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Princeton Review

The Biggest Mistakes Students Make in Supplemental Essays

While working on your college application process, are you focusing on writing the supplemental essay?

Usually, the students focus all their energy on the personal statements, making a portfolio, and taking recommendations, and forget the importance of the supplemental essay.

Supplemental essays tell the college admission authorities why you’re interested in taking admission in their institution, and whether you fit into their institution or not. The supplemental essays enhance your profile apart from the grades and test scores; they highlight you, your personality, your opinions, etc.

Many students in Singapore look for college admissions counseling or even search for US university application help Singapore, but often underestimate how much the supplemental essays can impact their admission chances. To maximize your opportunities, avoid these common mistakes: But you can avoid these pitfalls by taking some careful measures for the biggest mistakes stated below:

1. Repeating Your Personal Statement in Supplemental Essays

A personal statement is a small essay that aims to showcase your personality and skills to the institution you are applying to, while the supplemental essay is a school-specific essay that shows your interest in the college you are applying to and tells them if you fit in with their institution or not. 

How to Avoid?

Use different ideas in both the personal statement and the supplement essay. Understand the requirements of both, and then write them carefully. Choose the unexplored areas to write in the supplemental essay, except for repeating the ones already mentioned in the personal statement.

2. Being Too Generic or Vague

Writing things that are very common or general, and can be written about any university or college, like “I want to get into this college because of its record of academic excellence.” It looks too vague and probably every second student is writing the same for every University.

How to Avoid?

Be clear and specific about your reasons for applying to the particular college, whether it is because of some specific course that attracted you, or the specific professor under whom you want to learn. Know more about the college and explain briefly how the particular college can help you meet your goals while writing supplement essays

3. Ignoring the Prompt

Not focusing on what is asked and bragging about your own achievements looks dull. This may make a point negative for you, that the student doesn’t get to the point, but instead revolves around their achievements only.

How To Avoid?

Make sure you are answering every part of the question briefly and carefully. You can do that by breaking the prompt into parts and understanding them in deep.

4. Talking All About You In Supplemental Essays

Repetitively, focusing on how college benefits you may look selfish, and the admission officers may not find you that attractive.

How To Avoid?

Instead of just talking about you and the benefits you will gain by getting into their institution’s program, also elaborate on how you can contribute to campus life. Balance your writing on how giving you admission equally benefits you and the college as well.

5. Attempting to sound Impressive

Most of the time, students lose their voice for the sake of sounding perfect and impressive, which makes the essay sound stiff, boring, and forgettable.

How To Avoid?

Do not forget to let your real personality shine through the supplemental essay. Write the essay like you are having a conversation with someone you already know and respect. Let every part of your personality shine through your essay in an appropriate manner.

6. Using the Same Supplement Essay in every College

Students usually copy-paste the same supplement essay in every college or University they are applying to, which makes it obvious for the admission officers to understand that it is a copy-paste generic essay.

How To Avoid?

Be specific about the college to which you’re applying. Write the program, a resource-oriented essay, that looks unique to the admission officer.

A good Supplement essay can force the college authorities to say that this student is well deserving and belongs in our college. By avoiding the above-mentioned mistakes, you can stand out among all the applicants.

How The Princeton Review can help you avoid the mistakes and write an impressive Supplement essay?

What do you think is important to write a good Supplemental Essay? Good Writing Skills?

No! The strategy and the guidance are what matter the most. You need to act smart while writing the supplemental Essay; you need to write what the college authorities will like.

The Princeton Review can provide you with that perfect strategy and the needed guidance. The company can provide you with:

1. Expert Coaching

  • One-to-one mentoring from the expert tutors who can help you write your Supplemental Essay.
  • The Expert and experienced faculty can help you brainstorm unique ideas that highlight your personality.

2. Ways To Avoid Common Mistakes

  • The Counsellors and coaches can help you avoid the biggest mistakes students usually make while writing the Essay.
  • They can guide you with the strategy of directly answering the prompt while connecting it with your personal experience.

3. Regular Feedback

  • They can have a look at your work and provide you with regular feedback, and also suggest the required corrections.
  • Once you are done with writing your Essay, they can check it thoroughly and ensure the clarity , tone, and check for silly errors in your supplemental essays.

4. Application Strategy

  • The expert counsellors ensure that you know the application strategy. Since it is not just about writing an essay, but it is more about telling your story through your application. 
  • Also, it is really difficult to answer “Why this college?” 

The Princeton Review can help you with research guidance, identifying specialities about the specific college, program, and professor.

5. Time Management Support

  • Writing Supplemental essays, personal statements, and preparing for exams all together can be hectic and frustrating. The Princeton Review can provide you with a writing schedule and strategies to write the Essay in the least time possible.
  • The Princeton Review can help you with tips and tricks while you are juggling exams, IB, or Coursework.

The Princeton Review provides you with Polished, genuine, and impressive essays that increase your chances of admission at selective universities.

If you are looking for the best consultancy to study abroad or need a trusted college admissions counselor Singapore, The Princeton Review can guide you through every step of the application process.

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