Application Essay

Nearly every college application requires that the applicant complete and include an application essay with his or her submission.  Although the application essay is rarely so long that students may feel it might be too difficult to write, the brevity of the assignment often belies the article's importance.  Application essays are often what separate acceptable applicants from those who will not make the grade.  In a sea of qualified applicants, the application essay can be the determining factor for many pupils.

But, how does a student write an application essay?   What information should be included in an application essay?   What makes a good application essay?

Far too many learners rush through the writing of their application essays when they should take the time needed to produce the highest quality report possible.  After all, being accepted into a top school might be at stake.

The topic of the application essay is generally provided by the school to which the student is applying.  In general, application essays require either that a student provide a longer answer to one question or shorter answers to a series of inquiries.  Either way, the applicant should give a great deal of thought to the topic.

Many schools require that applicant's include in their application essays a bit about why he or she would be an appropriate candidate for the school, the program, and/or the field, and that they include some background information about themselves in their documents.  Application essays are highly personal and can include stories and anecdotes that individualize the document.

All application reports should consider the audience.  Far too many learners write what they find important with little consideration about what information the reader is interested in gathering from the writing.  Although an application essay has to assure the reader that the applicant is prepared for entrance into the particular program to which he or she is applying, it must also remain rather generic in that a specific and detailed play-by-play of the applicant's goals is not necessary.  

The writing of a great application essay goes through several drafts before it is perfected.  The writer has to concern him/herself with not only good style, grammar, spelling, and other technical components of writing, the applicant must also consider the voice, motivation, and politics of the report as well.  The writer has to ensure that his or her application essay is not offensive, inflammatory, but that it is written in a way that truly reveals his or her own feelings on the topic.

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