Strike the Right Chord
Writing an application essay for colleges abroad can be a process of self-discovery. Five points to factor in as you don your writing hat.
With a growing number of aspirants vying for a spot at the finest universities abroad, making your application stand out is becoming an increasingly challenging proposition. Educational institutions look for wellrounded bright students with a unique story. College essays and statements of purpose (SOP) allow you to create a vibrant and vivid lexical hologram of yourself to make the application come alive. While
each application essay is different, choose what you share and how you share it.
RESPOND TO THE PROMPT
SOPs require you to respond to a prompt which is the fundamental question or theme of the essay. It is imperative to read the question carefully and spend time comprehending and analysing what is being asked. This will ensure that you begin on the right note and focus on including information pertinent to the prompt. All incidents, examples and anecdotes shared in the essay should clearly relate to the main theme of the essay. Connect the dots and bring all pieces of the story together to build a cohesive piece of writing.
DON’T JUST NARRATE, ANALYSE
College essays and SOPs allow admissions committees to evaluate your reasoning as well as critical thinking skills. The application essay should not be a laundry list of your life’s accomplishments or a brazen exhibition of your talents. It should have cogent intellectual arguments, reflect your opinion, showcase your ability to critique holistically and demonstrate your decision-making skills.
ITERATIONS MATTER
It always helps to review and improve your essay to ensure that everything that makes it to the final draft has been purposefully selected. It is important to take your time with the iterations so you can view your essay from different perspectives which may be a bit challenging if you try to complete everything in one sitting. While reviewing, pay attention to essential elements of good writing including grammar, syntax and vocabulary to present your ideas.
BE HONEST
Admissions committees go through thousands of essays and can figure out if an applicant is not sincere in what he/she narrates. Being honest also means that your essay is an original piece of writing and not plagiarised in its idea and execution. Admissions committees have a variety of tools at their disposal that help them determine whether an essay is original. Additionally, even if you discuss your essay with parents, mentors, friends and counsellors, make sure that you make the edits but the writing remains true to your voice and style of expression.
USE ELEMENTS OF STORYTELLING
Well-crafted SOPs have a way of engaging the reader. If it suits your writing style, use humor and pathos to create the desired effect. Creating visual imagery will also put the reader at the centre of all the action and make the story relatable. Remember to have an arc in your story where you begin with an interesting ‘hook’ or a germ of an idea and show its entire journey from conception to realisation. This will also help you showcase your ability to take abstract concepts and develop them into tangible outcomes.