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types of writing

College Applications, Personal Essays and Cover Letters

Ashley H. and Katie W., Writing Center tutors

Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.

Now that you have finally selected a few colleges to apply to, you will have to conquer the college application. This form, which is often found online (though some schools still prefer paper applications), will ask for basic information such as your name, address and previous school; however, you may also see sections on the application such as clubs and organizations, volunteer work and honors. You might also see instructions for required or optional letters of recommendation, a personal essay or a cover letter. Overall your application should be honest so that your chosen college can see that you are genuine and perhaps have something new to bring to the school rather than just trying to fit the mold, but it should make you and your accomplishments stand out. Here are some tips for college applications and personal statements.

The Application

  • Be honest! Though it may seem like a good idea to inflate your accomplishments when filling out the honors or organizations section, colleges need to see and evaluate the real you.
  • Ask your teachers for letters of recommendation. Some schools require these; however, if they are optional, use this opportunity to let a faculty member speak out on your behalf. It is also best to select a teacher, coach or counselor who is aware of the things that make you stand out and who can provide some insight as to why you will be successful at your chosen college.
  • CollegeBoard.com suggests making a checklist of items required for your application. This might include filling out the application, requesting test scores, obtaining high school records, obtaining letters of recommendation and writing personal essays.
  • Don’t write down everything you have ever been involved in throughout your entire life. It may seem tempting to boost your application this way, but it is better to choose a few things that have had a significant impact in your life, that you have been involved in for a long time or things in which you have held a leadership position. For example, you might want to discuss how volunteering at a shelter impacted your life or how you lead a troop of boy scouts.
  • Don’t forget to fill out all required information on the application! This seems simple, but it’s worth it to check over your application so it does not get sent back just because you forgot to write down what high school you attended.

The Personal Essay

Villanova gives a great overview of the personal essay by saying that it is a chance to distinguish yourself from other applicants and that it can give the admission board of your chosen college a good insight in to your thoughts, fears, accomplishments and goals. Also in a personal essay for a college application you may be asked to share some experiences or events that have changed your life, reasons why college or education is important to you, how you plan on integrating yourself into the university community or what you plan on doing once you receive a degree from the particular college. Here are some tips that Villanova offers for the process of writing a personal essay:

  • Before you write, just think. This will give you time to reflect on yourself and take in to consideration the different ways to write your essay.
  • Give yourself enough time to write. It is not a good idea to write your essay the night before you want to submit your application. Allow for enough time to brainstorm, draft, revise and rewrite—it may be necessary to revise 2 or 3 times so that your essay is polished and perfect for the admissions board.
  • Let someone else read over your writing—perhaps a teacher, counselor or parent. This may not sound pleasant, especially since your essay may include information that your peers, teachers or even parents do not know about you; however, having an extra set of eyes look over your essay may help you consider things you have overlooked such as spelling, grammar, sentence structure issues or not fully answering the writing prompt or perhaps it might help you consider new ideas to incorporate in to your essay.
  • Tailor your essay to the school for which you are writing—this does not mean become a living version of the university’s mission statement but rather it means to show why you are a good fit for the school or program to which you are applying. Also, remember to use a different essay for each school—this can be helpful because often times schools will have different essay topics.
  • If the application provides a writing prompt, be sure to answer all aspects of the prompt. You may want to structure your answer in a way that explains your experience with the topic or prompt and how it will help you in your college career or why your experience was unique and what you have learned from it.

The Cover Letter

Although a cover letter is not always required when applying for a university, some universities do require them and other times it may be helpful to include a cover letter as a precursor to your application.  CollegeConfidential states that a cover letter helps to demonstrate that an applicant has accounted for all things included in the application and justifies the reasons why the applicant is qualified for the university. Furthermore, Boston College explains that a cover letter helps to show serious interest in an institution and will help you to stand out when being compared to hundreds, even thousands, of other applicants and that it should:

1. Introduce you to the university
2. Catch the attention of the admission board
3. Arouse the interest of the readers by highlighting your qualifications and accomplishments
4. Persuade the reader or readers that you should be selected for the university.

It may seem that a cover letter and a personal essay are very similar; however, in terms of what should be included for a college application, a cover letter deals more with your qualifications, accomplishments and simply stating what you are applying for. Here are some additional tips for writing a cover letter, as well as what should be included:

  • In the beginning of the letter, be sure to state who you are and what you are applying for. Though this seems like a basic idea, it will really help to set up the rest of your letter.
  • As with the personal essay, be sure to understand the institution to which you are applying and tailor your cover letter accordingly. You might consider doing some research about your chosen university by visiting their home page, reading their mission statement and browsing their different programs.
  • Use your cover letter as a chance to give more information about your accomplishments and why they are relevant to the university to which you are applying.
  • Address the letter to a specific person or group of people. In the case of a university, perhaps address the letter to the admission board.

Conclusion

Now that you have selected the colleges you wish to apply to, utilize these tips for the entire application process. Remember, being honest and completing the entire application are the most important parts of the application itself. Also, don’t be afraid to share an experience which some of your peers might not know about when writing your personal essay—admissions boards like seeing that you are willing to share your experiences and how they will help you at your selected university. Although a cover letter might not be required, it could give you the opportunity to tell the admission board exactly what you are applying for and why you are qualified for it. The most important part of the admission process is to find a school that will suit your ambitions and your needs—keep that in mind while using these tips and good luck!

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