With all of the financial troubles that are affecting the economy these days, one of the key goals of most consumers is to get the best deal possible. College students and their parents can save loads of money by applying this same saving attitude to college education fees. One of the best ways to get a good deal on college education is to get a scholarship. If you think that you are not eligible for a scholarship, check out these top three myths on scholarships and think again:
You cannot get scholarships if you’re not an A student
You don’t have to be a straight-A student to get a scholarship. Many schools are willing to give scholarships to students who show gradual improvement in their grades and other areas.(1) If you want to bring attention to how you have improved over the years, you may want to do so in your admission essay. Check out some personal statement examples to see how other people have discussed their academics by highlighting the positive aspects and downplaying the negative.
You cannot get scholarship if you’re not financially incapable
Another common myth when it comes to scholarships is that only people who are financially incapable are able to get scholarships. Schools are obliged to assess scholarship applications based on the student’s records, personality, and abilities, and not just based on their financial status. Before you count yourself out just because you are financially capable, try applying for a scholarship and see what happens.
It’s best to pay and let some organizations secure the scholarship grant for you
A lot of companies offer services and products based on searching for and acquiring scholarship grants for you. While some of these services can be helpful, it is not advisable to pay for them. You can get loads of information for free straight from the Internet and from the college or univeristy that you want to get admitted to. Use what you have, and avoid spending extra money just to get the information that you can otherwise obtain for free.(2)
Before you get caught up thinking of what to do about your scholarship situation, make sure that you write a winning personal statement to get you into the college of your choice. Make use of personal statement examples to help you think of ideas and topics to write about. Examples of personal statements can also help you get an idea of what colleges and universities expect from their students. You may want to find a personal statement example that was written specifically for the school that you are applying to.(3)
(1) http://ia.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=23038
(2) http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/NR/rdonlyres/EE349C5B-E995-484D-9860-C39321F211E6/0/ScholarshipMyths.pdf
(3) http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/samples.htm
When you write your admission essay, it is important to make every word count. Take a look at some good examples of personal statements, and you’ll find that practically every word helps to enhance the essay. Most schools have guidelines on essay length, which literally means that each word counts. Aside from adhering to the essay length, it is also essential to make sense out of those words because your admission essay may be the one thing that can get you into the school of your choice.(1) Here are some helpful tips on how to make write your personal statement:
Use the active voice
Although it is possible to use the passive voice in an effective way, it is often best to use the active voice in your admission essays. Because the active voice denotes an action, it helps in affirming your desire to attend the school you are applying to. Also, this helps to grab and hold the reader’s attention. Using the passive voice may lead to confusing sentences or sentences that are not very interesting to read.(2) Use examples of personal statements to see how they make use of the active voice.
Don’t show doubt or lack of confidence in your writing
You probably have a lot of doubts about what to write, how to write it, what the committee wants to hear, and how to make your essay stand out. When it comes down to finally writing your paper, though, it’s important not to let any of these doubts, or any other negative thoughts for that matter, reflect in your writing.(3) Try to show that you are confident, relaxed, and ready to face the challenge of writing your essay and getting into the school. One tactic often used in personal statement examples is to focus on the positive and downplay the negative.
Be sure not to repeat the same ideas.
Another helpful hint for creating a winning admission essay is to avoid repeating the same ideas or information throughout your essay. Try to keep your essay flowing from one idea to the next, and avoid recycling or reusing the things that you have already said. Read your essay to yourself and then read it aloud to discern for yourself whether or not it is enthralling enough to keep your audience reading. You could also have others read it, and use their insights and opinions to improve on what you’ve already written. Compare your essay to a personal statement example to see if it’s at par with quality.
(1) http://www.sac.edu/students/library/nealley/pathfinders/meb_essay.htm
(2) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html
(3) http://admissions.me.holycross.edu/2007/10/09/common-application-essay-advice/
You’ve finally made the decision to go to MBA school to earn your degree, but you’re stuck on how to make a good MBA admission essay? Before anything else, you may want to look over some examples of personal statement online. MBA admission essays can be tricky, and it takes a good balance of writing skills, personality, time, and effort to write an excellent essay. With these simple steps, however, you can write a winning admission essay that will get you into the doors of the MBA school of your choice.
Use real experiences and examples to discuss your main points
The first step to writing an exceptional MBA admission essay is to use real-life experiences and examples that you have been through in the past. By using your own experiences to discuss your main points, you will inject more life and personality into your essay. Try to think of some of the challenging times in your life, and reflect on how you have grown because of such challenges. Always remember to focus on the positive, and express why you make a good candidate for the school. Read a personal statement example or two to see the types of experiences other writers have used in their essays.(1)
Write as if you’re speaking directly to your reader
There is a good reason that MBA admission essays are sometimes called “personal statements.” Not only are you relaying personal insights, but you are also getting personal with the reader. When writing your admission essay, try to write as though you are speaking directly to your reader, or the admissions committee. Following this technique will add a sense of warmth to your essay and will help engage the readers by holding their interest.(2)
Start right and end it well with an attention-grabbing intro and persuasive conclusion
Finally, make sure that your introduction and conclusion are well-written. Try to grab the reader’s attention from the beginning with an interesting introduction that will lead you into a flowing body that is concise and coherent. From there, wrap everything up with a persuasive conclusion that will urge the admissions committee to accept you.(3)
Remember to get the most out of examples of personal statement by comparing and contrasting your own essay with the personal statement example. That way, you can be sure that your essay is good enough to get you into MBA school.
(1) http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html
(2) http://career.berkeley.edu/Grad/GradStatement.stm
(3) http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/gettingstarted.html
Going to college can be considered a gift. Not all people have the drive or the resources to attend post-secondary school, and those that do still have to get through the admission process. If you are planning to go to college, one of the biggest obstacles in your way is getting the admission committee to accept your application. As such, you probably wouldn’t want to upset the admissions officers, or get on their bad side. Here are a few things to avoid when dealing with your application and the admission committee:
Sending too many letters of recommendation
Some applicants tend to send a bunch of letters of recommendation, thinking that more recommendation letters will help convince the admissions officers to accept them. Most schools ask for a specific number of recommendation letters for each applicant, usually around two or three letters. Exceeding the number of required letters will only hurt you. Make sure that you get letters from people whom you think will give you the best, recommendations and send those along with your application package. As much as possible, try not to exceed the maximum.(1)
Trying to be too poetic on your letters and essays
Take a look at a bunch of personal statement examples, and you will find that most authors steer clear from sounding too wordy or poetic. You admission essays and letters to the admission committee should be of excellent quality, but that doesn’t mean that you should try to be poetic or extremely literary. Trying to make your letters and essays too poetic may can backfire. Admission committees are used to reading essays and letters, and they know when applicants are trying too hard. Study and emulate the language use of personal statement examples. Keep your objective in mind and the content within the context of your college application.(2)
Be sure to take full advantage of good examples of personal statement, because they can help you compose a concise, comprehensible, and compelling letter or essay. You may even want to compare your essay to an example of personal statement online to see how you measure up to the standards.
Sending a thick file, aside from the transcript
Admission committees already have enough papers to look through. Sending a thick file with information that is either irrelevant or unnecessary will only add to the work and stress of the admissions officers. Your application package should only be composed of what the admission committee actually requires from you. Keep it simple and avoid swamping admissions officers with unneeded files and papers.(3)
(1) http://mather.harvard.edu/law/MatherLaw/application/recommendations.php
(2) http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2008/bs20080619_275093_page_2.htm
(3) http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/requirements/
The admission essay is an important part of your application package. This will serve as a means to tell the admission committee something about yourself apart from all of the information that is already on your application forms, resume, and transcript. If you use the admission essay properly, you can give the committee some insight into your personality, character, and how you live your life. Despite the freedom that you have when writing your admission essay, there are still a number of mistakes you should look out for, and here are some of them:
Boring your readers right from the start
One of the biggest mistakes that people sometimes commit on their admission essay is to bore their readers. You might as well check out some poorly written personal statement examples to get an idea of what a boring essay is. Remember that your goal is to get the reader hooked on who you are and why you deserve to be in the school. If you bore the reader from the start, then what’s to keep him or her from putting down your essay and going on to the next applicant? Try to hold the reader’s interest with an attention-grabbing introduction, an interesting body, and a clinching conclusion.(1)
Using the thesaurus to find inappropriate, big words
Another mistake that some applicants make is using the thesaurus to look for big words. People tend to think that big words will make them sound more educated or well read. The truth is, many of the best writers and speakers out there are able to convey volumes of useful information with the use of simple language that most people can understand. Try checking some examples of personal statements and pay close attention to their language use. You’ll probably notice that most personal statement examples make use of simple and sincere language. Instead of using big words, try to focus on expressing yourself in a simple but interesting manner.(2)
Saying the same things over and over again
Another common mistake is writing an essay that goes around in circles, repeating the same information in different ways. Some tend to give too much information, or they just use the same information over and over again. A useful trick to remedy this mistake is to compose a short outline that will guide you through what you want to say.(3) Try to emulate a personal statement example that reads well and keeps the reader’s thought process flowing.
(1) http://businessmajors.about.com/od/admissions/a/essaytips.htm
(2) http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2008/bs20080619_275093_page_2.htm
(3) http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/DosandDonts.htm
