C h a p t e r 1 6
Applications
L
ife is filled with applications: job applications, college admission applications,
scholarship applications, insurance applications, loan applications. Some ask for
straightforward details of name, address, phone, Social Security, e-mail address, or
other relevant factual information. Others, however, demand some kind of written
response, often an essay.
The essay’s purpose is usually twofold: to show your ability to write and to show
your ability to think.
cHaracteristics
Any application essay includes some basic characteristics. Keep in mind, however,
that various kinds of applications (as discussed in this section) require different
emphases. In general, an application essay
-^ is directed toward a specific audience,
-^ maintains a tight focus on the question or topic,
-^ relies on transitional devices to clarify the focus,
-^ uses formal but not unnatural structure, vocabulary, and style,
-^ shows command of the subject matter,
-^ follows a clear plan of organization,
-^ includes specific examples to support the topic or thesis statement, and
-^ shows, rather than tells.
In the following sections, we will look at college admission, scholarship, and job
applications.
colleGe adMission aPPlication essays
PURPoSE
While test scores, letters of recommendation, grades, and lists of activities influence
college admissions personnel, some colleges or universities require as part of the