Сolleges and universities pay great attention to applicants’ essays. Yes, the admissions committee carefully reviews all parts of your application. But it’s important not to underestimate the huge role essays and/or cover letters play in the application process.
A good essay won’t overcome poor grades for a student at the bottom of a school’s application list. But it can help a qualified applicant stand out from the crowd. Usually, this is the only opportunity to learn about the applicant’s:
- purpose, goals, and personal qualities
- thinking and writing skills.
You should start to think about your application paper in advance. If you think, “I will pay someone to write my paper,” you should choose a service you trust 100%. Make sure they reflect your skillset, beliefs, and reasons even better than you do. Besides, by reading and editing your essay, you can consider and argue your decision. You will be able to confirm your desire to enroll in this educational program. Changing your mind is also OK.
You need to start writing your essay early or leave enough time for professional writers to create it. And if you are applying to different colleges, you need to write different papers for each. Do your research, try to understand what they want to see in their students, and show them that you have it. But before you start writing your cover letter, let’s go through some tips that might help you in the process.
Where To Get Inspiration?
Start by watching a few TED talks. They are a great example as the speaker’s task is to convey their opinion quickly without losing the audience’s attention.
If you have more time to get inspired, you can watch movies and read books about famous people and their difficult paths to success. This will help you find inspiration and the will to present yourself in the best possible way in front of the desired university or college.
Show Your Confidence
Most colleges want to see strong and ambitious students, full of energy and with leadership qualities. You should not write about someone or something else – another person who influenced you or a favorite activity. Do not waste words on extraneous topics. The commission needs to see your personality, not someone else’s. Focus on your experience, sports or social activities, school performance, etc.
The main thing is not to lose your personality. Always be honest with your readers. It doesn’t matter if your friends have cooler stories than you. If you want to make a positive impression on the application committee with your letter, you need to be frank and keep the text personal.
Place The Hook At The Beginning
The first reading of your essay will take only 10 seconds. Keep this thought in mind during the entire writing process. The structure of the essay and all the other parameters that it must meet will follow if the reader is involved for 10 seconds. After all, sometimes thousands of applications come for an opportunity, and you need to stand out from them in order to be noticed.
The hook encourages reading. Hence, it should be placed at the beginning of the text. It has to be a bald, confident phrase that makes the reader’s eyes wider. Stand-up comedians use this technique. You will notice if you take a closer look at the beginning of their performances. We bet that you only continue watching the videos with a good hook.
The same is true about multi-seasonal series. Screenwriters and directors carefully think through little hooks at the end of each episode. The end of the season needs a big hook to make the viewers come back in a couple of months or even years. You should master this technique and make the admission committee want to read on.
You only have 2-3 sentences for your story to be read carefully and not just skimmed. Capture the reader’s attention, break patterns, and shock them skillfully (but carefully!). Be original and cool in these first three sentences. It should be emotional, but don’t overdo it: squeezing out tears is a path to failure.
Be Careful With Humor
You should avoid any kind of humor that may include weird and off-the-wall jokes. Of course, you want to sound original. However, humor may not be the best way to show off your personality.
Be aware that what you think is funny may not seem so to the people who read your writing. Always avoid using any humor regarding politics and conflict-sensitive topics such as ethnicity, gender, and religion.
Read, Cut, Rewrite
This might be the most obvious but yet very important advice that many applicants ignore. After you’ve finished writing, put it aside for a few hours or a day and return to it later. Look at it with a fresh eye. This way, you can immediately see the thoughts that need to be added, rephrased, or deleted.
Go over your draft one more time. Look for any spelling, lexical, or grammatical errors that might have gone unnoticed. If necessary, ask your instructor/tutor to read it or use online tools to proofread the final copy before submitting it.
Final Advice
Remember that the tone of your essay should not be way too formal, but not too simple either. This is the part of your documents in which the admissions committee wants to hear your personal voice.
Always remember that your essay and/or cover letter is your opportunity to show the committee what makes you unique. Give them a reason why you deserve to be chosen.
If you follow our tips and actually set aside a couple of days or even weeks to write, your essay will be original, high-quality, and fresh. Moreover, a well-written essay will increase your chances of successful admission to the university of your dreams.
