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If you are planning on applying to online college, it is important to prepare for the application process before you begin. Just because you are applying to attend a school where the lectures and coursework are given over the Internet does not mean that your application is not going to be reviewed and qualified before you gain acceptance to the school. Some online schools with very good reputations have a strict application process where only a limited number of applicants are granted admission. To ensure that a prospective has the academic prowess and the character the school is looking for, some online schools could require an admissions essay.
Why Are Admissions Essays So Important?
Many people who are applying for college are intimidated by the idea of writing an essay to get into college. This is especially true when they are not extremely talented writers. You do not have to be a professional journalist or someone who is working towards becoming an author just to write a college essay for admissions. The council wants to see that you have made an effort to apply for school and this is why the essay may be required. It is also common for colleges to require essays so that they can get to know the applicants for their past accomplishments and their personality.
How to Start Writing a College Essay that Stands Out
After you have checked the admissions requirements and you have verified that the online school does in fact require an essay, the next step is to start writing. One thing you should never do when you are writing an essay to get noticed is rush it. You should leave yourself ample time to market yourself through your writing and to let your personality show. Your admissions essay is your first opportunity to show administrators you are a good fit. Especially when most online schools do not conduct interviews.
The first thing you should do is review the admissions essay question and analyze why the administrators would choose this question out of so many different options. There may be obvious reasons, but think about the deeper reasons. If you are asked about your childhood heroes, the council may be interested in learning about your values and not just your favorite relative or comic book. Once you decipher the puzzle, you can start to construct your essay.
Factors to Consider When You Are Writing
As you are writing it can be tempting to be extremely descriptive. Keep the word count in mind. Officers in the admissions department receive thousands of essays and they are limited in how much they can read. To be fair, most online systems will only submit the first 500 words of an essay if it goes over the maximum word count. If your count is too high, sift through and find filler areas that you can do without so that your entire message comes across.
When you are editing your essay, go back through the instructions so that your font, size, and layout are correct. The last thing you want to do is overlook the guidelines and have your essay thrown out. Write your essay at least a month before your deadline. Leave time to read through it over a span of a few weeks before you are applying to online college programs, and the result will be great.
