8 Tips on Writing an Effective Scholarship or College Essay

Admission season is around the corner, and you already dread writing your admission essay. College essays, a crucial and unskippable part of every application, often sought trouble for every student around the globe and is a common cause of angst among the student populace.

College essays are a medium for the students to communicate and present their stance to the board directly and showcase one’s writing abilities, which is considered fundamental in today’s world. An excellent time to begin writing your college essay is usually during the vacations before the intake season when one is relatively burden-free and can implore his/her cognitive offices efficiently.

Today, we are here to tip you on a stellar admission essay.

Prepare an Outline

Before beginning, it is vital to prepare a structure for a coherent flow of thoughts and a clear outline of your story. Keep your CV next to you and prepare concise points weaving your central message. Keep in mind, whatever you craft should always lead the reader back to your central aim. We do not want scattered thoughts eloping in different directions.

Personalize Your Essay

Your essay is your story, and thus, it must have a personal touch to it; this will make your essay resound authentic and more believable. Personalized touch can be added by talking about your hobbies, a life-changing incident, and its impact on you as an individual. Talk about your strengths, what matters to you, or what moves you in life. What is that one key which makes you different from everybody else? If you are successful in putting this down, more than half of your job is done.

Do Not Plagiarize or Fib

Colleges want to accept you for who you are and not for someone who is your figment of imagination. The more authentically you sell yourself, the better the chances of getting accepted. Moreover, plagiarism is a criminal offense. Not only can you be rejected from the admission board, but it also becomes a vulgar display of your ethics, making you unfit for applying to any other college in the world.

College Essay Writing Style

Your story should be impactful yet rendered in simple language. The admission board does not evaluate the usage of literary jargon or gallant words. The zeitgeist of your essay, however, can differ. While some use an emotional appeal, others plan to keep it to the point or sometimes semi-formal.

Counselors and Teachers

Essay writing is not easy, especially if your next 2-4 years depending on it. A Lot of students mooch off their guidance counselors or teachers to produce their essays. While you might not have any qualms regarding this practice, colleges sometimes get to know whether the piece is self-written or eviscerated by a professional. It is thus recommended to write your essays on your own and then get them evaluated by a professional If need be.

College Essay Structure

It is crucial to divide your essay into 3 parts – Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Your essay must succeed in convincing the board as to why you chose a particular university along with your majors. This can be done by elaborating on how your subjects, extra-curricular activities, work experience align with your field of interest. One can also talk about how a particular city or culture fascinates you and plays a significant role in selecting your dream university. Remember, writing a college application will not be confined to a single draft. You will inevitably become better with time, toss more ideas, and develop better ways of expressing yourself. So keep writing.

College Essay Research

If you are applying for a scholarship, do bleat about your scores in every possible subject and entrance. In many instances, colleges might ask you to write essays on various topics. Thus, be thoroughly researched, keep the word limit in mind and follow the steps aforementioned. One can use helpful applications like Grammarly, which can help students structure an effective document, assisting them at every point.

College Essay Word Limit

Colleges have numerous essays to evaluate. Yours shouldn’t be a burden. Thus, stick to the word limit. There is no need to get overly sappy about details. Be precise, shorten your sentences using just vocabulary and try not to exceed more than 2 pages. 

These 8 quick steps might not write your essay but will help your production écrite look appealing and save time if followed carefully.

About the Author – Khushi Singh is a final-year student at Manipal Institute of Communication.