Admission Essay Template

1. Step 1: Research
   Percent time spent on this step: 30%

   Instructions:

   • Get to know the application requirements
     

     Before you start writing your admission essay, you need to know the expectations and requirements of the educational institution that you will be submitting your materials to.

     • Open the website of the university you are interested in. Usually, websites of educational institutions have a section called “Admission procedure,” or “Admission notification,” and so on. Read the information in these sections carefully; pay attention to paragraphs where requirements to students are listed.
     • Read through the rest of the website; sometimes, important information can be scattered in different sections, articles, blog posts, and so on. If there is an F.A.Q. section, it would be wise to study it as well. Suck the website dry of information regarding admission.
     • Ask questions. If you feel like you did not understand something, or have not found an answer to a specific question you had, do not hesitate to directly contact the college or university you are interested in. Usually, you can find a phone number and email at the bottom of a website’s page; you can also use the “Contact Us” form.
     • Take records of everything you learn about being admitted into your selected educational institution: documents you need to submit, visiting days, consultations, and so on.

   • Learn more about the university or college of your choice
     

     If you want to make a reasonable decision regarding your further education, it would be a good idea to research about the college or university of your choice.

     • Browse the website again. Read about the institution’s history, vision, and traditions--find out which disciplines it is the most known for.
     • Browse Internet resources as well as printed media in order to find any mention about the institution of your choice. There exist websites dedicated to reviewing different educational institutions--try searching there.
     • Browse forums and Internet communities of people somehow connected to the institution of your choice. It can be a forum run by students of this institution, a Facebook group, a LiveJournal community, and so on. In such places, you can collect valuable “unofficial” and “insider” information.
2. Step 2: Preparation
   Percent time spent on this step: 25%

   Instructions:

   • Think over your personal traits
     

     You need to create a list of positive qualities that you possess; you will need this list in the process of writing your admission essay.

     • Try to evaluate yourself objectively, and find several positive qualities which you possess, and which can somehow relate to education. For example, it can be a skill to clearly express your thoughts; responsibility; good memory; deep interest and enthusiasm towards a specific discipline, and so on.
     • Resist the temptation to list qualities that, as you think, the admissions committee would like to hear. Be honest.
     • List your academic achievements. It works the same way as work experiences in a resume; admissions committees usually positively react to such credentials.

   • Answer the most probable questions an admissions committee will ask
     

     Rather often, it is not just a set of an enrollee’s qualities which makes an admissions committee make a decision in his or her favor, but also this person’s motivation and clear vision of his or her career.

     • What is your main motive in receiving an education? What makes you want to study in this particular educational institution?
     • Why would an admissions committee of this particular educational institution prefer you over other candidates? (When answering this question, you can use your previously composed list of academic achievements)
     • What makes you suitable for this particular educational program, college, or university? When answering this question, you can use your previously composed list of advantages and personal qualities)
     • Briefly write down the answers. They will serve as supporting evidence to the claims you will be making in your admissions essay.
3. Step 3: Write a Draft
   Percent time spent on this step: 20%

   Instructions:

   • Organize your notes
     

     Before you start writing your essay, organize and sort your notes.

     • Carefully reread what you have written in order to check whether everything you have written so far (notes on previous experiences, list of your positive qualities, admission rules, educational institution requirements, and so on) is relevant and up to date.
     Decide on what information you will and will not include in your admission essay.

   • Develop the structure
     

     Think about how the information in your essay will be organized. Below is one of the possible ways to organize an admission essay.

     • Introduce some general information about yourself. This part will serve as an introduction and its main purpose is to make members of the admissions committee read on.
     • Next goes the block about your motivation. Tell the admissions committee why you want to study in their particular institution, what makes you suitable for it and why the committee should prefer you over other candidates, and so on. You can use your answers from Task 2, Subtask 2.
     • List your recent experiences relevant to disciplines you want to major in when entering a college, or which are connected to the educational institution of your choice in some other way.
     • Mention extracurricular activities that you are engaged in, your hobbies, and personal qualities. If they somehow match with the institution's requirements, or can somehow contribute to both institution and your studying process, you can add some details. Otherwise, it is better not to expand on this section too much.
     • Directly address members of the admissions committee in a formal manner; express hope that your candidacy will be accepted, or emphasize how important this institution is to you, tell them how you are looking forward to their decision, and so on.
4. Step 4: Final Draft
   Percent time spent on this step: 20%

   Instructions:

   • Work on your style
     

     Before proofreading your essay, deal with its style first.

     • If you have extra time before submitting your essay, put it aside for a while. Creating distance between yourself and your writing will refresh your mind and help you see its flaws clearly.
     • Print out your admission essay draft and read it aloud. This method is extremely effective for finding out inconsistencies, crudeness of writing, flimsy expressions, and so on. Mark problematic places in the text.
     • Edit and/or rewrite all the marked places. Repeat until you feel satisfied with the result.

   • Work on the technicalities
     

     Now, when the final text of your admission essay is ready, you can focus on correcting technical mistakes.

     • Check if all the grammar and punctuation is correct.
     • Make sure there are no typos.
     • Ensure that the document is without inconsistencies.
5. Step 5: Feedback
   Percent time spent on this step: 5%

   Instructions:

   • Ask a colleague or tutor to look over your final draft
     

     Visiting your school writing center is the best option. If you are not in school, hire a private tutor to look over your writing.

     • Set an appointment at your local writing center. Be sure to be on time, to bring in a printed copy of your writing, and to be open to suggestions/critique.
     • When hiring a private tutor, it is better to hire an experienced tutor that charges a bit more than expected. They can, sometimes, completely change your outlook on wiring and dramatically improve your writing.

   • Make corrections as necessary
     

     Listen carefully to what your colleague and/or tutor has said, and make notes about what needs to change. Use your best discretion and change your admission essay according to your teacher’s criteria.

     • When receiving criticism, be open-minded. Do not fall into the trap of being defensive.
     • Do not be overly-receptive as well. Do not change your entire admission essay based on others’ comments if the changes do not work better than the original.