How to Use Age and Experience to Your Advantage in Application Essays
The application essay you write as a returning, non-traditional student should be different than the essay written by someone fresh out of high school. Your age and experience can actually work to your advantage if you take the right approach. Follow these seven tips to give yourself an edge in the application process.
Sure, technically they're the "competition." However, the reality is that you are in a unique category. Some schools and programs even set aside a certain number of seats specifically for returning students, and others give preference to returning students. In your essays, be the adult that you are.
Remember all that crazy stuff you did when you were younger? Fun though it may have been at the time, you probably know better now. Also, time management and organization skills are things that we develop over time, usually at our jobs. Let the admissions officers see a person who has the personal skill set to succeed at the college level. Especially if you will need to balance school with work and a family, showing that you will not be caught in the procrastination/all-nighter cycle that defines the college experience for so many younger people will be to your benefit.
With so much experience, both personal and professional, to choose from when writing your essays, it can be difficult to figure out which ones will be most helpful to you in your college applications. Select the ones that have been most meaningful to you on your life path. These may not be the "biggest" events of your life or, when writing about work, the projects that had the highest budgets or broadest scope. Focusing on the events in your life that have been most pivotal in creating your own path will add uniqueness and help your essays stand apart from the crowd.
Maybe you were in school when you were younger but left because you started a family. Maybe you didn't have the financial opportunity to attend college when you were younger. Maybe you were in college but spent so much time partying that you were academically dismissed from school. Whatever the reason, the past is the past. If you need to address gaps in your education or why you are returning to school at this stage in your life, be factual but brief. Then quickly move to your current education and career goals.
As a returning student, there is a higher expectation that "undecided" will not be your major. While personal betterment is always admirable, the admissions officers will likely want you to have a solid career purpose in returning to school. Share your vision with them. How will you use the education you will receive? What do you see yourself accomplishing?
What has brought you to this point? If you are switching careers, why do you think the new career will be a good match for you? If you are looking to move up in your current career, which specific classes will be most helpful to you? Don't expect the admissions officers to connect the dots for you. That's your job in your essays.
One of the biggest mistakes that returning students make in their essay is sounding like they are apologizing for being returning students – like they will be interlopers in the college environment. This is not the case. Returning students add value to the college experience for all students, even kids who are fresh out of high school. You can add real-life examples to class discussions, making the theoretical come to life. You know when it's time to get down to business and when it's time to lighten the mood. Plus, you might be pleasantly surprised about what you will learn from the more traditional students. Diversity is a good thing, and that's why schools seek applicants from diverse backgrounds, including diversity in age and experience.
1. Stop Comparing Yourself to a Bunch of Teens
Sure, technically they're the "competition." However, the reality is that you are in a unique category. Some schools and programs even set aside a certain number of seats specifically for returning students, and others give preference to returning students. In your essays, be the adult that you are.
2. Spotlight Your Maturity
Remember all that crazy stuff you did when you were younger? Fun though it may have been at the time, you probably know better now. Also, time management and organization skills are things that we develop over time, usually at our jobs. Let the admissions officers see a person who has the personal skill set to succeed at the college level. Especially if you will need to balance school with work and a family, showing that you will not be caught in the procrastination/all-nighter cycle that defines the college experience for so many younger people will be to your benefit.
3. Focus on Pivotal Events
With so much experience, both personal and professional, to choose from when writing your essays, it can be difficult to figure out which ones will be most helpful to you in your college applications. Select the ones that have been most meaningful to you on your life path. These may not be the "biggest" events of your life or, when writing about work, the projects that had the highest budgets or broadest scope. Focusing on the events in your life that have been most pivotal in creating your own path will add uniqueness and help your essays stand apart from the crowd.
4. Acknowledge Your Mistakes, and Then Move On
Maybe you were in school when you were younger but left because you started a family. Maybe you didn't have the financial opportunity to attend college when you were younger. Maybe you were in college but spent so much time partying that you were academically dismissed from school. Whatever the reason, the past is the past. If you need to address gaps in your education or why you are returning to school at this stage in your life, be factual but brief. Then quickly move to your current education and career goals.
5. Be Clear About Your Goals
As a returning student, there is a higher expectation that "undecided" will not be your major. While personal betterment is always admirable, the admissions officers will likely want you to have a solid career purpose in returning to school. Share your vision with them. How will you use the education you will receive? What do you see yourself accomplishing?
6. Bridge the Gap Between the Present and the Future
What has brought you to this point? If you are switching careers, why do you think the new career will be a good match for you? If you are looking to move up in your current career, which specific classes will be most helpful to you? Don't expect the admissions officers to connect the dots for you. That's your job in your essays.
7. Be Confident That You Will Add Value in the Classroom
One of the biggest mistakes that returning students make in their essay is sounding like they are apologizing for being returning students – like they will be interlopers in the college environment. This is not the case. Returning students add value to the college experience for all students, even kids who are fresh out of high school. You can add real-life examples to class discussions, making the theoretical come to life. You know when it's time to get down to business and when it's time to lighten the mood. Plus, you might be pleasantly surprised about what you will learn from the more traditional students. Diversity is a good thing, and that's why schools seek applicants from diverse backgrounds, including diversity in age and experience.
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