2.1 Title
Your title should reflect the THESIS or central argument of your essay. Avoid repeating the TOPIC as assigned (or selected).
2.2 Opening Paragraph
Begin with a statement about the general TOPIC and proceed to your particular THESIS and approach to it. This structure will orient your reader. Avoid giving a summary of what is to follow. Summaries are best left to conclusions. Avoid writing about your essay; write only about your subject. (In other words, avoid such statements as: “In this section I shall discuss x.” Simply discuss x.)
2.3 Body
The middle section of the essay should be divided into carefully connected paragraphs, each consisting of four to eight sentences. Avoid overly long or short paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain one major point, and must be related logically and grammatically to the preceding and following ones. Use connecting words (such as: however, therefore, in addition, nevertheless, and so on) to ensure smooth and clear transitions between points and paragraphs. Make sure that the argument progresses in a manner that is both coherent and convincing. Never apologize. Avoid too such statements as “in my opinion,” since the entire essay is assumed to be your opinion — that is, an opinion based upon and supported by material from the texts.
2.4 Conclusion
Since the argument has built up to your strongest point, your conclusion should begin with what your argument proved — your THESIS. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for category Brochure Copywriting
Lesson Six: Final Steps
Oct 29
Read Your Essay Out Loud: To help you polish the essay even further, read it out loud. You will be amazed at the faulty grammar and awkward language that your ears can detect. This will also give you a good sense of the flow of the piece and will alert you to anything that sounds too abrupt or out of place. Good writing, like good music, has a certain rhythm. How does your essay sound? Is it interesting and varied or drawn out and monotonous?
Have Your Essay Professionally Edited: After spending hundreds of dollars on test prep courses and guidebooks, you must be extremely confident if you decide not to seek a professional’s advice on the most controllable aspect of the entire application.
Named “the world’s premier application essay editing service” by The New York Times, EssayEdge has helped more applicants write successful application essays than any other company in the world. Please click here to have your essay professionally edited.
Introduction
Surprised to see introductions as the topic of our second-to-last lesson? Most writers find that it is nearly impossible to craft an essay by beginning with the introduction. The best leads often develop during and after writers have written the remainder of the essay.
Maybe a fantastic introduction or conclusion is caught floating around in the middle of your rough draft. Maybe you find that your essay does not even need an introduction or conclusion (see sidebar). More likely, however, it is in these later stages that you have a good sense of the way your essay is shaping up, all the way to the nitty-gritty details. Since beginnings and endings can be the most challenging and important part of any piece of writing, you will want to take advantage of a completed rough draft.
Part of the reason why introductions and conclusions are so difficult is that writers tend to worry about them too much. Read the rest of this entry »
Lesson Four: Word Choice
Oct 29
Don’t Thesaurusize. The second trap into which many students fall is thinking that big words make good essays. Advanced vocabulary is fine if it comes naturally to you, and when used correctly in an appropriate context. After reading thousands of essays, admissions officers know which students have come up with difficult words by themselves and which have looked them up in a thesaurus.
Show, don’t tell. Too often, an essay with an interesting story will fizzle into a series of statements that “tell” rather than “show” the qualities of the writer. Students wrongfully assume that the reader will not “get it” if they do not beat to death their main arguments. Thus, the essay succumbs to the usual clich?s: “the value of hard work and perseverance” or “learning to make a difference” or “not taking loved ones for granted” or “dreams coming true” or “learning from mistakes.” Such statements are acceptable if used minimally, as in topic sentences, but the best essays do not use them at all. Instead, allow the details of your story to make the statement for you. An example helps elucidate the difference:
In a mediocre essay: “I developed a new compassion for the disabled.”
In a better essay: “Whenever I had the chance to help the disabled, I did so happily.”
In an essay: “The next time Mrs. Cooper asked me to help her across the street, I smiled and immediately took her arm.”
The first example provides no detail, the second example is still only hypothetical, but the final example evokes a vivid image of something that actually happened, thus placing the reader in the experience of the applicant. Read the rest of this entry »
Below you will find a sample outline and the essay written from that outline.
OUTLINE
Paragraph 1 (Introduction)
I. Leading sentence: “It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life.”
II. Summary of main points: “I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.”
Paragraph 2 (First Supporting Point)
I. Transition sentence: “My mother’s enthusiasm for learning is most apparent in travel.”
II. Supporting point: Her mother’s enthusiasm for learning.
III. Evidence: Learning through travel by using the example of a trip to Greece.
Paragraph 3 (Second Supporting Point)
I. Transition sentence: “While I treasure the various worlds my mother has opened to me abroad, my life has been equally transformed by what she has shown me just two miles from my house.”
II. Supporting point: Her mother’s dedication to the community.
III. Evidence: Her multiple volunteer activities such as helping at the local soup kitchen.
Paragraph 4 (Conclusion)
I. Transition sentence: “Everything that my mother has ever done has been overshadowed by the thought behind it.”
II. Reiteration of main points: “She has enriched my life with her passion for learning, and changed it with her devotion to humanity.”
III. Taking it one step further: “Next year, I will find a new home miles away. Read the rest of this entry »