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Read Your Essay Out Loud: To help you polish the essay even further, read it out loud. You will be amazed at the faulty grammar and awkward language that your ears can detect. This will also give you a good sense of the flow of […]

“Proofread! Have others proofread! Spell check! It’s stunning how many people have careless, even really obvious typos in their statements. It makes the applicant look sloppy, uninterested, unintelligent.” – Admissions Officer You would be amazed at the things that get written in admissions essays-even at […]

When editing, make sure to pay careful attention to: Substance Structure Interest Proofreading SUBSTANCE Substance refers to the content of the essay and the message you send out. It can be very hard to gauge in your own writing. One good way to make sure […]

Introduction “If one thing could be perfect, it should be the essay.” – Admissions Officer Writing is not a one-time act. Writing is a process. Memorable writing comes more from rewriting than it does from the first draft. By rewriting you will improve your essay […]

The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress upon them your qualifications. Endings are the last experience an admissions officer has with your essay, so you need to make those words and thoughts count. You should not feel obligated to tie […]

The introduction is the first sentence of your essay and it plays the dual role of setting the theme of your essay and engaging the reader. The introduction should not be overly formal. You do not want an admissions officer to start reading your essay […]

Introduction Surprised to see introductions as the topic of our second-to-last lesson? Most writers find that it is nearly impossible to craft an essay by beginning with the introduction. The best leads often develop during and after writers have written the remainder of the essay. […]

Top 10 Essay Clichés According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, a cliché is “a trite phrase or expression,” “a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation,” or “something that has become overly familiar or commonplace.” The last thing you want in your essay is any of the […]

Applicants often ignore transitions to their own detriment. A good essay must use transitions within paragraphs and especially between paragraphs to preserve the logical flow of the essay. An essay without good transitions is like a series of isolated islands; the reader will struggle to […]

As you write your essay, remember to focus on verbs and keep adjectives to a minimum. Pumping your sentences full of adjectives and adverbs is not the same thing as adding detail or color. Adjectives and adverbs add lazy description, but verbs add action. Passive […]

Don’t Thesaurusize. The second trap into which many students fall is thinking that big words make good essays. Advanced vocabulary is fine if it comes naturally to you, and when used correctly in an appropriate context. After reading thousands of essays, admissions officers know which […]

Many students think that the longer the sentence they write, the better the sentence. This is far from the truth. You do not need long, complicated sentences to show that you are a good writer. In fact, short sentences often pack the most punch. The […]

Introduction Over the years, our editors have seen some amazing stories become dreadfully boring and some ridiculously dry topics transform into an exciting read. The culprit (or hero): writing style. Witness the advice of some admissions officers: Use a conversational style and easy-to-understand language to […]

Writing admissions essays is not formulaic; the best essays will have the most personal detail and passionate writing. However, if you are suffering from severe writer’s block and need help piecing together an effective essay, we have provided generic templates for the most common types […]

I. Introduction ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ II. Body A. Paragraph 1: 1. Supporting Point #1 _________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 2. Evidence for Supporting Point #1: analysis of example to show how it supports the topic sentence and thesis ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ B. Paragraph 2:                  1. Supporting Point #2 […]

Please select from the following short essay sets: Georgetown Short Essay Set Duke Short Essay Set Dartmouth Short Essay Set Harvard Short Essay Set Note: The below essays appear as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers. SAMPLE SHORT ESSAY SET 1: Georgetown, Saudi International […]

Some schools require you to write a series of short essays rather than submit a single personal statement. If this is the case for you, then you should consider the impact that your essay set will have as a whole. You need to balance the […]

Below you will find a sample outline and the essay written from that outline. OUTLINE Paragraph 1 (Introduction) I. Leading sentence: “It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life.” II. Summary of main points: “I […]