Importance of Vocabulary in your Admission Essay

Contrary to popular belief, vocabulary is not the key to a winning admission essay. While a strong vocabulary can enhance your writing, it's the content and clarity of your ideas that truly matter. Learn how to effectively use vocabulary to impress admissions committees and showcase your intellectual prowess.

Contrary to popular belief, vocabulary is not the first thing that the admissions committee (Ad Com) notices about your admission essay. The use of flowery language and heavy vocabulary does not impress the reader. However, you should not undermine the importance of vocabulary in your admission essay. Often, vocabulary is the least important aspect of your admission essays; It is the content that the Ad Com focuses on. So, does that mean that it is not important at all? Well, that is not true either. Check out: How to Build Your English Vocabulary?

Importance of vocabulary in your admission essay  

A robust lexicon holds significance in college admission essays because it serves to accomplish the following:  

• Clarity and coherence: The usage of correct and appropriate vocabulary will ensure that your essay expresses your thoughts, clearly and coherently. It facilitates clear self-expression: The appropriate terminology helps to convey your emotions and experiences. This helps avoid ambiguity and confusion. 

• Effective communication: Acquiring new words enables the effortless expression of complex ideas. Well-chosen vocabulary by the applicant reflects his/her ability to communicate effectively. This is important in an academic setting. It also shows that you can articulate complex ideas.    

• Interest and engagement: The idea is to captivate the reader; a strong repertoire of words can enhance the allure of your essay. The usage of a variety of words keeps the Ad Com engaged and arouses their interest. Using synonyms for a word makes things more interesting.  

• Intellectual ability: Good vocabulary showcases intellectual prowess. A varied vocabulary helps project a well-read, inquisitive, and intellectually adept persona. Sophisticated words and a rich vocabulary reflect your intellectual ability.  

• Professionalism: An admission essay with polished vocabulary showcases the professionalism of the applicant. 

Some examples of good usage of vocabulary in your admission essays: 

Let us look at some examples for enhancing your vocabulary. For instance, we can use various words to describe ‘strength’, such as specialty, forte, talent, and gift. Instead of ‘but’, you may use ‘however’. You can replace ‘goal’ with ‘plan’, ‘aim’, ‘ambition’, ‘target’, or ‘aspiration’,  However, do not use the wrong synonyms just for the sake of using them. It could convey the wrong message.

Also Read

• Importance of Grammar in your Admission essays
• Word Limit and Essays: How important are they

Tips for Vocabulary in Admission Essays

Here are some tips to help you keep any vocabulary mistakes in check while writing your admission essays:  

• Avoid repetition of words. Instead, use different synonyms of the words in order to enhance the narrative quality of your essay. 

• Sometimes words are specifically used for special circumstances, so do not replace it with an inappropriate synonym which might change the meaning altogether. 

• Abstain from using difficult words excessively. You do not want the reader to refer to the dictionary every time. Also, it is also possible to make mistakes while using words you are not familiar with.  
• Be more focused on creativity and the narrative of the essay, rather than on the vocabulary.

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