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»
Express yourself in positive language. Say what is, not what
is not.
» Use transitions
between paragraphs. Transitions tie one paragraph to the next.
» A transition can
be a word, like later, furthermore, additionally, or moreover;
a phrase like after this incident... or
an entire sentence.
» If you are writing
about Topic A and now want to discuss Topic B, you can begin
the new paragraph with a transition such
as "Like (or unlike) Topic A, Topic B..."
» Vary your sentence
structure. It's boring to see subject, verb, object all the
time. Mix simple, complex, and compound
sentences.
» Understand the
words you write. You write to communicate, not to impress
the admissions staff with your vocabulary.
When you choose a word that means something
other than what you intend, you neither communicate nor impress.
You do convey the wrong message or convince
the admissions officer that you are inarticulate.
» Look up synonyms
in a thesaurus when you use the same word repeatedly. After
the DELETE key, the thesaurus is your best
friend. As long as you follow Tip 4, using
one will make your writing more interesting.
» Be succinct. Compare:
During my sophomore and junior years, there was significant
development of my maturity and markedly improved self-discipline
towards school work.
During my sophomore and junior years, I matured and my self-discipline
improved tremendously.
The first example takes many more words to give the same information.
The admissions officers are swamped; they do not want to spend
more time than necessary reading your essay. Say what you
have to say in as few words as possible.
» Make every word
count. Do not repeat yourself. Each sentence and every word
should state something new.
» Avoid qualifiers
such as rather, quite, somewhat, probably, possibly, etc.
» You might improve
your writing somewhat if you sometimes try to follow this
suggestion.
» The example contains
nonsense. Deleting unnecessary qualifiers will strengthen
your writing 1000%. Equivocating reveals
a lack of confidence. If you do not believe
what you write, why should the admissions officer?
» Use the active
voice. Compare:
The application was sent by the student. (Passive voice)
The student sent the application. (Active voice)
They both communicate the same information. The active voice,
however, is more concise; it specifies who is performing the
action and what the object is. The passive voice is wordier
and frequently less clear.
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