sample admission essay

Top 5 Tips on How to Prepare your Essay with the Help of a Sample Admission Essay

We are inspired to think when we read something very stimulating.  That is why using a sample essay to make your own admission essay is a good idea.  The ideas, coherence, and arrangement of topics in a sample essay can help you substantially.  You can also use a sample essay for research purposes.  Below are the top 5 tips that you can use in using a sample essay to start with your own.

1.  Choose the right essay.

There are essays that appeal strongly because they are excellently written.  However, these essays may not be the right ones for you.  You must remember that the authors of those essays are able to write a high-quality piece because they chose the right topics for them.  So the first step that you should take is to choose an essay that deals with a topic that you know well.  This topic must also interest you so you will be more motivated in making your essay.

2.  Understand the essay fully.

You cannot use a material unless you understand it.  If you lack understanding of it, you will just end up borrowing phrases from it instead of coming up with your own ideas.  A full understanding of a statement can stimulate ideas in your head.  It also shows that the topic is interesting to you and fits you well.  Moreover, a good understanding of an essay allows you to use the material fully.

3.  Be aware of plagiaristic practices.

Committing plagiarism is a huge minus in your admission score.  It also gives the evaluators the impression that you are incapable of generating your own ideas.  Refer to plagiarism guidelines from reliable sources before using any information from the sample essay that you are using.

4.  Compare the sample essay with your own.

It is still plagiarism even if you did not intentionally copy a work.  You might have unknowingly lifted information from your sample essay.  Better re-read the sample essay and compare it with your own work.  Avoid any similarity from the sample essay.  If you have to use information from the sample essay, cite it properly.  It is almost implossible to escape with plagiarism nowadays as there are many schools that utilize software that detects plagiarism.

5.  Do not just revise.

It is very important to make your own essay. Do not just paraphrase, rearrange, and, all in all, revise the whole sample essay.  Put some insights into your essay.  Personal views will make your essay more interesting and colorful.  Create a thesis statement that is different from the sample essay.  Your thesis statement and conclusion are the focal point of your essay.  Hence, they are the most noticeable.  Make sure that none of the two have similarities to the sample essay that you are using.  Again, if there are similarities, never forget to cite the sources.  If there is anything to revise, it is your own work.  Also, you should revise intensively.

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How to Find An Excellent Sample Admission Essay That Can Help You Come Up with a Winning Essay Focusing on Family Values

The concept of family values is a very thought-provoking subject for a thesis.  It is an excellent topic that you could use to come up with a winning essay.  Since the topic is so broad, you have to find ways to narrow it down.  Your school library or the internet might be able to provide you with more specific topics.  Having a specific topic to start your essay with allows you to have a more solid foundation to work on.  Having an excellent sample admission essay, however, offers even more.  Not only does it give you a more specific topic, but it also gives you an idea how on how to structure your whole essay.  You can even use your sample essay as a research material should you find interesting contents there.

Start with essays that have personal relevance

Since the family values topic is very broad, start picking from topics that are personally relevant to you.  This way, you can be more effective in revealing yourself to your evaluators.  It allows them to see through yourself and know how unique you are.  Do not be afraid to reveal your insights and personality to them.  They want to know the kind of person you are and how you think.  This also gives you the advantage of being able to convey your idea more coherently since you are talking of things that you have personal knowledge of.  Hence, the more personally relevant a sample essay is, the more useful it could be.

Choose a well-documented source

Documentation could make you rise or fall.  So you would not have a problem later on with this aspect of essay writing, better choose a well-documented sample essay.  A sample essay that clearly cites its sources allows you to have a better list of materials that you can use for research.  If an essay clearly states where specific information can be found, you can easily locate its source.  This way, you will create a broader list of references for yourself.  One of the basic qualities that can give you a winning essay is a good set of illustrative evidence.

Write with your own style

You might find the sample essay so fascinating that you would want your own essay to be just like it.  While it is good to strive for excellence, it is not advisable to imitate other people’s style.  They are able to write well because they are using their own style and so should you.  Choose a writing style that is comfortable and natural to you. This way, you can express your ideas much better.

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Best Tips for Using a Sample Admission Essay without Resorting to Plagiarism

Referring to a sample admission essay is a good way of starting your own admission essay.  Most of us feel uncertain on how to begin or conclude an essay.  That is why having a sample admission essay as a reference is a good way of starting your essay. You only have to avoid plagiarism.  Plagiarism happens when you use the words of other people without clearly and properly acknowledging the source.  As writing an admission essay is just like producing any other publication, the tips are pretty much the same.

Quote and tell

Paraphrasing is an excellent way of showing your critical ability and reading comprehension.  It shows that you understand the text well enough to translate it into your own words.  It gives a good impression to your admission evaluators and can earn you good admission points.  However, you must acknowledge the sample admission essay upon which you base your statement.  In cases where you cannot keep your paraphrase from being too close to the original statement, better use quotation marks.  Never forget to indicate the source whether they are quoted directly or paraphrased ideas.

Quote it right

When you quote, make sure that the words within the quotation marks are accurate.  Since the words fall within these punctuation marks, they are expected to be the exact words of your source.  Never place a word out of order or add your own ideas.  A slight alteration to the original statement from a sample essay is already a case of plagiarism.

Classify information

Plagiarism happens when you use any information that does not originate from you without citing its original source.  However, general information or knowledge needs no citation.  Information can be considered common if it is stated without citation in five credible sources.  If there is any general information found in the sample admission essay that you are using, then you need not quote it.  Just be sure to verify whether the information is general knowledge or not.  If you are not sure, then better cite the essay as a source.

Know how to cite properly

The MLA and APA have guidelines which will help you cite a work properly.  Read and understand the guidelines that each format provides.  This works for two reasons: primarily, it helps you avoid plagiarism by giving due credit to the writer of the sample essay, and admission evaluators will not accept a work that is poorly cited.

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Generally, most books and online essay-writing resources advice applicants to steer clear of sensitive topics.  In the college application essay, sex, religion, and politics are eggshell-thin China cups that will surely crack at the slightest drop or pressure.  Current events are also subjects that most applicants try not to write about, for fear of sounding too op-ed or trying hard to be op-ed.  However, these so-called forbidden subjects will not necessarily hamper one’s chances of getting into one’s dream college or university if incorporated into a college admission essay well.  Here are just a few guidelines that can help you craft that essay should you feel the need to write about sensitive topics for your college applications.

*  College essays that worked: how sensitive themes can work to your advantage

Sensitive topics can work well for the applicant if he or she writes about how a certain experience, belief, or happening affected him or her.  Applicants often make the mistake of coming up with news reports of world events such as 9-11 or the Columbine Massacre, displaying their aptitude in research but gives no glimpses of themselves.  Essays about current political events also often become opinion or editorial pieces that although they give the admissions panel members a lot of your beef on such issues, they make you seem overly critical of everything.(1)

Though sensitive topics are hard to write about, these should not be avoided like some curse that will endanger your chances at college.  In fact, most admissions panel members may even see your boldness at tackling these issues as a positive feature that outlines your fearlessness at expressing your views.  However, be careful with how you handle sensitive topics such as sexual or physical abuse, religion, and even politics in your small town.  Opinions do count, but make sure to have well-founded assumptions based on facts and research.  Your opinions on current events, world matters, politics, sexuality, and even religion among a gamut of other sensitive topics should be presented without malice to others, possibly even the reader, who may hold opposing beliefs to yours.(2)  Sensitive themes can work to your advantage when you don’t focus on them, but instead highlight how it has affected you, how you felt about it, and how it changed others as well.

*  College admission essay sample: How not to go overboard with your discussion

It’s very easy to get carried away when writing a college application essay, especially if you’re good at weaving stories together.  However, one should always keep the essay prompt or topic in mind when writing a college application essay.   You can elucidate all you want about the national gross product and its effect on small industries in your town but always round off your essay with your own insights and experiences.

When discussing sensitive topics such as politics or religion, it’s so easy to just spew forth one’s opinions and feelings and even come across as malicious and at times preachy.  Think about an audience, or who will be the ones who’ll read your piece.  You may have strong opinions about a certain issue, but so does everyone else and if one of the panel members holds opinions that differ from yours, this may be offensive or uncomfortable for them to read.  Instead, write about your views on religion and politics in a way that says how these eventually helped you become what you are or how these have changed your view of life.

World events that happen near to home or within close proximity are also ideal essay topics to write about.  However, applicants always make the mistake of just narrating what really happened in a journalistic fashion that essays often sound like news reports or blogs.  To help make cohesive essays about these issues, one should always bring back the focus to one’s self.  Write not about what you really saw or experienced about a bombing or a celebration, but about what and how you felt about it.(3)  This is a new insight that would not only give panel members the juicier details of the event, but also read out your thoughts and feelings towards it.

*  Scholarship sample essay: How to express your intentions and goals sincerely

Another obstacle that one has to clear is the application for a scholarship should you be hard up on money or the fees in a certain school are just way beyond your means.  Aside from the personal statement for college admission, those applying for scholarships will further encounter the hurdles of writing to secure financial assistance for one’s education.  Most scholarships will ask for essays that will show how and what your reactions and intents are to certain issues.  Those funded by certain organizations can also give specific questions and topics pertaining to their causes.  Aside from feeling strongly towards the scholarship’s cause, one should also do ample research on the topic at hand.  Producing an essay on a sensitive topic can definitely help you get a chance for that scholarship if you present it in a coherent, informative, and insightful manner.

(1) http://www.longview.k12.wa.us/mmhs/wyatt/pathway/cllad.html
(2) http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html#7
(3) http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2002/04/01/07students.h13.html

If you’re all set to apply for college yet have just the average grades to make it, boost your chances of getting in by writing an excellent college admissions essay.  Members of college admissions panels are usually seasoned at judging students based on the essays that they’ve written and could very well get tired of those that not only reveal a little about the student but are generally boring and poorly written.  Some colleges and universities however have gotten past the boring 250-word essays about one’s skills and have instead devised application topics and questions that are wacky, wild, and outright weird.  The University of Chicago is one such institution that is famous for having weird topics and questions that not only encourage creativity but make the application process a fun and memorable one.(1)  Some found the approach to be even more difficult than writing about why one wants to go to a certain college.  However, the answers to these questions often reveal more about the applicant.  So dredge up those wild, wacky and weird memories and turn them into the winning pieces that will get you into the college of your dreams.

*  Advantages of having a weird and unusual topic for your college admission essay

Both the applicant and the academic institution he or she is applying for can benefit from having these weird and wacky essay topics and prompts.  For colleges, having an off-beat prompt for the college admission essay ensures them that they will be getting answers that are more than just arbitrary submissions from students.  Having weird topics also ensure that students don’t rely on websites that sell pre-packed essays answering the most dour questions such as what is one’s best quality.  A school that poses quirky topics also markets itself as being a hip and intellectual place where students with the same inclination can find their place.(2)

For applicants, weird prompts from your desired school can bring out the best in you.  Offbeat questions and topics encourage the applicant to be more creative in expressing their thoughts to the issue at hand.  Weird topics also guarantee no wrong answers, but one has to make an essay that is creative and engaging enough to pass muster.  Though the topics may seem mind-boggling at first, these are actually quite easy to write after due reflection.  However, bear in mind to stick close to what the prompt or question is in order to avoid getting carried away in writing your college admission essay.  Also be mindful of word number, style, and format.

*  Pitfalls of having an unusual topic for your essays for college applications

However, not all quirky ideas get the best results.  Aside from applicants, parents themselves are having a hard time deciphering weird essay topics and prompts.  Some even see these weird questions unnecessary, adding even more stress to already stressed out applicants.  There are some who believe that these kinds of weird questions only serve to amuse members of admissions panels who are bored from reading thousands of standard department store-type essays.(3)  Others see these types of topics to be excuses for weeding out more applicants and reducing the number of accepted enrollees to further uphold the exclusive status of most schools.  Students who get too enamored with writing about weird topics and experiences may also fall into the trap of rambling on and not answering the question at hand.  Those who also rely on online sources may also find it hard to get sample essays to base their admission pieces on as the prompts given to them by universities often get wackier and more creative every year.

Some colleges and academic institutions have also felt the brunt of their actions, getting minimal applications and many essays that missed the mark.  They reverted back to conventional, if less radical questions, in order to attract applicants who are not up to the challenge of thinking out of the box.

*  Making weird topics in your essays for college admission more engaging to read

Having a unique and out-of-this-world piece doesn’t always guarantee a slot in one’s dream college or university.  In fact, despite the fact that admissions panel members expect wacky and fun pieces from applicants, pieces that are just too weird also turn them off.  The trick is to find the right balance between quirkiness and coherence.  Make your piece an easy read by using easily understood terms and phrases and use these in unique and original ways that show off your skill with words and comprehension.  If you want to follow a certain style or theme of writing, make sure to sustain it until the end.

Quirky and weird college admission essays may go round and round in every which way creativity and aesthetics go.  However, applicants who employ this kind of approach to writing a college admission essay should always remember to pack a lot in the punchline.  A strong thesis statement would help anchor your essay together, making it come across as unique and creative at the same time.

(1)http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/essays.shtml
(2)http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000102&slug=A20000105010054
(3)http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000102&slug=A20000105010054