This document provides guidance on writing application essays for high school or college admissions. It discusses the purpose of application essays and letters, which is to show the selection committee who you are as a person and why you deserve to be selected. It provides tips on crafting strong essays, such as brainstorming extensively, following the essay prompt, using a clear structure with introduction and conclusion, and proofreading carefully. The document also offers dos and don'ts for both application essays and job application cover letters, focusing on tailoring the writing to the specific opportunity and showcasing what you can offer.

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Essay #1: Introductions
You will use what you brainstormed in the bullet activity to
write an application letter. You will choose
only one of the following, based on whether or not you have
graduated from high school.
High School Students
Not yet graduated from high school? Use the sentences you
composed from your bullet points to
develop paragraphs that answer one of the following Apply
Texas Common Application questions:
1. Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges
have you experienced throughout
your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
OR
2. Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that
defines them in an essential way.
Tell us about yourself.

2. Format your Apply Texas Common App essay in correct MLA
format.
High School Graduates
Already a high school graduate with some work experience? Use
the ideas you brainstormed in your
bullet points assignment compose a college application letter or
a scholarship application letter or a
job application cover letter.
Format your letter in correct block business letter format.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla
_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_sample_paper.html
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professiona
l_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html
2
Resources about writing college or scholarship application
essays and letters:
The purpose of your college application essay or program
application letter is to show the
committee who you are as a person, what you value, what you

3. hope to do with your life.
Equally important, the application letter or essay serves as a
sample that the committee can
use to assess not just your grasp of grammar and vocabulary but
also your ability to think
critically and construct an argument (the argument that you,
more than the thousands of other
applicants, deserve to be selected.
Think hard about your reader's expectations. Sometimes it helps
to imagine your reader as a
teacher in your school-one who doesn't know you or your work.
That reader will expect a good
essay, on topic, free from errors. Also bear in mind that your
reader is probably reading a lot of
other essays in addition to yours; do your very best to make his
experi-ence pleasant and
rewarding.
Brainstorm extensively for these essays, both before you start
your draft and during revision.
Make sure your content is the best it can possi-bly be. Because
this is a formal essay, you can
be sure that your reader will be looking at how you've organized
it. Is your structure logical?
Take some time to outline your essay, and don't be afraid to
reorganize it once you've drafted
it; essays often evolve as you write them and may need to be
reoutlined and adjusted during
the revision phase.
Expect to go through several drafts before you finalize your
essay. Give yourself plenty of
time to write, revise, and rewrite. Don't feel you've failed if you
don't write a perfect draft the
first time through: editing and rewriting are part of the writing

4. process. Proofreading is a critical
part of the revision process. For obvious reasons, your spelling,
punctuation, and grammar
must be perfect.
DOs and DON’Ts of College Admissions Letter or Essay
Writing
Do Don’t
Write it yourself. It's a good idea to have
trusted friends, family, or advisers read
your drafts and make suggestions.
However, the essay must be completely
your own work from start to finish.
Admissions committees are very adept
at detect-ing when someone else has
written an essay for you.
Don't let anyone else write any part of it
for you. Your essay must be your work,
and your work alone. The admissions
committee will definitely know if your
mom wrote even a little: nothing is
more obvious to an experienced reader
than changes in tone, vocabulary, and
attitude. When you get feedback from
friends or family, don't let them rewrite
those sections for you. Absorb what
they've said to you, and put it in your
own words.
Answer the question (or "prompt"}
exactly as it's posed. Some schools use
the Common Application (often known

5. as the Common App), which allows
students to complete a single
application packet for submission to
Don't rehash quantitative information
that appears elsewhere in your
application. The admissions committee
will look at your application as a whole
including data such as test scores and
grades. Don't waste the precious
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multiple schools. However, not all
schools use the Common App, and
some might even require additional
essays. If you're applying to multiple
schools, it can be a hassle to customize
your essays to meet their requirements,
but doing so is absolutely critical to your
success.
opportunity the essay affords by
restating this information, no matter
how impressive it may be.
Answer the whole question. Many
questions have multiple parts. One
typical question is to ask you to identify
an important issue or person in your life
and then to explain why. Don't neglect
the "why" part of the question. That
section is your opportunity to reflect,

6. analyze, and show what's important to
you as a potential member of the
col-lege community. Read the question
carefully and be sure to answer it fully.
Don't use fancy words where ordinary
ones will do. If you mean "praise," don't
use "laud." If you mean "think," don't use
"cogitate." If you mean "walk," don't use
"perambulate." You don't get extra
points for extra syllables. Write in your
own, natural, intelligent voice.
Observe the conventions of a formal
essay. Your essay should have a clear
structure, with a consistent point of
view, and it should be written with an
eye to keeping the reader’s interest.
Don't indulge in excessive praise of the
school you're applying to. Good schools
already know how good they are. It's
wise to show that you know something
about the school you're applying to, but
it's best to show this knowledge when
you explain that you're an ideal fit for
the culture and values of the school.
Your essay is not an e-mail to a friend, or
a friendly conversation, or a list of
accomplish-ments. It's a formal piece of
writing with an introduction and
conclusion-a clear beginning, middle,
and end. Ideally, your essay should be
interesting for anyone to read, not just
the admissions committee.

7. Don't overemphasize what the
university can do for you. You should
show that you're aware of their offerings
and emphasis, but you should put more
emphasis on what you can do for the
univer-sity community.
Be yourself. The committee wants to
know who you are, so your essay should
employ your natural voice, albeit in the
context of a formal essay. Don't try to
impress by using big words, convoluted
sentences, or pretentious ideas. Show
the very best of who you really are.
Don't submit an essay with typos,
misspellings, and punctuation errors.
This essay is your writing sample, and it
also demonstrates how much you care
about your application. If you allow
sloppy mistakes in your application
essay, the admissions committee has
every right to decide that you won't care
about the work you do in college. Get
several people you trust to proofread
your essay before you submit it.
Use humor sparingly: don’t go
overboard. Many students think that a
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8. jokey tone will convey their personality
better or set them apart from other
applicants. Be wary of self-deprecating
humor, especially if it's used to provide
reasons for a less-than-stellar aca-demic
record. This kind of approach almost
always fails. If you have concerns about
your test scores or grades, address them
in a straightforward, serious way.
Proofread, proofread, proofread. Do not
rely on spell-check or grammar-check
programs; they sometimes make
mistakes. Proofread the essay carefully
yourself; then give it to at least two
other competent people (not your best
friend who got a C in English) to proof it.
It's even well worth the investment to
pay a professional to proofread your
final draft before you submit
Resources about writing job application cover letters:
• Harvard Business Review's, "How to Write a Cover Letter "
• Columbia University's, "How and Why to Write a Good Cover
Letter "
• Forbes' Magazine's "6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover
Letter "

9. • indeed.com's "7 Powerful Ways to Start a Cover Letter (With
Examples) "
DOs and DON’Ts of Cover Letter Writing
Do Don’t
Tailor your cover letter to the particular
job you’re applying for. If you are
applying for a hundred jobs, plan to
write 100 letters. Develop a few different
templates to use as a basis for your
different letters, but be sure the cover
letter you send is customized for the job
you’re applying for.
Don’t rehash the information on your
resume. Your cover letter should
motivate the reader to look carefully at
your resume, not simply reiterate the
information there.
Address a particular person in your
salutation. Try to avoid “To Whom It May
Concern,” if possible.
Don’t explain the company to the
reader. Your reader knows that her
employer is the world’s leader in vaccine
production, for example. Your job in the
https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-write-a-cover-letter
https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/how-and-
why-write-great-cover-letter

10. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2012/08/29/6-secrets-
to-writing-a-great-cover-letter/?sh=67bff3fb73d7
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-
letters/powerful-ways-to-start-a-cover-letter
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cover letter is to explain why you’re the
best fit for the job in that company.
State why you are writing and which job
you’re applying for. If someone
recommended you apply for the
position, say so and how you know that
person.
Don’t fudge about salary issues.
Companies ask about salary history
because they need to know if you fit
within their budget. If you are
uncomfortable talking salary
expectations, provide a salary range
you’d be willing to accept.
Refer to the relevant information on
your resume that fits with this job.
Focus on what you have to offer the
employer, not what the job can offer
you.
Write in your own voice. This is a

11. business letter, so it should be
businesslike, but you will make a
stronger impression writing like your
voice instead of “business-ese.”
Keep it brief. Don’t ramble. Instead,
pique the reader’s interest. Don’t give
yourself completely away.