Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Your Application Essay
The Application Essay Do’s:
- Unite your essay and give it direction with a theme or thesis. The thesis is the main point you want to communicate.
- Before you begin writing, choose what you want to discuss and the order in which you want to discuss it.
- Use concrete examples from your life experience to support your thesis and distinguish yourself from other applicants.
- te about what interests you, excites you. That’s what the admissions staff wants to read.
- Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead — an anecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of a scene.
- End your essay with a conclusion that refers back to the lead and restates your thesis.
- Revise your essay at least three times.
- In addition to your editing, ask someone else to critique your essay for you.
- Proofread your essay by reading it out loud or recording it and playing it back.
- Write clearly, succinctly.
The Application Essay Don’ts:
- Don’t include information that doesn’t support your thesis.
- Don’t start your essay with “I was born in…,” or “My parents came from…”
- Don’t write an autobiography, itinerary, or resume in prose.
- Don’t try to be a clown (but gentle humor is OK).
- Don’t be afraid to start over if the essay just isn’t working or doesn’t answer the essay question.
- Don’t try to impress your reader with your vocabulary.
- Don’t rely exclusively on your computer to check your spelling and grammar.
- Don’t provide a collection of generic statements and platitudes.
- Don’t give mealy-mouthed, weak excuses for your GPA or test scores.
- Don’t make things up.
But wait. What if you are still not sure how to develop a unifying theme? Or perhaps you don’t know which experiences to focus on, or simply lack confidence in your writing skills, or have suddenly developed an acute case of blank-screen-it-is? Remember, you can have one-on-one, personalized assistance every step of the way. Accepted’s services will give you the guidance and direction necessary to draft a compelling story and the comprehensive editing needed to perfect it.
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