College Admissions

College Admissions Unfortunately, as with most aspects of the admissions process, a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. There is no “best” or “right” essay topic that will automatically make your essay or application a success. Most students will ask their guidance counselor or college coach this exact question at some point. 2018 survey of admissions professionals by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, essays were the third most important part of the admissions process after SAT/ACT scores and transcripts. Remember, admissions officers want to see that you have done serious homework on their institution indicative of students who, if admitted, is likely to actually enroll (the whole “demonstrated interest” thing). The best recipe for creating something unoriginal is beginning from a place of fear. The last thing you want to do is tell the University of Florida that you’ve always been a huge Seminoles fan. This video explains what not to include in your college admissions essay. Your computer’s spell check option may not catch every little mistake you make so you should plan to read back through your essay a few times on your own and have as many other people go over it as you can. Be sure to address the question, especially if it is a two-part question â€" admission essays are just as much about showing who you are as they are about proving your writing skills. This video explains the importance of your college admissions essay. Once you have completed your application essay, be sure to find a couple of people you trust to look over your work before you submit it. For your first draft, it is OK to go over the word count a bit and then trim your essay down as you revise. This will allow you to explore different approaches to the essay and see what works best for you. of the colleges that you are applying to with the Common App or Coalition Application. It’s easy to play it super-safe and get sucked-into the clichés and tropes of the “Why Us? In the end you may produce a competent essay, but at a school with a single-digit admit rate, just about everyone will have produced something competent. To gain an admissions edge, you need to transcend competent blandness. If, due to a time crunch, you end up playing a degree of college application Mad Libs, at least make sure you play it flawlessly. I haven’t done anything remarkable or experienced any significant challenge.” This is totally OK. Admissions officers report that an effective essay should discuss things that happen in your everyday life. That means everything you need to write a successful essay is in your head already. There should not be any college-specific information in your essayâ€"you can save that for supplemental essays. Now, you may say, “I haven’t lived an extraordinary life! Every word matters, so make sure everything in your essay is serving a purpose. As you edit and revise, focus on making your story tighter and more concise by eliminating unnecessary words and sentences. You might encounter supplemental essay prompts that allow only 100 to 150 words. These essays can be tricky, because you don’t have a lot of space to respond. Our suggestion is to start with a brief story of just a sentence or 2 to hook the reader. Then, respond to the question as succinctly as possible. I don’t recommend a friend who is afraid to correct your mistakes, or a parent, if you can help it. A teacher or family friend would be a great choice. Since you already know how it’s supposed to read, and you’re accustomed to reading it, it’s often easier for another person to catch your mistakes. You should also try reading the essay aloud to yourself. Don’t feel obligated to max out your word count just because the Common App allows you to write up to 650 words.