Freshman Admissions > Essay Prompts

Freshman Admissions > Essay Prompts It won’t be perfect but all of the elements are already in place. Your goal is to make sure that you get all the details of the story in place and that you are following the prompt of the university. Look at the lists you’ve already made and choose one or two topics and boil them down to the bare bones. If you feel that you're overusing a particular word, think of alternatives on your own without consulting a thesaurus; using words that you're familiar with will help you avoid misusing them. This final step will likely take much longer than writing the entire essay. You may have to revise several times before your essay delivers your message perfectly. As you go through your revision keep these basic guidelines in mind. Admission Boards do not have the time for long and winded illustrations and examples. A good topic is essential for the essay, especially if it is to catch the eye of the reader. The same process which was used to select English essay topics can be used to select admission topics as well. Writing an essay requires students to understand what is being asked. This is the point where you will create the opening sentences in your essay. These will be the words that will draw your reader into the story. Your list will serve as your outline, and the expanded story you create will become the first draft. Essays for admission need to be written in the proper manner. You have to use proper words, proper grammar and write in a positive manner. This essay can be written as a persuasive essay although it should be said to keep the persuasion at a minimum. Remember, you won’t have a lot of time to impress your readers so your story must cut to the chase pretty quickly. Think of it like you are creating a preview to a new movie. You want to draw the reader in with the first words you say and keep them there until they finish your paper. Each university has its own set of prompts you should write about. Here is an example of a prompt from the University of California. They also are looking to see how well you interact with other students, your willingness to see others succeed. Your essay should show evidence of how you interact with others. Evidence that you’re not just out there to help yourself but that you are willing to extend assistance to other students who may need it. Admission essays are written for a certain purpose. The purpose is for the Admission Board to have a proper understanding of the personalities, goals and inspirations of the students they select to enrich their student body. They need to know what type of person you are and whether you are suitable for their organization. When we talk about average mistakes in writing papers we face with the same issues as with tips. If you are not following the main advantages you will never create original admission paper. That’s why you need to keep proper essay structure, add unique thoughts, and make personal conclusions. That is why the task number one for students is to impress college professors with unique thoughts. Universities do want to encourage new brains and improve students’ talent and skills. Grades and other attributes are of course, given preference, but a well written essay can tip the scales in your favour regardless of whether the student has low grades. Using words in your essay that you don't typically use in your daily conversations can sound awkward and forced. Words have nuance to them, and simply inserting a word from the thesaurus is a great way to destroy that nuance. Thesaurus abuse is a lazy and easily spotted trick, and seasoned admissions officers will see right through it. This is applicable to any type of essay from argumentative essay to controversial essays. If proper understanding is not had of the requirements, the essay will be worthless.