What is a Successful Harvard Essay Like?
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Keys on writing Harvard essays
Are you looking forward on getting admitted in Harvard University? Were you requested to write a Harvard essay as part of your admission? Well, then you should better start getting ready! This private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is known for having the largest financial endowment of any school in the world, and also because it is consistently ranked as a leading academic institution in the world by numerous media and academic rankings. Harvard was established in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, it is the first corporation chartered in the United States and oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Among some of the most famous graduates there are many political leaders and some U.S. Presidents (as Barack Obama, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy), authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, musicians as Yo Yo Ma, many actors, film directors, artists and scientists. Seventy-five Nobel Prize winners are affiliated with the university.
And getting admitted is not simple. Harvard University has always been known for its selectivity. It accepted just 6.9% of applicants for the class of 2014, a record low for the school’s entire history. As for the class of 2011, Harvard accepted fewer than 9% of applicants, with a yield of 80%.
About Harvard admission essays
An admission essay is a method of evaluation many universities, as Harvard, use in selecting their applicants. In such an essay, one must write based on a personal experience as well as objective information. Writing Harvard essays can be harder than it sounds. Especially if you have never written a college admission essay before. So you should have in mind certain tips when the time comes for sitting in front of your laptop.
Keys on Harvard’s web page
Harvard has a clear and complete web site which includes directives and tips for writing student essays, such as:
– In your essay introduction, beyond introducing your topic, your beginning must also let readers know what the central issue is. Answer them what question or problem will you be writing about.
– When writing your essay conclusion, end up by linking the last paragraph to the first, perhaps by reiterating a word or phrase you used at the beginning.
– Remember to reference any Harvard essay by following the Harvard system, which cites the author’s surname and year of publication in the text and provides a reference list of these citations, in alphabetical order by author, at the end of the assignment.
Looking for samples
There are many online Harvard essays you can download for free. From them, you can take plenty of ideas for writing your own paper. Of course, you must remember that an essay sample can be used just as that: a sample. You may learn from reading it, and take some things as it style, the linking words or the sentence formation. They can provide you with topic ideas or some clues on how to introduce or close the essay. Reading essay titles may even get you inspired for writing your own work. So don’t be afraid of searching the web for samples, as long as you keep considering samples.
