Four Rules for Writing College Admissions Essays
Although completion of a challenging curriculum, high school grade point average, and ACT or SAT scores are most important to admissions committees, the quality of a student's essay may carry fairly substantial weight in determing whether he/she is offered or denied admission. And, as a general rule, the more selective the college, the more important the essay.
In fact, some colleges use essays merely to ensure that applicants can write acceptably. The Harvard's, Yale's, and Princeton's of the world may view essays with far more discerning eyes.
Almost never will an essay, however good, compensate for sub par academic achievement. And, offering excuses for mediocre academic performance is seldom a good idea. As a professor with whom I served on an admissions committee used to say, "Everyone's grandmother dies". Promising to earn a 4.0 GPA, score touchdowns, or become a wealthy and generous alumnus will not help either.
Think of the essays as a great opportunity...a great opportunity not to be wasted. Make the most of it by:
1. Expressing yourself to the best of your ability. Write, rewrite and edit until you are fully satisfied with the result. Then, ask someone who writes well to critique your work and make a final revision.
2. Offering honest insight about yourself. Do not be afraid to be self-effacing...admissions committees often find it very refreshing.
3. Telling the committee anything you want them to know which is not included elsewhere in your admissions file.
4. Being certain to avoid sounding like one of the transparent beauty queens who thinks she'll help her case by talking about God, her parents, her patriotism, and her commitment to world peace.
A great essay will seldom offset mediocre academic performance. But, a poor essay can sink an otherwise fairly attractive candidate. In other words, follow the suggestions above, remember for whom you're writing, and don't take any big chances.
Daniel Kane is an educator who has served on several admissions committees. His websites, designed for traditional students and working adults, deal with topics like online colleges, and online degrees.
Rating: Not yet rated
Comments
No comments posted yet.
Add Comment
You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
