A college degree opens up myriad doors to a lucrative career. Yet securing your place can be a daunting task; you’ll need to spare no effort to ace your application process and stand out from the crowd.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of the college application process, preparing wisely, and crafting a stellar academic essay that will make the selection committee beam with pride.
Acting on the spur of the moment can be thrilling in everyday life, yet it’s not the best strategy when applying to college. A great college application is not written overnight. Allow yourself plenty of time to organize your thoughts and develop your unique story. Whether it’s consulting one-of-a-kind research paper writing services to nail your admission essay or practicing your finest grin in front of the mirror before a college interview, preparation is your best bet.
Most importantly, research the colleges you’re applying to. Carefully weigh their requirements against your lifelong aspirations to understand which one suits you best. Applying to college just because your best buddy went there or because it ranks high on a few websites is a lame approach. You should devote enough time to researching colleges best suited to your goals. In the end, this is one of the most important choices you’ll ever make. And the more meticulous your preparation, the better your odds of success.
Your personal essay is your primary selling point; it can make or break your chances of getting in. No matter how pristine your grades and references are, a bad essay can easily ruin your application.
No one is born a storyteller. To craft a compelling narrative, you need to master the language you’re writing in. Don’t wait until the last minute to start practicing your writing skills. Take our word for it: the selection committee will know. You could browse through research papers for sale or attend a plethora of top-notch courses available on fairly-priced sites like Udemy. Today’s world is ripe with possibilities; use them to your fullest advantage!
Your application should be more than just a laundry list of experiences. Because individuality and self-expression are increasingly valued in today’s society, it’s critical that you give the selection committee a glimpse into the kind of person you are and the positive changes you intend to bring about.
Many students assume that if they don’t tick all the boxes, they’re less likely to be admitted. Not true. In 2022, colleges want you to reflect more deeply on who you are. It would be superfluous to only mention your involvement in a school club; also explain how you’ve been taking care of your younger sibling or working as a freelancer to help with family expenses. Don’t forget to mention how the circumstances have shaped your personality.
When asking for recommendations, don’t limit yourself to the teachers who’ve given you the best grades. Grades are important, yet they are a crude representation of your true abilities. Even if you’ve excelled academically, a reference written by an unimaginative teacher who cannot elaborate on your personality can easily put the reader off.
Think of a teacher who’s the most fun to communicate with, who has witnessed and appreciated your perseverance even despite your initial poor performance, or who can share an anecdote about you.
Consider other parts of your application, the strengths you’ve previously mentioned, and the ones you could bring up. Pick a professor who can help your application shine through the competition.
Don’t try to cater to what you think colleges want to see. Nothing beats genuine self-presentation for making your application stand out. So, before you crack open your guide for writing to help you craft your personal essay, be sure to go deep into your inner self and find that authentic vantage point that will guide your entire preparation and result in a flawless application.
Being authentic takes effort and imagination. The Latin root of the word “authenticity” is “author,” hinting that the fundamental meaning of the word is being the author of your personality and fate. Hence, being authentic is an active and creative process, requiring you to cultivate your own persona. Overwhelming though this task may be, the rewards are immense.
College applications are extremely hard to get right, so you can be forgiven for sweating over every minute detail. Yet if you adopt the right mindset, preparing for college in 2022 does not have to be burdensome. If you start planning way ahead, honing your writing skills, and pondering your true aspirations- your efforts will bear fruit.
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Andrew Mazur is an admissions faculty member and blogger. Andrew cherishes every moment spent communicating with students and evaluating their applications for granting him the opportunity to contribute to their progress. In his spare time, Andrew writes instructive blogs to
help young people take advantage of all the available resources out there and thrive in college.
Photo by Ketut Sybiyanto on Pexels
