The Trick To Writing Admission Essays

The Trick To Writing Admission Essays Don’t just relay the facts, but pretend you are sitting in a coffee shop talking to a friend. Don’t repeat what is found elsewhere in your application, unless you’re adding pertinent information to round it out. There is not a time I play my clarinet or guitar, step up to a microphone to sing, or take a bow after a performance that I do not wonder what my donor would think of me. I am still searching for a connection to him through performing and music. I am thankful his personal essay swayed my mother to choose him as my donor, and that his writing compelled me to discover and pursue all of my passions in the classroom and on the stage. When I was in second grade, I read the essay for the first time and learned the donor was a professional musician and an accomplished guitar player. This knowledge was the catalyst for me to begin exploring my own musical abilities. A particularly critical “do” is to make sure that your essay stays on point. Applicants will sometimes digress, then fall in love with their digression and not be willing to cut it. Five hundred or less words isn’t much, so be sure that the essay remains focused on fully answering all aspects of the prompt, as they are asked. One “don’t” that I think is particularly important is to resist the urge to sell yourself. Essays that state, “No one could possibly be better qualified for your program than me,” or some variation of that, risk a backlash from Admissions Directors. During middle school and high school, my enthusiasm for music and performing accelerated in tandem with my talent. In addition to pursuing instrumental music, I began singing in theatre and in an a cappella group. Eerily similar to the college application process, there were many qualified donor applicants. Choosing one donor from the pool of applicants was an insurmountable task for my mom until she realized there was an essay buried in the back of each profile. Remember, also, to accent the positive rather than the negative side of an experience. If you write about the effect of a death, divorce, or illness on your life, tell about but don't dwell on your bad luck and disappointments. There are some things that teens can do to make the writing process easier, and there are even ways that parents can help. And there are also some important things that students need to know about essay topics. So, here are some tips for both of you as they get started. College admission essays can both be a fun and stressful part of the admission process at any university. Beware of the chronological list of events that produces dull reading. It is fine to help in the ways I suggested above â€" with brainstorming or breaking down the tasks. But, please, don’t think that you can write an essay that will sound like your teen. I assure you that every admissions department in the country can detect when an essay is written by a parent. That moment can serve as an entry that catches the reader’s attention and allows the student to reveal more about themselves in the remainder of the essay. Do understand the mission of the school and how you will fit in. Do not embellish your essay or have someone else write it for you. Do not go over the word count â€" make it concise and smart. There are many do’s and don’ts regarding the college application essay. Do write in your own style and using your own words. Take the time to make sure your essay is something you’re proud of. Do provide new information that is not on your application. After reading my donor’s essay, she chose him because he spoke so eloquently about his passion for music and the arts. Do tell a story in an interesting and engaging way. I quickly learned to play the clarinet and joined the elementary school band. As soon as I was physically big enough to carry around a mini Fender electric guitar, I begged to take guitar lessons. Perhaps it was subconscious at the time, but while many of my elementary school friends were playing sports with their dads, I was looking for a way to connect to my donor through music.