During the process of university admission, students take a number of consecutive steps: first, they complete an application form and then take all the tests needed to claim their knowledge or to get the credits (in case of changing a university program, for instance). When these all are passed, the final step comes in — impressing the admission of the educational establishment with a convincing application essay. Unlike other activities taken by students while applying to a university program, which focuses on academic knowledge, a college essay allows showing personality and gives a chance to communicate with college administrators directly.
Nevertheless, this type of academic Essay writing still has its own requirements and rules, which need to be followed in order to catch the admission’s attention as they look through your work. Obviously, not everyone is a good writer, and composing such an important essay may make one struggle a lot. However, there is a solution to this problem in a form of an online paper writing service. This is a company, which usually consists of several professional writers specialized in various fields and helps people and businesses with any kind of Essay writing assignment for a reasonable price.
If you have decided to attempt creating a college essay on your own, you have to consider a few key moments, as this type of academic writing slightly differs from others. Although, admission policies differ due to the uniqueness of every single student, and the essay aims to persuade the college that you are exactly the one they need. So, how?
How to Start?
It is vitally important to have a lot of time for creating the college essay, as a student needs to think very carefully about what to include in the paper, and what to avoid. The best time is considered a year before applying, preferably summer when there is no scholarly activity, which would serve as a distraction. The great amount of time allows students to make multiple drafts and consult different tutors before application deadlines. A great move would be looking up essay requirements on the website of chosen college or university — it may specify the key features the admission will be searching for.
Students should also be ready, that some prestigious universities may demand more, than a single sample of an application essay. The additional papers may be needed to explain the student’s interest in that specific school and, sometimes, the benefits both sides could get. Experts say that it is vitally important to properly manage your time to pay enough attention to both writing pieces, rather than focusing on one and then having no time and energy for another.
The Structure
A college essay has no specific length restriction, though students have to keep in mind the fact that the main purpose is to catch and maintain the attention of the person, who reads it. That is why it should not be too long, but also long enough to express the thoughts the author has, which makes it approximately 600-650 words. Additional institutional essays though are much shorter, typically about 250 words.
When knowing the approximate size of the text, a student has to choose the topic, which may seem the most important step, and indeed, it is. As an essay is a short piece of writing itself, there is no need to make it autobiographical. Students should rather focus on some specific skills, experiences, and hobbies that will show the university admission something personal, like values, views, and the overall characteristic of the person applying. This essay does not need to focus on any academic achievements; it has to be a bright and memorable story that will open some new sides of the student never mentioned anywhere else.
Planning the Essay
You have read it right. Experts say that having a good outline of the text is already half of its success. When writing an essay you need to reassure the administration that you will succeed in their school, that your decision was not made on spot, and that you have specific reasons why you have chosen their establishment.
Another important aspect is making sure that you are different from the rest of the applicants. What makes you special? What lifetime experiences and personal traits differentiate you from others? Maybe, you have some specific goals, like learning to play a musical instrument or learn more languages. Mention them!
When dealing with the prompt of an essay, you have to follow the direction it gives you, while not forgetting the ideas you have come up with earlier. Try to make a holistic story, combining every aspect. This is not an easy thing, though you can learn how to do it by practicing.
Writing an Essay
When the plan of the college essay is complete and all the ideas are clear in your head, it is time to proceed to write. Here you can show all the lingual skills you have. Use as many types of complex sentences, as is appropriate, but remember that a wordy text is not always a good one. In addition to that, you need to have a strong hook that will catch admission’s attention. A hook is usually a short sentence, which intrigues the reader and makes him (or her) read more of the text. In addition, an application essay is not a place for being shy. It was created for students to laud themselves by mentioning their most interesting and unique traits and experiences.
You have to be careful with your vocabulary. It says a lot about your education and intelligence, that is why it is a strong lingual tool that should be used. Advanced diction will not only make your essay more aesthetically pleasing but will also boost your intellectual skills. Moreover, this is a kind of academic writing, which is formal and does not allow any trendy slang and casual words.
Proofreading
The last, but by no means the least important step of writing a college essay is checking it. When you think you have done your best work treating the text, quickly look through it to notice some misspellings or punctuation mistakes, which may have been made by accident. Then leave your writing for some time, distract yourself a little, have some rest, and come to it again. Now you have to read it carefully to check and correct any possible grammatical mistakes, which you may have not noticed before. After that, ask somebody to check your essay for you. It can be your schoolteacher, your tutor, or anyone you trust in this question. Moreover, you can even use online grammar check websites that do everything automatically.
Final Words
Writing a college essay is not that easy, and not everyone can succeed in it from the first attempt. Though, with proper preparation and practice, it becomes not that hard for one to create a fine academic writing piece. You just need to be persistent throughout the process of learning how to do it, and then success is guaranteed!
