Application Essay Examples | College & Scholarship

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Application essays are essential when applying for college admissions, scholarships, or jobs. They give the applicant ample opportunity to express their thoughts, share their experience, and showcase their skills.

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Fredrick Eghosa

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However, writing a compelling application essay is not a simple task. It requires the applicant to think critically about what they intend to write about to stand out and translate these thoughts into clear and concise writing.

This guide was created to teach you how to write application essays like a pro. It uses detailed steps that have proven to work overtime and leverages cowriter.ai, our stellar artificial intelligence essay writing tool.

Are you prepared to begin learning? Let's get started!

Key Takeaways

Application essays allow applicants to express their thoughts and demonstrate their skills, values, achievements, and goals to the reader in a way that makes them stand out from the crowd.

AI tools like cowriter.ai help users generate ideas and streamline the writing process, enhancing their chances of being chosen.

Avoid using generic responses when writing application essays; instead, tailor your response to suit the organization's qualities.

Writing your essay clearly and concisely leaves a memorable and impactful imprint on the reader's mind.

What Is An Application Essay?

An application essay is an applicant's written statement when applying to a college, scholarship, or job. It helps the reader know more about the applicant’s story, experiences, achievements, aspirations, etc., so they can decide if the applicant is a good fit.

Application essays do not follow strict rules and can be written on various topics, depending on what the reader wants the applicant to write about. For example, an applicant can talk about how the rise of artificial intelligence has affected their lives, careers, etc., or about an experience during COVID-19.

Whatever the case is, all the reader wants to see is how clearly the applicant writes and articulates their thoughts together.

What’s the Purpose of Writing Application Essays?

The purpose of writing an application essay is to help you dig deeper into personality, values, or experiences and express your thoughts clearly to the reader. It goes beyond achievements and allows readers to familiarize themselves with your attributes.

Writing an application essay is also a great way to demonstrate your communication skills to the reader. A well-written essay will reflect your creative prowess, evoking emotions that will persuade the reader to accept your application.

Therefore, put effort into learning how to write an application essay, as it is essential for your academic or professional success.

Why Are Application Essays Important?

There are many reasons why application essays are critical. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Individual Expression

Writing an application essay allows you to express yourself. You can write about your experiences, values, unique qualities, and achievements, letting the reader know you beyond your grades.

2. Demonstrate Skill Set

If you have any skill set that stands out, you are too good with problem-solving, creative thinking, or leadership, whatever it is. You can demonstrate those skill sets in your application essay by narrating a situation or story that showcases your potential.

3. To Show You Are A Good Fit

When you write an application essay that is well written, it automatically stands out from the rest, letting the reader see you as a good fit for their institution.

4. Evidence of Effort

Taking the time to write a compelling application essay shows that you are a serious-minded person. In turn, the reader may likely give you a chance because they see the effort put into writing the essay.

5. Personal Connection

Writing an application essay may require sharing your personal story or experience. This story evokes emotions when read by the admissions officer or interviewer, allowing for personal connection.

6. Chance for Reflection

Writing an application essay helps you to reflect deeply about your experiences. You can adequately articulate your thoughts and write without missing any vital detail.

Types of Application Essays

Now that you know what an application essay is and why it is important to write one, let's talk about the different types of application essays.

You see, there are different application essays, each serving a specific purpose. In this guide, we will be discussing the three major types of application essays below:

1. College Application Essays

A college application essay is one of the common types of application essays out there. Mainly what colleges do is use this essay to assess students who are applying to study in the school to understand other aspects of the applicant beyond academic success.

To ace the college application essay, you only need to focus on writing about your personal growth and align your academic goals with the values the school prioritizes.

Some common examples of college essays are “Why this college?” and “Describe a challenge you overcame.”

2. Scholarship Application Essays

Organisations that offer scholarships ask applicants to write essays because they intend to use them to assess the applicant's achievements, financial needs, and how the applicant's goals align with theirs.

To stand out with this type of essay, you need to tell the reader about your accomplishments and how getting the scholarship will enable you to accomplish more.

Examples of scholarship application essays are: “How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals?” and “Discuss your leadership experience.”

3. Job Application Essays

Employers organize job application essays for applicants to showcase their skill sets, experiences, and reasons for wanting to be hired.

To stand out in a job application essay, you only need to discuss your relevant skills and how they will contribute to the organization's growth.

Examples of job application essays include “Why are you interested in this position?” and "Describe a time when you solved a problem at work.”

Steps on How to Write an Application Essay

There are certain steps or procedures you need to follow if you want to write a compelling essay that will keep the reader engaged while reading.

These steps are simple yet powerful to put you on the right track in your essay-writing journey. Here are the steps to take when writing an application essay:

1. Understand the Essay Prompt

Every essay comes with its own prompt; this prompt is what guides the applicant on the type of questions to answer, the word limit, and other requirements that the applicant must adhere to.

The essay prompt is often tailored specifically to each institution. Therefore, it is essential that before writing an application essay, an applicant should take their time to read and fully understand what the essay prompts are about.

Doing so will help you not only adhere to the guidelines but also give your utmost best in your essay writing.

2. Structure Your Essay

Do not just jump into writing an essay; rather, structure it this way.

Starting from the introduction, use an attention-grabbing hook or a strong sentence to open your essay. It could be a thought-provoking question also. Just anything that immediately draws the reader into reading every word in your essay.

Next is to go into the main body of your essay, where you take the reader on a journey of getting to know more about your values, experience, qualities, achievements, etc., from your story.

To succeed at this stage, you will need to break down the body into paragraphs (at most three) that will focus on various aspects of your story.

Lastly, you end the essay with a memorable statement that will leave a lasting impression on the reader.

3. Be Personable

You are writing an essay for the reader to choose you, right? Therefore, write in a personable manner.

Your words and story should reflect your qualities and evoke emotions in the mind of the reader so that they can connect with you. Share a real-life experience of how you overcame a challenge and be as authentic as you should be.

How to Write An Application Essay With Cowriter.ai

1. Visit the Cowriter.ai website and log into your account, then click on “New Document.”

2. Input your prompt and click on the open editor button. Please ensure that your prompt strength is strong before hitting the open editor button.

3. You will be redirected to the next page where you get to input your essay prompt or allow cowriter.ai to do the work for you.

If you are unsatisfied with the response, you can use any AI commands on your right-hand side to refine the text and check for plagiarism and grammar errors. Once everything is set, you can copy your application essay to the organization’s submission page.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Application Essays

1. Using Generic Response

Many applicants use generic responses with vague, overused phrases to write application essays and expect to stand out. Please do not join the bandwagon in writing your application essay that way, as it would only end up in the trash

Instead, write in a personable manner that the reader can resonate and engage with.

2. Ignoring the Prompt

Nothing is as bad as ignoring the essay prompt or straying off-topic when writing an application essay. It clearly shows that you do not understand the prompt or that you are just an unserious person.

So, to avoid this type of mistake, take the time to read and understand a prompt before responding. Reach out to a mentor or teacher if you need help understanding the prompt.

3. Grammar and Spelling Errors

As beautiful and compelling as an application can be, if it has too many grammatical and spelling errors, it becomes uninteresting to read.

And that is very bad, as it will leave a negative impression on you. So, before hitting the submission button, take the time to proofread and edit your essay properly for grammar errors.

4. Not Being Authentic

Authenticity is not something you can fake. Once your essay lacks it, the reader will know from the get-go, and your application may likely end up in the trash. And that, my friend, is not what you want.

To avoid situations like that, take the time to write clearly and personably. Don't try to impress or magnify your achievements. Instead, focus on passing a clear message with your story, making you stand out.

5. Overly Formal

Have you ever read a piece from a stranger and wondered why they were overly formal when you do not even know them? Yeah, it sucks, I know.

So, do not do the same thing when writing an application essay. Even if the reader is your dad or someone you know, write in an official tone.

6. Information Overload

When writing an application essay, sometimes there is a need to share all of your outstanding achievements in your essay, which is not a bad thing. However, this will only leave the reader trying to make sense of your essay, as the information may be too much.

If you have so much to share, rather than go ahead with it. Slow down the pace and take some time to see the information best suited for the prompt, then share it wholeheartedly.

That way, you do not overwhelm the reader.

7. Overusing AI Tools

No doubt, artificial intelligence essay writing tools are on the rise, as they help users craft essays in just seconds. It is a good thing; however, relying too much on AI tools can inhibit authenticity.

The best way is to use AI tools like Cowriter.ai to generate ideas and as a guide when writing application essays.

Wrapping Up

Finally, we hope you enjoyed reading this beautiful piece as much as we did writing it.

We encourage you to always make reference to this guide from time to time, adhering to all the steps and tips mentioned therein.

Furthermore, to simplify your essay writing process, we encourage you to make use of cowriter.ai, our outstanding AI essay writing tool and leave us positive feedback when you do.

Till next time, have a blast!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the word limit for an application essay?

The word count limit for every application essay is between 250 and 650 words. However, this may vary depending on the institution to which you are applying.

Can I use the same essay for multiple applications?

Sure, you can. However, it is best always to customize your essay to the specific essay prompt so that your essay does not come off as generic and the reader can resonate with it

Do I need to use formal language?

Yes, however, write in a more professional and conversational tone so your essay can sound authentic.

Can I seek feedback before submitting my essay?

Yes, you can. It's even one of the best things to do. Sharing your essay with a genuine friend, teacher, or mentor will help give you a better insight into how to write the essay.

What tools can help improve my essay?

You can leverage tools like Cowriter.ai to help you generate ideas and draft an essay outline. Additionally, you can use Grammarly to check your grammar.