Are you about to join college? Congratulations! As you plan to join a college, don’t think that test scores and grades are the only requirements for admission. While these two have some significant weight during admission, a written essay is equally important and needs special attention. This is because it is through such essays that your personality and suitability for admission can be assessed. So before you actually start writing your college essay, you have to research and write a couple of drafts if you want a high-quality essay. The importance of a college application essay is highlighted below.
It demonstrates your interest
A college essay goes hand in hand with your personal statement. The essay will provide you with an opportunity to showcase your ability to undertake the course you’ve chosen. You can also use the college essay to you advantage by demonstrating your interest and knowledge of the institution you’ve chosen.
Some colleges may ask you why you are interested in joining them. Most importantly why you want to join a particular school within the college. It is through your essay that you can state your long-term ambitions and goals. If you do it better than other prospective students, you can get an admission.
An Essay Adds Personality to College Application
Getting admission into a college takes more than just the grades you scored in high school and even the extracurricular activities you are good at. Your college application alone is also not enough. This is because the admission office would be interested in knowing you more and what sets you apart from other applicants.
It is through your college essay that the admission office will get to know your personality. So, when writing the essay, try to use your authentic voice/tone but let your unique attributes shine through.
Many colleges require students to provide some information about their self-discovery and growth. If you are seeking to join such a college, you can take that opportunity to discuss the personal challenges that have defined you and have helped you grow. So instead of focusing so much on your academic experiences, you can create a compelling essay by adding some non-academic experiences that have helped shape your life.
It Reveals a New Thing About You
Your academic certificates and the application letter don’t give full information about you. An gives you a chance to provide the college the information about you that’s not found elsewhere. The essay gives you a platform to impress the admissions officials, so it is only your creativity that can limit you.
You can consider crafting personal statements that highlight what’s missing in your transcripts or resume. For instance, instead of talking about how you were/are the best goalkeeper, you can talk about an experience outside extracurricular activity because this might have already been covered in your resume.
It would be better if you talked about what you learned during your volunteering work, summer job, or travel that changed your perspective about life and made you grow into a better version of yourself.
Highlights Your Contribution on Campus
The admissions office in all colleges are looking for students who have something to contribute to the campus. You can take advantage of the college essay to not only talk about what your achievements are but also what you intend to do once on campus.
State which programs, groups or associations you intend to join while in campus and what you intend to achieve as a member. Discuss your ambitions and goals to help the admissions office get a feel of how the college will benefit from your presence.
Highlights What You intend to Major in
Highlighting the course you intend to major in is another importance of a college essay. Your essay should highlight your talents and interests, and also explain why your major suits these talents and interests.
For example, if you want to major in English, Creative Writing, or Journalism, you can talk about your contributions in your high school magazine. Your essay should reflect your interest and talent in your chosen major. You can also talk about how the college you’ve chosen is going to help you with your interests and talents.
It is also worth noting that some majors are more competitive than others. For this reason, you can use your essay to explain why you are the most suited for that major. Talk about your strengths and any other thing that can set you apart from other applicants.
Highlights the Strength of Your Profile
If your high school grades are good but not very impressive, you can use a strong essay to impress the admission officers. The essay will only help if your grades lie at the “borderline.” With a strong essay, you may gain admission into a very lucrative course. Treat your essay as a medium through which you market yourself to the college.
If your profile is already outstanding; with stellar GPA and impressive performance in extracurricular activities, your college essay may not have a great impact on your admission. But this doesn’t mean you can’t write a poor essay and escape with it. What it means is, you need a stronger essay if your academic performance is average.
Final Thoughts
A college essay is very important in the admission process. It’s this document that shows the admission office who you are and what you are capable of doing. For this reason, you need to give it your best.
You need to submit a carefully-considered and well-written essay. If writing is your weakness, you can have your family members, friends, guidance counselor or teachers read your essay and give some insight before you submit it. Avoid plagiarism because it will lead to automatic disqualification.