12 tips to write an excellent college application essay in a jiffy!
Transcript of 12 tips to write an excellent college application essay in a jiffy!
12 Tips to Write an Excellent College Application Essay
in a Jiffy!
“You may delay, but time will not!” – Benjamin Franklin
With the dark clouds passing overhead, you have just realized how neck deep
you are in trouble. Only a few days are left before application process hits, and
you still have no clue about where to begin. Your stress level has reached its
zenith and the panic alarm isn’t going off. Calm down, take a deep breath. You
will feel a little relieved to know that you are not alone in this holy mess. There
are many like you who have been procrastinating all this while. It’s time to stop
lazing around and start working on the application essay.
To help you get your college application essay done, we have compiled some of
the most effective last-minute tips that will help you overcome the struggling
phase. This blog will hopefully help you to create a masterpiece and get into
your dream college!
1. Adopt the Right Mindset
Before you begin with the actual process of writing, get yourself into the right
mindset. You may be experiencing panic attacks, but you need to push aside
these negative feelings. You need to relish the challenge and adopt a ‘can-do’
attitude. A pep talk can help you in getting motivated to finish the essay in
record time.
2. Switch off your Phone and Avoid Distractions
You are already running late and the last thing that you want is to get distracted
by your phone and social media, which has a habit of feasting on your time
without you even realizing it. You have procrastinated for far too long, now it’s
time to keep yourself away from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and
anything and everything else that may distract you. You can use some browser
apps that block social networks for a limited time frame.
3. Avoid Clichés
When you are brainstorming topics, look at your list of ideas and ask yourself
whether anyone else will write an essay like this. Your essay should be
exclusive, so whenever you opt for a topic, make sure that it can be customized
so that nobody can create a piece like yours. Even the most clichéd topics can
be given a different angle through effective use of details. You can include
details that are unique to your experiences.
4. Address the Prompt Directly
There are many applicants who fail to address the prompt of the essay
correctly. Make sure that you directly address the prompt instead of going
round and round about it. If you have already written the essay and are worried
that it has moved away from the prompt, consider going through other prompts
to see if a different prompt might suit your essay better. You may also consider
rewriting your conclusion; a new conclusion may make your essay suit the
prompt better.
5. Don’t let too much Creativity Spoil your Essay
Creativity is good as long as it doesn’t obscure your thoughts and you don’t lose
clarity. If the application committee fails to comprehend what you are trying to
convey, then no amount of creative storytelling will save your essay from
getting flatly rejected. Think out of the box but not so far out of it that it
becomes invisible. Make someone read your essay to see if it’s comprehensible.
Don’t take help from people you are close with; they know you well and can
read between the lines.
6. You need a Good beginning, Middle and End
The application committee goes through hundreds of application essays
everyday that start with a powerful introduction and go downhill from there. A
good introduction is crucial to an application essay but the middle and end will
have to be equally good. In fact, one of the most important parts of an
application essay is its conclusion because a reader will always remember the
beginning and ending of a thing they have read. After creating the final draft for
you essay, go through it again. Does the conclusion appeal to you as a reader or
is it merely a list of lessons that you have listed down?
7. Your Application Essay is not a Resume
There is a separate section in your application where you get the opportunity to
list down your achievements and awards. An application essay is not the place
where you should brag about them. You need to show the application
committee that you are a three-dimensional human being with an enigmatic
personality and emotional intensity. It’s a plain boaster and conveys nothing to
the committee about who you are as a person. When you proofread your essay,
make sure to eradicate any part that seems like a list of accomplishments. There
are many students who write a good application essay but end it with an
endless list of their accomplishments.
8. Don’t just Rant, make them Feel
Instead of simply spelling out every single thing for the reader, you can share
your story to illustrate the ideas within your essay. For example, instead of
writing sentences like, “I was relieved when the speech ended” you can show
how you felt: “With the speech coming to an end, my heart started resuming its
normal rate and blood rushed back into my frozen hands.” While proofreading,
try to replace some phrases that could be exhibited through story telling. Make
use of such phrases like “I felt” or I remembered” as they indicate that the
experience could be shared in a better way through storytelling.
9. Make use of your Senses
Including imageries in your content can give life to it. To make your story more
alive, you can share details of what you hear, feel, taste or see. For example,
instead of making a flat statement like “The water was cold” you can say “As
soon as my skin hit the freezing water, my senses became numb and I could
literally feel each goose bump form.” Adding such sensory details in your write-
up gives it an extra dimension.
10. Don’t Stretch it Unnecessarily
You need to know where to cut short while writing your application essay.
There are many students who unnecessarily trim their essay just to fit it within
the specified word limit, but chopping off unnecessary phrases and words is
important, no matter what the length of your essay is. A good writers shares
his/her story and feelings succinctly. Making the sentence repetitive sends
negative message to the committee. While proofreading, highlight words and
phrases that are continual. Try rephrasing sentences or paragraphs and express
the same idea in fewer words.
11. Use Sophisticated Words
This does not imply that you will stuff your application essay with SAT words,
but your choice of words should reflect sophistication and an enhanced
vocabulary. You can use some software that provide sophisticated synonyms for
simple words like ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘stuff’ etc. Also make sure that the alternate
words suit the context.
12. Avoid using ‘I’ too Much
An application essay should be written from first person point of view, but that
doesn’t mean you will stuff your essay with only ‘I, me, myself.’ It leaves a
negative impression on the committee and makes you sound a bit narcissist.
While going through your essay, highlight ‘I’ wherever you have used it. If they
seem to be located at close proximity, rephrase those parts of the essay to
reduce the volume of ‘I’.
Phew, now that the essay has been completed, it’s time to treat yourself to
much deserved relaxation. You can hang out with your friends or indulge in your
favorite dessert, spend an entire week sleeping or do whatever else appeals to
you. You deserve to pamper yourself after making it through the fatiguing
process of college application!
How can MyAssignmenthelp.com help you in Writing an Application
Essay or any other Essay?
MyAssignmenthelp.com has emerged as one of the most reliable essay writing
services in UK, USA and Australia because of the premium quality assistance it
offers to students. We hire the most talented academic writers from renowned
universities across the world. We have an in-house team of 3000+ academic
writers, most of whom are PhD holders. They boast an extensive subject
knowledge and prior experience in the field of academic writing. They have
been professionally trained to offer assistance on any topic in more than
hundred subjects. Each essay is composed from scratch, after gathering
information from authentic articles, journals, surveys, interviews and online
resources. Our essay writers follow a standard referencing style while preparing
the essays. They are centered on your preferences and specifications. We
provide unlimited revisions if you essay lacks any aspect or you are not satisfied.
Our writers check each paper three times – after writing, editing and
proofreading, using the most reliable plagiarism checker tool Turnitin.com. You
can avail the plagiarism report from us, on request. We offer money-back
guarantee in case the content of your essay is found to be plagiarized. Being a
reputable essay writing service, we prefer steering clear of scams. We have
secure payments options via online virtual bank PayPal. We will maintain the
privacy of your bank details.
If you have further queries, get in touch with our support team by dialing
+66261003843 or drop us a mail at [email protected]. Our
support team is available 24×7 at your convenience!