Essay Wording: College Admissions Essay Help

Opening Your Thesaurus- Think Twice

Big words won't win points with your readers. In fact, many admissions officers see them as evidence that you may have been coached, or that your essay isn't your own work. Aim to sound like yourself, not to impress with your knowledge of ten-letter words. There is an important difference between using just the right word to convey meaning, and using a bigger, longer word when a simpler one will do.

Not convinced yet? Here are a few other reasons to stop looking for and using so-called big words:

• They sound pretentious. Remember, you are supposed to sound like you, not a politician or chairman-of-the-board.
• They can sound ridiculous. By using words that are not in your normal vocabulary, you run the risk of using them incorrectly.
• They may seem like a tactic. Your reader might think you are trying to add weight with words because you are worried your essay isn't well written, or that your ideas aren't worth reading.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Review the following examples of overwrought writing, and avoid making the same mistakes in your essay.

• Too much: I was determined to eschew obfuscation by packing only those things that I could transport in one valise.
• To the point: I decided to keep it simple by packing only those things that I could carry in one suitcase.
• Too much: In secondary school I took my first accounting class and commenced to aid my mother with the accounting functions of the business.
• To the point: In high school I took my first accounting class, and began to help my mother with the accounting tasks of the business.
• Too much: At my summer employment, I had the fortuity to obtain IT-related information as it pertains to the engineering field.
• To the point: At my summer job, I had the chance to learn about Information Technology as it relates to engineering.