Application Essay

Application Essay It’s up to you to show them through your writing just what you can add to their school. Hospitals divide the labor of caring for sick people among the professions, but because the professions are still dominated by certain genders, the division ends up being one of gender more than job title. Although we like to think of the medical profession as increasingly egalitarian, gender divides still run through it. The process by which doctors are socialized into how to be a doctor comes largely through the mentoring process of medical school. Vocational training within the applied sciences tends to be much more about apprenticeship than about theoretical knowledge. The essay is always important, but just how much it will influence your overall application varies by the school to which you are applying, as well as your individual profile. That’s a difficult question to answer because of all of the potential factors. Have you had a practice essay scored to know where you stand? Also, don’t expect an essay score to stand out in the same way that your ERW and M scores might. Some colleges feel that removing “recommended” would mean that they are diminishing the importance of writing as a skill. That’s not the same thing as saying that it is important to them in the admission process. Writing about yourself can be a slippery slope, which is why it is best to stick to the truth and leave the lies behind. In the end, the admissions committee is just looking for insight into your mind and character. The more selective the school, however, the more important essays are. For instance, essays likely matter more at UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan compared to the University of Nebraska or University of Arizona. This is because more selective schools often have more qualified applicants, so essays are used kind of as a tie-breaker. If you really feel that you will do poorly or that the anxiety might negatively impact the rest of your test, you should be OK without it. My son took the ACT without writing as a junior and received a 34 composite . When the college explicitly states that scores will not be evaluated, we have listed the policy as “Not Considered.” “Optional” should not be interpreted as meaning that the college uses submitted scores. We recommend contacting the school if you have specific questions. Want the strategies we have used to get students into top Ivy League schools in your email box every month? Caroline’s admissions consulting service has helped students get into Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, and Columbia. He retook it as a senior with writing and also received a 34 composite , but only received an 8 on the writing portion. The only other difference between the 2 scores is that he got a 36 Reading/35 Science on the first ACT, and 35 Reading/36 Science on the second. For competitive schools that don’t require the writing portion, would you recommend that he submit his first score without the writing, or the second? The introduction generally comprises 10â€"20% of the text. To learnhow to write an essay introduction, start by getting familiar with its most important goals. Huge public schools tend to have more applicants than private schools, as well as limited resources with which to evaluate candidates. State schools tend to screen candidates first using GPA and test scores, before reviewing extracurricular activities and essays. At these schools, essays matter less if you have particularly strong academics. When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader's senses and emotions. How to write an essay introduction A great introduction sparks your reader's interest, gives background information on your topic, and sets up the purpose of your essay. High school essays are often 500 words, but graduate essays can be 5000 words or more. The introduction is important both to grab the reader’s interest and to inform them of what will be covered in the essay. I’m thinking the first is probably a better choice for him (especially for liberal arts colleges/universities), but wanted to get your thoughts. We recognize that the essay is becoming increasingly less relevant in admissions, and we have plans to revisit this list and put the “Optional” schools in better context. Colleges with essay optional policies often do not specify whether submitted essay scores will be used for admission.