Why Every Piece of Writing Matters to Your Chances of Admission
Why Every Piece of Writing Matters to Your Chances of Admission
Your college application is like a multilayered cake, each level representing another delicious aspect of who you are as a person. The flavors and textures must all work together to create a winning combination.
Similarly, the components of your application – essays, activities list, letters of recommendation, and even informal communications – must all work together to tell a cohesive and compelling story. If one or more of them is out of balance with the others, admissions officers will have a difficult time assessing who you really are as an applicant.
Let’s take a closer look at how these four elements work together to tell your story and why that matters to your admissions chances.
Essays
Simply put: your essays are the best way for you to tell your own story in your own words. Make sure to check out our prior posts highlighting advice for each Common App essay prompt as well as for tackling supplements.
There is an expectation that you will put a lot of time and thought into drafting your essays. They should be among the highest quality writing you’ve done to this point in your life. Be careful, however, not to pay so much attention to your personal statement or longer supplements that your short answers sound like they were afterthoughts. The tone and level of sophistication in your writing should be consistent throughout each piece you submit.
Take no essay for granted. Use the full word limit available to you to articulate a clear vision of who you are and what you hope to accomplish.
Activities Lists
How you spend your time matters to admissions officers. Your activities list spells that out for them. The better written your activities list is, the fuller a sense of how you’ll contribute to campus life you create.
Choose impactful verbs hat showcase specific ways you’ve contributed to the various communities to which you belong. Be sure to devote multiple drafts to creating this document.
It is likely that one or more of your essays will elaborate on activities you include in your list. Make sure that the dates, position titles, and record of achievement is consistent in both. You don’t want to unintentionally create doubt about the validity of your success.
Letters of Recommendation
Your high school college counselor, several of your teachers, as well as your job or internship supervisor may all write letters of recommendation on your behalf. While you won’t get to see the content of these letters before you apply, it’s very important that you help your advocates say helpful things about you.
Almost every rec letter is positive; that isn’t enough in itself. Your letters must also be specific and work to tell the cohesive story you want to get across in your application. What kind of student or colleague are you? How do you strive for excellence in your pursuits?
Help your recommenders talk about your best qualities by providing them with powerful anecdotes and background information that contextualizes your journey with them. Point out specific projects or assignments that stretched your abilities. Reflect on opportunities you took to grow and why they were important to you. By doing so, you shape your own narrative and give the admissions officer who reads your application more reason to fight for you.
Informal Communication
The emails and casual correspondence you have with admissions officers also matters. In many ways, these show a truer sense of who you are day to day. Is there a dramatic dip in the quality or tone of your writing from your essays to your emails? Is there something off-putting about your email address or signature?
Make sure that your informal communication supports your formal presentation. Often, admissions officers are deciding between equally qualified candidates. They have to make difficult, sometimes hair-splitting decisions. So, take each occasion you can to demonstrate your interest and readiness when you write them.
This doesn’t mean that each email should be a flowery novel. Rather, it means you should respect the admissions officer’s time, ask thoughtful questions you can’t Google, and proofread your responses before hitting send. Little things can make a big difference. Don’t miss the opportunity to solidify your reader’s strong opinion of you by showing that same consistency in your emails as you do your personal statement.
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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