7 Ways To NOT Sabotage Your Admission Essay
by Shaun R. Fawcett
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Published on this site: January 2004 - See
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I
got seriously involved in the college admission essay-writing business shortly
after I published my eBook on recommendation letters, Instant Recommendation Letter
Kit, more than a year ago.
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 how many people 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Shaun Fawcett, (c) 2004. Shaun is webmaster of the
popular www.WritingHelpTools.com.
He has written several best selling "writing toolkit"
eBooks. His latest tells how to fast-track college admission
essays/personal statements: www.instantcollegeadmissionessay.com/ar1.html.
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