Despite being a simple topic, this broad range of variants make this paper one of the hardest to write properly. You should carefully balance facts and emotions, show that you did your research and learned a fact or two about Texas A&M university. Also, the uniform topic means that the admission committee members will read plenty of similar essays. So you have to make yours truly outstanding. Here are some simple tips that will help your paper shine: Use unconventional knowledge sources. Everyone can open the university’s site and read the general information about it. Show that you spent a bit more time to decide that it’s the best place for you to be next years. Mention reading the open university forums, talking to the alumni community, attending open lectures and events or reading the professors’ works. You don’t have to, if you never did that, but if you have something to show off, do it! This essay isn’t for your logical thinking and writing evaluation only. It also shows your motivation, and motivated students are always the first to get enrolled. Don’t try to use all the word limit. The admission officers are people, too, and they may get tired of reading long papers. You never know when they’d get your paper: in the morning or later, when they are reading them inattentively. Try to make each sentence as sharp as possible. It’s your presentation, the first impression of you as a student-to-be, so take it seriously. Ask someone to read your essay (bonus points for asking someone who was an admission officer themselves, or at least was an author of one of the Texas A&M essays that worked. Check if your paper is specific enough to not look like a general application insert-name-here text. A good test is to change the university’s name to the other one and check if the paper still can be sent as a valid application essay. Use standard structure and the non-standard approach. Usually the admission committee expects to see the answers to such questions: What areas of study are appealing to you? What do you truly want to learn in university? What is the difference between the chosen university and others with the same major programs? What extracurricular activities you love and want to see in the university? What will you participate in? What are your goals in the university? What do you plan to do as a bachelor? Possibly, get a job in your dream company or stay a bit longer to get a master’s degree or become a postgraduate? Are you more interested in science or practical reasons? Do not try to get a “right” answer. The admission officers will see enough of the perfectly polished application essays that show only the bright sides bordering with flattery. Don’t create the image of a wide-eyed idealist if you just want to make a decent career and provide a comfortable lifestyle for you and your family. Honesty is your best option here: the admission committee wants to see real people they would work and live with, not the images these people pretend to be. Be realistic. It’s okay to set high and challenging goals, but they still should be practical and realistic enough. You can choose to work on a scientific frontier, offer a bold interdisciplinary project or plan to establish a successful startup as a sophomore. But winning a Nobel Prize doesn’t sound like a mature goal and, moreover, doesn’t sound like a goal that can be achieved with the help of your university (at least not for the bachelor). Be university-specific. It isn’t enough to just say you love biology or science. Try to explain why you want to achieve your goals here. Take a more narrow approach, talk about the courses that are particularly strong and effective, and plan your progress. The more your plan corresponds with the university’s curriculum, the more chances you have to get noticed as a promising student. Mention the university’s core values. It’s all about people and perspectives. If your ethics and mindset is aligned with the university’s principles, don’t forget to tell the admission officers about it. There are plenty of talented young people, but each university tries to pick the ones who will get along with the rest. Show yourself as a friendly and tolerant person and you’ll possibly win some extra points in the admission committee’s eyes.
