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Three Myths about Scholarships

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With all of the financial troubles that are affecting the economy these days, one of the key goals of most consumers is to get the best deal possible.  College students and their parents can save loads of money by applying this same saving attitude to college education fees.  One of the best ways to get a good deal on college education is to get a scholarship.  If you think that you are not eligible for a scholarship, check out these top three myths on scholarships and think again:

You cannot get scholarships if you’re not an A student

You don’t have to be a straight-A student to get a scholarship.  Many schools are willing to give scholarships to students who show gradual improvement in their grades and other areas.(1)  If you want to bring attention to how you have improved over the years, you may want to do so in your admission essay.  Check out some personal statement examples to see how other people have discussed their academics by highlighting the positive aspects and downplaying the negative.

You cannot get scholarship if you’re not financially incapable

Another common myth when it comes to scholarships is that only people who are financially incapable are able to get scholarships.  Schools are obliged to assess scholarship applications based on the student’s records, personality, and abilities, and not just based on their financial status.  Before you count yourself out just because you are financially capable, try applying for a scholarship and see what happens.

It’s best to pay and let some organizations secure the scholarship grant for you

A lot of companies offer services and products based on searching for and acquiring scholarship grants for you.  While some of these services can be helpful, it is not advisable to pay for them.  You can get loads of information for free straight from the Internet and from the college or univeristy that you want to get admitted to.  Use what you have, and avoid spending extra money just to get the information that you can otherwise obtain for free.(2)

Before you get caught up thinking of what to do about your scholarship situation, make sure that you write a winning personal statement to get you into the college of your choice.  Make use of personal statement examples to help you think of ideas and topics to write about.  Examples of personal statements can also help you get an idea of what colleges and universities expect from their students.  You may want to find a personal statement example that was written specifically for the school that you are applying to.(3)

(1)  http://ia.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=23038
(2)  http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/NR/rdonlyres/EE349C5B-E995-484D-9860-C39321F211E6/0/ScholarshipMyths.pdf
(3)  http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/samples.htm

How to Make Every Word Count in Your Admission Essay

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When you write your admission essay, it is important to make every word count.  Take a look at some good examples of personal statements, and you’ll find that practically every word helps to enhance the essay.  Most schools have guidelines on essay length, which literally means that each word counts.  Aside from adhering to the essay length, it is also essential to make sense out of those words because your admission essay may be the one thing that can get you into the school of your choice.(1)  Here are some helpful tips on how to make write your personal statement:

Use the active voice

Although it is possible to use the passive voice in an effective way, it is often best to use the active voice in your admission essays.  Because the active voice denotes an action, it helps in affirming your desire to attend the school you are applying to.  Also, this helps to grab and hold the reader’s attention.  Using the passive voice may lead to confusing sentences or sentences that are not very interesting to read.(2)  Use examples of personal statements to see how they make use of the active voice.

Don’t show doubt or lack of confidence in your writing

You probably have a lot of doubts about what to write, how to write it, what the committee wants to hear, and how to make your essay stand out.  When it comes down to finally writing your paper, though, it’s important not to let any of these doubts, or any other negative thoughts for that matter, reflect in your writing.(3)  Try to show that you are confident, relaxed, and ready to face the challenge of writing your essay and getting into the school.  One tactic often used in personal statement examples is to focus on the positive and downplay the negative.

Be sure not to repeat the same ideas.

Another helpful hint for creating a winning admission essay is to avoid repeating the same ideas or information throughout your essay.  Try to keep your essay flowing from one idea to the next, and avoid recycling or reusing the things that you have already said.  Read your essay to yourself and then read it aloud to discern for yourself whether or not it is enthralling enough to keep your audience reading.  You could also have others read it, and use their insights and opinions to improve on what you’ve already written.  Compare your essay to a personal statement example to see if it’s at par with quality.

(1) http://www.sac.edu/students/library/nealley/pathfinders/meb_essay.htm
(2)  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html
(3)  http://admissions.me.holycross.edu/2007/10/09/common-application-essay-advice/

Ideas That Can Make Your MBA Essay Stand Out

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When writing your MBA admission essay, one of your main goals is to stand out as a unique individual who makes a good candidate for college admission.  Most examples of personal statement are able to do this well.  Writing a unique MBA essay doesn’t necessarily require that you write about your entire life history.(1)  If you are stuck on how to write an MBA essay that stands out, try out some of the following tips:

Discuss what makes you both a leader and good team player

Two marks of a great applicant are teamwork and leadership.  The reason MBA schools hold teamwork and leadership with great regard is that these two traits are essential to being a good business student and a good businessperson in general. Some examples of personal statement focus on certain experiences or situations wherein the author had to take on the reigns and be the leader of the team, or had to sacrifice for the sake of teamwork.  Be specific in the examples that you give, but expound on the qualities and character traits that you have developed because of your experiences.(2)

Tell readers what MBA can offer you

Another way to make your MBA essay stand out is by talking about how an MBA degree can help you in your life.  This is an approach used in many personal statement examples.  Perhaps you have specific goals or aspirations in life that would be more easily attainable with an MBA degree.  An MBA degree has a lot to offer you, so be sure to concentrate on the points that mean the most and those that will make the most impact on your career and life.  Just remember not to make it sound “too good to be true,” otherwise, the admissions committee may just think you’re sucking up.

Focus on your strengths and downplay your weaknesses

Finally, use the MBA essay to highlight your strengths while downplaying your weaknesses.  For example, you may want to briefly address a certain weakness or shortcoming of yours.  Be sure to focus on how you have used your strengths to overcome such weaknesses.  The point is to acknowledge the negative, but concentrate on the positive.(3)  For a good idea on how to go about incorporating this third tip into your essay, have a look at an example of personal statement that talks about failures or hardships.

(1)  http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(2)  http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml
(3)  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/

A Good Recipe for an MBA Admission Essay

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You’ve finally made the decision to go to MBA school to earn your degree, but you’re stuck on how to make a good MBA  admission essay?  Before anything else, you may want to look over some examples of personal statement online.  MBA admission essays can be tricky, and it takes a good balance of writing skills, personality, time, and effort to write an excellent essay.  With these simple steps, however, you can write a winning admission essay that will get you into the doors of the MBA school of your choice.

Use real experiences and examples to discuss your main points

The first step to writing an exceptional MBA admission essay is to use real-life experiences and examples that you have been through in the past.  By using your own experiences to discuss your main points, you will inject more life and personality into your essay.  Try to think of some of the challenging times in your life, and reflect on how you have grown because of such challenges.  Always remember to focus on the positive, and express why you make a good candidate for the school.  Read a personal statement example or two to see the types of experiences other writers have used in their essays.(1)

Write as if you’re speaking directly to your reader

There is a good reason that MBA admission essays are sometimes called “personal statements.”  Not only are you relaying personal insights, but you are also getting personal with the reader.  When writing your admission essay, try to write as though you are speaking directly to your reader, or the admissions committee.  Following this technique will add a sense of warmth to your essay and will help engage the readers by holding their interest.(2)

Start right and end it well with an attention-grabbing intro and persuasive conclusion

Finally, make sure that your introduction and conclusion are well-written.  Try to grab the reader’s attention from the beginning with an interesting introduction that will lead you into a flowing body that is concise and coherent.  From there, wrap everything up with a persuasive conclusion that will urge the admissions committee to accept you.(3)

Remember to get the most out of examples of personal statement by comparing and contrasting your own essay with the personal statement example.  That way, you can be sure that your essay is good enough to get you into MBA school.

(1) http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html
(2)  http://career.berkeley.edu/Grad/GradStatement.stm
(3)  http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/gettingstarted.html

Things That May Piss off College Admissions Officers

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Going to college can be considered a gift.  Not all people have the drive or the resources to attend post-secondary school, and those that do still have to get through the admission process.  If you are planning to go to college, one of the biggest obstacles in your way is getting the admission committee to accept your application.  As such, you probably wouldn’t want to upset the admissions officers, or get on their bad side.  Here are a few things to avoid when dealing with your application and the admission committee:

Sending too many letters of recommendation

Some applicants tend to send a bunch of letters of recommendation, thinking that more recommendation letters will help convince the admissions officers to accept them.  Most schools ask for a specific number of recommendation letters for each applicant, usually around two or three letters.  Exceeding the number of required letters will only hurt you.  Make sure that you get letters from people whom you think will give you the best, recommendations and send those along with your application package.  As much as possible, try not to exceed the maximum.(1)

Trying to be too poetic on your letters and essays

Take a look at a bunch of personal statement examples, and you will find that most authors steer clear from sounding too wordy or poetic.  You admission essays and letters to the admission committee should be of excellent quality, but that doesn’t mean that you should try to be poetic or extremely literary.  Trying to make your letters and essays too poetic may can backfire.  Admission committees are used to reading essays and letters, and they know when applicants are trying too hard.  Study and emulate the language use of personal statement examples.  Keep your objective in mind and the content within the context of your college application.(2)

Be sure to take full advantage of good examples of personal statement, because they can help you compose a concise, comprehensible, and compelling letter or essay.  You may even want to compare your essay to an example of personal statement online to see how you measure up to the standards.

Sending a thick file, aside from the transcript

Admission committees already have enough papers to look through.  Sending a thick file with information that is either irrelevant or unnecessary will only add to the work and stress of the admissions officers.  Your application package should only be composed of what the admission committee actually requires from you.  Keep it simple and avoid swamping admissions officers with unneeded files and papers.(3)

(1)  http://mather.harvard.edu/law/MatherLaw/application/recommendations.php
(2) http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2008/bs20080619_275093_page_2.htm
(3)  http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/requirements/

Common Flaws when Writing an Admission Essay

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The admission essay is an important part of your application package.  This will serve as a means to tell the admission committee something about yourself apart from all of the information that is already on your application forms, resume, and transcript.  If you use the admission essay properly, you can give the committee some insight into your personality, character, and how you live your life.  Despite the freedom that you have when writing your admission essay, there are still a number of mistakes you should look out for, and here are some of them:

Boring your readers right from the start

One of the biggest mistakes that people sometimes commit on their admission essay is to bore their readers.  You might as well check out some poorly written personal statement examples to get an idea of what a boring essay is.  Remember that your goal is to get the reader hooked on who you are and why you deserve to be in the school.  If you bore the reader from the start, then what’s to keep him or her from putting down your essay and going on to the next applicant?  Try to hold the reader’s interest with an attention-grabbing introduction, an interesting body, and a clinching conclusion.(1)

Using the thesaurus to find inappropriate, big words

Another mistake that some applicants make is using the thesaurus to look for big words.  People tend to think that big words will make them sound more educated or well read.  The truth is, many of the best writers and speakers out there are able to convey volumes of useful information with the use of simple language that most people can understand.  Try checking some examples of personal statements and pay close attention to their language use.  You’ll probably notice that most personal statement examples make use of simple and sincere language.  Instead of using big words, try to focus on expressing yourself in a simple but interesting manner.(2)

Saying the same things over and over again

Another common mistake is writing an essay that goes around in circles, repeating the same information in different ways.  Some tend to give too much information, or they just use the same information over and over again.  A useful trick to remedy this mistake is to compose a short outline that will guide you through what you want to say.(3)  Try to emulate a personal statement example that reads well and keeps the reader’s thought process flowing.

(1)  http://businessmajors.about.com/od/admissions/a/essaytips.htm
(2) http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2008/bs20080619_275093_page_2.htm
(3)  http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/DosandDonts.htm

Tips on How to Discuss Sensitive Themes in Your Admission Essay

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When applying to a post-secondary educational institution, one of the most significant admission requirements is the admission essay.  Writing an admission essay is not an easy task, and it seems that the task only becomes more daunting when you have to discuss sensitive themes.  If you have to write about sensitive issues in your personal statement, it is important that you do so with tact, honesty, and sincerity.(1)  You can do better if you can find good examples of personal statement that tackle these kinds of topics.  Here are some good tips:

Examples of personal statement: Be honest but tactful

One of the golden rules when composing your admission essay is to be honest and tactful.  It is important that you get the story and the hardship across to the reader, but do so in a manner that is not offensive or insensitive.  Perhaps the biggest mistake that you can make when writing your admission essay is to fabricate information in an attempt to make your personal statement seem more interesting or compelling.  Take the high road and be honest instead, because admission committees frown upon lies and plagiarism.(2)

Personal statement examples: Don’t try too hard to persuade readers but feed them with positive information

Another mistake that some people make on the admission essay is that they try to hard to persuade the reader about what a terrible or difficult time they had.  Your point isn’t to tell a sob story about your life, but to show that you can focus on the positive aspects despite the numerous challenges that you had to endure.  If you are able to elaborate the positive aspects in your essay, then the reader will be more likley to focus on this side of the story as well.

Examples of personal statements: Focus on what makes you a strong candidate

In line with focusing on the positive, it’s important to talk about why you make a strong candidate as an applicant to the school.  The mark of any great admission essay is when the author is able to express how such sensitive topics and difficult experiences have made them a better person.  Focus on how the character traits, values, and virtues that you have developed through such experience have prepared you to deal with the challenges that you are likely to face in college and beyond.(3)

(1)  http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html
(2)  http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(3)  http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/gradapp.html

What You Need to Know when Applying for Financial Aid

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Aside from going over several personal statement examples for their writing their admission essay, students should also seek information on how they can best qualify for financial aid.  For many students who are trying to get through college, financial aid is one of their best friends.  With a little help from scholarships and grants, students can worry a little less about how to pay for their tuition and instead focus more on their studies at hand.  Basically, financial aid helps students pay for tuition, room and board, books and supplies, as well as other school fees.(1)  Here are some helpful information that they should know:

Freshmen have a better chance at getting good offers

Usually, freshmen have a better chance at getting good financial aid offers.  This is normally the case, because many school have specific financial aid programs for incoming first-year students.  Since freshmen still have a good four or more years of study in the school, they can be given long-term financial aid plans at lower rates.  This information shouldn’t discourage non-freshman students from finding a good deal, though.

You can negotiate for a better package

Perhaps the best way to get the most out of a financial aid deal is to negotiate.  Most lenders are willing to strike a deal with you, but they will probably wait for you to make the first negotiations.  There are a number of ways in which you can negotiate your financial aid.  One way is to ask for lower interest rates, which can shave off  a considerable amount from the fees and costs of your loan.  You can also try to get a longer grace period on your repayment schedule, so that you have more time to work out how you’re going to pay your bills.  Also, you can negotiate for a higher loan in case the initial offer made by the lender is not enough to pay for your schooling fees.(2)  What other students do is get ideas from personal statement examples so they can provide details in their admission essays on how they want to acquire college education despite their financial situation.

Students should not accept the first offer but should wait until they get accepted to more schools

Another strategy is to wait until you are accepted to more schools before finalizing your loan deals.  While waiting for a better offer, what applicants can do is to learn as much as they can from well-written examples of personal statement so they can have better chances of getting admitted to more colleges and universities.  A personal statement example can help boost your applications even if you don’t have excellent grades.

When it comes to federal loans, it is important for you to wait until you are accepted to more schools, because these loans are often linked to the school that you are attending.  You will then have more leverage to negotiate your financial aid. Just remember not to wait for too long, otherwise you may lose all your chances as you get closer to deadlines for financial aid applications.(3)

(1)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_financial_aid
(2)  http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/negotiation.phtml
(3)  http://www.chaminade.edu/financial_aid/

The Dos and Don’ts of Admission Essay Writing

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You admission essay can be the one thing that convinces the admission committee to give you a chance by accepting you into the school.  While your resume and your transcripts may not be perfect, the admission essay can help to smooth over these hiccups by charming the committee with your personality.(1)  Because the admission essay is such an important part of your application package, you may want to know how to put together a winning piece.  Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to admission essay writing, based on some good and bad examples of personal statements:

Don’t include unnecessary information that don’t support your thesis.

One of the biggest mistakes that some writers make in their personal statement examples is including irrelevant information. You have to remember that admission committees usually have thousands of application packages to look through, so don’t waste your time and theirs by including unnecessary details in your essay.  Try to make a solid thesis statement and follow it throughout your essay.(2)  Go over some examples of personal statements online so you can spot common errors and be guided on how to write a good one.

Do include experiences that set you apart from other applicants.

The main goal of the admission essay is to tell the committee why you deserve the slot over the thousands of other people who are applying.  One of the best ways to do this is to focus on what makes you unique from the other applicants.  Each person comes from different backgrounds and, even if two people grow up in the exact same environment, each will experience that environment differently from the other.  Try to expound on certain experience that set you apart, and mention how these experiences have prepared you for success in college and your future career.(3)

Do read your essay aloud, and see how it sounds.

Another great tip is to read your essay aloud.  It can be easy to get detached from what you are writing, especially when you are under pressure and trying to do the best you can to create an excellent personal statement.  Make sure to read your essay aloud so that you can actually hear what you have written.  Chances are, the better it sounds when you read it aloud, the better it will read on paper as well.  This is one of the secrets of well-writen examples of personal statement.

(1)  http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/gradapp.html
(2)  http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(3)  http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/college/academics/curf/resources/applicants/

3 Easy Ways to Organize the Body of Your Essay

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When completing the requirements for your application package, you should keep in mind that one of the most substantial requirements is your admission essay.  This can spell the difference between receiving the fat acceptance letter or the thin rejection notice.  For this reason, you should do your best to make an excellent personal statement that is interesting, compelling, and engaging.  This article will give you three helpful hints on how to develop and organize the body of your admission essay based on well-written examples of personal statements.

Examples of personal statements: Make an outline for your main ideas

The first step is to make a simple outline of your main ideas.  There is no need to create a three-page outline with all of the information in there.  Instead, focus on the main points that you want to get across in your essay.  Perhaps a maximum of three to five points would be best to ensure that you won’t try to write about too many different things.(1)

Personal statement examples: Create sub-point for each main idea

Now that you have a good idea of what you want to write about, the next step is to make one or two sub-points for each main idea you listed down in step 1.  The sub-points should delve a little deeper into the main idea by stating what you want to emphasize about the topic.  For example, if one of your main ideas is a challenging time you had in high school, then your sub-point can be about how you felt while battling the challenge.  The main objective in this second step is to start developing your main idea into something that you can expound on in your essay.(2)

Examples of personal statement: Elaborate on your insights and how they make you a good candidate

The final step is to start filling in your essay.  Now that you already have your main ideas and sub-points, all that is left to do the writing.  Elaborate on the main ideas by touching on the sub-points that you came up with.  Take it one step further by doing a little reflection and writing about how your personality and character have developed, making you a good candidate for the school.(3)

(1)  http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html
(2)  http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/f/essay2.htm
(3)  http://www.conncoll.edu/admission/essays.htm