sample admission essay

Getting the attention of the admission committee should be the goal of those who aspire to get into a prestigious university.  There are many ways of getting the committee’s interest.  These include writing a notable admission essay.  But what would make your essay notable?

An essay could only be considered noteworthy if it is free from cliches and other overused terms and expressions.  You have to come up with fresh ideas for your essay and also fresh ways to express these ideas.  To do this, it is important that you know what are the terms and expressions that you have to avoid.  Read on to know the expressions that should not appear on your admission essay.

“I want to give back to the world”

It is good that you let the admissions committee know that you are a person who also thinks of others and who is willing to share what you have with the rest of the world.  However, you have to keep in mind that the “I want to give back to the world” line is already overused.  Hundreds of applicants before you probably used this line.  If you don’t want to remain faceless in the eyes of the admission committee, like others before you, why not think of other means to state your “I want to repay the world” idea?  Instead of trying to overwhelm the admission officers by stating something “big,” why not state it in a simple and subtle way?  If you do this, you’ll sound more sincere.

“I want to make a difference in one’s life”

Another superficial phrase you have to avoid is “I want to make a difference in one’s life.”  This sounds insincere.  Stating this would give the impression that you are desperate to catch the admission officers’ attention that you would say something that would make you appear so kind and selfless.  This is definitely not effective.

“I’m here to make my dreams a reality”

Last but not the least on the list is the phrase “I’m here to make my dreams a reality.”  Instead of writing this phrase, you could just write about your dream and talk about how your application can make your dream come true.  The rule is, be specific.  And importantly, show don’t tell.

You have to keep these phrases in mind and make sure that you avoid using them on your admission essay.  Just be honest.  You don’t have to say something “big” in order to be interesting.  The most important thing is be yourself and write something which no one else has ever written.  As a tip, read a well-written sample admission essay for a guide.

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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.

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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.
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When putting together your college application package, you will probably be required to submit an application essay.  While your transcripts, resume, and SAT scores will probably be the first thing that schools look at, your college application essay may just be the x-factor that gets you into the school of your choice.  Because of the importance of the application essay, it’s important to think of topics that are interesting and relevant to your application.  If you have had job experience in high school, you may want to focus on that topic, because it shows a sense of responsibility, hard work, and independence.(1)  Read on to learn more about focusing on your high school job experiences in your college application essay or personal statement.

Why including high school job experiences in your application essay or personal statement is helpful

The main purpose of the application essay is to serve as an introduction.  You are introducing yourself to the admissions committee and the college or university that you want to study in.  Writing about your high school job experiences and how they have helped to develop your character is a good way of introducing yourself through your college application essay.  Even just the ability to balance school life and work life is a great advantage of those who worked through high school, which is why it can be favorable for you to write about such a topic.  Working while studying helps to build work ethic, responsibility, and character – three key traits that many admissions committees look for in applicants.(2)

How to discuss what you’ve learned from high school job experiences in your college application essay or college entrance essays

When writing your college admissions essay about your high school job experiences, the number one pitfall to avoid is listing and enumerating.  The resume and personal information that you submit along with your application package will already have the basic information on your achievements and practical experience.  Try to avoid merely listing the jobs or experiences that you have had as a working student and, instead, tell the story of how you have learned valuable lessons, developed important values, and practiced certain virtues.(3)  For example, instead of talking about the kind of work you did, try to single out an instance when you had to make an important decision that helped you learn a lot about yourself, your work, and your life in general.

Aside from the subject matter, you should also concern yourself with the mechanics of the essay and how you present yourself in the essay.  First, make sure that your essay does not have any typographical or grammatical errors.  Take time to edit your essay well and eliminate any and all technical mistakes.  Second, be as truthful and honest as you can.  If the admissions committee finds out that the information in your essay or your other records is not true, then you can forget about getting into the college, because they probably won’t accept you.  Finally, make sure to let your personality shine through.  Remember, you are trying to introduce yourself, so you should let your character and personality come through in your essay.(4)

How a sample application essay focusing on previous work experiences can help you write your personal statement

If you are having a hard time writing your personal statement, try taking a look at some sample application essays that also focus on work experience.  Reading sample essays is a great way to get ideas, inspiration, and motivation for your own essay.  Take note of the theme, tone, and format of the sample application essay so you can get an idea of how to go about your own essay.  Just make sure that you are using the sample admission essays to get inspiration and not to copy from.(5)  You may even want to use sample college admission essays to learn.  For example, you can critique certain sample essays to see what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes to make sure that the essay you write is better.(6)

Why comparing your personal statement draft with a sample application essay can be helpful

So you have finally finished your essay and you are looking for ways to improve on it.  One great way of editing your personal statement draft is to compare it with a sample application essay.  Read both of the papers side-by-side and see if there are any areas that you can edit to make your essay better.  Some of the changes you will make can be as simple as spelling corrections, while other changes may require you to rewrite an entire paragraph.  Make sure to go over your essay a few times until you are happy with it.  You may even want to have your essay read by a parent, teacher, advisor, or counselor to see if they have any helpful suggestions, corrections, or comments.  In the end, what you are aiming for is an excellent college application essay that will help get you a slot in the college of your choice.

(1) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(2)  http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(3) http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/essay_tips.htm
(4) http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(5) http://businessmajors.about.com/od/applicationessays/Sample_Application_Essays.htm
(6) http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/EssayYouthBoard_3.htm

Whether you are planning to go into undergraduate studies or post-graduate studies, you will probably have to complete and submit an application package for the admissions committee.  The application package is more than just a requirement to get into schools, but it also serves as an introduction of yourself to the admissions committee of the schools that you apply to.  For this reason, it is essential that you do a great job on your application package if you wish to take up undergraduate college or post-graduate studies, especially for popular fields such as medicine.  This article will cover some of the basic differences between the college admissions process and the medical school admissions process.

The medical school admissions process vs.  the college admission or university admission process

The admissions processes for medical schools and undergraduate schools differ in a number of ways.  The most basic and obvious difference is that medical schools usually have more specific application requirements.  Colleges, universities, and medical schools will all ask for your personal information and transcripts, but medical schools usually also require applicants to have taken up specific courses that are related to medicine.  Sciences, such as Biology, Physics, and Chemistry are normally required for medical school admission.  For US schools or international schools, students may be required to have taken up at least one year of English.(1)

In truth, whether you are applying for college or medical school, the application requirements and admissions process will differ from school to school.  Fortunately, programs such as the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)(2) and The Common Application for Undergraduate College Admission(3) are making efforts to simplify the application process.  Basically, the AMCAS and the Common Application provide a primary application process that allows applicants to complete and submit a common application form with the basic information that most medical schools, colleges, and universities require.  The application forms are then sent to the schools that the applicant wants to apply to.  The costs for either the AMCAS or the Common Application will depend on the number of schools being applied to.  Applicants who have a chance of getting into the school applied for will be sent a secondary application form with more specific requirements, such as application essays.

Usual college admissions or university application requirements (4)

Application fee
Personal information or resume
Official transcripts
Recommendation letters
SAT or ACT scores
Admissions essay
Interview
Secondary application (if necessary)

Usual medical school requirements (5)

Application fee
Personal information or resume
Official transcripts
Recommendation letters or evaluation letters
DAT, MCAT, or GRE scores
Admissions essays
Interview
Secondary application (if necessary)

Preparing for the medical school admissions process

As can be seen in the lists above, the requirements for medical school and undergraduate schools are quite similar.  In most cases, however, medical schools are stricter when it comes to evaluating, assessing, and accepting students.  For many schools, the number of slots they have available are far fewer than the number of applicants, which is why medical schools normally have high standards.  To get ahead of the competition, try to follow some of the following tips for your medical school application:(6)

Make sure to complete and compile all of the requirements in a neat and organized manner.  Presentation surely isn’t everything, but a clean and neat application package is certainly more welcome than one that has a bunch of markings and crossed-out entries.
Make a schedule so you can keep track of submission deadlines and important meetings, such as interviews or meetings with those who are writing your evaluation and recommendation letters.  Always submit before the deadline, but make sure that you have put in enough time and effort to make the best application package you can.

Try reading some sample medical school admissions essays to get an idea of the questions asked, topics written about, the overall format, and the tone of the essays.  When writing your own essay, be sure to write more than just your achievements.  Tell the story of how your achievements have changed you and helped you develop virtues and values that are essential for medical school and medicine practice in general.(7)

Medical school interviews

One of the most important medical school requirements is the interview.  If you make it to the interview stage of the admissions process, then you are probably on track to getting into the school.  The fact that the school called you in for an interview means that you are actually worth their time and effort to interview.  Here are some tips on how to do a great job on your medical school admission interview:

Try to get to know the school that you are applying to.  Gather information on the history of the school, the courses offered at the school, and what makes it different from other schools.(8)  Take some time to read, understand and formulate answers to some of the commonly asked interview questions.(9)  Finally, try to be confident, but not arrogant.  If you know your goals and why you want to go to medical school, then you will probably do a great job on your interview.  Just relax and have confidence in yourself.

(1) http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/about/start.htm
(2) http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/
(3) https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx
(4) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(5) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/medical-school-admissions/
(6) http://careers.dyc.edu/guide/sec5/med_and_law_school_app_tips.htm
(7) http://www.cmu.edu/hpp/achieve/pstips.html
(8) http://gradschool.about.com/od/medicalschool/f/InterviewMS.htm
(9) http://career.berkeley.edu/Health/MedInterview.stm

When you decide to pursue higher education, you have to choose between going to a university and enrolling in a community college. Assessing your choices is important; your choice of school can affect your future career. Below are several factors to consider when deciding between going to a university and going to a community college.

* Adapting to a new school

Community colleges are smaller and have less students than universities do, so it might be easier for you to adapt to a new life at a community college. But if you’re up for the challenge of going to a university, then perhaps going to one will be best for you. Even if you choose to go to a community college first, you can still enroll in a university to continue your education later on.

* Degrees and programs offered by the institution

Universities offer degrees in various fields. These degrees range from associate degrees to doctoral degrees. Community colleges, on the other hand, only offer bachelor’s degrees,. Some of these colleges only have programs that will earn you an Associate of Arts degree.

* Cost of education

Going to a community college will have you paying fees that are significantly less than those charged by universities. In case you want to go to a university but you don’t have enough funds for your education, make it a point to inquire about scholarships or obtain other forms of financial aid.

* Housing options and location of the school

If you want to go to a school that’s right near your home, you may want to consider enrolling in a community college. What’s great about being close to school is that you won’t have to look for an apartment or dorm– you can just live at home. This cuts down school expenses. But if you’ve decided to go to a university that’s far away from home, you have to assess various housing options located inside or around the school.

Whether you choose to enroll in a community college or a university, you will most likely be required to submit a admission essay. If you don’t know how to write one, you should consider look at a good sample  admission essay. A sample admission essay can give you ideas for topics and themes. When reading a sample admission essay, you can also get a concrete idea of what you should put in your own personal statement. Keep in mind that your admission essay must be interesting and well-written to increase your chances of getting accepted into your chosen school and program.

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The first ever college founded in North America, Harvard University found its small beginnings almost four centuries ago, in 1636. Through the vote of Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the college started with nine students, a far cry from the current enrollees of 18,000 (excluding those enrolled in the he Harvard Extension School) . The University was named after the young minister named John Harvard of Charlestown who left half his estate and his library to the budding institution when he died in 1638.
With its rich history, Harvard University boasts of alumni like seven of US’ presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George W. Bush; poets EE Cummings and TS Eliot, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, to mention a few.

Free sample admission essay outlines customized to YOUR biography
Free admissions essays examples

The University started wit an academic model of English university associated with Puritan philosophy although it was never officially affiliated with a particular religion or denomination. At present, Harvard University aims to foster an atmosphere of freedom– freedom to think, express oneself, create and explore. The environment of diversity, critical thinking and excellence taps into the potential of each student; Harvard University does not only yield students brilliant in their specializations but it also produces responsible individuals and great leaders. If the range of famous alumni does not speak for itself already, the University tops the country’s University lists. A Harvard degree is well recognized throughout the country as well as all over the world.

The requirements for Harvard university admissions are as follows:

1. The Application form: One may request for or download application forms from the admissions website. On line application is also an option. Financial aid may be granted and Financial aid forms may be filled out along with the regular application forms. Admission requirements and forms may be accessed from the official admissions website: http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/index.html .

2. Fee: An application fee of $65 applies although the fee may be waived upon request (a fee waiver request must be completed by the guidance counselor and attached to the application). The fee may be paid on-line using a credit card or through check/money order. The applicant’s name must appear on the check or money order, and the check/money order should be attached to the application form.

3. Official score reports from the SAT I or ACT , and three SAT II Subject Tests.

4. Secondary School Report and Mid-Year School Report: This report must be filled out by the school counselor or college adviser.

5. Two Teacher Evaluations: Teachers writing the evaluation must be of two different academic subjects and has sufficient knowledge of student’s performance and character. Applicant’s teachers during the last two years of secondary school is recommended. Supplement evaluations may also be submitted such as those from significant people outside of classroom who can provide testimony about applicant.

These requirements should be mailed to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (taking note of the deadlines of submission) at 86 Brattle StreetCambridge, MA 02138. After 1-2 weeks upon receipt of application, admissions office will send an e-mail to the applicant, providing an access code needed to access the information on line (https://admweb.fas.harvard.edu/ha/Applicant/ApplicantFrame.html ).

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