LET’S GET CONNECTED
SIGN UP FOR THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER AND GET…
You raised your GPA, took all the right extra curricular actvities, and aced the college entrance exams, but you still have one huge hurdle to overcome in the college application process: The dreaded essay. Let’s face it, most students don’t enjoy writing the regular run-of-the-mill papers that fill their high school experience, so you can only imagine the paralyzing fear that comes with composing a personal statement that will decide a major part of their future. However, luckily for you, you can take a deep breath and relax as you read through this guide which will assist you in crafting a college essay that shows colleges who you are, effectively, through the written word.
Before you begin writing your essay, you need to understand what the people who will read the essay are looking for and how you can put those things in writing. At the heart, the admission team is looking to enroll students they feel will do the best to succeed upon admission. So take the time to answer the following questions before you put pen to paper or type a single word. How can you convey to admissions counselors that you will succeed at their college? How will you express you are committed and ambitious enough to not get poor grades or drop out? How can you possibly bring honor and prestige to the school?
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?
Now that you have taken the time to sit and think about how you will answer the questions above and incorporate them into your essay, you are ready to begin writing.
Start Early: The sooner you start, the more time you have to perfect your essay before it’s time to submit it before the deadline.
Focus: Be certain that y you read the essay question carefully and understand what is being asked of you. You don’t want to stray from the required topic. On most applications, you are give more than one topic to choose from, so you should choose the one that feels the easiest to to write about and stick to the main theme throughout the essay.
Write Like You Speak: Now is not the time to pull out the thesaurus and try to impress the admissions panel with your voluminous vocabulary. Use words and phrases that normally flow from in you in your. normal, everyday conversations. Your essay will come across as more authentic and genuine and less pretentious.
Capture their Attention: The admissions panels is going to receive thousands of essays, so you want yours to grab their attention and stand out. That should begin with your first paragraph. It should make them want to read more. To do this, try using an interesting quote, or opening with a question.
Format: Choose the correct margins, select a easy to read font, indent every paragraph, etc. I know that these should be a given, but you would be surprised how often people forget. While you’re at it, check your spelling, grammar, tenses and get rid of any run-on sentences.
The I’s Don’t Have it: It is assumed that the essay is about you and your desire to attend the college, so you don’t have to start every sentence with “I.” Only use it if it’s absolutely necessary. Also, please limit your use of the word “that.” It’s one of the most unnecessary words used in writing.
Don’t Count the Words: The essay rules may say 2500 words or less, but now is not the time to start counting. First, put as much down on paper as you can, in as much detail as you can, while keeping your focus on the topic. Once you have finished, and completed some proper edits, then you can begin to focus on the word count.
Let Your Light Shine: Let your personality come bursting through in every paragraph. By the time the reader reaches the end of your essay, you want him or her to feel like they know something new and interesting about you they had no clue about before they began reading .
Remember, it’s not uncommon to spend days or weeks crafting your college essay. That may sound like a long time and a lot of work, but it is a very important part of the application process that you should take seriously because there is a lot riding on it. Be sure to take your time and to utilize these tips to help you compose the best admissions essay you possibly can.
SAFER AT HOME! SLOW THE SPREAD!
SAFER AT HOME! SLOW THE SPREAD!
SAFER AT HOME! SLOW THE SPREAD!
SAFER AT HOME! SLOW THE SPREAD!
HOME ABOUT OUR STORY SCHOLARSHIP TYPES FEATURED SCHOLARSHIPS SCHOLARSHIP FINDERS FAFSA HELP FINANCIAL AID STUDENT LOANS ESSAY TIPS COLLEGE SEARCH SPONSORSHIP PODCASTS EVENTS OUR TEAM CONTACT
DONATE