Types of Admission Essays - UG, MBA, Scholarship & Gap-year Essays
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Once you start your application process, you will come across several documents that you will need to submit along with your transcripts, financial documents, visa papers and application form. One of them is the Admission Essay. These essays are fairly easy to draft as the university has already provided you with certain requirements, and guidelines you just need to write accordingly. Check out the article and understand everything about the types of admission essays.
The Admission Essay is one of the most important documents of the application that the applicant needs to submit for various undergraduate (UG) and graduate programs. The universities have specific prompts, with guidelines and word limits, for the admission essays. The university will either ask for a statement of purpose (SOP) or admission essays. There are different types of admission essays aimed at gauging the different personality traits and strengths of the candidate.
Essays Specific to Program/Course
The program/course that you apply to will decide the type of admission essay you need to answer. Based on the type of course/program, the admission essays can be divided into two types: UG essay prompts and MBA admission essays. Each of them has different requirements and follows a specific guideline. Check out - Shiksha Guidelines for Admission Essays
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Undergraduate Essay Prompts
- Your academic interest
- Why this course/college/university
- Tell us about yourself
- Important current issue/s and how you would solve it/or views on them
- Activity essay
- Your post-program goals
- Amaze us with your cleverness and creativity
- Important risk or event in your life
MBA Admission Essay:
Another type of admission essay is the MBA essay, which focus on the leadership abilities, professional experience, career progression, learning, and future goals of the applicant. Some MBA essay prompts are:
- Cultural Shock Essay
- Achievements Essay
- Travel Experience Essay
- Failure Essay
- Diversity Essay
- Why this Business School/ University
- Ethical Dilemma Essay
- Situation Essay
The Nature of Admission Essays
Another crucial factor is the nature of the essay prompt as it decides the response to the essay. The applicant’s answer should be based on the way the topic is presented. In case the essay prompt is a question, the applicant must take a stance. Thus, the answer should have supportive observations and facts. These types of admission essays are:
- Argumentative: For these types of admission essays, the applicant must present his viewpoint on the statement or topic, thereby proving the same with facts and evidence that are convincing.
- Autobiographical: These autobiographical essays are written in the first person, where the applicant presents a brief description of his/her life. This entails highlighting the academic, personal, professional, and social experiences of the applicant’s life.
- Descriptive: In this, the applicant is required to describe a topic in detail. It can be based on the travel experience, cultural diversity, or any incident.
- Narrative: The applicant may write a narrative essay, to showcase a course of events, anecdotally. You may narrate various events that depict your varied experiences and lessons learnt from the same.
- Persuasive: In the case of persuasive essays, a literary work, news clipping, or a particular extract from an article can be given for you to state your opinion on it. The answer should be persuasive enough to convince the readers of your perspective.
Other Types of Admission Essays
In addition to the types of and samples of admission essays discussed above, there are other admission-related essays that you may be required to provide with your application. Now, these types of admission essays are conditional and you should draft them only if the university has asked for the same. These essays are:
- Scholarship Essays: Some universities offer various forms of scholarships. In case the applicant is eligible for any of them, he would be asked to write a scholarship essay based on the requirements of the university. However, this is not mandatory for all universities. The essay can be your chance to convince the admissions committee (Ad Com) why you deserve the scholarship over other applicants having the same qualification/ eligibility.
- Gap-year Essays: The gap-year essays are mostly required by universities for undergraduate candidates, who have one or two academic gap years after completion of their schooling. For such essays, the applicant must explain his/her reason for the break, and also discuss how he/she utilized that time, and what activities or courses they took up during that time.
Also, read:
- Gap Certificate for Studying Abroad
- Importance of Grammar in your Admission Essays
- Importance of Vocabulary in your Admission Essays
Types of Admission Essays: FAQs
Q. What are the types of admission essays required for an applicant?
A. The types of admission essays depend on a number of factors. There are undergraduate and MBA essays that cover various aspects of the applicant’s personality and different topics. Furthermore, there are some other categories as well like scholarship essays and gap-year essays, for specific conditions.
Q. What topics can I expect in a UG essay?
A. The various topics for UG essays are:
- Your academic interest
- Why this course/college/university
- Tell us about yourself
- Important current issue/s and how you would solve it/or views on them
- Activity essay
- Your post-program goals
- Amaze us with your cleverness and creativity
- Important risk or event in your life
Q. Is there any way that I may explain my gap years in the admission essay?
A. Yes, there are gap-year admission essays where you may explain any break in your academic or professional life. In such types of admission essays, you may discuss the reason for the break, how you utilized that time to learn something, or the activities or courses you undertook during the gap years.
Q. What are the different topics of MBA essays?
A. MBA prompts may require you to write essays on topics such as diversity, ethical dilemma, career goals, achievement, failure, why this university, and cultural shock, among others. The Ad Com will gauge different aspects of the applicant’s personality and perspectives to see if he/she will be a good fit for the program/ university, and vice versa.
Q: Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
Q: What rank is Wolverhampton University in UK?
The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below:
| Ranking Body | Ranking |
|---|---|
| The Guardian University Guide 2024 | #101 |
| The Complete University Guide 2024 | #117 |
Q: How to prepare for UK 10th board exam 2025?
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.
- Know the exam pattern
- Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
- Solve previous year question papers
- Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
- Revise regularly
- Figure out weaker areas and learn them well
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.
Q: How to download UK Board 12th date sheet 2024?
Following are the steps to download the UK 12th date sheet 2024.
- Open the Uttarakhand Board's official website at ubse.uk.gov.in
- Click on 'Examination Scheme' available on the homepage
- A new window will appear on the screen containing a link of the UK Board 12th date sheet 2024
- Click the link and download the Uttarakhand 12th date sheet 2024
Q: Does the University of Essex require IELTS?
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 |
Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities
Q: Why indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School - UK?
Indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School in the UK for several reasons, including its highly ranked programs, global outlook, and career support. Hult offers a range of full-time master’s degrees, immersive bachelor's programs, and MBA options that prepare students to excel in the global job market. The school is the largest and top-ranked global business school, providing students with an incomparable universal outlook. Additionally, Hult's focus on experiential learning, extensive career support, and the opportunity to study at multiple campuses around the world are attractive to Indian students seeking a global business education. Furthermore, the school's emphasis on innovation and meeting the needs of students and employers may also contribute to its appeal to Indian students
Q: How can I get a 100% scholarship to study in UK?
Yes, it is possible to get 100% scholarships to study in the UK. There are various external funding agencies that offer 100% scholarships to international students to study in the UK. Three main UK government scholarships for international students are;
However, to get 100% scholarships to study in the UK, international students must meet all the eligibility criteria and apply within the deadlines.
Q: How to prepare for UK 10th board exam 2025?
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.
- Know the exam pattern
- Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
- Solve previous year question papers
- Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
- Revise regularly
- Figure out weaker areas and learn them well
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.
Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i... Read Full Bio
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Statement of Purpose
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