One need not be a literary genius to come up with a well-written medical school application essay. In fact, many of the essays written by successful candidates are those that are not excessively creative in their approach. The prevalent characteristics of admission essays that work may be summarized into 3Cs (coherent, concise, and clarity of purpose). Here are some tips to help you write a 3C essay of your own:
Why an outline is important when writing an admission essay
Achieving a 3C quality to any written material starts with a good outline. As what your grade-school teacher may have told you, the outline provides a solid backbone to your composition. There are four main reasons explaining the importance of a good outline:
- It helps shape your composition and set limits to its coverage.
- It provides order and logic to your write-up.
- It guides you in preparing smooth transitions for your essay.
- It can be used to review shortcomings in logic.
Admission essay tips when creating your outline
Given the value of a good outline, it is important to allot an adequate amount of time at the pre-writing stage. It is also equally important not to get into outlining right away. Brainstorm and answer self-assessment questions that need to be addressed before writing an application essay. Simply write down your thoughts as they come, and resist the urge to edit. Later on, you can weed out irrelevant or less important items by using an essay checklist.
Using your outline, you can start writing a rough copy of your essay and revise it as you deem fit. Review your draft for lapses in grammar and structure, and tweak your content around to strengthen its logic. Lastly, have someone, whose opinion you trust, read and comment on your essay. It should show how articulate and logical you are. Most importantly, your essay should be able to demonstrate your motivation and consistency to purpose. Writing a great essay will help make you feel good about yourself and more confident about your application.
Related questions:
1. What are the three most common characteristics of effective admission essays?
2. What are the four reasons which explain why an essay should start with a good outline?
3. How do you prepare yourself to make a good outline? What tools should you use?
