How to Write University Entrance Essays and Personal Statements
The following are some key points that may have been neglected while writing your university entrance admissions essay or personal statement.
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Tell an interesting story to keep them captivated. If even you are yawning or unable to follow your own logic while re-reading it, you have got some serious editing to do.
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Aim to write a bit on the mushy side, but not too mushy, or they will think that you are not genuine.
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If they say that the university admission essay has a limit of three pages, write three pages. If they say the limit is 500 words, write between 490 words and 500 words. In other words, try to write just slightly less than the amount specified because even though you have to be as concise as possible, using the maximal amount of words allowed always gives you more power in your application - this is because you can say more and describe more to convince others about your application.
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Don’t wing your admission essay (i.e. don’t write it one week before it is due) . You need time to let some of your ideas sink in or to revise your work. You should probably have the first draft finished two months before it is due. In fact, during the entire application procedure starting right after you decide to apply to graduate or professional school, you should have general outline and plan of your essay in your head, since the essay is really the only part of the application process that you have total control over. You want to maximize this part of the application.
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Remember that they may choose to ask you anything about your university entrance essay in your interview, so be sure that you will be willing to discuss such matters during your interview before writing it down.
One of the biggest problems that people have is writing unclearly. It is often difficult to understand what these people say without reading it very slowly. Exceptional writers, though, write so well that it is a breeze to read through their passages. Therefore, aim for clarity when writing your university entrance essay.
The other major stumbling block is the overall organization of the university entrance essay. Often, people forget about the overall organization of an essay - the general outline of the essay. Look at the entire essay by paragraphs and see if you have organized it well.
For help with editing your university entrance essay, click on Assistance.
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