10 Tips for Writing a Great College Essay
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Everyone knows that applying to universities abroad, especially in the USA, is a lot of hard work. There are several different components to the application, and each one of them needs to be perfected in order to get into your dream school. However, of all the different components – school grades, standardised test scores, extra-curricular activities, essays or the statement of purpose (SOP), and letters of recommendation (LOR), there is one component that stands out: the College Essay. This is because it is this one component that helps you showcase your personality. It is also the component that probably requires more time and works to perfect than the others.
A mediocre or poorly written essay can cause a brilliant student to get rejected from a college, whereas, an exceptionally good essay can help even mediocre students to get into their dream school. There is no formula, or ‘right’ way to write an essay. There are, however, several factors that go into writing strong essays or statements of purpose that showcase your profile in a positive way and add strength to your application.
Here are 10 simple tips to help you write a good essay for your college application:
1. Think and Ideate: Most students find it the hardest to ‘start’ writing the essay. You have to spend some time thinking about what the essay is asking for, and then brainstorm different ideas, such as stories/instances from your life that you want to include as examples. Strategise on which strengths and personality traits you want to highlight, and so on. Be creative, and let the ideas flow; then create an outline for the essay, before you start writing.
Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!
2. Be Patient: Good essays are never written in a day. Once you have decided what to write about, create an outline and structure. Your first draft might not be great, and that is absolutely fine. You will have to go through several drafts before you perfect your essays. You need to be patient, and spend a lot of time and effort to make your essays seem perfect.
3. Write about Yourself: Essays help admissions officers understand how you, with your unique personal qualities, will contribute to their college. So, your essays need to focus on YOUR story - your thoughts, achievements, failures, and aspirations. Do not use the limited words available as per the word limit, to talk about how great the university you are applying to is. Instead, use your writing to highlight your skills, maturity and personal qualities.
4. Be Honest: Do not get tempted to write what you ‘think’ admission officers want to hear. More often than not, you are mistaken. Simply stick to the facts. Being genuine is critical in admission essays. Exaggeration might make your stories more exciting, but remember that Admissions Officers have years of experience reading thousands of essays. They can tell when you are not being honest, or when someone else has written/edited your essay.
5. Keep Your Focus Narrow and Specific: Avoid the ‘list format’ while writing an essay. Do not try saying too much about too many things. Instead, develop a focus on a few aspects about yourself, and let the reader identify your main idea and follow it from beginning to end.
6. Do Not Repeat Facts: Essays have word limits, so do not unnecessarily repeat facts that are already covered in other parts of your application, such as mentioning your test scores, or your extracurricular activities. Utilize the essays to talk about things that the admissions officer will not know from reading other parts of your application, those that add value to your profile.
7. Demonstration is Important: Simply stating facts does not always get an idea across. You need to include specific details, examples and reasons to demonstrate a fact. For instance, using a sentence like, “I am passionate about community service”, is not enough. Instead, explain a situation where you helped someone in need. Try and discuss who you served and how; what impact did it have on the community, and how did this experience impact you.
8. The Tone Matters: It is important to balance the tone of your essay. When you are talking about achievements and strengths, be careful that you do not sound too boastful and arrogant. When discussing a failure, such as a bad test score, your tone could suggest you take responsibility, but that you learnt something from the experience; you should not come across as sounding weak or like you are making excuses.
9. Do not Undermine Grammar and Structure: Besides your personality, essays also showcase your writing skills. A good essay usually has three distinct parts – an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Following a logical structure makes it easy for the reader to understand what you want to communicate. Avoid grammatical or punctuation errors and/or bad language. These reflect a careless attitude and lack of quality control in your written work. If English is not your biggest strength, seek support and get feedback to improve your essay quality. Keep your writing simple – do not use unnecessary or fancy words, and avoid business-like language but keep it formal and crisp. Overly casual essays do not create the right impression either.
10. Get Feedback: Show your essay to your family, friends and teachers. Ask them if it highlights your personality and if it sounds like you. Take their feedback seriously, because these are the people who know you and understand you the best. However, keep in mind, that at the end, the essay should sound like your own. Do not feel compelled to talk about things you are not sure or confident about. Be convinced about everything you write.
Writing good essays is hard work, but the experience can be fun. Strong and convincing essays have a tremendous impact on your college application, so do not neglect them or leave them till the very end. Start planning early, and work hard to get into the college of your dreams.
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The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses:
The Undergraduate Application Process:
Step 1: You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.
Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.
Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
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Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
The Postgraduate application process:
Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
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Step 5: If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
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International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:
English Language Test | Score |
|---|---|
IELTS | Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section |
The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:
English Language Test | Score |
TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 72 to 114 |
PTE | Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section |
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Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae