it. For instance, if you say that the adversity character type is the best, you need to support that statement with evidence. Step one in doing so is to show the reader why this is true. Next, you need to back up that point with an example or evidence. Make sure your examples/existence evidence are something that is very easy to understand and factual, as evidence is something graders will be looking for to give you points. Also, remember that the more explanation you do of your evidence and argument, the more successful the outcome.

Remember these types of questions when brainstorming activities to write about for this essay: “Does this really show who I am or what I’m interested in?” “Is this activity something I would want to explain to someone else? “Would I be truly proud to show my work in this?”

This crucial self-reflection will form the foundation of your essay. Choose a relevant and impactful event. Aim big here. If you are going to talk about all the amazing and impressive things you have done in an activity, it’s best if you show it through one “big” event with dramatic impact versus many small events. For instance, if you are an economics major, your interest in entrepreneurship can be showcased through the time when your team designed and created an app. It’s always best if that one event is something that will make a viewer emotional (whether it’s happy or sad). This resulting in what we call a “slice of life,” which can be a highly effective and believable way to prove your “point” (in this instance, showcasing your interest in entrepreneurship).

No matter what the prompt asks for, almost any effective college essay should showcase one or several of what I call your “defining qualities.” If the prompt asks you to write a personal statement (for The Common App), tell about yourself or wants to know why you are a fit for their university, you will need a clear idea of the core qualities or characteristics that make you who you are. Once you have an idea, think of a time that illustrated what that trait really meant to you or others. Check out this guide from The College Essay Guy for further explanation and examples.

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5. Perfecting Your Essay with Editing and Proofreading

Establishing clear and specific criteria for the editing process will help you polish your essay and up your chances of being admitted to the school of your choice. First, start with a fresh, new document. Doesn’t sound like editing, does it? But you would be surprised at how it helps. Open that new MS Word file up and start fresh. You’ll find that taking pieces of your essay, placing them into the new document, and then editing and refining them there and copying that pasting it back will save time in the long run. Now before you do anything to this new essay, walk away, and I mean it. Take a break from anything to do with your essay; this may be a two-hour break or if you are crunched for time one or two days. This will give you a fresh perspective on your content and help you to catch the things that you missed before. Look over your essay and check it against the form and content of the essay prompt. What does the prompt ask you? What information are the schools that you are applying to looking for? Make sure that your essay meets the requirements of the prompt and answers the questions posed by the prompt. An essay that is off-topic is a quick ticket to rejection. Now, read it out loud. I repeat, read it out loud. This will help you catch mistakes you may have missed and make sure that your writing flows and sounds the way you want it to. With the time constraints of our lives today, many students will opt to skip the above steps and go directly into editing the essay.

First drafts