Analyzing Sample College Admission Essay Questions

Filed under admission essay writing guides, February 21st, 2010 by College Admissions Guide

Some colleges and universities give specific questions to be answered through application essays. With standard questions, these help them gauge the qualifications of their applicants based on their critical thinking and effective communication skills. In these questions, the admissions committee can assess whether the applicant has good reasons to be part of the studentry or if they embody the tradition of the school. How you tackle these questions in your admission essay can affect the outcome of your application, in a negative or positive way. Here’s a short guide.

Evaluating an experience in your admission essay

It does not have to be a recent one, it could even be an event that happened when you were still in primary school. Don’t use the first experience that you can think of. It may be your most memorable experience, but it is not necessarily the most pivotal event. Choose an event that has helped mold your character and made you surpass a challenge. These experiences can show traits that can help you succeed in life or have influenced you in a positive way. Whatever experience you choose to discuss, make sure that it is relevant to your application. Take time to reflect on your own personal experiences, so you can make a connection between your experience and your admission to college..

Describing a fictional or historical character in your admission essays

Whether it’s a historical figure like Benjamin Franklin or a fictional character, make sure that you specify the good traits that you like about the character. Tell your readers what made him or her your role model or what traits you have in common. How did that character influence or motivate you in a positive way? If you can somehow narrate this character’s personality to your own attributes and link it to any of your passion, then you would be turning in a truly insighful admission essay.

When given specific questions for your admission essay, take time to reflect on them. Don’t just satisfy your readers’ curiosity, but make sure that you give them some insights about yourself and use the questions to better express your personality and goals.

Related questions:

1. Are fictional characters allowed to be discussed on the admission essay?
2. Who is one good example of a real person used as a theme on the admission essay?
3. What kind of experiences should be used on the application essays?

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