Admission Essay Tips: Be Genuine
Intense competition
Writing admission essays is perhaps one of the most stressful times in the life of a high school student. The urban myth that a poor student can gain admission to a good university on the basis of the admission essay while another bright student cannot has some truth in it in this case. The student is under pressure to put their achievements on paper and explain to admissions officers why they choose their university and why the university should choose them in return. Many students, especially those planning on going to universities with high rates of rejection know that they face stiff competition from students all over the world. So they have to put their best foot forward.
Being genuine
Being genuine is a sure way of representing oneself fairly and ensuring that the admission officer identifies with the student. Being genuine has several advantages in writing an admission essay.
- They say no one understands a person more than themselves. The only way a person can truly paint themselves in the best light is by being genuine. A genuine essay will no doubt resonate with the admission officers, and will not just be a description of the academic excellence of the person but will also tell the officers what kind of person the student is. Identifying with the admissions officers on a personal level will help them understand and empathize with the student, hopefully giving them a higher chance of admission.
- Admissions officers in most universities are experienced and have been doing the job for several years. They therefore can differentiate between a genuine paper and one that is inflated in an effort to impress. Going overboard will only make the student appear desperate and dishonest, adjectives that no doubt will not score the student any points.
- A genuine student reduces the chances of making mistakes in their essay. People make mistakes when they get too carried away and forget the aim of the admission essay. Being dishonest or misrepresenting oneself might result in contradictions in the paper that will expose all the half truths about the student. In order to avoid such mistakes, the student should stay grounded and down to earth.
It does not hurt to show the admission officers the best of the student in the essay, after all that is the purpose. The student should however be careful not to cross the thin line between a good representation of themselves and being dishonest.