US colleges and universities often utilize three factors to choose which applicants to admit and which to reject during the admissions process:
1. Prior coursework – your college preparation works as well as your grade point average (GPA)
2. Scores on standardized tests — the SAT and ACT are the most well-known.
3. Admission/Entrance essays
Out of the three criteria, the college entrance essay gives you the most chance to set yourself apart from the competitors and show off the person behind the numbers. This article will assist you in writing a college essay and increasing your chances of acceptance to a US university or college.
Section 1: Making a Plan for Your Essay
Tip #1: Be aware of the psychology of the admissions committee.
When you’ve completed all of the parts of your application and delivered it to the institution or university of your dreams, your hard work is tossed into a pile with hundreds of others. The application will next be reviewed by a select panel of admissions professionals, who will go over the grades and courses as well as read the college application essays.
Understanding what admissions officials are searching for is crucial to persuading them. They are looking for students who will:
- succeed once admitted;
- contribute to other students’ educational experiences; and
- bring respect and prestige to the university after they graduate.
You want to depict yourself as a student who will satisfy those requirements in your college applications essay. Of course, the specifics of what constitutes “success” or “bring honor” may vary by university, but all admissions officials share these three objectives.
Take a few minutes before writing your college applications essay to jot down some answers to the following questions:
- How can I persuade the admissions committee that I would be successful at their institution?
- How will I demonstrate that I am driven and ambitious and that I will not fail or drop out?
- What can I do to make a good difference in other students’ educational experiences?
- How can I help the university gain respect and prestige?
- What do I want to achieve in the long run? Is it possible that I will win an award, establish a business, or enhance a scientific procedure in the future?
Tip #2: Establish Your Essay Objectives
In addition to the three questions above, think about how you want the admissions officers to see you. What should people think of your personality and hobbies after reading your college applications essay?
Most students want to be seen as responsible, trustworthy, and intellectually motivated by the college admissions committee. These are good essay objectives, but you should also think about how the essay will affect your classwork. You may wish to highlight another aspect of your personality if your classwork already demonstrates that you are studious and determined (since you have taken a broad array of advanced subjects).
Writing the college applications essay allows you to highlight other parts of your life that are not represented in your pre-college education, in addition to building a character picture. Some things to think about:
- Have I worked in a career that was fascinating or important to me?
- Do I have any clubs or organizations that I am a member of?
- Have I shown leadership or worked well with others?
- Have I shown compassion or a sense of communal responsibility?
Tip #3: Set Yourself Apart From Other Applicants
This bit of strategic thinking ought to be simple. As an international student, you are set apart from the vast majority of Americans who apply to American colleges. However, merely stating, “Well, I’m not from around here,” is insufficient. Instead, you should focus on the positive aspects of your own culture. You don’t need to go into great detail; a phrase or two should do to get the admissions board’s attention.
- Remember that you are a whole person with a lifetime of experiences, not merely an overseas student with an intriguing background check.
- Take some time to consider what else distinguishes you from the hundreds of other kids submitting college application essays.
- Add those qualities to your expanding list of essay objectives (plays piano, is a great football player, speaks five languages).
Tip #4: Contribute to the University
Going through college applications essays, keep in mind that one of the admissions board’s aims is to discover individuals who will enrich the educational experience of other students. To put it another way, how can you help other kids learn? As with advice #3, being an international student gives you an advantage.
One of the main aims of education is to widen people’s experiences to become aware of their intellectual limitations and subsequently grow beyond them. As an international student, you provide other students with the opportunity to learn about different cultures. As with Tip #3, assuming the college admissions board will recognize this benefit is not enough? It should be highlighted in your writing. Once again, a phrase or two should suffice to achieve this aim.
Keep in mind that you are much more than an international student. You can contribute so much more to the social and learning environment on campus than just your home culture. Take a few seconds to think about what more you could bring to the table.
- Maybe you’ll join a student organization or athletic team because you excel at study groups or other forms of collaborative work.
- Perhaps you’ll contribute to a student newsletter or blog.
- Add whatever you believe you can contribute to your essay goals.
Tip #5: Recognize and Respond to the Essay Prompt
You’ve come up with more ideas than you can cram into one essay at this time. Now you must narrow down your objectives to only three or four – the ones that will make you the most appealing to the college admissions committee. Regardless of the prompt, you must incorporate those three or four concepts in your college admissions essay.
- The aim is to convey a few key concepts rather than a haphazard list of all your thoughts. A well-focused essay will be far more successful than one that is broad and unclear.
- Reading and responding to the prompt may seem self-evident, yet the obvious is often overlooked.
- Take your time to read and reread the essay prompt so that you can respond thoroughly. Don’t be scared; unlike other college tests, the college application essay prompt isn’t intended to mislead you.
- You must, however, show that you can read and follow instructions. Consider that massive stack of apps. Admissions staff are on the lookout for a cause to reject applicants.
- Don’t risk being rejected because you skimmed over a line in the essay prompt.
Section 2: Writing Your Essay
You’ve analyzed the aims and psychology of the college admissions board at this point in the college applications Essay Help process. You’ve compiled a list of ideas/qualities/details about yourself that universities would like. You’ve whittled down your list to the three or four most crucial concepts – the ones that will help you get into your top institution or university. It’s now time to start writing the essay.
Tip #6: Include specific details in your writing
Writing in precise detail is the key to outstanding and memorable writing. The more precise your essay is, the greater impact it will have on the admissions committee. If you want to demonstrate that you are a committed student, don’t say something like, “I never missed an assignment due, no matter how sick I was the night before.” Instead, you write, “I got down with a horrible attack of pneumonia in my junior year.” I finished my draught speech on the probable consequences of global warming on agriculture while having a 103-degree fever and being forced to stay in bed.” Individuals vote for people they remember. Therefore, the latter will create a bigger impact.
As you write your essay, consider the following questions:
- Is there a specific example or example that demonstrates this?
- Can I make it more engaging by adding visuals (colors, shapes)?
- Can I substitute generic nouns like “class” or “vehicle” with more particular terms like “Honors Geometry” or “Honda Civic”?
“I don’t want to brag about my personality; I prefer to let my record speak for itself,” you may be thinking. While you should avoid coming across as arrogant, the college application essay is not the place to be modest. The admissions authorities expect you to extol your virtues and personality traits so that they can make a quick and accurate assessment of you.
Tip #7: Demonstrate College-Level Diction
Diction (word choice) is the fundamental structure of writing. Your word choice reveals a great deal about your personality, education, and intellect. Furthermore, as an international student, you want to reassure the college admissions board that you have an excellent command of the English language (remember: they want you to succeed; they need to know that you can actively participate in English-only instruction).
With this in mind, you should replace lower-level words (bad, sad, thing, nice, chance) with higher-level words (appalling, despondent, phenomena, comforting, and opportunity). You might consider looking up SAT/ACT vocabulary words and working a handful of those into your essay.
You should also remove any slang or casual diction; the university is not interested in casual language in admissions essays.
This is especially important if you are applying for a course centeredon writing, such as journalism. You need to show your skills from the outset and in this essay, and the reason why is simple.When looking into courses such as this digital journalism degree, you will find that many go beyond teaching you writing skills and editing. Therefore, those running the course will expect you to already have a particular skill level. If you can demonstrate this in your essay or application, you have a better chance of getting onto the course you want.
Tip #8: Demonstrate College-level Style
American proverb states, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In other words, you want to present yourself as being ready for the next job. In this instance, you want to show that you already have college-level writing skills.
So, in writing your college application essays, you should write with the following features in mind:
- Write primarily in complex sentences, rather than simple or compound sentences;
- Include figurative language such as a metaphor, a simile, personification; and
- Include a trope or scheme, such as chiasmus, oxymoron, or anaphora.
This serves two functions:
1) it distinguishes your essay from those that are poorly written; and
2) it reassures the admissions board of your excellent command of written English.
Tip #9: Have Someone Proofread Your Essay
This is one of the most important tips on this list. Everyone who writes knows that the words in your head don’t always make it onto the page the way they should. Because you know what it should say, it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking the essay says something that it doesn’t. For this reason, you should ask a friend or a relative (or an English teacher) to look over your essay and check your:
- Grammar: did you write in complete sentences? Do all your subjects and verbs agree?
- Diction: are all the words used properly for an American audience?
- Organization: have you grouped sentences coherently?
Tip #10: Pay Attention to Deadlines
College admissions essays require a tremendous amount of work. As you work and rework the essay, pay attention to the admission deadlines and requirements. Every school has its system for how and when to file your application. Do not assume that, because one school uses e-mails and PDF editor, another school does as well.
The best way to stay organized through the college admissions process (and at the university when courses begin) is to maintain a calendar that includes: rigorously
- Final deadlines
- Reminders of upcoming deadlines
- Process deadlines (breaking larger tasks into smaller steps)
Why Do Students Require Essay Help Services?
They not only get to present their papers on time, but they also get to practice writing essays. Students also have more time to participate in and attend their other school activities. Custom essay writing services also offer an online staff of essay writers. They advise and assist students if they are having issues with their papers. As a result, students require assistance in composing their essays.
Scarcity of time
Many students cannot manage their time effectively. Some students may want to have fun while in college since they long for that collegiate independence. Others may wish to learn more about their schools and therefore begin investigating. However, some students are frequently swamped with projects that require quick attention.
- As a result, they are unable to complete their papers.
- As a result, people seek assistance from writing businesses that can help them meet their deadlines.
- Professional essay writers are employed by writing businesses. They ensure that you submit your essay on time and that it is distinct and original.
Personal Problems
Some students are distracted from their academics by family problems, such as grief. They struggle to focus or concentrate in class, and as a result, they fall behind.
- They are frequently lonely and crave companionship. Such students become engrossed in profound ideas, which is detrimental to their health because they are prone to depression.
- These students are unable to complete an essay in the time allotted by their teachers or professors. This is due to the fact that they require a lot of alone time.
Extra-curricular activities:
Some students participate in extracurricular activities such as sports at school. Participating in extracurricular activities at school is not a bad idea. It aids your concentration in class. Furthermore, ‘Work without pleasure makes Jack a dull lad,’ as the adage goes. Due to continuing sporting events, such students may not have enough time to complete their assignments.
Ignoring the importance of deadlines
It is quite easy to overlook deadlines while in college. This is because you may be involved in various school activities and so neglect to write your paper. Furthermore, you may believe that the given deadline is too far away, so you choose to keep yourself occupied with other activities. You may often put off your assignment or project till a later date to realize that it needs a significant amount of effort. You won’t be able to finish it in the time allotted; therefore, you’ll need help from a writing service.
Trying to keep up with the rest of the group.
For many college students, essay writing appears to be a difficult chore. While some students excel at essay writing in a short amount of time, others struggle greatly. This is because they are attempting to concentrate on other things while also learning how to write papers. As a result, these children work hard to catch up with their peers, which is difficult. As a result, they hire essay writers. They assist students in learning how to write essays, establish a strategy, and write plagiarism-free papers, among other things.
Choosing a specific module to focus on
Many students find it simple to complete their tasks because they use a consistent strategy. As a result, they find it difficult to tackle a new project in a novel way. They ask someone else to write for them if they have to write about an essay topic they don’t comprehend. You may use the services of custom writing firms rather than creating your paper since you are afraid of failing. Writing services employ qualified writers that can handle any essay, regardless of the subject. As a result, use a professional writing business to receive high-quality work.
Professional commitments
Some students have difficulty completing their tasks. This is because they are attempting to determine which task should be completed first before the other. Other students work part-time jobs to supplement their income. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but it obstructs their duties and projects. They struggle to complete things on time because they all have deadlines to meet. If you find yourself in this scenario, consider using a writing service. It will allow you to finish several of your duties while still giving you time to work on others.
Finally, essay writing services benefit students in a variety of ways. Students can meet deadlines while also submitting high-quality work. They also assist them in finding time to participate in and attend other events. When you need assistance writing an essay as a college student, turn to a writing service. Some of the reasons why you need the assistance of writing service are listed above.