Like most other things, writing an essay is a skill. Unfortunately, for nursing students, it is skill that is all too often neglected. Some would-be nurses do not view it as a critical part of the application process compared to their academic record or extracurricular activities. This could not be further from the truth. With nursing school applicants increasing on a yearly basis, student credentials are becoming more bunched up at every level. A well-written essay gives the student an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition and stand out to the admissions officer or committee. Proper preparation towards writing this essay can mean the difference between getting an acceptance letter or a rejection letter from the college …show more content…
There are some famous authors in history (i.e. Tolkien) who are famous for just putting pen to paper and writing as their thoughts came to them, not completely sure where the plot is going to lead. This is NOT a good strategy for an admissions essay. Typically, the nursing applicant is going to be dealing with some kind of space restrictions (i.e. 1000 words or less). This makes careful planning even more critical. I suggest starting with an outline to organize your points and develop your essay. This ensures that you know where the piece is going and do not deviate too far from the primary topic. Many would be surprised how often these essays are built on tangents rather than supporting points.
Building on that last statement, tip number two is to make sure your points flow together and support a clearly stated thesis that addresses the topic for discussion. Admissions officers are not only interested in how you write; they also want to see how you think. Many nursing students will combine a series of points and let the underlying crux of their essay be implied. This is a huge mistake. In the first two paragraphs, clearly state what your main point is, and then use the rest of the essay to back up that