College Application Essay Coaching

College Application Essay Coaching Even if you take advantage of the full length available to you, keep in mind that 650 words is not a long essay. It's roughly the equivalent of a two-page, double-spaced essay. It's about the same length as this article on essay length. He retook it as a senior with writing and also received a 34 composite , but only received an 8 on the writing portion. The only other difference between the 2 scores is that he got a 36 Reading/35 Science on the first ACT, and 35 Reading/36 Science on the second. For competitive schools that don’t require the writing portion, would you recommend that he submit his first score without the writing, or the second? I’m thinking the first is probably a better choice for him (especially for liberal arts colleges/universities), but wanted to get your thoughts. Also, don’t expect an essay score to stand out in the same way that your ERW and M scores might. Some colleges feel that removing “recommended” would mean that they are diminishing the importance of writing as a skill. That’s not the same thing as saying that it is important to them in the admission process. If you really feel that you will do poorly or that the anxiety might negatively impact the rest of your test, you should be OK without it. My son took the ACT without writing as a junior and received a 34 composite . Again, use the essay to narrate an engaging story. Make sure it highlights something you care about deeply, and be sure to provide a window into your interests or personality that isn't already obvious from the rest of your application. Finally, keep in mind that what you say and how you say it is far more important than whether you have 550 words or 650 words. Be sure to attend to your essay's style, and in most cases you're going to want to avoid these ten bad essay topics. If you've said all you have to say in 500 words, don't try to pad your essay to make it longer. Regardless of length, and even if yours is a transfer essay, the best writing will tell a compelling story, provide insight to your character and interests, and are written with crisp and engaging prose. For the 2020 application cycle, the length limit for the essay is 650 words. That limit includes the essay title, notes, and any other text that you include in the essay text box. Hospitals divide the labor of caring for sick people among the professions, but because the professions are still dominated by certain genders, the division ends up being one of gender more than job title. Although we like to think of the medical profession as increasingly egalitarian, gender divides still run through it. The process by which doctors are socialized into how to be a doctor comes largely through the mentoring process of medical school. Vocational training within the applied sciences tends to be much more about apprenticeship than about theoretical knowledge. When Carol Hathaway, a long time ER nurse, decides to go back to med school and become a doctor, the MDs in the ER treat her very differently. To write an engaging and effective 650 word or shorter essay, you need to have a sharp focus. Narrate a single event, or illuminate a single passion or talent. Whichever essay prompt you choose, make sure you zero in on a specific example that you narrate in an engaging and thoughtful way. Allow enough space for self reflection so that whatever your topic is you spend at least some time talking about its significance to you. Most essays tend to be between three and eight paragraphs depending on the applicant's writing style and essay strategy . Students applying to colleges that use the Common Application will typically need to respond to one of seven essay prompts. Dr. Kerry Weaver asks her to perform procedures as if she were already a med student. While Carol is uncomfortable with this, she does perform well. Her skill at those procedures seems to make the point that nurses who excel at their profession are as skilled as doctors in some ways. However, later in the episode, when a mother 's young child dies, Carol insists on giving the parent time with the child to grieve, rather than moving her out of the room to make way for incoming patients. Dr. Weaver snaps at Carol, telling her that if she is going to go to medical school, she has to stop thinking like a nurse. We recognize that the essay is becoming increasingly less relevant in admissions, and we have plans to revisit this list and put the “Optional” schools in better context. Colleges with essay optional policies often do not specify whether submitted essay scores will be used for admission. When the college explicitly states that scores will not be evaluated, we have listed the policy as “Not Considered.” “Optional” should not be interpreted as meaning that the college uses submitted scores. We recommend contacting the school if you have specific questions.