College Admissions

College Admissions Take a look at some of these opening lines from college entrance essays submitted to Stanford University. Creativity is an aspect very much appreciated in writing, but don’t assume that a creative essay is not also an organized one. The type of essay will determine your topic and thesis. Essays for standardized tests are typically either persuasive, in which you will answer a question, or literary, in which you will write about something you read. A short essay can often prove to be more difficult to write than a longer essay. While in longer essays, you have ample space to explain and clarify all your points, in a shorter essay you might feel like you do not have enough space to make a strong argument. I cannot make that claim, but I do believe that most of them are read. In smaller to mid size colleges they are certainly read, at least by two readers, and all Honors College essays are read. Many institutions now ask applicants to sign a statement avowing that the essay submitted is their own work. Warn students not to write about high-minded topics or exotic locales simply to impress the reader. It’s important to draw your reader in from the very first sentence. The key to writing a short essay is including only the most pertinent information necessary to make your point. You don’t want to write an entire essay only to find out you were completely off topic. Each school, professor and student body is different. Admissions officers tell us they read every essay. The number of reviewers reading the essays vary from school to school. Obviously, you don't want to write a bunch of words without meaning, so make sure you write about just one subject at a time. Remember that there are thousands of others students applying to your desired university, and you need to distinguish yourself. Re-read your essay, delete all the sentences that sound like a cliché, and try to find a more original angle. The application essay is your opportunity to impress an admissions officer with your determination and existing knowledge of your chosen subject. Make sure it reflects all of your skills and ambitions, and show how your chosen program will help you achieve future goals. After you’ve read through the instructions a few times and gathered your notes, you can start creating an outline to organize your essay and decide what message you want to send. It is true that the admissions essay writing process is ultimately rewarding. Colleges must adapt their rules and discipline efforts to reflect the current needs of their students. Eliminating cell phones in college classrooms is an overstretch, but there are ways to balance students’ rights and instructors’ rights. With the right amount of control and flexibility, colleges can create a pleasant learning environment with maximum safety and minimal interruptions. You no longer have to worry about what type of essay college will require from you. For standardized tests, students usually have to write a five paragraph essay, which should be 500 to 800 words long and include an introductory paragraph, three supporting paragraphs and a concluding paragraph. When you begin to write your essay for a standardized test, you must first decide what type of essay you are being asked to write. There are many different types of essays, including narrative, expository, argumentative, persuasive, comparative, literary, and so on. Most colleges hire readers during the application season. How many people read each essay varies by institution with two being somewhat standard. Learning how to write an essay is crucial to admissions and scholarship decisions. According to the College Board report Admissions Decision-Making Models, admission officers have expressed concern about how much assistance students receive in preparing an essay.