It is not just Martin Luther or JFK who could be used as a theme for the admission essay, if the guidelines of the Committee allow it, you may even use a fictional character from movies, books, etc. You have to be aware though, that your topic may have come from fiction, but your finished essay should not come across as a work of fiction.
Why your favorite fictional character is a good admission essay idea
First, there are greater chances of the Admissions officers getting more interested in reading your essay rather than the old, tired and overused themes of historical icons. Second, your favorite fictional character is close to your heart. If Thomas Odd (a character of Dean Koontz) is your choice because both he and you experienced rescuing a friend from criminally-minded persons, then you could point out (then go to the supporting statements) that you could definitely relate to him.
Ways to discuss this topic in your essay for admission
One warning: usually, you would not be barred from using a cartoon character, but if he/she is either funny or just trivial, you might come across as an applicant who is not serious in applying. Relate the character’s life, values and attitudes to your own, and even connect it to your future goals.
The good thing about using a fictional person in the admission essay is that it’s fun. There are so many stress factors in the application process (not just the writing of the essay), and creating this essay could be both work and play at the same time. Take note, play here does not mean your essay should be lousy or haphazardly done.
Related questions:
1. Can Batman be used as part of the discussions on the admission essay?
2. What is the danger of using a cartoon character as the admission essay theme?
3. How does one discuss the strengths and attributes of the fictional character?
You may hear a remark that goes like this — no admission essay is perfect. But, whether that is true or not, there is one assertion that could not be contested. It is the fact that some essays are outstanding, some are mediocre, and many are simply horrendous. The following pointers (if you adhere to them faithfully), will assure you that your essay will rise above the masses of mediocre essays.
A catchy topic for your essay to get into college
It all starts with the first paragraph. To hook your readers, you can start with a quote, an unbelievable (yet true) statistic about you, or a life experience you had when you were a teenager. Make sure that the story you choose will support the focus or topic you have chosen for your essay. Make sure to avoid the topics that have been used so many times by other applicants. Your goal is to let your essay stand out and capture the attention of the readers. Weird topics can be used by make sure you discuss them effectively. Coming up with a somewhat weird but doable topic can give you a lot of chances to show off your creative juices.
Effective supporting statements for your application essays for college
An effective admission essay writing tip suggested by many experts is to start it all with the thesis statement, then proceed with at least 3 supporting statements which would give credence to your thesis statement. These supporting statements serve as evidence of your story. These statements could be your own theories or experiences, or could be something you have researched on- it all depends on what exactly your theme is.
Choosing a less-used topic would often be more interesting to the readers than the mainstream ones used over the years. Whatever you choose however, the important thing is that you come up with supporting statements to firm up your thesis statement.
Related questions:
1. Are weird subjects allowed as themes for the admission essays?
2. What are supporting statements in an admission essay?
3. What is the example structure?
If you have to find advice on writing personal statements, get it from the best source–the readers of admission essays. They can tell you exactly what are agreeable and what are not advisable in admission essays. Read on to discover their top three tips in writing a personal statements.
Don’t just recount your academic achievements
A common mistake of students in writing personal statements is they enumerate their achievements in school. Avoid doing this because it defeats the purpose of your essay. Personal statements are there to state whatever your transcript of records, recommendation letters, and other application requirements cannot say. Personal statements inform your readers of your personality. So, try to leave your academic achievements in a resume list and make your application more interesting through a clever personal essay topic.
Be specific with what you want and why
Characteristics of admission essays that tick off readers are being disorganized and having vague statements. Avoid this in writing your personal statement and avoid making your readers guess what you want to say. It is better to plan the content of your essay than to beat around the bush and state practically nothing in particular. So, select a creative and interesting topic, then make an outline. Make sure to include information that are relevant to the topic and arrange them logically. And if you must, review the steps in writing effective essays.
Don’t be sloppy, make your essay error-free
Having one or too many typographical, grammar, and punctuation errors in your personal essay reflects your clumsiness and laziness. The errors show that you either do not know how to write an essay properly or that you did not prepare enough for the application process. So, once you?ve written your essay, read it again and again. Proofread, edit, and have someone to check it many times.
Related links:
Covering personal flaws – How to downplay your weaknesses when writing a personal statement
Essay writing guide ? How to start writing your personal statement
Personal essay tips ? How to make your essay engaging to admission officers
Writing an essay – Tips on how to write a personal statement
Improving writing skills – Ways to improve writing skills
Isn?t it tiring to read a person?s biography over and over again? You will feel the same way if you were an admissions officer reading students? personal essays that say similar things. Moreover, you could get bored and annoyed with the number of cliche essays all piled up on your desk. In the end, you?d wish someone wrote differently. To avoid boring your readers to death, below are ways you can make your personal statement original.
Don’t stuff your essay with cliches
If you are the one reading hundreds of personal statements and many of them are cliches , you will feel like all of the students just copied each other and are all have the same personality and interests. In addition, you will have a difficult time remembering each student and what they said. To avoid becoming one-of-the-boring students, include information that are unique to you. Be honest and personal in writing your essay to add variety.
Focus on your own personal story
You might think of yourself as uninteresting, but in fact, you?re the opposite. And everyone has a different story to tell, so go ahead and tell what?s yours. Be creative. If your friend wrote about how he struggled to get through school while working and you have a similar experience, you can write about your perspectives in being a working student and the lessons you?ve learned from such an experience. A subtle twist always helps in essay writing.
Share your own thoughts on the topic
While preparing for your essay, you may have read examples of personal statements as a guide. Using examples are advisable, but using the same topics and content is not. So as you talk about yourself in your personal statement, discuss your personal thoughts as well. Fight the urge to say claims made in example essays to avoid sounding like one.
Related links:
Competitiveness as topic – How to write about your competitive personality in an admission essay
Organizing your essay – How to write an organized admission essay
Covering up flaws – Help on how to cover up personal flaws in personal statements
College essay wordcount – Guide to meeting the wordcount requirement without compromising the essay quality
Writing an essay – Tips on how to write a personal statement
One rule in writing an essay is to keep your target readers in mind. The rule becomes even more important when writing personal statements. To get into the school of your choice, it is necessary for you to convince your readers that you are a student deserving of a slot in the enrollment list. Below are what you should know about them. Take time to find out more about your readers to come up with an effective admission essay.
The admissions panel doesn?t have much time to make sense out of your essay
Because numerous students file their applications in one school, there are also numerous application forms to read and analyze. Included in the application requirements is a personal statement, one for each student. That leaves the panel member just a few minutes to quickly read through each essay. For that reason, make your personal statement straight to the point and concise. Avoid including riddles, metaphors, and too many topics. That way, you can help the reader make sense of your essay.
They easily get bored
Many personal statements are written without creativity and some are even cliches. These get panel members bored easily. Prevent this from happening by making your personal essay stand out. Start with a catchy introduction and keep the essay interesting but honest until the end. Doing so can help you be remembered for being a notable writer.
They don?t get to the bottom of the page unless it interests them
Sad but true, many readers of personal statements stop reading to the end of essays especially if they are dull. So aside from keeping your readers interested in your essay, make it unique by telling them what they want to know from the start. That way, if they have to quit reading by the middle of the essay, you already have given them what they wanted.
Related links:
Essay topics – What to include in your personal essay
Effective essay tips – Tips to keep personal essay readers interested
Essay writing no-nos – What admissions officers hate in personal essays
Improving writing skills – Ways to improve writing skills
Essay Writing Tips – How to write an effective personal statement
In writing personal statements, it is always necessary to be truthful about the details you will include. Being truthful always makes it easier for you to come up with something to write about. At the same time, you are giving your readers an honest idea of who you are. Since there is a lot you can say about yourself, it is better to include just the most important facts. Below are questions that can guide you in writing a personal statement.
What is unique about me?
Readers of personal statements dislike cliches. For one, the readers usually already have hundreds of essays to read during enrollment season, and the last thing they would like to see is another “ho-hum” essay. Good thing, there is something unique about you that you can talk about in your personal statement. Discover that uniqueness and start writing from there. You may want to talk about your excellent culinary skills and your natural talent in business. Then explain how you wish to use what you?ll learn in business school to start your own restaurant.
What have I learned from my experiences?
Instead of using your skills as the highlight of your personal statement, you can use a personal experience as a topic. When writing about an experience, make sure it is one you?ve learned something good from and that helped you become a better person. For example, you can talk about how you?ve worked your way through school while doing part-time. Then, explain what you?ve learned and how you can use them while dealing with demands in the school of your choice.
Why this school or this course?
You can also focus on your reasons for choosing a school or course when writing your personal statement. Just be sure to offer honest reasons that will convince your readers to give you a slot in the school.
Related links:
Narrative descriptive essay – Ways to write your personal statement
Discussing political beliefs – Example of what you can write about yourself
Tips in writing – More tips in writing a personal statement
Personal statement advice
Admission essay tips – How to write great admission essays
It can be difficult to start your personal statement, especially if you are not too sure what you will be writing about in the first place. To help relieve some of your stress, it may be helpful to approach your personal statement like you would any other essay. When you start your essay, you want it to be interesting, attention-capturing, and downright captivating. Here are some ways on how you can write an amazing introduction:
Thought-provoking questions
You have probably read one or two great essays that start with a question. The reason a question makes for a good introduction is that it instantly gets your reader to interact. By asking a question, the reader will think about how to answer the question, how they feel about the question, and why you posed the question to begin with. Try to use a thought-provoking question to entice your reader to keep reading out of interest.
Analogies
Another great way to start your personal statement is to use an analogy. It is important though that the analogy that you use is related to who you are and what your story is. By using an analogy, it engages your reader to think about the relations in your analogy and what the analogy says about you, the writer. In essence, an analogy is a comparison of sorts and this is why it makes for a good introduction, because you get the reader to think about what you are saying and the connections you are making. Just make sure that the analogy you use is meaningful, relative, and interesting.
Touching stories
Third, you can start your essay with a touching story or something personal. Although this may be rather overused in the personal statement, it all depends on how you tell your story. The operative word here is “personal.” You want to get personal with your reader and tell them what makes you unique, what makes you who you are, and why who you are makes a good addition to their college. Try not to be too over the edge when you write touching stories; just tell the story naturally and, most of all, tell it from the heart.
Related links:
Academic Success Tips – Review on an academic success blog
Academic Productivity – Review on an academic productivity blog
Narrative Descriptive Essay – About writing a narrative descriptive statement
Political Beliefs – Writing about your political beliefs in the essay
Fictional Character – Using fictional characters for your essay subject
Introduction Strategies – On writing a solid essay introduction
Essay Introductions – How to start your essay right
Effective Introductions – Five effective essay introductions
Writing Introductions – How to write a good essay introduction
Introduction for Argument – Writing introductions for argumentative essays
When writing your personal statement for college or for graduate school, keep in mind that you have to grab the attention of your readers. How else will you be able to stand out from hundreds or even thousands of applicants vying to get a spot at your dream school? One way to hook your essay readers is to write a personal statement while keeping the tips on how to write a narrative descriptive essay in mind.
What is a narrative descriptive essay?
Basically, a narrative descriptive essay is a written work that aims to convey a story in such an imaginative way that the readers’ attention is instantly captured. By using the right words and descriptive phrases, you are able to create vivid images in your readers’ minds.
What are the advantages of using narrative descriptive essay writing techniques?
Now you don’t have to turn in a fictional tale as an admission essay. What you have to do is to apply some narrative descriptive essay writing techniques in creating a draft for your personal statement. An advantage of using this writing style is that you are able to instantly capture the attention of the admissions panel. Members of the admissions panel read hundreds and probably thousands of essays so it’s best to come up with something that’s both unique and personal. You’re also able to show the admissions panel your creative side, something that many admissions panel appreciate when they read the applicants’ essays.
Another advantage is that you are able to hone your creative writing skills, which can be very useful during English classes in college.
Tips in using narrative descriptive essay writing techniques in your admission essay
When writing a descriptive story, you first think of a catchy topic. So when writing your admission essay, select an interesting topic that’ll let you tell the admissions panel why you deserve a slot in their school. This interesting topic could be a previous work experience, someone who motivates you, or any event in life that made a huge impact on how you look at things today.
In a narrative descriptive essay, you use words or phrases that’ll help the readers conjure images as they read the story. As you write your admissions essay, use words or phrases that’ll help the admissions panel see a clearer picture of you as a future student in their school. Just make sure to not go overboard when using descriptive words. Too much can make your essay look like a fictional tale and not a realistic yet attention-grabbing personal statement. Try to read creatively written examples of personal statements to get an idea when writing your own.
When writing your personal statement, keep in mind that being creative is a plus. Just don’t be too creative because this might give the readers the wrong impression.
If you are into politics and you have strong feelings regarding your political beliefs, you may find it a good idea to write about a politics-related topic on your personal statement. Some of the personal statement writing guides that you have read may say that politics isn’t necessarily a good topic for your essay, because politics is a very sensitive subject. In truth, though, you can write a compelling, interesting, and meaningful personal statement based on your political beliefs. Read on to learn how to use your political beliefs to write a successful personal statement.
How your political beliefs can help you with your essay
When you are faced with the task of finding a topic for your personal statement, your political beliefs may not be the first topic that comes to mind. If you think about it, though, politics and political beliefs can make a good topic, especially if you want to major in a plan of study that is related to politics or government. Your political beliefs are more than just what influence your votes in an election, but they also reflect your perspective of world issues, legal matters, and the relationship between politics and society. Furthermore, your political beliefs may also give a hint on your personality, character traits, and who you are as a whole. In other words, your political beliefs can reveal more personal information, which is exactly what the purpose of the personal statement is: to introduce you, as a person, to the admissions committee.
How to discuss your political beliefs in the essay
When it comes to writing your personal statement, it’s essential that you relate your political beliefs as to who you are and how you have developed as a person. Basically, you want to reflect on your political beliefs and understand how they have shaped your character traits, personality qualities, virtues, and values. Your aim is to use your political beliefs as a vehicle to convey more pertinent information about you. In other words, the focus of your personal statement should still be about you and not on your political beliefs per se. Here are some suggestions for using politics and political beliefs as your personsal statement topic:
- Write about how your political beliefs are a manifestation of your admirable qualities.
- Write about how politics have shaped your perspective of profound topics, like justice, equality, or freedom.
- Write about politics-related experiences that have influenced your decisions, personality, or outlook on life.
What not to include when tackling political beliefs in the essay
When using politics or political beliefs for your personal statement topic, it’s essential to know what topics to avoid writing about. In most cases, it would be best to avoid controversial and sensitive topics, because most schools try to avoid the controversy involved in such topics. Likewise, it would also be irrelevant to write about what you know about politics or about your stand on current political issues. Avoid discussing politics in a manner that takes the focus away from you and why you are a good candidate for the school you are applying to.
Your personal statement is one of the most important requirements for your application package. While most people see the personal statement as a stressful requirement, it is also an opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee by writing about practically any topic you can think of. In fact, you can even write your personal statement based on a fictional character. Choosing a fictional character for your personal statement topic may seem rather absurd at first, but you can come up with a great essay if you handle the topic with care. This article will offer some helpful information on using a fictional character as a topic or theme for your personal statement.
A fictional character as a catchy essay subject
Fiction books, movies, and stories come in all sorts. From the fanciful and intangible to the scientific and realistic, you can find fiction stories of all kinds, each with different fictional characters. Each character is a unique personality that you can relate to in various ways, on various levels, and through various channels of emotion and thought. This is what makes fictional characters such a catchy essay topic; if offers you diversity, depth, and broadness of the topic. You must realize, though, that the task of writing a personal statement is not similar to writing a book report or research paper. Your personal statement is something that reveals your personality, your values, your virtues, and your strengths. For this reason, it can take some deep reflection and self-evaluation to come up with a great personal statement based on a fictional character.
Discussing your favorite fictional character effectively
To use a fictional character effectively as your essay topic, you should try to understand how you relate to the character and how the character has positively affected you and your life. You may want to think of the qualities and traits that you have in common with the fictional character, such as fortitude, resilience, honesty, faithfulness, or integrity. Your main objective is to keep the focus on yourse;f, while using the fictional character as a point of reference or a source of inspiration.
Think of why you want to use the character as the subject of your paper and try to express that in your essay. Make a clear connection between how the fictional character has had a positive effect on your personal development. Then, establish a clear connection between how your personality and character traits make you a good candidate for acceptance to the school you are applying to.
Other tips to make your essay catchy
Here are a few more tips on how to make your essay catchy:
- Try capturing the reader’s interest and attention from the beginning of your essay by starting your essay with a quote from your favorite character, a passage from the story the character is featured in, or a personal anecdote related to you and the character.
- Focus on telling the story of how you have been affected as a result of the connection you have made with the character.
- Try to have other people read your essay and ask for their opinions, suggestions, or comments. This will help you polish your fictional-character-based essay into a personal statement worthy of even the best schools in the world.
