Most students apply to U.S. universities via the Common App, which requires a 650-word essay (submitted to most universities), for example, for the 2021/22 academic year, and requires students to answer one of the following seven questions.
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
In addition, each US university will have an additional Supplementary Essay(s), ranging from one to five essays per university. If you apply to more than one US university at the same time, you will have to write dozens of essays totalling nearly or even more than 10,000 words. As you can see from the seven examples above, American universities place more emphasis on personal stories and growth than on academic discussions or bragging about activities they have participated in, in line with their focus on whole-person development.
This type of essay is also confusing for many students. When preparing your essay for admission to the United States, students should be aware of the following points.
- Once you have selected the U.S. universities you are interested in, you must first find out if all of them can apply through the Common App. For example, UC California has a separate application system; the University of Washington and Texas at Austin can only apply through the Coalition App. These universities will also increase the time to prepare and fill out the forms, so think carefully before deciding.
- Think about your own story: Students can start by thinking back to when they were a child and what memorable or meaningful people and events they have experienced in their life. It is a good idea to write them all out in a list and write about the impact they had on you to plan your essay story with half the effort. This is especially true for colleges that require multiple admissions essays, where numerous stories or perspectives can be used to express your characteristics.
- Understand your personality and personal traits/charisma: When the admissions department looks at your admissions essay, they want to know more about your personal traits and charisma than about your academic achievements (because they can already tell from your transcripts and SAT/ACT scores). Students may want to talk to their friends, teachers, and family to find out who you are from their perspective, and to think about your personality and how you treat people when you are alone. You should keep reminding yourself to express yourself sincerely when writing essays, and not to be a "prude".
- There is no need to force an infrequent topic or theme: Although American University emphasises creativity, it does not mean that your essay must be absolutely "unique" and not similar to others. Many students force themselves to write about highly odd or offbeat topics, which may not resonate with the admissions officers and may even be challenging to identify with. A common issue or storyline will have the best effect paired with your own "voice" and in-depth thought process.
- No show-off: Unlike the Hong Kong admissions essay, students do not need to add their extracurricular activities or competition awards to the U.S. essay. This is because there are other sections in the application system, whether it is the Common App, Coalition App, or UC, where students can list activities or competitions they have participated in. Unless the essay title states that you need to expand on the benefits of an extracurricular activity, or that the activity you participated in has a strong connection to your growth story, you should avoid repeating it in your essay, as it will not only waste words, but will also be abrupt.
- There is no need to force your way to the word limit: Each U.S. Admissions article has a word limit, ranging from 50 to 1000 words. If you are sure that there is no more room for revision, you do not need to force your essay to reach the maximum word limit, otherwise some paragraphs will be too long. Generally speaking, essays of 80-100% of the word limit are appropriate and students should not be overly concerned about the length of their essays.
- Seek multiple opinions and allow plenty of time: Once students have written their admissions essays, it is advisable to send them to as many people as possible to see if your essay resonates with the majority of people or if a certain number of readers will read it and comment negatively on your character and behavior. Students should also expect to have to significantly revise or even rewrite their essays several times in order to meet U.S. admissions standards.
In general, it is not easy to write multiple essays for admission to the United States at the same time, so it is time for Form 4 to Form 6 students to start preparing and to plan early for the remaining preparation time. If you have any other questions or are confused about your essay, please feel free to contact Helios Education's Admissions Advisory Team for the most professional and personalized advice to help you gain admission to a prestigious university.
