College Essay Advisors

College Essay Advisors Do tell a specific story that grabs the reader’s attention. Don’t focus on a negative event or a struggle without spending more time on what you learned or gain from it? Don’t write about a person without spending 2/3 of the essay focusing on how that person shaped youâ€"specifically. Each essay should focus on different qualities and events, and should help you become 3-D for the admissions officers. Word order means more than word choiceâ€"you need to check, double-check, sit for a while and check again to make sure your admissions essay is as polished as possible. Basic grammar is really, really, important; it won’t get you into a school on its own, but without it, you could cost yourself a spot. If you use a thesaurus to find words rather than trust the words you know and use every day, you will not sound like yourself. What’s more, you might use a few big words incorrectly, which will never impress an admissions officer. Colleges are not looking for the next Ernest Hemingway or Toni Morrison. You will sound smart when you use your own words and your own voice to tell a genuine story that shows who you are. I read and review essays for a living and my students tell me the insight is invaluable. Do tell a great story that communicates some unique qualities you offer a college. To write a college admissions essay, start by coming up with one or two life experiences related to the prompt. Then, choose one topic and focus on it, like a situation in your life that made you challenge your beliefs. Also, try to begin your essay in a unique way to grab the reader's attention, like by turning it into a story. Most times, an outline should not be based on the college admission essay format which will be discussed below. However, this format may vary depending on your university of choice or the course you intend to pursue, as will be explained below. DON’T try to sound “academic” or give the “what they want to hear.” DO write what only you can write. (“I am… I was… I have been…”) DO use active, interesting details. DON’T just talk about why the school is a good fit for you. DO talk about what you plan to contribute to the school, and why you are the perfect candidate for it! DON’T send it off without having someone else read it first! 2) Make sure you know what you want the college to know about you before you decide what story to tell. Read the prompt before, during and after you write your draft, then ask someone else to tell you whether or not you responded to it. This mistake shows that you don’t care enough to proofread your application. Admissions committees might forgive a typo, but they don’t like to hear that you wish you were going to school somewhere else. There aren’t too many things you can do to ensure rejection, but plagiarism, also known as cheating, is one of them. Next, use a few detailed examples to show the skills you have, such as leadership, rather than using lots of different ones. In the conclusion, make a statement on your main theme without repeating yourself. If you can tell a story in response to the prompt or question, do so. Telling a story will be much more engaging or interesting than just listing a bunch of reasons why you want to go to college. Admissions officers are often looking for students who can engage their audience, and the more interesting your essay is, the more an admissions officer will want to read it. Get too much help.There is a fine line between asking someone you trust to review your essay and getting too much help. When your mom, dad, teacher or tutor starts giving you words to use or edits too much, your voice disappears. Now that you have decided on the story that you want to tell, the next logical step would be to write it. You need to create an outline that you will use when writing your essay.