Even if your grades are not good enough, you can still enroll at Harvard, and TOEFL and GMAT scores that aren’t the best can lead you to Stanford. This happens often. It’s all about a well-written essay that shows your ambition and reveals your talent. This article explains how to write an impressive admission essay.
According to the Ivy League admission committee, the essay is the most memorable part of all admission documents. It shows the applicant as a person. Many have the same grades and test scores, but the essay helps you stand out from the crowd. It should demonstrate how you present yourself, express thoughts, and communicate with other people through writing.
Don’t confuse an essay with a motivation letter or a personal statement. They are almost always required, with usually one document to choose from. However, top universities like Harvard or Yale ask to write another creative essay upon admission. In this way, the admission committee checks whether you have creative abilities and your compatibility with the university.
Leadership is important to Harvard because they train leaders. And if you want to enroll at Columbia University, you need to be interested in world problems and have an informed opinion on any issue.
An important difference between types of essays is the word limit. Each institution sets the size of the essay itself. Sometimes you need to fit your thoughts into just 150 words, which is one paragraph. This means that all answers should be clear and sensible, but at the same time not curt.
What to write about in an essay
Universities post essay topics on their websites in the admission section. Questions depend on how you submit documents: directly to the university or through the Common Application and Coalition Application platforms. If, after looking at the topics, you see that you cannot write an essay on any of them, then it is better to ask for help. On sites like WriteMyEssayOnline, you can order an essay on any topic and use it as a sample when writing your paper. To learn more about this service, check out a WriteMyEssayOnline review. Such reviews help to see all the pros and cons of the service. In this way, you will get answers to your questions about the site.
Top universities, in addition to essays, require a short answer to several supplement questions. A list of them is also indicated on the university website. This is no longer an essay, but a question-answer format. Be prepared to write one large 200-300 word essay and answer 3-10 questions in writing.
Frequently asked questions for essays
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Tell about your most important achievement.
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Which course, person, project, or book affects you? How?
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Describe your plans for the future.
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Describe what course you would like to take and how it would help you in the future.
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Based on your life experiences and the experiences of your family, what would you like to tell about yourself?
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Describe a difficult situation you went through.
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Where did leadership skills come in handy?
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What additional information would you like to provide about yourself?
The more prestigious the university, the more complex the topics will be. Check out the Yale or Stanford websites and see for yourself. There are some toughies among the essay topics for the 2020-2021 school year!
Tips for writing admission essays
First of all, evaluate the list of essay topics offered by the university. Read them and listen to your feelings. Which of the questions caught your attention? Which topic do you already have thoughts about? If nothing comes to mind right away, give your thoughts time. Do not rush – instead, reflect on the questions for a couple of days. You don’t write an essay at the last moment, do you?
You shouldn’t start writing on the last day. The list of topics appears in advance, so start working on your essay at least a couple of months before the application deadline.
It happens that many applicants write about the same thing. You need to stand out. Your admission essay should be unique and not about standard topics like travel, parents, and sports. Below, we’ve compiled tips and tricks to help you write a memorable essay.
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Do not repeat the question in the answer.
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Don’t use long, complicated words. At best, you will look pretentious, and at worst, ignorant. “How to write concisely” sounds much nicer than “how to circumvent the superfluous use of language.”
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Be honest. An answer that shows your real personality will be much more pleasant to the commission than being appropriate or politically correct. However, if your list of hobbies includes sacrifices on the weekends, it’s best not to be completely honest.
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Be yourself. Don’t think about what the admission committee want to see. Select those topics that matter to you. Present your ideas and share interesting experiences.
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Describe your personal growth. When you write about a life event or hobby, tell what you learned afterward. This will show the admission committee that you are capable of growth and have adequate self-esteem.
To sum up
Keep in mind that a great essay should show your personality; you must demonstrate the ability to give yourself an adequate ssessment. Whatever topic have, you should remember your audience (the admission committee) as well as your goal, which is to pass the application process successfully. Good luck!
