IQx.com - Colleges and Universities Information Online

Application Essays

When a student is writing his/her application essay, there are several aspects to do and not to do.

Don’t “Thesaurus-ize” Your Essay. Do Use Your Own Voice.
Admission officers can easily tell Roget from a high school senior. Big words, especially when misused, detract from the essay, inappropriately drawing the reader’s attention and making the essay sound contrived.

Don’t Bore the Reader. Do Use Interesting Language.
Admission officers have to read hundreds of essays, and they often skim. They aren’t looking for a new way to view the world; they’re looking for a new way to view the applicant. The best way to grip the reader is to begin the essay with a captivating snapshot.

Do Use Personal Detail. Show, Don’t Tell.
Good essays are concrete and grounded in personal detail. They do not merely assert “I learned my lesson” or that “these lessons are useful both on and off the field.” They show it through personal detail.

Sunday, March 1st, 2009, by Gem and is filed under "Undergraduate, admissions, application, college, detail, do, do not, essay, language, personal, reader, universities, voice ". Both comments and pings are currently closed.