Home |  Forward |  More Advice |  Subscribe (Free) December 6, 2007
With Rachel Korn, former admissions officer at several top universities.
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Freshman Fashion
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Have Essays Edited
HEAD Start
You've finally written the essays and double- and triple-checked them yourself. Now have someone else quadruple-check you.

HEAD Lines
With the incredible amount of time you're spending writing and re-reading these essays, you'll lose your ability to see mistakes. Remember: Even professional writers need editors, so asking a parent or a teacher to help catch your mistakes is not only helpful but appropriate.

What an outside opinion should check:
  • Accurate grammar and spelling. The essays don't need to be strictly formal (contractions are okay), but all must be "correct."

  • The essays show who you are. After reading an essay, does the reader know you? If not, you'll want to make some changes to bring in your "voice."

  • You're staying on topic. If an essay goes beyond a page, something is actually "wrong." Your editor can help you figure out what the less-important facts are and suggest changes to tighten your writing.
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From Other HEADS
I PORED OVER MY ADMISSIONS ESSAY for Columbia for three months. I wrote, rewrote, edited, proofread, and scoured it for any imperfection. I really tried to give the admissions committee a clear picture of my roots, my ambitions, and my achievements. Clear, effective, and concise prose is the best way to make a statement in your admissions essay. Also, humor is fine if you're a comedian. I am not, so I stuck to a serious tone. Bring your admissions essay to at least one of your high school English teachers to edit - not just for content but also for grammar. Even the smallest typo or grammatical no-no can tarnish an otherwise great personal statement.

-- DANIEL 
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY


PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD. And when you are sure it's good, proofread it again. Nothing says, "I did this at the last possible moment" like an "are" instead of "our." And your computer's spell-checker is not going to pick that up for you. Another good thing to do is to read it backwards. That helps. On my last reading I found a "their" that was supposed to be a "there": That was close!

-- MILLER SMATHERS
FINDLAY, OHIO



Web Resources
For more great tips on editing and writing your essay, check out: www.public.coe.edu/wac/28tipspersonalstatement.htm


HoH Tip
Don't play with margins and fonts to squeeze in more. What you are doing is obvious, and if you happen to be the 30th application of the day for the reader and your font is small, it is not fun for the admissions committee.
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