| The value of a College Admission Essay or graduate | | | | and specific discussion of his personal background and |
| school admission essay, as part of the college or | | | | the limited experiences that he was able to acquire |
| graduate admissions process can never be | | | | given the restrictions that he faced then. John |
| over-emphasized. To validate the value of an | | | | presented all these in painstaking detail, adding in a |
| admission essay or graduate school admission essay, | | | | few of his own personal observations as well as the |
| let us look at the following illustration:James and John | | | | lessons that the experiences taught him.When the |
| are two good friends who share one common dream: | | | | results of the admissions exams was released |
| to become doctors. James wants to specialize in | | | | including the Admission Essay, James and John |
| pediatrics while John is bent on concentrating in | | | | discovered they had to go their separate ways. John |
| orthopedic surgery. After finishing their respective | | | | was admitted to the medical school of his choice |
| pre-med undergraduate studies and armed with | | | | while James settled for his second choice.What did |
| almost identical grade point averages, and also | | | | the preceding illustration seek to imply? That high |
| identical scores in the standardized admissions tests | | | | grades alone is not a guaranteed passport to |
| (SAT and MCAT) the two buddies decide to apply to | | | | admission in a college or university. This is especially |
| the same Medical schools. In his Admission Essay, | | | | true in this modern times wherein people in the |
| James decided to list and discuss his school | | | | academe are not impressed anymore with excellent |
| experiences, including his extracurricular works and | | | | grades and a high test score. They want more from |
| achievements. He has quite a lot since he has a | | | | a prospective candidate. Specifically, they want a |
| number of relatives as well as close friends who are | | | | background profile of the candidate, a look into his |
| either working or used to work in various hospitals | | | | real self, his life and his goals, his experiences and the |
| and clinics. Gaining the needed medical exposure | | | | lessons that these gave him. The kind of information |
| proved quite easy for him. He wrote them all down, | | | | that can never be revealed by a high MCAT or GPA |
| since he figured that the more experiences and | | | | but can possibly be reflected in a Admission Essay.But |
| accomplishments he could present, the better will be | | | | such information can only be provided by the |
| his chances of getting admitted.John, on the other | | | | applicant himself. This is where the Admission Essay |
| hand, took a slightly different approach. He realized | | | | will play a key role. This is where the candidate is |
| that he will be stepping into a higher level of learning, | | | | requested to supply the data mentioned above and |
| where school grades may not be the only | | | | to supply them in clear and specific, and if possible, |
| determining factor for admission. He believed that | | | | crisp and fresh, fashion.Often, it is in this part of the |
| detailed and personal experiences will also count a lot. | | | | admissions process, i.e., the Admission Essay, that |
| So in his Admission Essay, John listed and discussed | | | | could mean the difference between acceptance or |
| two memorable accounts or experiences. He | | | | rejection. Many applicants are like James. They |
| particularly mentioned his volunteer work in a housing | | | | possess a nonchalant attitude towards admission |
| facility for the aged in the outskirts of the city | | | | essays, thinking that it is not an integral part of the |
| where he was exposed to the usual problems of | | | | application process, or they feel over confident |
| many senior citizens in the physical as well as in the | | | | because they have the right grades and test scores. |
| emotional realm of life.John also cited in his Admission | | | | But the truth is, school officials take admissions |
| Essay his involvement in a suburban clinic near the | | | | essays quite seriously. And coming up with a detailed |
| university where he was then studying wherein he | | | | and clearly-defined admission essay is as valuable as |
| processed and prepared the medical documents of | | | | performing well in the admissions test itself. An |
| the clinic's senior patients.In both accounts, as listed | | | | applicant should not separate one from the other. If |
| down in his Admission Essay, John provided a | | | | he is wishing to gain access to the college or |
| comprehensive detail of the nature of his work, the | | | | university of his choice then he should be aware of |
| particulars of the clinic he worked for, and the | | | | the fact that admission essays constitute a vital |
| insights he was able to collate in the course of his | | | | portion of the application process. As such, it should |
| work. He realized that compared to his good friend | | | | be taken seriously and given sufficient preparation in |
| James, he had limited resources, both in finances and | | | | the same manner that one thoroughly prepares for |
| in contacts. So what he did is to present a lengthy | | | | the MCAT itself. |