what is an admission essay

what is an admission essay

The Importance of Writing a Compelling Admission Essay

1. Introduction

The answer lies in the question itself. The best way to persuade is to write an essay, mentioning all possible data for that reason. Be it written for a job application, a letter to the editor or a piece of work with a stated purpose. The best way to achieve the aim is to use an essay, so these techniques should be used in an admission essay with a bit complex approach, focus being on the reasons for an application to the institute.

Writing an admission essay is to apply for a position is to make a job application. In all these cases, the candidate is trying to sell himself and convince the higher authority of the respective institution about his capabilities and finally prove it so that they select him. What is common in all these cases is that the candidate is trying to persuade the higher authority to buy into his line of thought, his capabilities, his determination and finally his success. But what is the best way to persuade?

2. Understanding the Purpose of an Admission Essay

An admission essay is structured with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it often employs a chronological organization. This is a way for the writer to see the progression of their growth and enlightenment on the subject. This serves to show the deep level of thought and consideration that went into the writing process. This type of essay is unique from other essays in the sense that there is not a right or wrong way to write it. This allows for a lot of creativity on the behalf of the student. It is also unique from other essays in its conversational tone. This generally means that the student can write in a relaxed manner. This can help the reader to see who the student really is. This tone, however, should be tasteful. The student should avoid slang, clichés, and contractions. This will help the student to remain mature, and it will separate the quality of an admission essay from a typical high school assignment.

An admission essay is a way for the college to get to know the student as more than just a prospect. Furthermore, it is the way that the student can show the college how they will benefit the college. In a way, this is the student’s time to shine. While the student must keep the essay focused on themselves, it is important that they briefly touch on how they will benefit from the college and how the college will benefit them. This dynamic between what the student can bring to the college and what the college can offer is an important factor for a student to outline in an admission essay. It is important to generate a strong conclusion that reinforces the thesis, as it is the last thing the reader will read, so it is the most significant part of an essay. A strong conclusion can also give the essay the feeling of concluding as opposed to ending abruptly. This can be accomplished by ending an essay with a new idea, a question, a call to action, or a reiteration of the opening statement.

3. Key Elements of an Effective Admission Essay

The author of the article has cited a few important points that make an admission essay effectual. The author has pointed out that the essay should reflect the student’s own achievements and personality. This is very significant because most of the time students do not write themselves; rather, they write what the readers might want to read. This puts the students at a disadvantage because the admissions officers are human too, and they are very adept at discerning someone else’s work from someone’s original work. Admissions officers are looking for new and unique content that relates to the applicant. The author has also stated that the essay should have a clear focus. This is important because students often stray away from the main point and include irrelevant information. Admissions officers do not want to read an essay that has no focus and makes no sense. Admissions officers want straightforward essays with a clear and succinct expression of thought. The essay should also be creative, and the author attests to this point. This is the most important point because creativity is what keeps the reader attentive. No one wants to read a bland essay, especially an admissions officer who is reading hundreds of essays a day. Creative writing is the best way to keep the reader interested. The essay should have a proper structure with headings and subheadings. This seems very trifling, but a good structure is the backbone of a good essay. A good structure makes the essay easy to read and keeps the reader engaged until the end. A common misconception is that the essay should be error-free. This is not true. The author has put emphasis on the fact that at times students should intentionally make errors. This is done so that the essay can be relayed back to the student’s English teacher, who can grade the essay according to the student’s standard. If an English teacher grades the essay higher than its actual standard, then the essay is clearly not the work of the student. This is a common method used to decipher the originality of an essay.

4. Tips for Writing a Persuasive Admission Essay

Avoid clichés. The dictionary definition of a cliché is “an overused and unoriginal phrase or idea”. A clichéd essay will not impress. Admissions people have read it all. It will not persuade the reader that you are a good match for their school. It may be difficult to spot clichés in your own work, which is why it can be helpful to seek feedback from someone who does not know you well. This is a very good time to perform that exercise of having someone else read your writing.

Be yourself. This may seem trite, but it is still good advice. Admissions people read hundreds of essays; many essays are dry, abstract, and impersonal. To really make a good impression, your essay needs to be personal. This doesn’t mean you should be informal or use poor grammar; it means that to a reasonable extent, your college essay should reflect you, and genuinely communicate the message that is vital to you. Pretend someone you have just met, who knows nothing about you, will read this essay. At the same time, keep in mind the point made in the tip above about not going overboard; still keep it tactful. Run your essay by a few people who don’t know you very well, and ask them what they think.

Make an outline. My suggestion here is derived from high school. Don’t knock it. There’s a method to the madness. First, you can plan your concept; it doesn’t matter if it is concrete at this point. Then, pick a topic and stick to it. If you need to write an essay to a given topic, this is the holy grail. Sometimes we can write an essay to satisfy the requirements of the question, but where we go off at a tangent half way through. This usually results from a lack of planning. If you find this happening to you, you haven’t wasted anything. Go back to the start and do some more planning; it’s unlikely that the ideas you were writing before actually fit the essay topic in the way you first thought. Now, plan the structure of your essay in point form. This doesn’t have to be as detailed as it sounds. Just select say how many paragraphs you think your essay will be. Now, make a list of points and information that apply to the question or the theme of your essay. Group this information into a few clear, distinct points, so you can see gaps in your work. This method will also reduce your chances of going off at a tangent.

Know your audience. Consider the makeup of the organization to which you are applying. If you are writing a personal statement for a medical school, for example, your audience will be vastly different from fellow medical students. Make sure you spend time on the essay’s specific tips for the organization or award about which you are writing.

5. Conclusion

A final word, or rather a suggestion, make your essay as interesting as possible. Try to create a story to tell the admission board members. For instance, an essay on your dog’s demise, a teacher who inspired you, something strange that you remember, those are all good brainstorming for your essay ideas. When you start to put these pieces of the jigsaw together and form a story, you will capture the reader’s attention. Try to avoid too much of an “I did this, then I did this” approach. For example, “I won an award” rather say “That was amazing, when I received an award for the first time, I was jumping up and down”. Capture the reader’s attention; make them read it with interest and an involuntary smile on their face. That is the most important advice, and the best book to read is by Harry Bauld “On Writing The College Application Essay”. The book is spectacular. Read it and then try to apply these tactics into your essay. So remember, whether you are looking to get into an undergraduate school, graduate school, or medical school, a memorable and effective essay just might be the deciding factor to get you an interview offer. Apply these methods to your essay writing and you’ll be sure to write a compelling admission essay and who knows? You might even love to write it!