Demystifying The College Admission Essay Genre

Demystifying The College Admission Essay Genre It is simply not worth all the time and effort to submit an essay without being completely confident that it is free of error. Much like applying to a job and handing over a resume with a typo on it, spelling and grammatical errors send the message that the student either lacks attention to detail or rushed the essay. Strong writers can be just as guilty if not even more guilty of skipping the brainstorming process when writing but this step cannot be ignored. Brainstorming actually saves time in the long run, students can get their ideas together on a scrap sheet of paper and then begin to figure out what applies and what does not to the essay. A great way to start the brainstorming process is to write down exactly what comes to mind when considering the topic, even if it is just words or phrases. The standard advice points to the admission essay being an opportunity to tell a story that differentiatesâ€"or separatesâ€"you from the thousands of other students applying to college. Inevitably, many students mistakenly think this advice means their essay topic must either be unusual or uniqueâ€"or perhaps both. The challenge in trying to captivate readers with a once-in-a-lifetime story is not to be overstated. What makes a college admission essay stand out to these humanists in admission offices? Over the years, I’ve read dozens of articles and listened to numerous colleagues impart advice on how to craft the perfect essay, and what I’ve seen and heard is just the tip of the iceberg. Now that doesn’t mean our students can’t submit fragments. It doesn’t mean our students can’t start sentences with “and” or “but.” We love it when our students write in a colloquial tone. We strongly suggest you not listen to this particular advice of Mark Sklarow, a man who has openly defied the very bylaws of the organization he leads. If you were to Google, “How to write a good college admission essay,” you will get an astounding 17 million hits. It’d take you nearly half a century (500 years!) to sift through all the information, assuming you read about 100 articles a day…leaving you no time to actually write the essay in question. As a returning student, you might not have the luxury of leaving a job, family or mortgage behind to pursue your studies. In your essays, you can write about how the program is perfect because you can continue in your career. If you are moving with a family, help the admissions officers see that your partner/children are supportive and enthusiastic about the opportunity. When writing your essays, emphasize that you have the organizational skills and dedication needed to excel in college. Most of all, let the admissions officers know that you, as an adult, have confidence that you have chosen the right path and are fully committed to completing your degree program. In these times of cut-throat competition just good grades are not enough to get you into a valuable program in a prestigious college. What many undergrad school aspirants tend to ignore is the college admission essay component which could actually mean make-or-break situation as far as admissions to HBCU institutions go. So instead of getting all paranoid, let us write your essay. These tips are the results of our experience of writing numerous college essays. Most students can agree that the college admission essay is one of the more stressful aspects of the college application process. But if you’re looking for someone to tell you that your essay is great as is and those six spelling errors are perfectly fine, well, you’ve come to the wrong place. We’d be mortified if a student of ours submitted essays with grammatical errors to college. Well, for starters, who uses paper and pen these days? Secondly, it is preposterous to suggest that an independent college counselor should not address (and fix!) poor grammar or word choice. If a student makes a grammatical error, you bet we’re going to fix it. If you did not work hard enough on your essay, the chances are there may be a couple of letters of rejection waiting for you in your mailbox. You shouldn’t want to attend a college that would admit you for your value as a roommate. In other words, the essay section of the application virtually invites all sorts of covert assistance, and sometimes outright cheating. High school grades and test scores can be boosted by expensive tutors, but they ultimately reflect the students’ own effort. Our writers are professionals and they know what the college admission committee is looking for in the candidates. One of the most common mistakes on college application essays is students trying to fit in too many key messages into a short essay. Colleges understand that students are busy and apply to multiple colleges but some schools will have a zero tolerance policy and deny admittance due to a mistake. This handout provides examples of college application essays and shows what admissions officers are looking for in an applicant. A common mistake that students make when tackling their college essays is to pick the wrong topics. It's a huge turn off, for instance, when applicants write about their sports exploits or their pets. For students who are applying for college, one of the scariest parts of the admission process is writing the dreaded essay. Despite the amount of advice out there, much of it is the same.