How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Admission Essay: What To Write

What personal achievement are you most proud of? How can your strengths to add to the university community? If you have trouble coming up with something to write when working on your college admission essay, don’t fret! You definitely aren’t alone. Like you, many students struggle with answering such questions when applying to university. Apply at a singapore university today.

When posed with such questions, most of us draw a blank. It’s easy to come up with something good to say about another person. But, when it comes to talking about ourselves, most of us struggle to find things to say. This isn’t to say you’ve done nothing with your life or you have no identifiable strengths. It just takes some effort and prompting to come up with things to say. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of tips on how to go about identifying personal strengths that can be included when writing your college admission essay.  Read on to find out more!

What have you overcome?

When thinking about what to write for your admission essay, some questions you can ask yourself are: What challenges have I faced so far? What have I done to overcome them?

No one goes through life without having to face obstacles. And, to overcome such difficulties, you’ll need strength to get through them. Maybe you’ve had to overcome a devastating loss. Or, maybe you’ve struggled with bullying in school. Perhaps you got held back a year and had to work extra hard to make it to the next grade. All these experiences require a conscious effort to accept the situation you’re in and think of a way to deal with it or work it out. Throughout this process, you would have developed various qualities such as perseverance, confidence, bravery, and ambition. Such experiences and the traits you’ve gained from them are all strengths that you can write about in your admission essay as they are a testimony of your character and personal resolve.

In addition, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as an insignificant challenge. All obstacles, no matter how big or small, play a part in making you the person you are today. You may think that getting over your social anxiety isn’t worth writing about, or that getting over your fear of heights isn’t something to be proud of. But, don’t shortchange yourself! The college admission officers don’t need you to have survived a life-threatening disease or volunteered for five years in Africa to be impressed. What’s important is showing how you’ve grown and changed as a person since overcoming that challenge.

What do you enjoy?

Apart from reflecting on the obstacles you have conquered, you can also think about your hobbies when trying to identify personal strengths. Ask yourself: What do you enjoy doing? If you could do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Your favorite pastimes and interests are a great indication of your strengths and what you’re good at doing. Do you enjoy sports? This could mean that you’re good at working with others and are determined. Maybe you like being in the company of others. You’re most likely a social person and a career in communications may be ideal. Do you volunteer during your free time? This shows that you enjoy helping others and connecting with people.

Compile a list of activities that interest you and think about what they say about your character. You don’t have to worry about sounding complacent, just ensure that whatever you say is the truth!

What do people tell you?

As mentioned previously, it’s easier to identify someone else’s strengths than to identify yours. If you’re having a hard time coming up with notable personal strength, try asking someone else for help! People who know you well, like your family and close friends, are good people to ask. Alternatively, you can also approach your professors, teachers, or youth advisors. Just remember, you aren’t looking for showers of praise and compliments. What you’re looking for is alternative perspectives of your personal strengths.

Sometimes, when asking for someone else’s opinion, they may not explicitly state what your strengths are. They may say that you’re good at playing an instrument. Or maybe they’ll say you’re a fantastic cook. Don’t start pestering them to explain more. Simply think about how being good at such things shape your character or contribute to your personal growth.

What stories do you have?

Last but not least, think about personal stories that may help you in identifying your strengths. Stories and anecdotes can also add a personal touch to your writing and help to underscore the crux of your essay.  What’s more, people love reading stories. College admission officers are no exception. Beginning your essay with an anecdote is a great way to capture your readers’ attention as well as to make your admission essay more interesting. Additionally, it can also help you with structuring and organizing your points.

Furthermore, you shouldn’t have trouble thinking of a personal story after reflecting on the challenges you’ve faced and your hobbies. If you enjoy a particular activity, you’re bound to recall at least one memorable memory. Your experiences overcoming challenges and hardship are also most likely drawn from personal stories as well.

However, if you do have trouble coming up with stories, there are many things you can do to jog up past memories. Try looking through your old photos or calling a friend. If you’re the type to journal down your thoughts and reflections, use that as a reference!

Conclusion  

Writing a college admission essay may seem daunting and taxing at first. But, if you put in the time and effort to reflect on the experiences you’ve had and things you’ve learned, you’ll realize that identifying and writing about your personal strengths aren’t hard at all. You don’t have to exaggerate or fabricate stories to make your admission essay more interesting or impressive. Have confidence in your personal strengths and experiences, they have more value than you realize.