What does it take to get to Ivy League institutions? Of course, you need a GPA that’s no lower than 3.5. You also need to score better than the required 1300 on your SAT. Now that you’ve met these requirements, you think you’re ready to go to Harvard or Yale? Not yet.
It is said that only 8% to 15% of applicants get admitted to Ivy League institutions. With a very low acceptance rate, you must give your application your best shot. We all know by now that admission essays can be your ticket to getting on board the Ivy League community. But with all those writing tips and sample college application essays you can use as reference, why do you think a lot of students still fail to make a good impression on their application?
Take a look at these to see what a lot of applicants have been doing wrong when writing their personal statements:
* Getting TOO personal with your essay writing
How many times have you heard that your application essay should be personal, that it should talk about your experiences, accomplishments, and skills? Do you think the admissions committee would be happy to learn about your summer vacation? Or, should you focus more on experiences that are revealing of your true self and capabilities? How do you know if you’re getting TOO personal or just adding a little creativity to your writing? It all lies on how you choose stories to tell, what experiences and thoughts to share.
Remember, your application essay is not poetry or your autobiography. You must get your message across clearly. Make every anecdote or experience count. Make sure that they not only tell something about yourself but best illustrate reasons for you to get accepted to Ivy League institutions as well.
* Losing Your OWN Voice
Good sample college application essays set the standard for what it is acceptable and what is not. In the course of going over each and every sample that serve as a guide, better not lose yourself into it. Write as you speak, if you want your application essay to be unique. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. After handling thousands of applications every year, don’t you think the admissions committee are capable of seeing through your lies and pretenses?
Don’t try to be Edgar Allan Poe or sound like Abraham Lincoln. Instead, develop your writing style in a way you tell close friends about an interesting story, or the way you speak to them about your goals and aspirations. Know what a specific course program requires or what kind of students the school is looking for.
* Trying TOO hard to impress readers
The panel is composed of esteemed members of the academe, but you don’t have to try too hard to impress them and have the same level of intelligence. It’s a bad sign when, upon reading your application essay, it makes them want to pull out a dictionary. Essay writing experts advise that you focus on expressing yourself better and use words that can clearly convey your thoughts on the topic.
Be clear with your intentions. Create an outline of ideas, think of interesting starts and persuasive conclusions. With that in mind, you’re on your way to writing a winning essay.
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