Our world is full of myths. People tend to coin myths regarding every aspect of our lives. And, of course, they couldn’t leave education alone. The education system is bombarded with various myths.
Starting from gloomy career prospects, insufficient knowledge, and ending with overall dissatisfaction, they still influence young people’s decisions to not entering colleges. Sadly enough, but one of the most widespread educational myths is related to admission essays. We have gathered the most horrible ones and will debunk them at the drop of a hat.
Myth 1 – You should be a professional writer to get accepted
Well, whoever told that should better ask those students who weren’t the best in the group, yet were accepted and even awarded scholarships. Indeed, you don’t have to be an expert in writing. The most important thing is to have your own persuasive story that you can convey to admission officers. Yes, you will have to spend time to polish your paper to shine, make it sound and glossy. But your narration will be exquisite, and this is professionalism in some sense.
Myth 2 – Your essay must be about a gripping topic
False. The committee will evaluate you, not a subject you write about. Your writing style, mindset, and the way you portray a story are more important than a subject per se. There are many cases when students wrote about trivial aspects and were accepted, getting the highest grade possible. Admission officers say, “Students often want to sort of show off and write about existential, complicated, abstract, and hard-to-understand things. We would recommend writing about anything that can define you as a person, reveal your personality, attitudes, etc. However, do not make it extensive.” Leave exciting topics for your school or college essays. If you seek ideas, these guys can write an essay for cheap or review your admission essay before you submit it to the officers.
Myth 3 – Officers do not read application essays/ Officers skim application essays
Needless to say that the committee reads application essays carefully. No. They literally scrutinize these papers and even review them! They want to hear something that you thought would be meaningful to hear. Your story is one of a kind. This is why they analyze it.
A couple of years ago, one story was hitting the headlines. An applicant wrote his experience in traveling across Africa with his parents. Even though his family was affluent, they traveled by simple van, exploring picturesque views off the beaten track. What they saw was an eye-opening experience. And even admission officers who have read enough sensational stories were impressed by this narrative.
Myth 4 – You must have an extensive list of extracurricular activities
Many parents think that their kiddo needs to attend myriads of courses, clubs, and whatnot because this will demonstrate how dedicated their children are. They believe that officers will be astonished because of this and instantly accept the youngster. Well, they think wrong. Officers aspire to create a full-fledged class with great students that will work together without any issues. It doesn’t matter how many courses you undertake. It is more important to show that you are proficient in one or two activities rather than twenty.
Myth 5 – No one checks your social media platforms
If you think so, you are wrong. Wait, you still believe that no one cares about your accounts and what you write there? A plethora of educational institutions have people who are specifically responsible for social media analysis. Why? Because there are too many students who want to enter the best universities. And officers need reasons to reject you. Undoubtedly, you won’t be rejected for swear words. Still, you can easily be rejected if your posts are full of racial and gender discrimination, propaganda, and other irrelevant to the contemporary world things. Forearmed is forewarned; if your parents have felt embarrassed by your Twitter account, be sure that admission officers would have had second thoughts as well.
Myth 6 – If you don’t have recommendations from “important” people, you are ill-fated
It’s an outdated stereotype. Certainly, people who have links get something twice faster. However, it doesn’t correlate with education. Many people look for acquaintances like CEOs of big organizations, omnipresent politicians, etc. to get a counterfeited recommendation of their usefulness. If you don’t have any links, don’t even try to do that. If you want to stand out, think about teachers who can write you an excellent recommendation, pointing out your capabilities. Colleges and universities appreciate recommendations written by their colleagues.
Myth 7 – Lower your ambitions, as the best colleges are way too expensive
Partially, this is true. However, if to do the quick math, it turns out that sometimes getting a degree at Yale or Princeton is cheaper than in other less prestigious universities or colleges. This is because many top institutions consider the inability of hundreds of students to afford tertiary education. As a result, they offer financial aid for these ambitious youngsters in need. The overall degree may well be less costly than even in a state college!
These are the most ubiquitous myths that should be busted every time people spread them. Remember that admission essays aim to disclose your point of view. No need to select a tremendous experience and try hard to depict it with eloquent words. Something small can be described in a better way.
