Along with your test scores and transcripts, some universities and colleges demand a personal statement as a part of your admission program.
Personal statement, which is commonly known as ‘college essay,’ is amongst one of the crucial requirements for attending an institute of higher education.
For the admissions committee, asking students to write an essay is not only a way to measure your writing skills, but also a means of sorting through your personality. In fact, admissions officers use it as an opportunity to see who you are and what sets you apart from other applicants.
This assignment can be the most daunting and dreadful part of applying to a university because students don’t know how to accomplish the process. Many of them start to panic, looking at a blank page and wondering what on earth they should ramble about in this paper.
In this article, we highlight the most powerful techniques to pen an amazing college essay and improve your chance of being accepted in your favorite university.
Follow the Requirements
When filling the application form on the website, you’re likely to see an essay prompt. Prompts are a set of questions that should be answered through your essay. They also include some details about the length of the essay and the recommended topics.
These directions cannot be ignored. Take a minute to think about the questions and see how you can address them. If there is a word count, do not exceed it, and remember that in most cases, shorter essays are more robust. Also, admission professionals are often too busy to read long articles, so your work could end up being ignored.
Avoid Procrastination
Writing a perfect essay takes a lot of time and effort. Brainstorming, writing drafts, editing, and reviewing all need time, and if you postpone the task until the very last days, the result will be nothing but a shameful, low-quality essay that takes you nowhere.
It’s recommended to start your writing process at least two weeks earlier than when your work is due.
Start With a Catchy Paragraph
If the very first sentences, you need to catch the reader’s attention – this way, he or she will be more likely to read on. Start with a famous quote, an interesting question, or a personal experience that indicates your strengths.
You can also show your character with a true mini-story from your life. Stories are impressive and help you encourage the reader to follow the rest of your paper.
Don’t Be Boring
Making the admissions officer smile can be a winning key to entering the university. However, you should be careful about this point! Sometimes making jokes can be tough, and people who try to be funny can be just a drag. Don’t forget that your essay is going to be read by an adult – someone who works in an academic space and is not comparable to your teenage peers.
Be Authentic
All colleges take honesty as an essential quality. So if they find out that you lied, that may have irreversible consequences for your future.
Do not make up stories or talk about the experiences of others. It’s always easy to bluff about a characteristic you don’t have, but there’s no value in such false claims. Besides, universities want to know about your personality and see an authentic version of you.
Be Specific
Talking about details allows you to stand out from the crowd. Take on a very specific aspect of your life and go deep in your stories. It’ll make the reader feel like, “oh, I’m starting to know this person.”
Being specific can also have an emotional impact on the reader. When you share your deepest thoughts and feelings with a person, he or she will trust you and count on you as a reliable student.
For example, if you’re reflecting on a football game you won in high school, explain how it felt to beat a team for the first time or how desperate you were in the middle of the competition, as you thought you would never win over such a powerful rival.
Write with so many details as if it’s happening right now. Help the reader imagine the situation and put him/herself in your shoes.
Focus on the positive side
Focusing on the good aspects of your life is not the same as telling lies. It’s not about turning a blind eye on your disabilities and deceiving the reader by saying you are a hero. In other words, even if you intend to disclose one of your weaknesses or bad experiences, try to highlight how it made you stronger, or how you managed to overcome that problem.
However, it would help if you weighed the advantages and disadvantages of uncovering a gap in your skills. It’s your choice to decide whether to mention a negative feature or not. Sometimes it conveys a sense of honesty to the reader, and sometimes it harms their decision-making.
Pay attention to the format of writing
This step might seem easy to skip for many, but it is an important consideration. Many students make the mistake by submitting their essays without justifying or organizing the text.
A college essay is an expressive description that reveals many aspects of your personality. Being neat is one of them. Use single space, separate paragraphs, place the text in the middle of the page, and include your name and high school on the first page.
Proofread and edit
The last thing you should do is submit an essay that is brimming with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Read your paper several times to spot any potential mistake and have at least two people review your essay and share their opinions about the writing. This will make you sure there are no other critical issues.
During the editing phase, try to limit passive voice and add more compelling adjectives. Check for grammatically incorrect sentences, and make all needed corrections.
Getting Help
If you feel you don’t have the skills to write an excellent college essay, you might find yourself asking, “is it okay to ask someone to help write my essay?”. You may also say, “I wish someone would write my essay.”
In the face of these situations, it is justifiable to ask for professional help from service providers, like handmadewriting.com. All you need to do is place a “write my essay” request and get your order done in no time.
