Essay Writing Tips

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julia0345

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Mar 27, 2010
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Many applicants dread those college essays. But hold comfort in the knowledge that these essays truly allow the admissions committee to get a true, inside look into who you are – you are not just a number or statistic, as your grades and resume might suggest. That being said, it’s coming down to the wire for those who are applying to the UC schools, and being in a season of important essay writing myself, here are some tips when you’ve got writer’s block or are just looking for an extra oomph to your essays.

Be Yourself

Don’t write what you think the admissions committee wants to hear or what everyone else is writing about. Admissions hears enough about “I want to get into this college because it’s a top ranked college blah blah blah” and “College X has been my dream school blah blah blah.” You obviously want to get into a college if you’re applying for it! Write about something that isn’t represented in the rest of your application.

Creativity counts

Most of the college essay prompts are creative themselves, and admissions committees are looking for the unique answer that thinks outside of the box. (this kind of goes along with being yourself)

Don’t be afraid to just write

Writer’s block? Just start writing and maybe something will come out of it – also, don’t be afraid to come back to revise and rewrite. One of my college English professors gave us an interesting quote, that probably came from someone famous – “Pick your favorite and best sentence in your paper. Now discard it and rewrite it.” The key to revising is being flexible and willing to spend the extra time.

Copy and Paste…or not

yes, most colleges have the same or almost the same essays. And it’s okay for you to just copy one of your essays and use it for another school (when you apply to 20+ colleges like I did, the copy and paste button is the greatest invention ever)but make sure you’ve taken out all the “Dear College X” and specific addresses to specific colleges. You don’t want to be saying “I really want to get into University Awesome” when you’re writing to Cool University. This actually happens (heard it from an Ivy League admissions essay reader) and is a surefire way to NOT get into that school.

CHECK your Grammar

Nothing annoys someone more than reading an essay with misspellings or grammar errors! Make sure you double check for these things at the end (and while you’re writing) your papers. It’s also helpful if you get someone else to proofread for you too – two pairs of eyes are better than one!

Learn more about Essay Guidelines.Essay Writing Guidelines
 
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