How To Write A Killer University Admissions Essay
Introduction
Your college admissions essay is your first impression on a reader, so make it count! Here are some tips for writing a killer university admissions essay.
Talk about something you're passionate about.
When you talk about something you're passionate about, it shows. You can't fake the enthusiasm. If you don't love what you're writing about, it will show in the form of a flat and boring essay. If this sounds like a problem for you, that's okay! We all have things we love--and things we don't love so much. The key is finding that one thing that lights up your life and makes everything else fade into the background; then focus on it until no one else matters but your topic at hand (or pen).
If possible, try to write an essay where nothing else matters except for this one subject at hand--it doesn't matter if there's someone waiting outside or whether or not they'll notice how long it takes them to get their food; all they need is that momentary escape into another world where only this topic exists in its entirety.
Be yourself.
"Be yourself." This is the advice that everyone gives you when it comes to writing an essay, but it's also the most difficult thing to do. After all, how can you be your true self when there are so many expectations about who and what a college student should be?
It's easy for us as humans to try too hard and pretend that we have lived more than we actually have. We want others around us to see us as cool or funny or smart--but this isn't always possible when what we really want is for them not only understand our experiences but also relate their own stories back at us so that we can connect on some level beyond simply sharing similar interests.
Think of your application as a conversation with the university.
The admissions office wants to get to know you. They want to see what makes you tick, what your passions are and how you express them. They want to understand why they should accept someone like you into their school instead of someone else who has similar grades or scores on their standardized tests.
The best way for them (and us) to do this is through your essay(s).
Write about an experience that has been meaningful to you, and why it's important to you.
This is a broad topic, but it's a good place to start. Think of an experience that has been meaningful to you and why it's important to you. What did you learn from the experience? How has it affected your life?
What if I don't have any experiences like this?
If this is true for you, don't worry! Everyone has different things they find interesting and valuable--and there are many different ways to write about them.
Tell a story.
Your university admissions essay is a chance to show the admissions committee who you are. You can do this by telling a story that demonstrates some aspect of your personality, or by sharing an experience that shows how you think, listen and learn.
It's best to choose a topic that is relevant to the essay question (and if it isn't, then maybe reconsider whether this school is right for you). If there's something in particular about yourself that stands out as unique or exceptional then try bringing it up here - but don't make things up!
Don't make the readers guess who you are and what makes you tick.
Don't be afraid to show your personality. In fact, this is the best way to get a reader's attention and make sure that they keep reading. If you're funny, write about something funny that happened in your life--but remember: don't go over the top!
Use humor carefully; it can easily backfire if used incorrectly. Make sure that whatever you write is genuine and comes naturally from within yourself rather than being forced or contrived (which will make it obvious).
Use concrete details to convey the ideas in your essay.
Using concrete details is one of the best ways to make your essay more interesting, memorable and effective. You can do this by describing specific experiences or situations in an engaging way that will help you stand out from other applicants.
Using detailed examples in your essays helps applicants connect with you as a person and understand what makes them unique. It also makes sure that they don't miss any important points because they were bored by general statements instead of specific stories or facts.
For example: "I remember eating pizza with my friends at Pizza Hut" vs "I remember eating pizza with my friends at Pizza Hut while watching Jurassic Park on their big screen TV." The second sentence is more engaging and memorable because it uses concrete details like 'big screen tv' which paint a picture for readers so they can easily imagine what this scene looks like (and probably feel hungry).
Write about something you did (or didn't do) that changed your perspective on something important to you or on life as a whole.
In this section, you can write about something you did (or didn't do) that changed your perspective on something important to you or on life as a whole.
If it's a story about learning something, I'd recommend writing it in chronological order. If there were multiple events that led up to the final outcome of the experience, make sure they're all included in your essay--this will help readers understand how these events shaped who you are today. You may want to start with an introduction paragraph explaining what happened before getting into details about each event along the way!
If it's a story about changing your mind about something big and important like religion or politics, I recommend trying not just one but three ways of telling this story: first person ("I"), second person ("you"), and third person ("he/she"). This will allow us write from different perspectives and give readers multiple perspectives on what happened during this significant time period in our lives!
Your college admissions essay is your first impression on a reader, so make it count!
Your college admissions essay is your first impression on a reader, so make it count!
The best essays are those that are honest, original and memorable. They reflect the true you in whatever way that means to you - whether that's humor or sadness or just being yourself. You want to write about something meaningful to YOU - not what someone else thinks would be interesting (or worse: boring). And don't worry about sounding "too smart" either - nobody wants an essay full of big words or complicated ideas if they can't understand what they mean!
Try using concrete details in your writing: instead of saying "I love my dog," try saying something like "I love how she snuggles into my lap when I'm reading." This helps readers picture exactly what it is about this activity that makes it special for YOU--and helps them relate their own experiences with yours as well!
We hope you found this post helpful, and we wish you the best of luck in writing your college admissions essay! You can also talk to one of our Educators and learn how AdmissionPrep can help you get into your top university in half the time by taking this 3-minute assessment here: https://app.admissionprep.com/program-assessment
