People who bought that book for help with their
recommendation letters soon started asking me if I would
review their admission essays and/or personal statements
for them. In some cases, I was asked to write their essays
and/or statements from scratch.

To do that properly, I was obliged to conduct a lot of
research into the entire subject of admission essays.
So, I did a fairly extensive literature search of what
was available on the subject, both online (Internet)
and offline (books).

One thing that really struck me in my research was the number of people that seem to go out of their way to sabotage their
own college admission efforts.

Time, and time again, I read about the first-hand
experiences of Admission Committee members who received
essays and/or personal statements with two or three
strikes against them from the outset due to some glaring
oversight, omission, or risky strategy.

In fact, it’s been hard to believe at times, some of the
things I’ve seen on draft essays that have been submitted
to me. Fortunately I’ve been able to fix most of those
before they went any further. Unfortunately for some
people though, these problems don’t get fixed, and end
up being submitted to an Admissions Committee.

Here’s a list of the seven (7) common mistakes that
reviewers frequently encounter when reading admission
essay personal statements:

1. Eliminate Spelling and Grammar Errors

This is the most commonly cited error. It is not a small
consideration. Admission Committee members generally see
these kinds of sloppy errors as a reflection of the
candidate’s personality and an indication of how they
will likely perform in their studies. It also makes the
reviewer question the seriousness of the candidate,
since they can’t even take the time and trouble to get
such an important document correct.

2. Don’t Forget To Change the Name

This one is surprisingly common. It’s amazing how many
Admission Committee essay reviewers have mentioned this
error. It usually refers to a situation in which a
candidate writes a “generic” essay and then submits it to
a number of different programs. This is not a bad thing
in itself. But then, for whatever reason, they forget to
change the name of the institution or program! So, the
last sentence may read, “It is for these reasons that I
believe that the Yale Business Program is the one for me”.
The only problem being that this was the application to
Columbia! Admission reviewers generally take this as an
insult, and it doesn’t do anything to help the candidate.

3. Make Sure You’re Original Enough

Your essay or personal statement must be specific enough
so that the admissions committee can gain a good
understanding as to who YOU are as a person, and exactly
why YOU want to attend that specific institution and that
particular program. Some candidates fill their essays
with generalities and platitudes that could apply to just
about any person and/or program. This doesn’t help the
Committee, and thus won’t help the candidate. You’ve got
to tell your own unique story in your own unique voice.

4. But, Don’t Be Too Original

There are cases in which people tend to go too far
overboard in announcing their own uniqueness. People have
written poems, told stories, and submitted videos when
there was no such requirement. This is highly risky and
is likely to alienate many reviewers rather than endear
them to you. Generally speaking, an extreme approach like
this will be seen as “grandstanding” or trying to get
attention just for the sake of it. Remember, that hundreds
(or thousands) of other applicants are operating within
the same stated guidelines as you are. The challenge is
to make you stand out as different, but within those
guidelines.

5. Avoid Talking “Through Your Hat”

Some people have a tendency to make sweeping or grandiose
statements that they can’t really back-up. Such statements
as “I’m going to find a cure for cancer” or “I intend to
eliminate poverty from developing countries” are seen as
naïve and somewhat trite at the university program level.
They’re nice sentiments, but they don’t show a realistic
understanding by the candidate of the career path and
educational program they have chosen. Make genuine
statements that show a good understanding of you in
relation to the world around you.

6. Answer the Question

Admission reviewers often report that many candidates
don’t address the specific question posed on the
application form. When this occurs, one of three
situations is possible: 1.) the candidate has made a
conscious decision to ignore the question asked for some
reason, 2.) the candidate has not read and/or understood
the question, or 3.) the candidate has submitted a
“generic” multi-program essay and has not taken the time
to adjust it to address the particular question at hand.
Even when applying to multiple programs, make an effort
to adjust your essay or statement when necessary to deal
with the specific requirements of different programs.

7. Respect the Guidelines

This refers to situations when an application form states
a specific requirement for the number of words or
characters for your essay or statement. Some people seem
to completely ignore these. Don’t. They were put there
for a reason. When one doesn’t follow these very specific
guidelines, they are either choosing to ignore them for
some reason, or their “generic” multi-program essay is
just being plugged in and they won’t take the time to
adjust it for the specific program. Ignoring such
guidelines can make admission reviewers wonder if the
applicant’s inability to follow instructions extends
to other areas that might have implications on their
studies.

Why do so many people “shoot themselves in the foot” by
committing such easily avoidable errors? Beats me.

I’m not sure what the problem is. Perhaps it’s because
many people assume that they can leave the drafting of
the admission essay or personal statement to the very
last minute, and things then slip through the cracks
during the last minute rush. Or, perhaps some people
think that the essay isn’t really all that important,
and probably won’t get read.

Both of these assumptions are serious mistakes.

In fact, the admissions essay personal statement is
probably the single most important part of the
application to a university or college program.

And yes, these essays do get read. At least once, for a
poor essay that will not go any further in the review
process. Multiple times, for a good essay that continues
through to the end of the evaluation process.

All of the foregoing “don’ts” are very avoidable mistakes.
So, why commit one of these errors when there’s no need to?
After all, isn’t the college and university admission
process competitive enough already?

So don’t make it extra difficult for yourself (or the
Admissions Committee). Read the application very
carefully and do exactly what it says. You won’t go
wrong if you follow all of the instructions.

For an entire eBook on the subject of writing college admission essays and personal statements, check out the following:

http://instantcollegeadmissionessay.com

Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several best selling “writing toolkit” eBooks. All of his eBooks and his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, “Tips and Tricks For Writing Success” are available at his writing tools site: http://www.writinghelptools.com

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It is important, therefore, to come up with a well-polished college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. And doing so need not be a problem if you are capable of articulating your experiences in written form quite well.

What do you actually need to present in a college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay? It varies actually. Some schools have several specific topics from which you are required to choose and write about. However, on the average, admissions essays usually seek to present you as an individual. This may include a listing of your past and present experiences, your nature, preferences, ideals, principles, family and social backgrounds, your school years, grades received, extracurricular activities, etc. But these are not simply listed down. The essay should seek to present these profiles in clear and specific details and preferably, accompanied with one or two related anecdotes.

The area of extracurricular activities will be of particular significance. Many admissions officers are no longer impressed with high test scores as well as high grades. They realize that these do not represent the total you. They are not satisfied with the numerical side of yourself. What they would like is to get to know more about you and the activities you got involved in, which may be presented in the college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. Specifically, they want you to present evidence that your field of expertise, for which you are seeking further studies on, is one that is very close to your heart. That being the case, you naturally do not limit your knowledge of the field to theoretical concepts in school. You go out and engage in projects wherein you are able to apply school theories in actual situations.

Such evidences, again, as written down in the college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay – as the case may be, along with an excellent school record as well as a good performance in the admissions test, will persuade school administrators that you are capable of adding something significant to your selected field of study and their school in particular.

However, such evidences should not be listed down in general terms. What is usually required in many college admission essays or graduate school admission essays, including MBA essays are specifics. Detailed accounts of the off-campus undertakings that you immersed yourself in while attending school. Undertakings that are directly connected to your area of concentration. A good example would be something like the following: wanting to enter medical school, you decided to sign up, in the final year of your pre-med course, as a volunteer in the relief operations organized by the group Band-Aid to help the famine-stricken country of Ethiopia. There, your eyes were opened to the harsh reality that not everything is ok in the world. You began to acknowledge that while a number of countries may be well-off, countless others are living way below certain human standards of living. And they are in dire need, not only of food and shelter, but such other basic necessities like medicine and health care.

The college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay affords you the opportunity to present yourself as someone capable of sharing something significant in a particular field, and not just a mere statistic in the same. As such, you are encouraged to get involved in extracurricular endeavors while in the midst of completing your courses of study and to cite these in your college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. This will make your piece more convincing as well as effective, as it will give solid proof that you are not merely satisfied with meeting course requirements. You are also applying in real life the lessons taught to you inside the classroom.

For more valuable information on MBA Essay and College Admission Essay please visit http://www.admissionsessays.com

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Needless to say, a college degree in today’s employment market is imperative. However, entry to many colleges and universities today have also risen to such competitive levels that admission to such requires extensive preparation, especially in taking the entrance exams, including the writing of an Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

While a significant part of the admission process to college and graduate schools are admission exams (of standardized tests such as the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, MBA), equally important are is the admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. Many applicants, particularly those with high test scores often overlook the importance of this portion of the application process. Yet, this is actually the one part that could spell the difference between acceptance and rejection.

While test scores do play a most essential role, admissions officials recognize that it does not tell the complete story of a candidate’s life. With the tight competition in the quest for higher education, schools are now looking for people who not only perform well in entrance tests or achieve high grade point average, but they look for applicants who are interesting, diverse, and articulate as well. This will usually be reflected by a well-crafted Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

So how do admission officers determine who these applicants are? Answer: By analyzing an applicant’s college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

The College Admission Essay, or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay is essentially the human side of a candidate’s test scores. Many school officials do not limit their knowledge of an applicant to his/her admissions test performance or GPA. They are also interested to know more about his ambitions, goals, preferences, interests, and backgrounds. They already have a measure of his intelligence. The next thing they want to gain is an insight into his persona. This is where the admission essay comes in.

When writing college admission essays or graduate school admission essays including MBA essays, it is important to keep in mind that what you are writing is about yourself. Focus then on giving a clear and definite description of who you are, but giving stress to your strengths rather than on your weaknesses.

Also, give explicit samples of what you are like: what you prefer to do on a lazy day, how you view the world, what things annoy you most. Cite a favorite book, movie or incident that helped you become the person that you are now. This can serve as your essay introduction, which, if written effectively, can grab an admissions officer’s attention. An eye-catching introduction will inspire them to read on. Remember, an admissions official probably may read hundreds, if not thousands of college admission essays. Make yours memorable and eye-catching from the get-go.

Write a positive and confident college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, as the case may be. Do not generalize, especially when listing down your accomplishments in school. Cite specific instances in your class which show you at your best, giving extra attention to subject areas considered as one of your fields of concentration. Preferably, the sample that should be given is one wherein you obtained an excellent grade, as this will reinforce the presumption that you excel in your chosen field of interest.

Additionally, your college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, should also include a listing of the extracurricular activities that you engaged in. Give detailed information and if possible, state a particular case where you were able to accomplish a goal or a project, either by yourself or as part of a group.
Of course, it goes without saying that the activities you will list down in your college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, should be those that are directly related to the course you are presently seeking. For instance, a candidate wishing to gain access to medical school could cite his involvement as a volunteer in the relief mission for famine-torn Ethiopia in 1984. This will give more life to his resolve to acquire a medical degree. But if you have any other activities that present you in a positive personal light – emphasize those also, such as volunteering at your church every Saturday to help with special-needs children. This “humanizes” you and shows that you are not just about grades or school.

Often, many applicants make the mistake of writing their college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, with a sweeping generalization of all their achievements in their respective fields, trusting that their excellent school records will breeze them through the admissions process. Unfortunately, such a scenario does not always come to pass. Nowadays, school administrators are more critical and scrutinizing. They want to look for something, more than just numbers. They also consider a person’s experiences, and not just general experiences, but actual and detailed accounts where an applicant was able to showcase his innate abilities in areas that are of special interest to him. This is perhaps one major reason there are instances of two candidates having similar entrance test scores as well as school grades but one of them does not get admitted to the same school that the two of them are applying to. Their respective admissions essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay may have determined their fates.

So if you are dreaming of entering Harvard or of getting admitted to Oxford, then make serious preparations. Check out their websites for details on their admission requirements, including possible topics for college admission essays. Get hold of your old books to review past lessons. And more importantly, take time to produce a well-writtenCollege Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

For more valuable information on MBA Essay and College Admission Essay please visit http://www.admissionsessays.com

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Timothy Brunold, dean of undergraduate admissions at USC said, “we will definitely take a look at the SAT essay if the student scored poorly on the writing section but wrote a brilliant personal essay.”

Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says the essay test will give admissions officers a better feel for applicants’ writing and verbal skills and their ability to perform under “constraint.”

Ted Spencer, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and trustee of the College Board stated, “The SAT essay will be a first draft, written under timed conditions not unlike the on-demand writing of a college “blue book” exam. It will complement the student’s traditional application essay and give us a better, more complete understanding of the student’s writing abilities.”

Jerome A Lucido Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Director of Undergraduate Admissions of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said that the SAT writing sample “will make the exam a more relevant and useful tool for evaluating student performance, for predicting college success, and for stimulating the high school curriculum.”

Ben Streetman, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin said, “This new requirement will be a great help to us in choosing students who can succeed in engineering. One of the most important skills an engineer has is the ability to present his or her ideas verbally and in writing. Virtually every engineering project begins with a written proposal, requires interim reports and culminates in a written summary. Professional success in engineering depends not only on the ability to apply the techniques of math and science to solve problems, but also on the engineer’s ability to write those proposals and reports in a way that helps others understand the work.”

What does this mean for your student?

· It means your student might not get into the college of her choice if her SAT essay is of much lower quality than her admissions essay.

· It means that students won’t be able to fool admissions officers into thinking they have better skills by hiring someone else to write their essays for them.

. It means that even if your student is majoring in math, science or engineering she must do well on the SAT Essay.

· It means that your student might not get into the college of his choice if after reading his essay they don’t think he’ll do well on college essay exams.

· It means your student must do well on this portion of the test to maximize her chances of getting into many top schools.

How can my student do well on the SAT Essay?

As I define it, doing well on the SAT Essay involves succeeding in doing two things at once:

1. Writing an essay that will score well

and

2. Writing an essay that will impress college admissions officers

For your student to score well she needs to learn the five characteristics that all high-scoring essays have in common and develop the skills to put these into her writing in under 25 minutes and during the pressure of test day.

Second, your student must write an essay that shows how insightful and intelligent he is so that admissions officers are impressed by the quality of the writing.

To learn what it takes to write a great essay I recommend the following resources:

The Official Guide to the New SAT published by the College Board and available on their web site College Board

This site has several examples of essays graded by College Board graders which can give you a good sense of what it takes to get a high score.

Second, I recommend the website Rocket Review which has a computerized program to help you grade several essay topics available there.

Third, I recommend my e-book “How to Write Fast and Effectively for the New SAT” which teaches the 6 steps to success on the SAT Essay, includes dozens of classroom tested exercises and many examples of real high scoring essays.

Rodney Daut is a California Credentialed teacher with over five years of experience teaching high school history and writing. He has also taught SAT Prep Courses and helped many students dramatically increase their SAT Essay scores and is the author of How to Write Fast and Effectively for the New SAT available at SAT Essay

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The college admissions essay can be quite a daunting and intimidating task for many aspiring college students. However, the college admissions essay does not have to be so bad. In all actuality though, it seems many colleges do favor an application essay which knocks them off their feet, but in that case, a book on writing essays may help with that task along with a LOT of practice. On the other hand, many colleges and universities just want to know more about YOU…while seeing how well you write.

Colleges and universities WANT you to succeed. They want you to do well on the college admissions essay so they can accept you and make them look great! In order to help you along with this task, I have put together some tips to help all students along with their university admissions essays.

First thing I wanted to point out is that focusing and staying on a topic that you know about very well is key. This will show, through your writing, that you are very sincere and do not appear to be misleading anyone. Write what you now about.

Put a little bit of humor in your writing. Of course, the college application essay is not a stand up comedy routing, but a little humor helps show a more modest side to your self. Remember to stay on topic while modestly making light humor out of some of the subject matter in your college admissions essay topic.

In reference to the last tip, remember that you don’t need to impress the reader with something you don’t really have. Try to avoid using really big words that you normally would never ever use in real life. This will only come across as inflated and a little odd to them. But don’t worry, they read enough of this type of thins in many college admissions essays all the time from others. Be original.

Even though there may be an option to hand write your college application essay, try to type your essay out completely. If you cannot gain access to a computer or simply must write your essay out, then be sure to write as legibly as you can. A messy-looking essay may not show your writing in its best light and may even potentially hurt the reader’s impression of your writing skills overall. So it is just safer to type the essay when applying for college.

Start out with a rough draft of your essay and make improvements as you go along rather than simply writing from the heart and letting destiny do the rest. This will give you an opportunity to look over your grammar and be sure that it is clear, concise and legible (if writing by hand). You are trying to make the best impression possible for this admissions essay so make this shot count.

After you have written the essay and have made corrections on it, have family and friends look at it with a critical eye. Ask friends or family members who have already written a college application essay to take a look at it to see if it does any justice based on their past essay experience.

As I mentioned earlier, different colleges have different requirements for their admissions essays and it would be very wise to read over all of the guidelines the college or university sets forth in regards to your college admissions essay. It is very important to follow directions, especially when you want them to educate you. So be sure that the essay is no longer or shorter than what they require.

These tips and referring to other essay-writing resources can help you, as a student, to really achieve your college goals and getting into that college you really wanted to attend. In many cases, seemingly smaller things such as the college essay for admissions makes such a big difference as it is the only real statement you are able to make in reference to the consideration of your admission to the college. So give it your best shot and show those essay readers the best side of you.

S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for BackToSchoolNetwork.com The BSN Online Back To School Guide is a premier college back-to-school information platform that provides individuals with a quality in-depth look at these topics as well as the associated products, services and information available today. Visit us today at http://www.BackToSchoolNetwork.com and get your free subscription our member services.

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