How to write a College Admission Essay
With each passing year, competition in colleges gets tougher with the number of students increasing while the seats remain limited. The GPA scores, class ranks and SAT scores are already in place by the time you apply.
So how can you strengthen the chances of gaining acceptance in your dream college? By creating an impact par excellence on your application through an exceptional college admission essay. A good essay also signifies you as a scholar, distinct from rest of the applicants and as someone a college would look for as part of their commune.
Writing an outstanding personal essay:
Preferences: Choosing a topic requires a ‘thought process.’ The colleges evaluate your choice of topic as a reflection of creativity, values, opinions, inclinations and depth of knowledge which you possess. Topics can deal from your extra-curricular activities, any characteristic or skill that distinguishes you from others, contributions to society, favourite books, movies, role models, failures and accomplishments to your future dreams and goals. Also read other sample essays to understand the ones which have succeeded. Categorize your essay selection by ‘general’ or ‘specific’ topics. General essays contain information about you or your reasons for applying to a particular college. Specific topic essays deal with your views on a significant event or issue.
Topic Selection: Select the topic that best describes your personality and experience while simultaneously matching the institution’s strengths and needs. The topic should also demonstrate diversity in your interests and illustrate your prospects of probable contribution to the institution’s scholastic environment.
Writing the college admission essay: The colleges scrutinize your essay for good English, style, power of conviction and organizational capabilities. Choose a format from ‘standard’, ‘less-is-more’ or ‘narrative’ essay. Standard essay is written by expanding on one’s experiences and activities. Less-is-more essays deal with a single motivating and appealing point. Narrative essays tell a story/tale thereby revealing more information about you or your learning from it. Try to avoid mentioning weaknesses or any negative aspects about you. Do not repeat any feature which has already been mentioned elsewhere in the application such as exam scores.
Draft: Give an idea of your content in the introduction section. It has to grab the interest of the reader. Build the reasoning in the body of the essay with apposite transitions. Narrate the main idea while showing the story, don’t tell. Do not summarize in the conclusion. Organize the main points, redefine a term, broaden the discussion pointers or show that your topic has a broad appeal.
Revise and edit: Check for grammatical errors or unclear logic. Keep the language simple and unambiguous. Ask an editor to assess the essay for: clarity and active voice, detect clichés and generic words, restructuring required for sentences or words which do not support the main idea of the essay.
Proofread your college admission essay two to three more times. Keep the focus on the main idea by proving it with facts and examples.
Wishing you the best of luck in all your endeavours!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
5 senses
Prompt: The Daily Topic: "Why do you shop there? Think of a store where you occasionally shop. Can you write a piece that uses all five senses to describe the essence of this store?"
A store where I occasionally shop is ‘Kiddy Palace.” I go there mainly for my daughter’s toys and educational material and for birthday gifts. When I walk into the store, the five senses which bring along some pleasant feelings are:
Sight – When I see the store, I feel like buying everything possible. Its looks to me as if a lot of toys and clothes are added every time, a bigger and better variety.
Hearing – I tend to hear kids playing with toys or crying for them to their parents. It’s delightful to watch the excited face of kids when they have been brought a new toy by their parents.
Touch – When I touch the clothes and toys, I feel that everything is catered to all ages of children. Probably that is why all kids tend to love this store.
Smell – The smell is usually fine. No perfume smell or anything, but a normal one.
Taste – This is not an eatery, so I really can’t go about tasting anything inside it. But my daughter does jump on candies provided with a toy fan.
All in all, it is a good window shopping experience even if I don’t intend to buy anything.
A store where I occasionally shop is ‘Kiddy Palace.” I go there mainly for my daughter’s toys and educational material and for birthday gifts. When I walk into the store, the five senses which bring along some pleasant feelings are:
Sight – When I see the store, I feel like buying everything possible. Its looks to me as if a lot of toys and clothes are added every time, a bigger and better variety.
Hearing – I tend to hear kids playing with toys or crying for them to their parents. It’s delightful to watch the excited face of kids when they have been brought a new toy by their parents.
Touch – When I touch the clothes and toys, I feel that everything is catered to all ages of children. Probably that is why all kids tend to love this store.
Smell – The smell is usually fine. No perfume smell or anything, but a normal one.
Taste – This is not an eatery, so I really can’t go about tasting anything inside it. But my daughter does jump on candies provided with a toy fan.
All in all, it is a good window shopping experience even if I don’t intend to buy anything.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 22
World Water Day
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as “World Day for Water”. The UN had responded to a proposal made in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It is a means of focusing attention on water as a resource and advocating for its continued management. A campaign is held every year and people are made to understand the importance of quality and quantity of water. Each year one of the UN agencies promotes activities related to water issues.
The theme for the year 2010 is “Clean water for a healthy world.” The previous themes have been on trans boundary waters, sanitation, coping with water scarcity, water and culture, water for life, water and disasters, water for the future, water for development, water and health, water for the 21st century, everyone lives downstream, groundwater-the invisible resource, the world water, is there enough?, water for thirsty cities, women and water and caring for our water resources is everyone’s business.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as “World Day for Water”. The UN had responded to a proposal made in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It is a means of focusing attention on water as a resource and advocating for its continued management. A campaign is held every year and people are made to understand the importance of quality and quantity of water. Each year one of the UN agencies promotes activities related to water issues.
The theme for the year 2010 is “Clean water for a healthy world.” The previous themes have been on trans boundary waters, sanitation, coping with water scarcity, water and culture, water for life, water and disasters, water for the future, water for development, water and health, water for the 21st century, everyone lives downstream, groundwater-the invisible resource, the world water, is there enough?, water for thirsty cities, women and water and caring for our water resources is everyone’s business.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Kids and Cellphones
Kids and Cellphones: At what age should you give a child a cell phone?
Is your child ready for a cell phone?
Often parents buy cell phones for their children and then wonder if they have made a mistake. Is it actually instilling wrong values? After all, kids can live without cell phones. There is a definite debate on the age of the child when a cell phone should be provided. With many cell phones offering text messaging, MMS, photos and Internet services, the child may be exposed to more than he needs at a young age.
Statistics on cell phone usage
According to a 2008 PEW study on U.S. teen cell phone use, the number of teens owning cell phones had increased to 71 percent, compared to 77 percent of adults. According to the New York Times, 17.5 million young people between the ages of 13 and 17 own cell phones. A higher percentage of users in the 13-24 year-old group use their phones for services like messaging. An International Telecommunication Union report states that six in ten people around the world have cell phone subscriptions; developing countries account for about two-thirds of cell phones in use.
The unsupported reasoning of kids wanting a cell phone
Most of us lived without cell phones throughout our school years. So why is it that all of a sudden, youths must have cell phones? Do some parents just wish to shirk the responsibility or wish themselves and their kids to look cool, or it is just peer pressure where "my friend" or "all the children in my class" have cell phones? If a child has a disability and needs to be tracked 24/7, a cell phone may be necessary. Kids also reason that in case of an emergency, they can use the phone to contact their parents. Usually this logic is bought by many parents.
Dangers of cell phones
According to a study of Japanese teenagers, 37% of males and 30% of females had used their cell phones to access dating sites, leading to them having sexual relations and receiving unwanted cell phone messages from other children. In a British study, 16% of youngsters had received threatening text messages from their peers, and another 7% had been stalked in chat rooms. Four percent of these youngsters had been tormented via their cell phone. Seven percent of the British students also stated that they had lost jobs or relationships due to the usage of their cell phone. All these studies point to the problems that can evolve from children having cell phones.
So, are cell phones really required? When is your child ready for a cell phone?
Most youths are ready by their teens, but before you buy your child a cell phone, consider these points:
• Your child should know how to use a cell phone. He should understand that it is not a toy, and that useless calls and wasting money will not be allowed.
• Children should understand that in case of emergency they should be accessible by the parents; they cannot spend all of their time talking to friends.
• Your child should be mature enough to not make crank calls or send inappropriate text messages and should follow the rules made by the parents on the usage of cell phones.
• Children who often lose things should not be given a cell phone.
• If your child is heavily into extra-curricular activities and comes home late after school, then you might want to give him a cell phone for convenience and security, and to be able to keep in touch on a regular basis.
Weigh the pros and cons before giving your child a cell phone. When choosing a cell phone, consider whether you can afford the cell phone bill and look for a plan that limits the minutes your child can use on the cell phone. Get a cell phone with a GPS system so that you can track your child regularly.
Remember that a cell phone is only a form of communication, not a requirement.
Is your child ready for a cell phone?
Often parents buy cell phones for their children and then wonder if they have made a mistake. Is it actually instilling wrong values? After all, kids can live without cell phones. There is a definite debate on the age of the child when a cell phone should be provided. With many cell phones offering text messaging, MMS, photos and Internet services, the child may be exposed to more than he needs at a young age.
Statistics on cell phone usage
According to a 2008 PEW study on U.S. teen cell phone use, the number of teens owning cell phones had increased to 71 percent, compared to 77 percent of adults. According to the New York Times, 17.5 million young people between the ages of 13 and 17 own cell phones. A higher percentage of users in the 13-24 year-old group use their phones for services like messaging. An International Telecommunication Union report states that six in ten people around the world have cell phone subscriptions; developing countries account for about two-thirds of cell phones in use.
The unsupported reasoning of kids wanting a cell phone
Most of us lived without cell phones throughout our school years. So why is it that all of a sudden, youths must have cell phones? Do some parents just wish to shirk the responsibility or wish themselves and their kids to look cool, or it is just peer pressure where "my friend" or "all the children in my class" have cell phones? If a child has a disability and needs to be tracked 24/7, a cell phone may be necessary. Kids also reason that in case of an emergency, they can use the phone to contact their parents. Usually this logic is bought by many parents.
Dangers of cell phones
According to a study of Japanese teenagers, 37% of males and 30% of females had used their cell phones to access dating sites, leading to them having sexual relations and receiving unwanted cell phone messages from other children. In a British study, 16% of youngsters had received threatening text messages from their peers, and another 7% had been stalked in chat rooms. Four percent of these youngsters had been tormented via their cell phone. Seven percent of the British students also stated that they had lost jobs or relationships due to the usage of their cell phone. All these studies point to the problems that can evolve from children having cell phones.
So, are cell phones really required? When is your child ready for a cell phone?
Most youths are ready by their teens, but before you buy your child a cell phone, consider these points:
• Your child should know how to use a cell phone. He should understand that it is not a toy, and that useless calls and wasting money will not be allowed.
• Children should understand that in case of emergency they should be accessible by the parents; they cannot spend all of their time talking to friends.
• Your child should be mature enough to not make crank calls or send inappropriate text messages and should follow the rules made by the parents on the usage of cell phones.
• Children who often lose things should not be given a cell phone.
• If your child is heavily into extra-curricular activities and comes home late after school, then you might want to give him a cell phone for convenience and security, and to be able to keep in touch on a regular basis.
Weigh the pros and cons before giving your child a cell phone. When choosing a cell phone, consider whether you can afford the cell phone bill and look for a plan that limits the minutes your child can use on the cell phone. Get a cell phone with a GPS system so that you can track your child regularly.
Remember that a cell phone is only a form of communication, not a requirement.
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