Once you've made the decision to continue your education after high school, there's still a lot of work to be done to make sure that you choose the right college for you. Whether you go with a traditional university, community or online college, the first thing you need to do is craft your application essay. This is your chance to set yourself apart from the throngs of other students who want to be accepted too. You'll want the admissions board to see you as a serious candidate who is willing to work hard and succeed with their help. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Focus on yourself more than your accomplishments. Although you do want to communicate your various activities and memberships during your school years, it's important to remember to give an idea of who you are as a person. For example, why did you opt to participate in band rather than sports?
2. Give lots of details. Being vague, as in, 'I'd like to be a doctor,' doesn't let the admissions committee know much about why you've chosen their college. Discuss the kind of experience you hope to achieve while learning with them and go into some of your hopes and dreams for how you'll take the education you earn from them and apply it to your future. Avoid clichs such as 'I'm a people person' at all costs and be specific wherever possible.
3. Don't let your essay turn into a resume. Your transcripts and high school accomplishments will appear elsewhere in the application, so do your best to focus on other areas about yourself in your essay. You can reference your resume and comment that all it entails has helped you evolve into the young adult that you have become and helped to prepare you to meet challenges in your future, but don't simply list your resume details. The fact that you played volleyball, for instance, taught you about teamwork and how to come back from the loser's bracket to win a championship.
4. If you find that you still don't have enough to talk about, draw from other areas to demonstrate the way that you feel about life. For example, was there a situation in your past in which you took a risk and learned something valuable in the process? Was there a defining moment during summer camp in which you overcame a fear? You get the idea.
No matter how you decide to go about writing your essay, enjoy this time of discovery as you introduce yourself to your potential college or university.
1. Focus on yourself more than your accomplishments. Although you do want to communicate your various activities and memberships during your school years, it's important to remember to give an idea of who you are as a person. For example, why did you opt to participate in band rather than sports?
2. Give lots of details. Being vague, as in, 'I'd like to be a doctor,' doesn't let the admissions committee know much about why you've chosen their college. Discuss the kind of experience you hope to achieve while learning with them and go into some of your hopes and dreams for how you'll take the education you earn from them and apply it to your future. Avoid clichs such as 'I'm a people person' at all costs and be specific wherever possible.
3. Don't let your essay turn into a resume. Your transcripts and high school accomplishments will appear elsewhere in the application, so do your best to focus on other areas about yourself in your essay. You can reference your resume and comment that all it entails has helped you evolve into the young adult that you have become and helped to prepare you to meet challenges in your future, but don't simply list your resume details. The fact that you played volleyball, for instance, taught you about teamwork and how to come back from the loser's bracket to win a championship.
4. If you find that you still don't have enough to talk about, draw from other areas to demonstrate the way that you feel about life. For example, was there a situation in your past in which you took a risk and learned something valuable in the process? Was there a defining moment during summer camp in which you overcame a fear? You get the idea.
No matter how you decide to go about writing your essay, enjoy this time of discovery as you introduce yourself to your potential college or university.
About the Author:
Julie Clark Robinson is a staff writer for the American Educational Guidance Center. She covers topics which include online degree programs, scholarships for adult students, college, financial aid, and internships for college students.
0 comments:
Post a Comment