Admissions essay
Encyclopedia
An admissions essay, admission essay, college essay, app essay or personal statement is written by a prospective student as part of some college
, university
and graduate school
admissions processes. The admissions essay is a vehicle by which colleges and universities learn more about applicants.
The importance admission counselors place on admissions essays varies greatly. Some schools place little or no importance on the essay and others place the greatest amount of importance on the essay. Generally, liberal arts colleges place a greater importance on the essay than major universities but this is not always the case.
Some higher education professionals believe the admissions essay is the most important part of an admission application.
Most schools choose one or more topics for applicants to write on, but there are some schools, such as Harvard Business School
's current MBA application essay 4 , that have an "open topic" policy in place, meaning that the applicant can write on any subject they choose. Common topics include career aspirations, academic strengths and weaknesses, past experiences, and reasons for applying to a particular school.
Excellent college admissions essay resources can be found online. These resources include sample essays, blogs, articles, videos, and tools. College and university websites, in particular, provide great tips on crafting a persuasive college admissions essay.
The Common Application requires a general admissions essay, in addition to any supplemental admissions essays required by member institutions. The Common Application offers students six admissions essay prompts from which to choose.
The application process for All Souls College, Oxford
has the reputation of being the hardest examination in the world. It consists of several specialist papers and, until 2010, also required candidates to write an essay upon a topic suggested by a single word such as Possessions, which was the topic of successful Fellow
, A. L. Rowse
. This was especially challenging because it provided great scope to demonstrate imagination and intelligence.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
admissions processes. The admissions essay is a vehicle by which colleges and universities learn more about applicants.
The importance admission counselors place on admissions essays varies greatly. Some schools place little or no importance on the essay and others place the greatest amount of importance on the essay. Generally, liberal arts colleges place a greater importance on the essay than major universities but this is not always the case.
Some higher education professionals believe the admissions essay is the most important part of an admission application.
Most schools choose one or more topics for applicants to write on, but there are some schools, such as Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
's current MBA application essay 4 , that have an "open topic" policy in place, meaning that the applicant can write on any subject they choose. Common topics include career aspirations, academic strengths and weaknesses, past experiences, and reasons for applying to a particular school.
Excellent college admissions essay resources can be found online. These resources include sample essays, blogs, articles, videos, and tools. College and university websites, in particular, provide great tips on crafting a persuasive college admissions essay.
The Common Application requires a general admissions essay, in addition to any supplemental admissions essays required by member institutions. The Common Application offers students six admissions essay prompts from which to choose.
The application process for All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
has the reputation of being the hardest examination in the world. It consists of several specialist papers and, until 2010, also required candidates to write an essay upon a topic suggested by a single word such as Possessions, which was the topic of successful Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
, A. L. Rowse
A. L. Rowse
Alfred Leslie Rowse, CH, FBA , known professionally as A. L. Rowse and to friends and family as Leslie, was a British historian from Cornwall. He is perhaps best known for his work on Elizabethan England and his poetry about Cornwall. He was also a Shakespearean scholar and biographer...
. This was especially challenging because it provided great scope to demonstrate imagination and intelligence.