The Process
1. The First Take
The First Take. My first look at your writing is fresh, just like the admissions process. You get one shot from me to hear how your writing sounds by someone who doesn’t know you. I will not proofread your writing before we meet; the first time we meet I will read your writing out-loud to you.
2. Question Time
Hearing your writing out-loud does wonders. You will you immediately notice mistakes that you previously missed. I’ll then ask you several questions. What did you mean to communicate in this paragraph? What do you think your essay is missing? Did you intend to write in passive voice here?
3. Reduce the “Cognitive Burden.”
Do you know the feeling of reading something dreadful or excessively wordy? It isn’t a feeling – reading something taxing is a greater mental challenge. When you writing is difficult to process, you impose a greater cognitive burden on your reader. Said plainly, if your writing sucks to read, an admissions counselor will gloss over it.
4. Refine refine refine
Great essays answer the prompt clearly and remain under the word count. Exceptional essays eliminate passive voice, have strong topic sentences, transition well, reduce “fluff” words, employ rhetorical devices. All of which demonstrates how you are a contribution to the program.