6 Tips for Writing an Application Essay
Many people find writing an application essay a challenge; they may not be confident writers, have only a basic idea of how to structure their work and might feel stumped when knowing exactly where to begin – but it doesn’t have to be this way!
If you’re aiming to get into a course, college, university, fresh career or other type of program, sometimes you are expected to put together an application essay. The formats of application essays may vary but in today’s competitive study and workplace environment, people are being expected to put in more preparation than they were even five years ago.
I spoke to my friends at Spideressay about how to make the job of writing an application essay easy.
What is an application essay?
An application essay is usually one of the steps that can draw you near to getting an admission in your dream college, university, career or course. And it’s not just teenagers applying for study these days but adults as well!
According to a recent study, more and more mature people are heading back to college, often part time or in the evenings. “Their rate of enrollment is rising faster than students of typical college age (with) students aged 25 and older accounted for roughly 40% of all college and graduate students”, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
But unlike other essays that focus on the ideas of other people, your application paper is all about you, your life experiences, your academic and career aspirations, and your dreams. Therefore, you should approach it carefully – or you could lose out on an admission.
This post will feature some of the main tips that will sharpen your skills so you can bolster your admission chances. Try following the 6 tips below.
How to write an application essay in 6 easy steps
#1: Understand your assignment prompt
The first thing you need to do before embarking on your assignment is to carefully consider the application prompt. This is the main section of your application – the direction the workplace or institution gives you. If you miss the mark, you will miss out on your assignment’s main mandate. Make sure you read all the information carefully and make notes. It sounds simple, but so many people forget this important first step!
#2: Go back the memory lane
A good application essay touches on the three phases of your lifetime, one of which is your past. You need to include details of your experiences and how they have shaped you to be the kind of person you are now. That is why you have to analyse your past to know which events are worth noting in the essay. Make sure you “refer back” to what the college or course is asking of you.
#3: Look into the future
Another thing to put into focus is your future plans. You need an end-to-end view of where you want to go with your studies should you get the admission, so think this through in detail. You need to have a realistic view of the future based on your personal strengths and skills. If you don’t capture this dimension, your essay will lack vision and the awarding committee will see nothing in it to award you the opportunity so make sure you focus on the “future you” as well as the current.
#4: Look at the present
You also need to analyse where you are in the light of your current situations. The awarding committee needs to know what you’re up to “at the moment”. Include all relevant study, work, community and other activities. Talk yourself up!
#5: Plan your details
After taking a microscopic and telescopic view of your past, present, and future, sit and organise these ideas and facts into one piece of paper, or document spreadsheet. You need to draft an outline that will give you a systematic flow from one section and paragraph to another. Planning will also help you to know which information is relevant and which one isn’t. Make sure you include a strong introduction and a strong conclusion, summarising all your points.
#6: Be factual and realistic
Just as you need to defend your other essays with facts, you should not apply “fiction” to your application essay thinking you will impress the committee! Be truthful in your claims and the historical background of your life. If you try to create an unrealistic hero in your application essay, you can be sure the committee will know! Talk yourself up but be honest and don’t use “fluff”.
Just be honest enough to present the real you. This way, you will receive the approval of the college, university or career committee because they are not in the business of signing in “superheroes” but rather, ordinary people who are determined to grow their careers and studies.