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Articles & Advice > College Admission > Articles

Identifying Your Strengths in the Admission Essay

Everyone has personal strengths, even if can't think of any right now! Here's how to find your greatest strengths and write about them in your admission essays.

by Dia Huth CollegeXpress Student Writer

Last Updated: Apr 5, 2023

Originally Posted: Sep 2, 2015

One year ago, I was exactly where you are right now. Okay, maybe I wasn’t sitting in front of your laptop, but I was working hard on my college applications, trying (sometimes desperately) to answer all of those tough questions: Where did I see myself in five years? Why did I want to attend this college? And, hardest of all, what personal strengths would I add to the college community? This last question came in many different wordings, but it was always there, and it was always the most challenging for me. Honestly, sometimes I thought I didn’t have any strengths!

Time for the good news: I did have strengths, and they helped me get where I am today—sitting in a comfy chair in the library of my dream university, to be specific. Time for the even better news: you can lock in on your personal strengths and achieve your college goals too. And we’re gonna start right now with some questions you can ask yourself to figure it all out.

What have you overcome?

You have to be strong to overcome challenges, and a good first step toward finding your personal strengths is to look at the obstacles you’ve faced in life. Perhaps you’ve struggled with a health problem, like a physical or mental illness, or maybe you fought against bullying in your high school . If nothing immediately comes to mind, look back at where you were a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago. How have you changed since then? What lessons have you learned?

Now, I know what you might be thinking: “But, Dia, all the obstacles people talk about in essays are huge. I don’t have any of those.” And I know what you mean. You may have read some essays about people at the forefront of a natural disaster, or people learning how to walk or simply hold a pencil again. Those really are huge obstacles, and those stories are amazingly inspirational, but they aren’t the only ones out there. (In fact, admission counselors aren’t really looking for big, dramatic stories . They’re looking for genuine, because they just want to get to know you.)

I didn’t have a story like that—or so I thought. At first glance, I’m pretty much your run-of-the-mill girl. But I needed to zero in on my strengths, so my solution was using the “five years ago” trick. It allowed me to see a massive change in my life: I had made amazing strides in healing my social anxiety. That might not seem like much, but it was “huge” in my life. Your obstacle might be along those lines too!

Struggles come in all shapes and sizes. Maybe you overcame your stage fright to have a teeny tiny part in a school play like you’ve always wanted. No matter what kind of obstacle you’ve faced, coping with it shows your personal strength and drive. Think about how you have overcome that obstacle: did it require diligence? Courage? Persistence? Those are wonderful traits that you can highlight in your admission essay.

Related: Top College Essay Tips From Admission Insiders

What do you enjoy?

The second way to find your strengths is a little easier. All you have to do is answer this question: If you could spend a day exactly the way you wanted to, what would you do? Think about the activities you instinctively turn toward when you want to relax or have a great time. These activities are “hints” at what your strengths are! Do you like to spend time with others? You’re social and might have strengths in communication. Do you enjoy volunteering? You like to help others , which shows compassion. Do you like to read or write? That shows potential in English skills as well as strengths like diligence and organization. Sports can show teamwork and persistence; a love of travel can show an appreciation of different cultures and a sense of adventure.

Make a list of what you enjoy and brainstorm what each activity might say about you. It’s okay to “brag” a little here—just make sure that you are honest with yourself! You definitely have strengths, and it’s okay to not have strengths in every single area that I’ve covered. We’re all wired differently.

What do people tell you?

For this third admission essay tactic, think about the people you trust. What do they have to say about your personal strengths and skills? Feel free to ask them too! You aren’t looking for endless praise; you’re just asking for help identifying your personal strengths. If you aren’t comfortable asking someone in person, shoot them a text or a Facebook message. I would recommend turning to your parents, your best friend, your youth leader, or anyone else who routinely lifts you up and makes you feel better about yourself.

Sometimes, people tell you about your strengths without calling them by name. For example, let’s say that the president of your club asked you to be the club’s treasurer. He may not have said, “You’re so amazing at math, I need you to be our treasurer,” but the invitation can point to strengths in organization or financial skills!

Related:  What Do Admission Counselors Look for in College Apps?

What stories do you have?

This is an important step of the essay-writing process, even if you've already found your strengths. What stories can you tell? Do you still remember the day you decided you wanted to work in a particular industry? Did you always help your grandmother cook dinner when you were a kid? Strong stories, anecdotes, and memories can help you identify your personal strengths, and they make interesting essays. Beginning an essay with a story catches your reader’s attention; then, for your conclusion, all you have to do is finish the story and reiterate how it demonstrates your point!

If you can’t think of any stories, spend some time scrolling through your social media feed or flipping through photo albums. You might look back in your diary, if you keep one. I’ve also found that parents and grandparents are usually excellent at telling stories or reminiscing over fun times!

The best part about these stories is that they fit in with everything else discussed here. If you have overcome a challenge, odds are there's a story behind it! If you enjoy a certain hobby, I know you can think of a particularly memorable time when you did that activity. A conversation with a trusted person might bring up a story too. For example, your best friend might remind you that you’re always a positive thinker, which you demonstrated the time you and she were stuck in traffic for two hours.

Related: 5 Ways to Brainstorm Your College Essays

As you work on identifying your personal strengths for your college applications and essays, remember that they are there, and they all matter! While we all have different strengths, there isn’t such a thing as a “more important” strength. The world can’t run without leaders, but it also can’t run without compassionate people, good listeners, adventurers, and original thinkers either. Wherever your strengths lie, they are valuable, and they will be an excellent addition to whatever campus community is right for you.

Find more advice on strengthening your admission essays in our Application Essay Clinic .

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How to Showcase Your Strengths in Your College Application Essays

Your admission essay is an adcom’s greatest insight into who you are as a person. It can also be a tool to showcase your high school accomplishments. So, how can you craft an essay that both conveys your personality and portrays your strengths—without coming off as arrogant? Here are four tips to guide you.

1. Paint a picture.

This is a phrase that English teachers have drilled into your head, but it’s true for your college essay and in all your written work. Painting a picture of your accomplishments through examples and rhetorical devices helps adcoms visualize the steps you’ve taken to get to where you are today and the person you are and strive to be.

How can you show rather than tell? There are many ways to express yourself through language, from personalized metaphors —actions, experiences, or objects that mirror and symbolize your journey—to rich, vivid details. This is especially true in your essay, but you can also employ these rhetorical devices and language throughout your application, such as in your extracurricular accomplishment descriptions.

For instance, if you’re a pianist, you might use imagery to describe the progression of your musical development, initially exploring playing one note at a time to learning how to play the music you play today. You could evoke specific sounds and melodies to illustrate this development.

2. Use action-oriented verbs.

Rather than relying on soft adjectives, use action verbs like “implemented,” “facilitated,” and so on. These types of words are much more powerful and demonstrate that you do and make things happen. They also emphasize your ownership of your achievements, signifying that these achievements don’t just happen to you: you made them happen.

For example, rather than saying that you were responsible for speaking on behalf of the student body as student council president, you might say, “Raised awareness of X issue and implemented a procedure for handling complaints.”

3. Offer examples and details.

Examples are an essential feature of your essay. They illustrate your accomplishments, provide context, and show adcoms how you’ve made an impact in concrete ways. You should also use numerical values and other details to quantify your accomplishments.

In this post on successful activity entries, students use details to summarize and portray their accomplishments. While this post concerns another section of your application, you can apply the same concepts to your essay.

Example: “Provided homework and study help to underprivileged kids. I studied with one girl until her Cs became As. I love being the “go-to” mentor.”

Here, the applicant shows the impact of her tutoring, rather than simply stating that she tutored. In doing so, she demonstrates the impact on both her and the students she tutored.

Example: “I have been studying piano and performing in recitals since kindergarten. I’m currently working on Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F minor from Opus 2.”

This entry shows the progression of the applicant’s work by demonstrating how far she has come, exemplified by the challenging piece she’s currently playing.

These examples bring your experiences to life, so you’re not just listing achievements but also quantifying them and pointing to concrete ways in which they’ve affected you and others.

4. Tell a story.

Like any good story, your essay should have a narrative arc. Instead of a list of achievements, it should portray an experience that shaped you. No matter what topic you choose, you should be able to tell an account that captures your reader’s attention and has all the hallmarks of a compelling narrative.

For instance, if you’re a first-generation student, you might begin by describing a specific moment in your childhood when you realized that you would be the first member of your family to attend college and then narrate specific events along your journey, such as encouragement from your parents or teachers, difficulties you faced and how you overcame them, and how you finally reached this moment and are excited about the next chapter. This is much more effective than simply stating that you’re a first-generation student and listing the reasons why attending college is important to you.

If you can’t weave together a compelling story with the topic you’ve chosen, you may want to rethink it. Spend some time brainstorming to hone your topic and ensure that it is one that will both capture your audience and showcase your accomplishments.

Your Essay: A Reflection of You

Your essay is a concise glimpse into you as a person. While other areas of your application detail your accomplishments, grades, and extracurricular achievements, this is a place to showcase your qualities as a person. Still, your accomplishments are most likely integral to your personality. Keep these tips in mind as you craft an essay that both captures your character and your strengths as a candidate for admission.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Academic Strengths & Weaknesses: Q&A and 25 Examples

Choosing a college or university is an important decision and a big step toward the future you dream of. Many students rely on an excellent academic application to get into their dream college or university.

Having specific talents and academic strengths in addition to extracurricular activities can help you to stand out among other applicants. Knowing which talents and strengths to highlight on your application will help you get into your ideal college.

In this article, we will go through what constitutes academic strengths and weaknesses. We will also provide a list of academic strengths and weaknesses for your reference. Furthermore, you will learn how to identify and develop your academic strengths.

What are Academic Strengths?

Academic strengths are talents, abilities, or skills that give students a solid foundation for academic success. Academic strengths are innate and will manifest themselves when you demonstrate your competence in a particular learning topic.

Your academic strengths can be highlighted during college or university admission applications. These strengths allow you to stand out among the many applicants. Your strengths also enable you to show your competencies as a successful student and learner.

Having the right talents and traits can help you attract the attention of the admission staff. Together with your academic results and extracurricular achievements, your academic strengths may help you get accepted to your top-choice college.

20 Examples of Academic Strengths

• Ability to accept and learn from mistakes
• Problem-solving skills
• Show kindness to others
• Open to learning new things and new experiences
• Follow instructions
• Planning skills
• Creative thinking skills
• Ability to accept constructive criticism for improvement
• Good command of language
• Ability to socialize with others
• Emotional intelligence
• Debating skills
• Athletic abilities
• Storytelling skills
• Striving for excellence
• Coding skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Writing skills

How to Identify Academic Strengths?

Evaluate your strengths.

Firstly, you can consider the areas that you feel comfortable with or come naturally to you when identifying your strengths. Examine the list of academic strengths above and identify whether you demonstrate any of those attributes and skills.

You can also reflect on your previously completed tasks, tests, or assignments. Try to recall which part of the tasks was easy for you to complete. Then make a list of the skills or attributes that you believe assisted you in completing the assignment.

Ask and collect feedback from others

You can also consider obtaining feedback from lecturers, parents, or close friends. Sometimes, they may know your strengths and talents more than you do. They can give you valuable feedback on areas that you may not have been aware of before this.

Alternatively, you can also recruit their help to go through your list of strengths to verify your self-identified strengths.

Take personality or strengths tests

Taking a personality or strengths test is another possibility for you to identify your strengths. You can either look for these tests online or inquire about them from your school’s teachers or administrative staff.

These tests come in a variety of formats. Some tests can reveal your behavioral preferences, while others can reveal your emotional strengths. If you are looking to try a strengths test, you may try a free strengths test by HIGH 5 to help identify your top strengths.

Evaluate your decision-making process

Spending time analyzing your decision-making process can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Some people make decisions based on reasoning, while others make decisions based on emotion or personal feelings.

Consider the last expensive purchase or difficult decision you had to make. Did you make the decisions based on your reasoning or emotion? Understanding your preferred style can help you better understand your natural decision-making inclinations and let you make the most of them.

Assess your organizational style

Other than your decision-making process, your organizational style can also reveal more about your strengths. You may be someone who prefers a structured way of doing things or flexibility where you go with the flow.

If you are someone who gets stressed when there’s no plan, then organizational skills could be one of your strengths. But, if having a structured plan makes you stressed, then flexibility could be one of your strengths. You might be more adaptable to change and are willing to go with the flow.

Tips for Managing Academic Strengths

Remember that accurately recognizing your strengths and skills is a vital step in enhancing your academic performance. You may need to put in extra time and effort to sort and identify your genuine strengths.

But the advantages of identifying your strengths will be well worth the time and effort you invested. You should consider activities outside of school that help you grow intellectually and develop your strengths.

Here is a list of activities you can look to explore that may help discover or develop the academic strengths mentioned:

• Pursue Enrichment Through Music
• Pursue Enrichment Through Academics
• Pursue Enrichment Through Athletics

Enrichment Through Music

Music lessons have been found to benefit individuals with a wide range of academic and social abilities. Some of the skills/traits that can be developed are listening skills, attention to detail, self-discipline, and language skills.

Enrichment Through Intellectual Endeavors

A person can pursue enrichment through intellectual endeavors in a variety of ways. These could include race car building, robotics, coding, design, photography, and many more. An example enrichment class you can pursue is coding.

Through coding, you will develop your concentration and attention span, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. The software that you coded might not work due to some error in your codes.

This allows you to practice and figure out how to limit such errors from happening in the future. And the more you practice coding, the better you get at identifying and correcting errors.

Enrichment Through Athletics

Joining a sports team is an excellent technique to educate children to concentrate and pay attention to details. A team sport can help you build your teamwork and critical thinking skills.

You will also learn to work with other team members to achieve a common goal together. You must first gain the coach’s trust and demonstrate that you are ready for greater responsibility and playing time.

How to Answer an Interview Question: “What are your Academic Strengths?”

Your greatest strength may be a necessary skill for what you are applying. Your strengths are also what distinguishes you from other candidates. In general, you can choose between skills/habits and personality traits when highlighting your academic strengths.

Use the same combination of your strength + context + story to highlight your strengths. Depending on your experience and skills, you may want to adapt your strength selections and responses.

You may refer to the suggestions below when crafting your script:

• Do not make a long list of strengths that are all over the place. Focus on one or two essential qualities directly related to your application, and back them up with specific examples.
• Do not exaggerate or lie about your strengths when answering such questions. But don’t be too humble because you want to show your best qualities to your interviewers.

The Importance of Analyzing Academic Strengths and Weaknesses

Having a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses will assist students in discovering how to excel in school. It will also aid in developing their sense of self-awareness as they become more acquainted with how and when they can utilize their skills.

Once they realize what they are excellent at, they will devote more attention to honing their skills. Then, instead of being held back by problems, the students will see every opportunity as a chance to develop and grow.

By focusing on their strengths, students will slowly develop confidence and passion, which will lead to improved academic grades over time. As their ability to manage their strengths grows, they will also gradually overcome some of their weaknesses.

What are Academic Weaknesses?

Nobody is perfect as human beings. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Academic weaknesses are the drawbacks you encounter in a learning environment. Same as academic strengths, your academic weaknesses can come from your skills, personality traits, or talents.

These weaknesses are usually identified as part of the college or university admission process. Or, they can also be used for your personal development.

5 Examples of Academic Weaknesses

1. Procrastination

Every student’s academic career is affected by procrastination. Procrastination is the deliberate postponing of one’s assignments until the last possible moment. It adds to their workload and causes them to get stressed when they can’t complete their tasks correctly.

An example of procrastination is a student who spends hours playing computer games before doing their school assignment. A student procrastinates studying for an upcoming exam by doing unimportant things such as cleaning their room or watching TV.

2. Lack of Focus

When students have a short attention span, they are unable to focus on the work at hand. They may be easily distracted by their surrounding environment. Examples of this weakness are zoning out in class when the teacher is giving lectures, losing attention through neglecting to do homework, oversleeping, or focusing on partying rather than studying.

3. Fear of Failure

On top of their overwhelming academic workloads, students have to deal with their parents’ expectations. As a result, students are afraid of failing academically and disappointing their parents. Ironically, their fear of failure is what causes them to perform poorly when it matters.

4. Disruptive

Disruptive students can hamper their success as well as other students’ concentration in class. They have their own goals and are more concerned with sticking to their schedule in class.

5. Apathetic

Apathetic students tend not to see the value of studying and learning. They find it challenging to invest time and effort to achieve good academic results. As a result, they rarely enjoy their time in school, and their opportunities later in life may be limited.

How to Help Students Understand Their Academic Strengths

The real work begins after the students have identified their academic strengths and weaknesses. Next, you can work closely with the students to determine how these strengths and weaknesses may affect their academic progress.

By conducting an honest self-evaluation, students will be able to prioritize and plan their personal development plan. It is recommended that they concentrate on one area at a time. They should avoid focusing on developing all their strengths and weaknesses at the same time.

Begin with a list, as previously stated above. You can ask students to start by making a list of their academic strengths, with their preferred strengths at the top. The list they developed will provide them with a clear understanding of their top strengths.

Remind them that it’s easy to discount a particular skill when it doesn’t seem to relate to the present situation. But this isn’t always the case. With the list, they can easily recall their strengths even while working on a seemingly unrelated task.

How to Help Students Understand Their Academic Weaknesses

Let the students know that recognizing their academic strengths is only half the battle won. The other half of the battle is won by being aware of their academic weaknesses. By recognizing their weaknesses, the students can understand how their weaknesses might affect them when completing assignments.

Similar to listing their academic strengths, you can ask the students to document their academic weaknesses. A key point here is always to be honest and truthful when assessing their shortcomings.

Assist them in understanding that their weaknesses will not prohibit them from achieving academic success. They are just minor hurdles that can be overcome with perseverance. Help them to understand that everyone has flaws and limitations.

It will be much easier for students to handle their weaknesses when they are honest and upfront about them. Eventually, with a well-structured personalized development plan, they may even transform their weaknesses into strengths.

Academic Strengths & Weaknesses FAQ

What are some greatest academic strengths.

There are a plethora of academic strengths that you could obtain. However, some strengths are more in demand and crucial than others, especially when it comes to academics.

Some of the greatest academic strengths include: learning from mistakes, honesty, integrity, responsibility, commitment, time management, kindness, problem-solving, ability to follow directions, openness, and creativity.

What is your main academic strength?

You can find your main academic strength by taking an academic strengths assessment. You will be asked several questions and must answer honestly. After that, a strength report is generated.

Alternatively, you could ask some of your professors and teachers about your strengths. Finally, consider some of your greatest academic successes. Write down which strength helped you achieve each and try noticing patterns. These patterns will reveal your academic strengths.

What are some strengths of a student?

There are many strengths that a student could possess , and the strength profile of every student is different. For example, concert masters and sports team leaders likely have excellent leadership and communication skills.

Someone who commits to studying every night has time management skills. Another student who focuses on debate club or Model UN could have public speaking skills.

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12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay

College admission committees sift through thousands of college essays each year. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

Pamela Reynolds

When it comes to deciding who they will admit into their programs, colleges consider many criteria, including high school grades, extracurricular activities, and ACT and SAT scores. But in recent years, more colleges are no longer considering test scores.

Instead, many (including Harvard through 2026) are opting for “test-blind” admission policies that give more weight to other elements in a college application. This policy change is seen as fairer to students who don’t have the means or access to testing, or who suffer from test anxiety.

So, what does this mean for you?

Simply that your college essay, traditionally a requirement of any college application, is more important than ever.

A college essay is your unique opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions committees who must comb through thousands of applications each year. It is your chance to stand out as someone worthy of a seat in that classroom.

A well-written and thoughtful essay—reflecting who you are and what you believe—can go a long way to separating your application from the slew of forgettable ones that admissions officers read. Indeed, officers may rely on them even more now that many colleges are not considering test scores.

Below we’ll discuss a few strategies you can use to help your essay stand out from the pack. We’ll touch on how to start your essay, what you should write for your college essay, and elements that make for a great college essay.

Be Authentic

More than any other consideration, you should choose a topic or point of view that is consistent with who you truly are.

Readers can sense when writers are inauthentic.

Inauthenticity could mean the use of overly flowery language that no one would ever use in conversation, or it could mean choosing an inconsequential topic that reveals very little about who you are.

Use your own voice, sense of humor, and a natural way of speaking.

Whatever subject you choose, make sure it’s something that’s genuinely important to you and not a subject you’ve chosen just to impress. You can write about a specific experience, hobby, or personality quirk that illustrates your strengths, but also feel free to write about your weaknesses.

Honesty about traits, situations, or a childhood background that you are working to improve may resonate with the reader more strongly than a glib victory speech.

Grab the Reader From the Start

You’ll be competing with so many other applicants for an admission officer’s attention.

Therefore, start your essay with an opening sentence or paragraph that immediately seizes the imagination. This might be a bold statement, a thoughtful quote, a question you pose, or a descriptive scene.

Starting your essay in a powerful way with a clear thesis statement can often help you along in the writing process. If your task is to tell a good story, a bold beginning can be a natural prelude to getting there, serving as a roadmap, engaging the reader from the start, and presenting the purpose of your writing.

Focus on Deeper Themes

Some essay writers think they will impress committees by loading an essay with facts, figures, and descriptions of activities, like wins in sports or descriptions of volunteer work. But that’s not the point.

College admissions officers are interested in learning more about who you are as a person and what makes you tick.

They want to know what has brought you to this stage in life. They want to read about realizations you may have come to through adversity as well as your successes, not just about how many games you won while on the soccer team or how many people you served at a soup kitchen.

Let the reader know how winning the soccer game helped you develop as a person, friend, family member, or leader. Make a connection with your soup kitchen volunteerism and how it may have inspired your educational journey and future aspirations. What did you discover about yourself?

Show Don’t Tell

As you expand on whatever theme you’ve decided to explore in your essay, remember to show, don’t tell.

The most engaging writing “shows” by setting scenes and providing anecdotes, rather than just providing a list of accomplishments and activities.

Reciting a list of activities is also boring. An admissions officer will want to know about the arc of your emotional journey too.

Try Doing Something Different

If you want your essay to stand out, think about approaching your subject from an entirely new perspective. While many students might choose to write about their wins, for instance, what if you wrote an essay about what you learned from all your losses?

If you are an especially talented writer, you might play with the element of surprise by crafting an essay that leaves the response to a question to the very last sentence.

You may want to stay away from well-worn themes entirely, like a sports-related obstacle or success, volunteer stories, immigration stories, moving, a summary of personal achievements or overcoming obstacles.

However, such themes are popular for a reason. They represent the totality of most people’s lives coming out of high school. Therefore, it may be less important to stay away from these topics than to take a fresh approach.

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Write With the Reader in Mind

Writing for the reader means building a clear and logical argument in which one thought flows naturally from another.

Use transitions between paragraphs.

Think about any information you may have left out that the reader may need to know. Are there ideas you have included that do not help illustrate your theme?

Be sure you can answer questions such as: Does what you have written make sense? Is the essay organized? Does the opening grab the reader? Is there a strong ending? Have you given enough background information? Is it wordy?

Write Several Drafts

Set your essay aside for a few days and come back to it after you’ve had some time to forget what you’ve written. Often, you’ll discover you have a whole new perspective that enhances your ability to make revisions.

Start writing months before your essay is due to give yourself enough time to write multiple drafts. A good time to start could be as early as the summer before your senior year when homework and extracurricular activities take up less time.

Read It Aloud

Writer’s tip : Reading your essay aloud can instantly uncover passages that sound clumsy, long-winded, or false.

Don’t Repeat

If you’ve mentioned an activity, story, or anecdote in some other part of your application, don’t repeat it again in your essay.

Your essay should tell college admissions officers something new. Whatever you write in your essay should be in philosophical alignment with the rest of your application.

Also, be sure you’ve answered whatever question or prompt may have been posed to you at the outset.

Ask Others to Read Your Essay

Be sure the people you ask to read your essay represent different demographic groups—a teacher, a parent, even a younger sister or brother.

Ask each reader what they took from the essay and listen closely to what they have to say. If anyone expresses confusion, revise until the confusion is cleared up.

Pay Attention to Form

Although there are often no strict word limits for college essays, most essays are shorter rather than longer. Common App, which students can use to submit to multiple colleges, suggests that essays stay at about 650 words.

“While we won’t as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you’d hoped it would,” the Common App website states.

In reviewing other technical aspects of your essay, be sure that the font is readable, that the margins are properly spaced, that any dialogue is set off properly, and that there is enough spacing at the top. Your essay should look clean and inviting to readers.

End Your Essay With a “Kicker”

In journalism, a kicker is the last punchy line, paragraph, or section that brings everything together.

It provides a lasting impression that leaves the reader satisfied and impressed by the points you have artfully woven throughout your piece.

So, here’s our kicker: Be concise and coherent, engage in honest self-reflection, and include vivid details and anecdotes that deftly illustrate your point.

While writing a fantastic essay may not guarantee you get selected, it can tip the balance in your favor if admissions officers are considering a candidate with a similar GPA and background.

Write, revise, revise again, and good luck!

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About the Author

Pamela Reynolds is a Boston-area feature writer and editor whose work appears in numerous publications. She is the author of “Revamp: A Memoir of Travel and Obsessive Renovation.”

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Strengths — Exploring Personal Strengths and Weaknesses for Self-Improvement

Exploring Personal Strengths and Weaknesses for Self-improvement

• Categories: Personal Strengths Struggle Weakness

About this sample

Words: 865 |

Published: May 14, 2021

Words: 865 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

My strengths, my weaknesses, works cited, fostering organization as a strength, the strength of observation, confronting the weakness of confidence, resisting change: a challenge to overcome, striving for academic excellence despite intelligence challenges.

• Buckingham, M., & Clifton, D. O. (2001). Now, discover your strengths. Simon and Schuster.
• Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.
• Grant, A. M., & Dweck, C. S. (2003). Clarifying achievement goals and their impact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 541-553.
• Linley, P. A., Willars, J., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). The strengths book: Be confident, be successful, and enjoy better relationships by recognizing where you're strong. CAPP Press.
• Lopez, S. J., & Snyder, C. R. (Eds.). (2009). Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press.
• Marsh, H. W., & Yeung, A. S. (1997). Causal effects of academic self-concept on academic achievement: Structural equation models of longitudinal data. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(1), 41-54.
• Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind. HarperCollins.
• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.
• Rothwell, W. J. (2015). In mixed company: Communicating in small groups and teams (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 240-261.

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Four Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays

One of the most important pieces of advice you can receive regarding your personal statements and application essays is this: Show, don’t tell . 

But you might have been given this advice before and are wondering how to go about it. Let’s dive into how to show effectively.

Here are four tips to help you achieve this essential writing goal:

• Show the steps you’ve taken. If you are writing about a goal you achieved or a project you completed, spelling out the process you followed will add depth and validity to your claims. “Within six months, I was promoted to Junior Account Manager” is not nearly as compelling as “After completing my training in record time and then doubling sales in my territory, I was promoted to Junior Account Manager after only six months on the job.” Explaining the specific measures you took to obtain the recognition that landed you your fast-tracked promotion adds so much to your essay.. Similarly, if asked about a weakness, don’t just tell the adcom that you have overcome your weakness of procrastination; instead, show them by giving concrete examples of specific steps you’ve taken to become a more efficient person. For example, do you now plan your projects when you get them and stick to the schedule you set for yourself? Do you check your calendar at least twice daily to ensure you don’t miss a task, call, or appointment? Then show the results you’ve achieved: You haven’t pulled an all-nighter since you implemented these changes.
• Provide examples of strengths and skills. You say that you are creative, mature, and an excellent leader . But how? What have you done specifically, and what impact have you made on your teammates/coworkers/company/community/the world at large? Saying that you’re creative won’t cut it; instead, share a story or paint a picture (with words) that truly depicts the creative workings of your mind. And if you claim to be a leader, a quality highly valued by most graduate schools, provide an example of your leadership and impact.
• Offer relevant, compelling details whenever possible. Your story of success will be more believable and more memorable if you provide supporting details. Remember, when you are showing your achievements rather than just telling about them, your readers are going to want to see a picture of who you are and what you’ve done. Add vibrant details – talk about the number of people on your team; the amount of money you raised; the butterflies you felt while launching your new product; the fear you experienced when you botched a project, followed by extreme remorse, and then the resolve to do better. All these details will add color and vitality to the picture you’re painting for the adcom.
• Tell a story that reveals your strengths. Admissions committee readers are human beings. Like all human beings, they love a good story. One of the best ways to make a point is with a story that illustrates it.  A good story has a problem with some emotion or tension, a main character who addresses and sometimes struggles with the problem, and a resolution. For application essays, that resolution usually shows how the main character, typically the applicant, solved the problem, benefited others, and restored emotional equilibrium. 

If you can tell a story that includes the steps you took, reveals your strengths, keeps the reader engaged with a juicy detail or two, and maintains a certain level of tension up to the point that the resolution is revealed, your essay is well on its way to enhancing your admissions chances.

What’s ineffective “telling”? Boastful claims such as “I am a wonderful team leader” or “I have excellent communication skills” will fail to convince the adcom of your strengths if they’re not backed up with evidence. Claims without a reinforcing story, example, or detail are “telling” and perilously bland and unpersuasive. 

Now that you know how to do it, remember: When writing your essays , show, don’t tell .Do you need help showing the adcom what you’re all about? Our experienced consultants can show you the way! Explore our Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with your personal advisor to create the application that will get you ACCEPTED!

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Personal Statement , a free guide
• 3 Essential Components of a Personal Statement
• How to Tell an Attention-Grabbing Story

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How to Showcase Your Strength in Your College Application Essays?

This is a trick question. you want to always emphasize your strengths. a good first step towards finding your personal strengths is to look at the barriers you’ve faced in life and you will definitely find something good to start with. find more about it in this article.

Updated by TCM Staff on 30th April 2020

30th April 2020

The high school students often struggle with writing about their strengths in the college application essays. Well, your greatest strength is to know where you stand, what you can do, what you can achieve and what you cannot. You can write about things that you have already overcome. Always start by writing with strengths and end with the weakness because admissions officers have to read some thousands of applications so if you start with a weakness and if it’s wrongly worded or explained, it can turn off the reader from the start. 

While talking about the strengths, one of the biggest mistakes that students make is focusing on the highlights and achievements. The two reasons to consider this as a mistake are as follows:

Your activities and awards list will be able to cover any significant accolades that you have won or achieved

The process of how you have accomplished your goals is the more interesting aspect of success

You need to spend the majority of the time talking about how you positively stand out from other students.

Some of strengths you could talk about are:

Leadership skills and potential

Not having leadership examples in your application can be a big no from the college. Thus, if you have leadership experience, you should always make sure to highlight it. You could mention a story where you had a leadership role, activities you did in a group that made a difference to others, or even volunteer experiences. You can highlight a specific example where you used your talents and skills to lead and help others.

Many high school students start projects, but not all of them are able to finish it. Take time to highlight your commitment to complete the projects. In your high school, if you were a core member of an extracurricular activity, you could mention your long-term commitment to the club. Being able to complete tasks while having various distractions is another good quality to showcase.

Intellectual curiosity

  Do you have a specific project that you are passionate about that isn’t related to your regular schoolwork? You could highlight your talents and the lessons you learned from that process.

Your strengths essay should not just be a list of all of your top accomplishments. That doesn’t give the admissions officers any insight into your life. Instead, you should have a personal story or examples to back up your accomplishments. There are not high chances of you screwing up your strengths, and thus most admission officers will likely be on your side from the start. If you present a great strength then that will get the officer even more on your side so that when it comes to your weakness, the officer will think it’s okay because he/she has a great strength that can help mitigate the weakness.

Ending on a brief note...

Don’t try to stuff in too much information.

Reflect on how you will apply what you learned to your future goals. 

You don’t need a formal summary paragraph. 

Go out positive and forward-looking.

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How to Write an Essay About Your Strengths & Weaknesses

While you may be asked to write an essay about your strengths and weaknesses for an English course, this type of essay is more commonly requested for scholarship and school applications. Whoever its audience may be, the essay must have a focus, be well-organized and should paint a truthful and insightful picture of you.

Your essay should have a focus from the start. This will avoid turning the paper into no more than a list of strengths and weaknesses. The main point is expressed through the thesis statement, which should be included in the introduction of the essay. For example, you can write, "It was through my biggest failure as an older brother that I discovered my greatest strength." Or you can write, "While being a perfectionist is in many ways a strength, it also can be a weakness."

Organization

Make an outline charting the course of the essay before you write it. Begin with the thesis statement, then note the points you will make in each body of the paragraph. Make certain these points support the essay's main idea and that they are distinct from one another. List the evidence you will include in the body under each paragraph's topic sentence. Once it's complete, writing the essay will be more organized and quick, and you can flesh out the notes you made in the outline.

The content of the essay can address your achievements, failures and values. Show how the strengths and weaknesses you present are related to your personality, goals, relationships and work ethic. You can write about a specific experience that has changed you or taught you something new about yourself or life in general. Be honest and provide details, analysis and evidence. In the case of a scholarship essay, the Borough of Manhattan Community College advises that it should be "about you, your ideals, and/or your opinions."

To write a strong essay, you always should write more than one draft. After the essay is complete, read through it carefully to identify spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as to verify that you have properly addressed the prompt. You also can show your essay to a peer or instructor for review to make certain there are no confusing or unclear aspects. Finally, incorporate all the feedback into a rewrite of the first draft. The revision should be more developed, organized and polished than the original.

• Borough of Manhattan Community College: Writing the Scholarship Essay/Personal Statement

Soheila Battaglia is a published and award-winning author and filmmaker. She holds an MA in literary cultures from New York University and a BA in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley. She is a college professor of literature and composition.

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College essay on weakness, not strength?

Question: I had a HUGE drop in GPA in the second semester of my sophomore year and first quarter of my junior year. The rest of my junior year was very good, and I expect my senior year (about to start) will be, too.

I have had no loss of life in my family or divorce of my parents, I simply didn't concentrate in school. The reason I didn't concentrate was because I was too busy trying to "strike it rich." I spent my time investing what little I had in stocks and internet marketing plans.

I'm going to write my college essay about how this mistake cost me my GPA, how I learned from it and bettered myself. Is this a good plan or is it a bad idea to use my essay to highlight a mistake I made rather than one of my achievements?

A college essay--whether it's an official, required one or an unsolicited, supplementary one--can be a good way to explain irregularities in your personal life, education, or transcript. So, yes, do take advantage of the chance to tell your target colleges about your drop in grades.

You explained it nicely to us ("I was too busy trying to 'strike it rich'") and you should certainly convey that information to colleges as well. The topic could even lend itself to some humor, which is usually much welcomed in admission offices, as long as you also show admission officials that you're serious about the lesson you learned from your mistakes. And this message should be credible because your GPA bounced back to what it was before you were off on your gold rush. Also make sure that your senior year gets off to a strong start as well. It's a prevalent myth that 11th grade is the one that "counts" with colleges and that 12th grade is almost irrelevant That's actually not true at all. Colleges will pay close attention to your first senior semester so do make sure it's a good one.

Meanwhile, save those get-rich-quick schemes for when you're out of school and have a steady paycheck coming in. :-)

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.

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How do I best answer the college application essay “describe your strengths and weaknesses”?

• October 29, 2019
• Admissions Officers have to read literally thousands of applications so if you start with a weakness and its poorly worded, explained, or is just a bad example, it can turn off the reader from the start. (Read below to see why)*
• The chances of you screwing up your strengths is not high, and therefore most Admissions Officers will likely be on your side from the start. But if you start with a weakness that is half-baked (i.e. I’m a perfectionist, I’m overly ambitious, I work too hard, I bite off more then I can chew), this can turn them off and they wont even get to your strengths.
• If you present a GREAT strength(s) then that will get the officer even more on your side so that when it comes to your weakness, the Officer will think its ok because s/he has a great strength that can help mitigate the weakness.
• My biggest weakness is probably biting off more than I can chew. I love learning new things, helping my colleagues, and being right in the thick of innovation. I usually get the hang of my job pretty quickly, which leads me to take on a lot of additional stretch projects. It’s funny how my bandwidth feels maxed but there’s always room for more!
• My biggest weakness is definitely the fact that I work too much. At my previous job my boss actually had to implement a rule that I needed to be out of the office by 7pm because I was routinely staying until 9pm. I did win the award for highest sell through rate though.
• Clearly explain the weakness so there isn’t confusion that will undermine the response.
• Be honest about the weakness so it comes off as humble (NOT humble-bragging)
• Demonstrate what you learned from the weakness (same if it was a mistake)

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• Harvard University | B.A. in Government, Film & Visual Studies, Spanish Language (2024)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE :

College and Scholarships

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

The SAT and ACT exams were more difficult than I could have imagined! I took each test about three times and, no matter what I did to study or prepare, I kept getting the same score (a score that wasn’t anywhere close to what the top schools were asking for). However, although my scores weren’t the best, I made my essays and interviews the best they could possibly be. I didn’t let a low score take away from the great high school experience that I had and all the other things that I was proud of. Harvard agreed, and several other top schools did too. I believe that no matter what hurdle you may face, you can push through it with all the other things you’re proud of – and I want to help you do that.

I was an extra in a Meryl Streep movie! You can find me as “girl holding fruit” (an Academy Award-worthy performance) in Netflix’s The Laundromat !

• Davidson College | B.A. Political Science
• Harvard Kennedy School of Government | M.P.P.

Graduate School

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE :

I remember going through the college application process as a student and struggling with my personal statement. I have always found it difficult to talk about myself, especially in an environment as seemingly sterile as an application essay. Luckily for me, I had a great network of teachers, guidance counselors, and family who directed me during the process. The best advice I received was framing my essay around something I cared about or enjoyed, using that as a way to explore deeper themes. I ended up writing about playing Halo with my friends, an essay that explored how to create a community out of shared interests. I would not have been able to write that essay without the help and support I received, and I hope to offer the same to anyone I work with!

In college, Steph Curry once help me move into my dorm room.

• Harvard University | B.A. Economics (2024)

College, Scholarships

When I was in high school, it seemed like my entire life was building up to my college application. I needed to show who I was as a person, my academic potential, and my capabilities in a short application that would be openly judged by college admissions officers. It felt like a rejection of my application was equivalent to a rejection of who I was as an individual. Even after I spent dozens of hours pouring over every aspect of my application, turned in my essays and completed my interview, and was accepted into Harvard University, I still did not fully understand the college application process. After my first semester of college, however, I realized that colleges were not looking for perfect scores, presidents, and working bees. Colleges wanted potential, and people who are passionate about what they do. I hope to help others find their potential and showcase what they are passionate about. Ultimately, it is your passion, not a perfect GPA, that will move your admissions officer.

I love to try new hobbies. It would be hard to find something I have not tried before!

• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | B.A. Near Eastern Studies, Political Science – Honors
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | J.D. (DC Bar)

University of California – Berkeley Law has always been a dream school. However, being admitted was extremely difficult, in no small part, because I was an out of state applicant. On my first time applying I was rejected and instead enrolled at Northwestern School of Law. But something didn’t feel right. I withdrew and re-applied to Berkeley Law a second time and again was rejected. This time I decided to pursue my studies at the University of Michigan School of Law. While there, I applied yet again to Berkeley Law, this time as a visiting student, and thankfully my persistence paid off as I was admitted!

I love traveling and languages. For the past three summers I spent time in Barcelona learning Spanish and taking in the incredible culture!

• University of California, Berkeley | B.A., Philosophy | B.A., Political Economy
• New York University School of Law | J.D. (Admitted to Practice in New York, and California)

I was at the lowest point in my life when I was applying to law school.  My brother was fatally ill, my personal life in shambles, and my motivation at rock bottom.  I was going through the motions of writing my law school admissions essay when I bumped into Hamada (WTA’s Founder), with whom I occasionally played soccer — and Hamada lit a fire under me.  He taught me the value of storytelling, and motivated me to write MY STORY. That was the first time I had thought about my life as a powerful story — and that story got me into my dream school (and more).  I’m now part of the WTA team because I’m a WTA alum.

As a side gig to being a lawyer, I occasionally perform stand-up comedy — last performing at The Punch Line comedy club in San Francisco!

• Princeton University | B.A. Public Policy
• Oxford University and the University of Birmingham | Masters in Islamic Studies (Marshall Scholar) (2025)
• Harvard Law School | JD, Class of 2028 (Junior Deferral Program)

College, Graduate School, and Law School

As I enjoy dipping my toes in several different areas at once, I’ve always struggled to put together a coherent narrative that best captures my journey and interests. For example, when applying to college, I had to explain why I decided to spend hours in a week in a microbiology lab while spending my weekend volunteering for local political campaigns. I then faced the same struggle when I tried to explain why a law school bound public policy major needed to study Islamic Studies in the UK under a Marshall Scholarship. I ultimately realized that your story and/or niche don’t need to be programmatic in order to be inspiring, coherent, and effective.

I love learning languages and I’m currently learning Persian!

• Washington University in St. Louis | B.A. Economics, B.A. Political Science
• Harvard Law School | J.D. Candidate (2025)

For my law school application, my resume was lacking in some respects, but I was able to write a compelling personal statement detailing the adversity I had overcome in my own life. It is not enough to have a compelling story. I learned what matters is your ability to communicate it and demonstrate why your story makes you a desired member of your future campus.

I own an African Grey parrot, he is very talkative!

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology | B.S. Physics (2025)

Entering the college application process as a student with an eclectic range of seemingly unrelated academic and personal interests, I found essay writing to be incredibly overwhelming at first! I struggled to pinpoint a singular experience to talk about in my personal statement and whenever I did pick one, even my best drafts somehow felt incomplete. Pressured by fast-approaching deadlines, I eventually took a new approach. After doing some soul searching and determining what aspects of myself/my life felt most important at heart, I began writing about each separately: my passion for physics and teaching, my first rock band, my childhood creative writing escapades, and so on. Through countless experimental writing sessions, I steadily accumulated small pieces of clarity–a paragraph here, a sentence there–that captured me partially but authentically; figuring out the underlying narrative connecting these snapshots then became an exercise in self-reflection and self-discovery. By the time I pressed those long-awaited ‘Submit Application’ buttons, I had a body of writing that took readers on a tender journey through the most cherished pockets of my identity. And I ended up getting accepted to every school I applied to!

I used to sing in a rock band in high school and am working on a solo music album right now.

• Stony Brook University | B.A. Philosophy Honors
• New York University School of Law | J.D. (Admitted to Practice in New York)

I worked for a little over seven years before applying to law school, and the many positions I held and businesses I started at this time were substantially unrelated to my interest in practicing law. I was worried that my reasons for applying would not be credible, given such an unconventional career path. Nevertheless, I leaned into these experiences to craft a profile that made me a more complete candidate than I would have been had I not worked to this extent. I talked about how anxious and timid I was graduating from a college, and how my first sales job in Manhattan helped me build confidence, forcing me to learn how to connect with people I meet for the first time; I explained how the real estate firm I co-founded and led taught me to be self-motivated and responsible for the development and success of other agents; I shared how working as an interpreter for a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping African immigrants in New York fueled my interest in immigration law. Essentially, I told my story authentically, and was able to show how these experiences would make me a better law student and, ultimately, a better lawyer.

I co-own a cajun seafood restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. If you’re ever in town look us up – we make the best fries in town!

• Loyola Marymount University | B.A. in Political Science and Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies
• University of San Francisco | M.A. in Urban and Public Affairs
• Claremont Graduate University | Ph.D. Political Science (2025)

College and Graduate Admissions

When I was applying for college as a first-generation student, I faced a big challenge. I didn’t know much about the application process, and my test scores weren’t great. But I didn’t let that stop me. Instead, I focused on my passion and wrote a heartfelt personal statement. I shared my personal background, genuine experiences and dreams, showing the admissions team who I really am. My hard work paid off, and I not only overcame the obstacle but learned how to write my story in all my admissions statements. Now, I’m on my way to being a Ph.D!

I enjoy exploring botanical gardens!

• University of Chicago | AB in South Asian Languages & Civilizations and Human Rights
• SOAS, University of London | MSc in Development Studies
• Syracuse University | PhD in Cultural Anthropology (2026)

College, Graduate School, Scholarships

University of Chicago was my dream college because I loved learning and wanted to go to a school that emphasized learning for its own sake. My grades, however, while good, were not great, and my college admissions advisor told me UChicago would be a reach. When I was deferred after applying early admissions, I wrote a letter to the admissions committee explaining why, exactly, UChicago was my dream school and included an essay about my upbringing that demonstrated my ability to be both thoughtful and critical. My undergraduate experience and my years working in academia have led me to believe that far more than grades, your ability to express yourself, to demonstrate passion, and to ask the right questions are the greatest indicators of your ability to succeed in college and graduate school.

My decision to study Hindi for my language credit in undergraduate led to a degree in South Asian Languages and Civilizations and five years living, working, and conducting research in India with non-profits and academic institutions!

• University of Texas at Austin | BA in Mathematics, Government, Literature – Rhodes Finalist
• Harvard University (HKS) | MPA
• Wharton School – UPenn | MBA in Finance

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Business School, Graduate Schools

As a public servant with nonprofit and government experience, I had a nontraditional MBA background, and I had to find ways to explain my work (and my contribution to the MBA community) to a very corporate school like Wharton.

I was a volunteer EMT in DC from 2017 – 2021. This included the COVID-19 pandemic.

• St. Thomas University | B.S. Chemistry/Mathematics – Magna Cum Laude
• Columbia Theological Seminary | MA Theological Studies
• Florida State University | PhD Religion (Spring 2023)

Management, Operations, Customer Relations

When taking the GRE, I struggled with high levels of test anxiety and did not get the scores that best represented my aptitude. I worked to submit a great application with strong writing samples and secured one of three spots in an excellent graduate program with a teaching fellowship.

I love the arts. I’ve played every woodwind instrument except the oboe and have experience in percussion and piano.

• UCLA | B.A. History, Political Science – Summa Cum Laude
• University of Cambridge | MPhil International Relations – Honors
• UC Berkeley Law | J.D. (CA Bar)
• Harvard University (HKS) | Masters in Public Administration (Full Merit Scholarship)
• Harvard-CPL Fellowship/Scholarship Selection Committee

College, Law, MBA

Each time I applied to college, graduate school, and law school my standardized scores were in the 50th – 60th percentile. Despite taking the SAT, LSAT and GRE several times, the scores simply did not reflect my efforts or true aptitude. I knew I could not get into a top program without an outstanding application including a bulletproof addendum and a unique personal statement. Thankfully in each case I was able to extensively research and artfully craft an application that not only helped get me over the admissions hurdle at top programs, but also receive funding for my studies!

I am obsessed with traveling. To date I have traveled to 150+ countries and attended 7 Soccer World Cups!

• Harvard University | B.A. Government, secondary in Economics — magna cum laude
• Harvard Law School | J.D., Class of 2025

Law School, College, Graduate School

My LSAT score was lower than the recommended minimum score of 170 for admissions to Harvard Law, and I worried that, because my GPA was not a 4.0, I would not stand out as a political science major. I was very grateful to receive support from mentors and law school students who knew how I could explain the connections between my passions and the education I wanted out of law school. I applied to one law school and got in. I am excited to be a resource for you to find your potential in higher education at the best school for you.

I love the arts, including theater and dancing. In college, my friends helped me direct a play at the American Repertory Theater in Boston.

Secondary Education & Extracurricular Development (SEED) is geared to help 10th graders with all the academic mentorship, extracurricular guidance and social support through your own personal counselor to maximize high school and pave the path towards college. This is a 3-4 month process.

COMPREHENSIVE 1:1 APPLICATION GUIDANCE

This is a Comprehensive service for college applicants ready to start their college applications. We will help you craft powerful and personal essays and application materials tailored and perfected for ​each​ college in the U.S., Canada and the UK (UCAS)​*​. This service will not only paint you as an exceptional​ candidate, but will be the ‘pen-dropping’ quality you need to stand out from the 10,000s of other applicants! This is a 2-3 month process. ​

* ​N ote, the  ​U.S. ​ Common Application is billed as an  ​’​ Individual School Package ​’​  and not as part of any single school application ​.

Please Contact Write Track for personalized package prices and timeline

College Application Preparation Process (CAPP) is aimed at rising 12th graders before applying to college to provide you with a strategic profile review of your candidacy and to map out the journey from school selection to financial aid guidance, so you hit-the-ground-running when you actually start your college applications. This is a 2-3 week process.

COMPASS (11th Grade) : College Orientation & Mentorship Pre-Application Services (COMPASS) is aimed at 11th graders and provides all the academic mentorship, extracurricular guidance, social support, and pre-college planning you need to build your story, strength your profile, and be the “best high school college candidate possible!” This is a year-long process service.

The right school and a great story is only half the battle; you need to ensure that you can effectively translate that story onto paper in a convincing and articulate manner to become a top choice candidate. Our experts are published authors who have helped applicants turn complex and confusing ideas into jaw-dropping statements that truly reflect who they are.

“Write Track showed me the ways I could re-work my essay so that I conveyed everything I wanted to about myself in a coherent and convincing way.”  ~  Kevin S. (Admitted Yale Law)

Once you have identified your top choice schools we help you with the most difficult part of the application: discovering and telling your story in authentic, articulate, and effective manner using the  WriteStory  philosophy. Storycrafting is an art that we have truly mastered with over a decade of admissions experience working with over a thousand of applicants from over 30 countries!

“To get into a top school … you need a hit-me-over-the head-this-is-amazing story. Write Track will provide that edge!”  ~  Sara A. (Admitted Berkeley Law)

The application process is often very confusing for applicants. To respond to this need, Write Track has created numerous online resources (newsletters, podcasts, blogs, videos, webinars) as well as a proprietary service for our College, Law, and MBA clients:  Application Preparation Process (APP) . This unique service will provide you with all the guidance and resources you need to succeed in your applications.

“Write Track gave me the tools and advice I needed to make my complete application impressive.”  ~  Rita G. (Admitted LSE)

Ivan Rahman

Director of mba admissions.

Academics :

• New York University | B.A. Individualized Study
• Harvard University | Master in Public Administration (Full Merit Scholarship)
• Stanford Graduate School of Business | MBA (Fellowship Recipient)

Area(s) of Expertise :  MBA

Overcoming an Admissions Hurdle :  Coming from a nontraditional background, I had almost no idea about what it takes to get into a top MBA program. Therefore, my biggest hurdle was communicating my experience in a way that would convince MBA admissions committees that I can excel both in business school and the private sector. To do this, I spoke with several people that also possessed nontraditional professional backgrounds and who were in or had completed business school to glean which parts of my experiences to highlight given my present and future goals. Doing so ultimately helped me to receive offers from several top business schools!

Fun Fact :  During my first year at Stanford, a few of my classmates and I would take over the empty MBA lounge on Saturday nights, shut the doors, close the blinds, and blast instrumental hip-hop beats. After cranking up the bass, we would freestyle for hours!

College Admissions Expert

• Harvard University | B.A. Government (‘2024)

Area(s) of Expertise :  College and Scholarships

Overcoming an Admissions Hurdle:   It’s extremely nerve-wrecking to know that everything you’ve worked for is determined by one application process. Every time you’ve sweat a test, practiced for extracurriculars and even dealt with difficult people — all your hard work is captured in this two dimensional application of just words. That really scared me.  I felt like there was so much to my personality I wanted to convey and it honestly felt like a puzzle to do so. Also, I wasn’t really applying with the best test scores or had cured cancer or anything, so I was pretty unsure about my application. Honestly, it wasn’t until I got to Harvard that I finally understood I shouldn’t have been so anxious. Colleges invest into you as a person, not just into your ideas. I looked at my admissions file and my international relations focus/academic history/extracurriculars were interesting to officers, but it was really my personality they cared about. I think that’s the missing element of college consulting. I learned it’s not about doing the “right things,“  it’s about having the right essay and interview to reflect what you do and who you are.

Fun Fact:  My hair is currently hip-level long (Side effect

Nadine Jawad

Director of college & medical school admissions.

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | B.A. Public Policy – Honors
• University of Oxford | Msc. Comparative Social Policy
• Stanford Medical School | MD (‘2023)
• Rhodes Scholarship Recipient

Area(s) of Expertise :  College, Graduate, Medical School, Scholarships/Fellowship

Overcoming an Admissions Hurdle :  As a first-generation college student, it always seemed that other students had a better understanding of the application process. For instance, the first time I heard the words “curriculum vitae” I silently panicked. I had never heard the term, but noticed most around me had. Furthermore, during my applications to undergraduate programs, an adviser had told me that the ACT and SAT were interchangeable. As a consequence, I missed out on some application opportunities, having not had the right standardized tests appropriate to each school. Thankfully, I was able to persist and figure out not only what I needed to be competitive for my programs, but also how to secure extended opportunities for fellowships and scholarships. Eventually, I graduated top of my class and matriculated to graduate school at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship!

Fun Fact :  I am a gym junkie where I love to run or lift weights!

One of the main issues facing clients that can derail the whole application process is time management and sticking to key deadlines. We not only help you strategize an effective timeline from the start but also coach you through the whole process, even when life gets in the way! We do not rest until you submit an outstanding application in a timely fashion!

“Write Track really helped me out of a jam by keeping me focused and aware of deadlines.”  ~  Farina B. (Admitted Stanford MBA)

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How to Structure An Essay: Avoiding Six Weaknesses In Papers

TIP Sheet HOW TO STRUCTURE AN ESSAY: AVOIDING SIX MAJOR WEAKNESSES IN PAPERS

Writing a paper is a lot like painting your house: the bulk of the work is in the preparation–scraping, sanding, cleaning, applying primer. If you fail in the prep work, the finished product will be less than excellent. Similarly, it is the quality of prep work-the brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, revising-that makes some papers stand out as excellent.

It is a common mistake for students to want to start editing their papers before they have substantially revised them. Before you start to stress over individual words and punctuation marks, give your paper a critical read. Does your claim hang together in such a way that an educated reader can follow it? Elegant phrasing and multi-syllable words will not make up for weakness in the development of your argument.

Identifying six major weaknesses Six major weaknesses can doom your paper to mediocrity or worse:

A too-broad thesis statement A poorly formulated thesis Inadequate or unfocused topic sentences Writing off-subject Failing to anticipate objections An inadequate conclusion

The checklist below can help you discover whether your paper suffers from any of these errors. Ask yourself whether all of the following statements are true of your paper.

My subject is limited enough for adequate treatment for this length of paper. My thesis statement is a discussable point and is in the form of a declarative sentence. I have used specific, focused topic sentences to support my thesis statement. All my sentences directly or indirectly support my thesis statement-I have not digressed or written "off the subject." I have not contradicted my thesis statement. I have anticipated the major objections to my thesis and have tried to address and overcome them. My closing paragraph restates the thesis (if necessary) and draws conclusions based on the points I have already discussed in my paper.

If any of these statements are not true, read ahead to find explanations and suggestions that may help.

1. The too-broad thesis statement Many papers fail largely because the writer attempts to write on a subject so broad that he simply cannot adequately address it. Narrow down the topic to one that interests you, and for which source information is available, and that you can discuss adequately in the length assigned. The following sentence might have a legitimate place in a paper (as part of an introduction, perhaps), but it would fail as a thesis statement because it is too broad for a typical three- to four-page paper:

In American schools, there are many kinds of acceptable dress codes and classroom behaviors.

The phrase "American schools" includes pre-, elementary, intermediate, and high schools; public and private colleges; technical schools; adult schools; schools with and without uniform requirements; schools in conservative Midwestern towns and those in diverse urban areas; religious schools; progressive schools–too many schools, too many populations of students to discuss all at once.

Many urban-area public schools are weighing the advantages and disadvantages of requiring students to wear uniforms, and quite a few are deciding that uniforms are the way to go for several reasons.

2. The poorly formulated thesis A thesis should treat a discussable point-that is, a topic that merits discussion because more than one point of view is sane and plausible. While it is possible, for example, to support the following statements, the resulting paper would likely not be very interesting because the points are not discussable:

A dog is a four-legged domestic mammal. A friend is someone who is always there for you. Humans need oxygen to live.

Reformulated, these statements can become more discussable and interesting:

Dogs are smelly, dumb, destructive eating machines, and I couldn't live without mine. My friend Brad uses humor to encourage me to set high standards for myself. In the absence of free oxygen, very different life forms might have emerged on earth.

Even a discussable thesis can fail to make its point clear. This is frustrating to the reader, who at the very least is entitled to a clear statement of your claim (unless it is obviously implied–a technique not recommended for beginners!). Compare the following vague theses with the stronger examples given above:

What do most people think about dogs? Are they man's best friend or worst enemy? In my estimation, a sense of humor is a valuable thing. Oxygen is especially vital for animal life forms.

Try the following to help sharpen a vague thesis statement:

• Avoid questions, which are useful as attention-getting devices, but are difficult to use as a thesis statement. For example, avoid "Why should students be given more freedom to choose elective subjects?" Instead use "Students should be given more freedom to choose elective subjects," or even "Students should not be given more freedom to choose elective subjects."
• Avoid "I think," "I believe," "In my opinion," or "To me." Such expressions are overly subjective and unnecessary; remember that you are presenting evidence to support your thesis statement, even if you are writing a narrative or descriptive paper. Besides, a simple declarative statement is a much stronger way to say what you think.
• Contrary to what you might think, absolute statements do not strengthen a thesis. Avoid them unless you are certain you can support them. Few statements (other than known facts–like the nondiscussable points above) can be proven completely to everyone's satisfaction. If you overstate your case with an absolute statement, and then fail to support it, you lose credibility. Use words like "seems," "seldom," "maybe," "probably," "possibly," and "almost." Avoid "certainly," "absolutely," "always," or "never."

3. Inadequate or unfocused topic sentences Do not, out of enthusiasm, haste, or laziness, abandon the basics of paragraph structure for paragraphs subsequent to your thesis statement. From start to finish the paper should follow a consistent progression leading coherently to a reasonable, well thought out conclusion. Therefore, make sure every single paragraph in your paper contains its own clearly stated topic sentence as well as the specific details to support each, though not necessarily in that order–the following example, for instance, starts with an illustration and concludes with a topic sentence:

At George Washington Junior High School, after students had been wearing uniforms only five months, groups of students who formerly occupied separate areas of the lunch yard began sitting closer to each other and talking to each other more. School administrators concluded that the wearing of school uniforms had obscured the socioeconomic differences between students and resulted in more social mixing between the groups.

Compare the above example with the following too-general claim:

Wearing school uniforms is socially good for junior high school students.

In short, fuzziness in topic sentences suggests fuzziness in thinking. If you settle for vagueness in your topic sentences, you will be more likely to write off-topic or jump around from topic to topic. Clarifying your topic sentence–clarifying your thinking–will go a long way toward producing an organized and convincing paper.

4. Writing off-subject Your thesis statement is a promise to your reader about what you will cover in your paper. Don't write "off" this subject; don't include sentences that do not support or elaborate on this main idea. For instance, if your thesis statement for an expository "process" paper is "Making a set of bookshelves requires precise skills," don't include sentences describing your favorite author or the kinds of books you plan to place in the bookshelves. If your thesis statement for a descriptive paper is "My room is a place of refuge," don't include more than incidental references to the other parts of the house or to your neighborhood.

A narrative sometimes seems particularly difficult to contain within the confines of a thesis statement. Consider, for example, a narrative paper about the biggest fish you ever caught. "The biggest fish I ever caught at Bass Lake hit on my spare house key at the very end of a long day of fishing." A common mistake is to tell the story of the entire fishing trip: when you left home, where you stopped for gas and bait, a description of the scenery, and so on. Remember that what you have promised to tell your reader is about catching the biggest fish ever; every sentence and paragraph should relate to this.

5. Failing to anticipate objections Especially for an argumentative or persuasive paper, you must acknowledge and attempt to overcome objections to your thesis. For example, consider the following thesis statement: "Courses in Western Civilization should not be required of American college students. If they prefer Asian, African, or Native American Studies, for example, these should be acceptable alternatives to Western Studies." Here are two plausible objections to the preceding statement:

Western civilization represents the core culture of American students; to be successful in this culture, they must understand it.

The study of Western culture should be required in addition to Asian, African, or other cultures, in order to foster understanding of the modern global community.

Objections like these can be merely acknowledged-"Although some people insist that all students in American should study Western culture..."–or broken down and discussed in detail, point by point. Decide whether your topic–or the objection itself–is strong enough to warrant detailed discussion of opposing viewpoints.

6. An inadequate conclusion Usually, student writers should write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the topic sentence (in words different from those used earlier) and restates the thesis (again, in different words). The conclusion should include the most important idea from your paper, the one you most want readers to remember. (Some papers may differ; the conclusion to a narrative essay, for example, may not follow this pattern.)

My room is one of the quietest, most beautiful, and most spacious rooms I have seen. Within the confines of my room, I can work, I can think, I can rest. It is, indeed, a place of refuge in a noisy, crowded, and often ugly world.

An effective conclusion "returns" to the material in the introduction–the imagery, metaphor, or analogy found there, for instance. A satisfying conclusion may also contain one last anecdote to illustrate the thesis. Choose a technique that seems appropriate to your subject matter and the tone of your paper.

Although beginners should stick to the techniques outlined above, experienced writers often do one more thing-they draw a conclusion beyond the points already made.

I would not be where I am today if I had not been forced to view my life in an honest manner. Alcohol almost killed me many times, and I am still only one drink away from a life of hell. I have been sober for almost two years, and I have never felt happier or more serene. With God's grace, I will stay sober today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

While not introducing new material, this kind of conclusion both summarizes and points out more far-reaching consequences, gives a warning, or offers an alternative suggested by or based on the ideas already put forth.

Minor Weaknesses In addition to the major weaknesses above, minor errors can diminish the apparent strength of your argument and result in a paper that is merely adequate. After correcting major problems, check for some of the errors below:

Weak, vague or poorly developed introduction Sentence errors including Unintentional fragmentary sentences Run-on sentences, especially the "comma splice"–using a comma to separate two sentences Short, choppy sentences or lack of sentence variety Poor or nonexistent transitions Awkward sentences due to lack of parallel structure or due to dangling or misplaced modifiers Word errors such as Use of the wrong word or phrase, for example, its or it's Nonstandard English–"they was," "he don't,"-use of double negatives, and so on Trite expressions such as "hit the hay," "gave me a turn," "acid test" Monotonous or ineffective repetition Wrong word choice for the style, tone, or content: formal language in an informal paper, for example, or informal language in a formal paper. Verb tense disagreement Wrong use of subjunctive verb forms, such as in conditional statements Subject/verb non-agreement Errors in pronoun reference "Padding"–using words simply to fill space Plagiarizing, that is, failing to cite source material

Finally, proofread adequately to correct punctuation, spelling, and typing errors

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Reflective Essay: My Greatest Weakness

Every one of us has weaknesses, and so do I – quite many, in fact. But out of them all, I believe the greatest one is my lack of self-confidence. I don’t know how I came to have this low self-esteem, but I do know it is a problem I absolutely have to fix. Upon reflecting quite a while on this matter, I understand it is a flaw in my personality that is needlessly complicating my life on many levels and often hinders my development, both personally and professionally.

First of all, my lack of self-confidence too often leads to a lack of trust in others. Many times, I found myself suspecting others of having hidden agendas when offering their friendship or help, or making a kind gesture. “Why would they want to help me?” “Why would they want to have a coffee with me? They must be after something!” I know I not only missed many opportunities this way, but, most importantly, that I may have hurt good people because of this way of thinking.

Paradoxically, even though my self-confidence issues make me not trust others, when I do let people in, I start relying on them too much. Since I don’t believe in myself to find my own happiness, I tend to turn to others to fulfill that role for me. Thinking about this objectively, I understand I sometimes put too much pressure on others or burden them excessively, because I don’t trust my interior strength and my own judgment.

Mix the two above-mentioned ingredients together, add some spices, and you get a nice dish of troubles in your romantic relationships. Because of my trust issues, low self-esteem and emotional dependence on my partner, I constantly needed reassurance and I started many unnecessary fights. Luckily, I have an understanding partner and he still puts up with me, in spite of all this. I, too, have been doing my best to overcome these issues since I became aware of them, and I now try to view our relationship more objectively, more trustfully. However, sometimes, that crazy little leprechaun in my had still comes out to play.

Now, my self-doubt doesn’t affect only my relationship with others – it affects me, individually, as well. Because of this weakness of mine, I often give up on my self-development goals, thinking that I’m never going to accomplish them anyway. For instance, I started a 30-day home yoga challenge to get into shape and lose some weight. It’s been 3 months, and I’m on day 10 with the program. I think the facts speak for themselves.

Likewise, I’ve lost many job opportunities because I simply didn’t have the motivation or the courage to take action at the right moment – or even to complete a job application. “I’m going to fail anyway. Why put myself through this?”; “I’m not good enough.”; “I do have the skills, but the competition is much better than me. I don’t have a chance.” – and so on and so forth. It’s not laziness, as many might imagine. It’s just fear – most of the times silly, but still fear.

All in all, after extensive soul-searching, I realize that my self-doubt is my greatest weakness of them all, because it is a brick wall I keep hitting in all aspects of my life, be them personal or professional. Lack of self-confidence makes one suspicious of others, it hurts relationships, it hurts people, it hinders one’s development, and it simply complicates everything. Acknowledging the existence of a problem is a huge step towards solving it, and I will keep working on it until I demolish that brick wall – or banish the crazy little leprechaun in my head, if the metaphor feels more appropriate.

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College Essay On Strengths And Weaknesses

Show More Every person has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to writing papers and after writing multiple papers throughout my high school career, I’ve discovered I have more weaknesses than strengths. I believe that I noticed more weaknesses than strengths because it is easier for a person to point out the flaws in themselves rather than the positives. My greatest strengths are not procrastinating, staying focussed when writing and using a variety of vocabulary words. A few of my weaknesses are coming up with a topic, writing introductions and conclusions, knowing what tense to write in and using the correct grammar throughout my entire paper . To start out, I’ll discuss my strengths. My main strength in writing papers is that I do not procrastinate. I try to complete my rough draft at least three or more days before the paper is due, so I’m sure that I have time to read through it multiple times and edit it. By reading through my papers, I find multiple things that needs to be changed or made better . I …show more content… When I read articles that repeat a word many times, I get bored or annoyed, therefore, I try my hardest to not be that way. Staying focused in what I’m writing is another strength for me. Once I begin a paper, I am very good at focussing and staying in my little writing bubble until I’m at a good stopping point or finished with the paper. Now time for the weaknesses. My biggest weakness in writing papers is coming up with a topic because I am so indecisive. I ponder on what to write about for way too long. I often think I have it figured out, but then I make up reasons why not to do it and try to find a new topic. Another struggle for me, is writing informative introductions and relevant conclusions. I am often challenged with where to start, how to have an intriguing introduction, or how to conclude my paper with a meaningful

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What writing means to me and why I prefer to shy away from it, until now. Being an Adult Learner, having been out of school for more than 30 years my weaknesses outweigh my strengths. My greatest weakness in writing, I would have to say is my spelling and use of grammar. I have recently been diagnosed with a slight learning disability which explains my problems with spelling and grammar. Having 4 children who I am very close too helps alleviate a huge portion of my inhibitions about writing, that combined with the newer technologies of programs like MS Word and other programs like it that have spell and grammar check help me in my daily writing needs.…

Mike Bunn Argument Essay

After reading Mike Bunn’s “How to Read Like a Writer,” I revisited my directed self-placement essay while asking myself the many questions Bunn recommends to ask oneself when “reading like a writer.” In doing so, I was able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses I possess as a writer, and therefore know where I need to grow the most as a writer. One of my greatest strengths as a writer is knowing my audience and composing my writing accordingly. I am aware that when my audience is a teacher who will be reading and grading plenty of the same essays to include original ideas and arguments; it gets boring reading the same type of paper and ideas over and over. Along with my well thought out ideas and arguments, I also credit myself with the ability of using appropriate evidence from credible sources that support my claims.…

Argumentative Essay About My Writing

I am a well-organized writer. Now some weaknesses of my writing may include my use of word choice and I feel like I can improve on my analysis as a writer. These topics will help improve my writing style.…

Reflective Essay On Rhetorical Analysis In English

This spring semester in English 211c been a memorable semester, for I learn a great deal of tips to fix my mistake I need to work on in my writing. The papers I did in English 211c made me think outside the box more than my past English courses. The first paper was the Rhetorical Analysis, for one thing it was a rough paper for me write. I struggle with word choice and tone in the paper, as a result causing me to do not so great on the paper. The Rhetorical Analysis paper was about analyzing the rhetorical position and to use rhetorical appeals from several types of sources.…

Understanding My Writing Course

When I read, my best quality is to analyze the text, imagine what the author might be feeling when writing the words and annotate. My greatest strength as a reader is, to absorb the information and apply the learning to future life circumstances. My greatest weakness as a reader is, to skim through important information because of distractions in my head. When I write, my best quality is to take the time to rewrite the paper as much until I feel that the product is finally ready. My greatest strength as a writer is, outlining and planning prior to the start of the task.…

Final Portfolio Cover Letter.

I am also good at being organized so when I, for example, lay out an argument in an introduction, I will stick to it until the end. As for weaknesses, the main ones are that I almost never read over a paper after writing it and, unless I have to, I never write multiple drafts. This is mostly due to time constraints and my final product often suffers for it. I have gotten better on this front, though, so it definitely isn’t as big a problem as it used to be. Another problem I have is that I struggle trying to come up with how to begin a paper, with the exception of a paper in high school about why the North won the Civil War where I began with “Contrary to what many southerners might believe, the South shall NOT rise again.”…

My Strengths And Weaknesses In Writing

I will start with my strengths in writing. A major strength of mine is that I proofread my work as I am writing. After each sentence that I write I reread it and check to make sure it has no grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. If the sentence sounds correct I will continue writing, if I notice the sentence has an error, either in grammar or spelling, I will correct the…

Reflective Essay: How My Struggle With Writing Papers

I struggle with writing papers. I do not enjoy writing papers. I have a difficult time “responding” to the prompt. I dislike writing papers because I believe my writing is weak. I have trouble addressing my audience when writing.…

My Writing Experience Essay

My strengths in writing are that I’m very confident about sharing my opinion and I think I can bring a different viewpoint on topics. I’m also a good public speaker and I try to implement that into my writing and make my papers lively. In addition, I’m good at implementing quotes and examples into my papers and I think it makes my essays stronger. I also think my writing style is unique and doesn’t have a concrete structure to it. This is good because I can write different types of papers while still sticking to my…

Reflective Essay: What Are Your Strengths

What are your strengths? My strengths are my dedication and optimism. I am a very dedicated individual. The more dedicated I am the more passionate I become.…

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Strengths and Weaknesses

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Unit 2 assessment strengths and weaknesses.

I have always focused more on my strengthens than weaknesses. Throughout the survey the three main strengths that stuck out about me was responsible, honest and a good listener.…

Strengths Paper

The first of my strengths is achiever. This means that whenever I start something, I like to finish it and generally do whatever it takes to reach that goal. My second strength, adaptability, in a way, ties into the first one. Adaptability means being able to approach problems from different angles and finding new ways to complete things when one idea doesn't work. I feel like these two strengths relate to me pretty well. I do not like to leave projects open ended whenever I start them and I'm usually pretty good at 'rolling with the punches.' These two allow me to tackle situations in a variety of ways and leave me with plenty of the proverbial “plan B's” in case any of the first attempts do not work properly.…

Personal Narrative: My Strengths

My own strengths vary from my work to my own personal growth. I think that from an educational standpoint, my strengths are mostly work related. I tend to be able to get focused and complete my assignments thoroughly, or at the very least to the best of my ability.…

I feel I have many different strengths. One of which I think stands out the most is that I’m willing to take criticism. When I get scowled by someone, I don’t take it as something negative right away. Instead I will sit down and reflect on the situation before coming to a conclusion. Many people will think the person yelling at them is terrible but I think it’s the opposite. This is because the person actually cares enough about you to point out your weaknesses so that you know and be able to fix them. A weakness of mine…

Ethical Reflective Statement

I agree with my strengths that I have compassion. I feel that I am a very compassionate person. I truly enjoy working with and helping people. My compassion is the main reason that I have chosen to work in the healthcare field. Even though my work has not exactly been hands on medical treatment to patients it has always been the work of making sure patients are getting the quality care and respect that they deserve. Another strength I possess is that I see clearly and use my head. I always trust my gut and feel that I am in tune with myself and have the ability to stop and interpret my instincts. In other words I have good judgment and trust my judgment. I also concur that I live out my role of responsibility. When I complete any work, regardless what the work is and it has my name on it I am going to complete it thoroughly and with pride. I want my classmates and co-workers to know that they can rely on me to complete my work and that my work will be that of quality.…

Reflective Essay #1

I have several strengths, but probably equally as many weaknesses. I would say I my strengths…

Personal Narrative: My Five Greatest Strengths

After completing the StregthsQuest survey, I learned that my five greatest strengths are Harmony, Competition, Achiever, Includer, and Communication. Some of these strengths I had previously recognized as a strength, but a few were a surprise to me. Growing up, I was always a competitive person. I enjoyed the thrill of winning, whether it be in a team effort or individual effort. Also, I have always wanted to achieve great things in both my personal and professional life. I believe that I have always been great at communicating with others and love to include others in everything that I do to achieve a goal. The biggest strength of mine that surprised me most was Harmony. However, after reading about each strength, I know how I have utilized…

Personal Narrative: My Career Goals

I have many strengths as well as areas to grow in, some of them overlap as both a strength and an area of growth. One of my strengths is trying hard to get any job put in front of me done no matter what it may be. Another is the inability to say no to anything someone asks me to do such as pick up a shift at work or can you help them at home. This one is as much an area of growth as it is a strength. Some areas of growth that I am focusing on improving include being more patient and not speaking too much.…

Ethical Lens Inventory

My strengths are fortitude and sometimes a form of compassion. I am resilient when faced with obstacles and work hard to overcome them. I find myself drawn to people who work the same as I do. Because of the high value I place on equality I can demonstrate compassion for others. I care about the community as a whole but also care about individual members.…

Interparte Richard Layard Statement-That Happiness Comes from Outside and Within.

I believe my strength would be my perseverance in trying and retrying to understand something and getting it down on paper, it really doesn’t come easily I generally understand things, but explaining and getting it all down on paper has been really difficult. I have a few weaknesses, main one being my concentration it’s always wondering off to all the other things I need to do, it takes me a while to settle my mind and focus on my studies.…

Support Learning Activities

1.2 My own strengths: I will try new things. I will try anything once. Working as a team. Thinking outside the box. I have ideas and suggestions that maybe the teacher hadn’t thought of.…

Ethical Lens Inventory Research Paper

Another strength value is using my sense of sensibility when addressing problems in the community; this is according to my ethical lens results. I am in the middle on these results, I believe that you must use sensibility but also need to be rational. If I was to favor one over the other it would have to be rationality. One strength attribute that I appreciate a whole lot is the tradition strength. I think this strength can go a long way of helping myself and others out, being able to learn from others that have been in my position and analyzing their decisions benefits me. Some may overlook this attribute; I on the other hand value this trait and have been taught this attribute from an early age and then again in the…

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I find that my strengths include achievement motivation,school engagement, and reading for pleasure. I'm strong in these areas because I'm a naturally competitive person and find the need to compete with myself to do better then how I did before. My school engagement is because I have a natural interest and enthusiasm for learning new topics. Reading is a strength because it helps me understand people better, it allows me to look into the world and mind of someone new and get and understanding of why they are doing what they are doing. Although I hold these strengths I am most definitely not a perfect…

Why I Want to Join the Club

One of my strength is ability to focus on the job at hand and I prefer to complete my task well ahead of schedule. My another strength is not being critical and over-analyzing yet respond quickly and effectively in decision-making. The third strength is my ability to work with all different kinds of people. I enjoy learning from everyone I meet.…

My Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Essay

Everyone has special qualities about themselves that give them their individuality. These qualities can be dissected into specific traits called strengths and weaknesses. To grow as a person, we must identify our own strengths to help us overcome our weaknesses. I will discuss my personal strengths and weaknesses and explain how I plan to overcome my weaknesses in my personal and professional life. My strengths have always allowed me to be successful in everything I have attempted in my life.…

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My Strengths And Weaknesses Of College Essay

Why i chose when attending a small college.

Most colleges/universities in the world are overpriced and it takes not only a lot of money, but also perfect grades and exceptional extracurriculars to be able to get into them and pursue the career you want. Smaller colleges are expensive as well, but not as overpriced like all the big colleges. I would prefer to attend a small college in a small town. For example, I chose to attend West Hills Coalinga because I thought it would be a great experience since it is a small college; I come from a small town, therefore I would fit in better there than in a big school. West Hills Coalinga has the same opportunities all colleges have, but not only that, you can save yourself many personal and financial expenses as well.

College is not for everyone Essay

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One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.

How to Succeed in College Essay

College 101 has been a very informative class. It has taught me a lot about college and the changes you have to make while attending college. I learned a lot about certain programs that the school offers, I knew nothing about these programs before I took this class and I probably never would have known anything about them if I never would have taken this class. In this class I have learned about three important concepts that can be very useful throughout my college years to come. I think time management, determining values and balancing lifestyles are the three most important concepts you need to help you succeed in college.

College Essay : Why College Is Not Worth It?

Many students are faced with the decision of whether they want to attend college, and their choice could either lead them into thousands of dollars of debt or a reliable, well-paying career. There are many deciding factors that need to be considered when choosing whether to continue education or start working. College is difficult and expensive, so if someone is not willing or able to complete college, it could be a waste of money. After evaluating your skills and what makes you happy, it is important to realize which career will be most beneficial. This career could require several years of college, or it could just require a high school diploma. Finding out what is best for you will help you develop a better future and a happier life. There are reasons why college is not worth it, why college is worth it, and why I think college is beneficial.

College Isn't for Everyone Essay

The words “You can’t”, have been apart of my mind set since day one. I was always told that it isn’t possible for me to be as smart as my sister, or on the same level of my brother who is special needs. I was always in the in between, but the main reason I am striving for success is because I know I can and even though at times I don’t think college is for me, I know I can achieve anything I set my mind to. In less than three years I will have a whole new life started for myself, all because I made it possible for myself to receive a college degree and start the perfect life full of success, money and happiness.

Challenges of College Essay

After graduating high school, no one prepares you for college. Most kids when they are finished with high school don’t even fantasize about going back to school. I have always wanted to go to college ever since I was a young kid. I also had dreams of myself going to college, but in my dreams, everything was picture perfect. In reality, college has been very challenging for me. No one tells you about the adjustments and complications that you would have to face to become a successful college student.

Personal Narrative: Improving My Writing

Over the course of this semester, I have learned many things to improve my writing. Having taken the course before, this semester has been an excellent opportunity to expand on my existing knowledge. Although I had written many essays before, there is still much to be learned and improved. Two factors of writing that I had learned or improved on this semester were transitions/topic sentences and how to properly structure a conclusion paragraph.

My Writing Weaknesses

An essay is a great way to express your knowledge in a topic and also learn new skills involving reading and writing. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to writing. To turn those weaknesses into strengths, I have practiced my writing and took the advice given by my peers and professor. Throughout this course, I have overcome many of my writing weaknesses such as citations, thesis statements, and transitions. Although there are still skills to improve upon, I have improved these skills by taking my time with each essay, proofreading them thoroughly, and reflecting on my work when finished.

My Goals For College Essay

For having an organized and orderly life, we need to have a plan to create that life. When you plan for your life, then you will be able to know what is that next step that you should do to become closer to your goals. It is like trying to bake a cake, but you do not how or what you should use to make that cake. You will not have a delicious cake unless you know it is recipe. Recipes are like planes in our lives, they show us how to move forward to approach what we are willing for. As I am planning for my life, I put education and graduating from high school, getting into a good college and university, and building a nice future with an excellent job as my main steps in life to reach my goals.

Texual Evidence In The Classroom

    The first day we came into your classroom you made us write a essay and I was like "omg kill me now", I thought I was going to do horrible. I was thinking "man I haven't did this in 2 months or probably longer. How am I suppose to do a essay?". We have been practicing on how to improve our writing over the past few weeks and I have some strength and weaknesses from my essay writings: textual evidence, explanations,and conclusion.

Essay about What I Have Learned in My English Writing Class

I have learned many things throughout the course of the term, including such things as: how to write an essay and how to improve on essays that I have already written, how to locate and composite better research through the use of numerous resources found at the campus library, the internet, and the “Common Sense” textbook, how to cite research, examples, and quotations properly within the contents of my research paper as well as document it accurately according to MLA standards. Through the exploration of the “Subjects and Strategies” textbook, I have learned nine different methods used when writing an effective essay and how the different writing styles affect the overall theme and tone of the essay when used properly. This past

How to be a Good College Student Essay

College is a competitive environment; in order to succeed in it a student needs certain skills. Those skills can only be learned. A college professor mentioned that there five basic rules that need to be followed in order to become a good student: study, do all the homework and the assigned reading, attend class, and, most importantly, develop self-discipline and time management 1. In the following lines, a detailed analysis of those different steps will be done. So, let’s get started.

The Shortcomings of College Education Essay

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"The more we know the world around us, the more successful we will be." This quote, from the introduction of my high school chemistry book, was my driving force as a teenager to attend college. My expectations of college were to gain insight into a world that I had not yet discovered. I had high aspirations of receiving a good education and obtaining a good job when I graduated. But four years later when graduation day arrived, I felt unfulfilled. In evaluating my education, I realized that I learned how to get good, but not great grades. I learned how to study to make the most of my time. The focus I shared with many of my peers was not always to appreciate the information received, but rather,

Keys to Success in College Essay

Different people wish to attain kinds of success but in order to fulfill your first success, college is a very important step and part to start with. Besides you need to make the necessary scarifies to accomplish you goals, your motivation and studies are also very important because your studies are dependent upon your motivation. A goal of this kind will determining the direction and degree of your motivation for itself and it can also make the different between success and failure.

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What are the challenges college students are facing today? Students are under a lot of pressure

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Do you feel the need to examine some previously written College Essays on Strengths before you get down to writing an own piece? In this free catalog of Strengths College Essay examples, you are given a fascinating opportunity to explore meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Using them while crafting your own Strengths College Essay will definitely allow you to finalize the piece faster.

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SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats of different subject matters. When used in personal strategic evaluation, it helps in career development by taking advantage of my abilities, talents and uncovering opportunities. Strengths and weakness are usually internal while opportunities and threats are external (Simerson, pp67).

Personal objectives

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IHM490A International Internship Preparation PERSONAL STRENGTHS: A REFLECTIVE ESSAY

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Managers play a pertinent role in making the delivery of health care services effective and efficient. In fact, nurse managers are influential in the modern healthcare sector because of their immediate impacts on the services and care provided to patients of families across the entire healthcare sector. Essentially, as managers, nurses are required to spearhead the changes in health care just as they should fulfil their daily duties.

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Free essay on your definition of leadership.

The aim of this reflection paper is to present you with the answers to the following questions regarding leadership as experienced on my behalf in the field of education.

What is your definition of leadership?

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[University Affiliation] There are certain characteristics that a manager and a leader should possess in order to succeed in leading and guiding the organization. A leader should have both managerial and leadership capabilities for performing responsibly and effectively. Managers are expected to manage both people and processes for performing their tasks and responsibilities. In the light of the article by Zaleznik (1992) the various qualities that distinguished Sullenburger as leader and manager and the contextual applicability of the leadership idea were identified and discussed.

Sullenburger as a manager

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I acknowledge that this research is done by me with the help of my tutor. Therefore, I would like to convey my gratitude to all those who helped me and encouraged me to finish this task.

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Strengths - You feel that your own desires are as important as others (Queendom, 2013). - You are not aggressive when you are assertive (Queendom, 2013).

Potential Strengths

- You are somewhat assertive (Queendom, 2013). - Sometimes you take the initiative to speak up in your own behalf (Queendom, 2013). . - You are somewhat able to be assertive with people who are opinionated (Queendom, 2013).

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The SWOT analysis has been discussed by Wheelen & Hunger (2008) in the scanning the environment section where both internal scanning or organizational analysis would provide information on the organization’s strengths and weaknesses; while the external or environmental scanning would detail opportunities and threats that could impinge on the operations of the firm. To comply with the requirements of this paper, the organization that would be evaluated according to the concepts of SWOT analysis is Google, Inc.

Effective Cooperation Essay Examples

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Integrative decision making process is a structured in nature. It is used for taking group based decisions by involving employees and their opinions on an issue. It has more balance than both top-down and consensus decision making approach (the extremes of the decision making spectrum). The integrative decision making process generally includes:

Step 1: Present Proposal

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Best Learning Essay Examples

Academic examinations: strengths and weaknesses.

1002 words | 4 page(s)

Since the time of Ancient China, examinations have been in place within the system of academia. They are defined as tests designed to prove the students’ deep understanding of the concepts provided during their standard lecture, and the general curriculum that they are required to research. However, at the same time, examinations are typically weighted at the highest percentage of the class grade, leaving all the hours of homework and laboratory assignments feeling almost entirely insignificant by comparison. While the majority of examinations work based on memory, the tests have proven to be the nightmare and source of extreme stress in the lives of the unfortunate students who take them. If professors are so confident in their ability to teach the material pertaining to their classes, why is this necessary evil still implemented as a way for students to prove themselves? Furthermore, does there remain a superior option that eliminates the common test anxiety plaguing the minds of students and often destroying their health? To the body of professional educators, there fails to exist any other methodology to achieve the goal of academic comprehension than this tried and true formula.

Aside from the obvious pressure placed on students, examinations have existed for so long given their vast advantages. For instance, exams allow the students to broaden their knowledge, as when a student takes an exam, their performance throughout the questions and answers serves to reflect their own understanding. Consequently, in the event that they realize they are struggling, they will be motivated to work much harder and ignore the countless distractions that often permeate their free time including but not limited to movies, television shows, books, and video games (Nixon, n.d.). Without exams to force them to concentrate on their studies, their minds will simply be full of knowledge related to their hobbies instead on information that will allow them to succeed in their future life. Examinations also allow for a degree of healthy competition amongst the students which motivates them to acquire as much knowledge and understanding of the material as they can to succeed (Nixon, n.d.). When an individual works tirelessly to maintain good grades and high academic standing, they are rewarded not only with respect from their peers, but also scholarships and opportunities to study at the most prestigious institutions around the world. More often than not, a degree acquired from a university of significant reputation will expand their list of internships and full time job opportunities upon graduation. Finally, knowledge not only allows superior grades that push the student to challenge themselves and improve their minds, but it has also been proven to develop their personality in a positive way. The best students become far more confident and often grow to become experts in their particular field, and this confidence quickly grows over time to the point that students no longer fear their exams or job interviews that they may take after graduation (Nixon, n.d.).

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Unfortunately, the benefits associated with academic examinations fail to impact the majority of students as many are simply looking to pass the class and move on to courses that are of actual interest to them. The test season often brings astronomical levels of stress and anxiety to all students, including and especially those with commitments and responsibilities existing outside of their class (i.e. extracurricular activities, friends, family, work, children, etc.) (ProCon.org, 2017). Unlike the typical side hobbies which serve as artificial distractions to the majority of students, many who have real world tasks on their plate will struggle immensely to concentrate on academic achievement. Given the fact that school students often fail to grow enough to tolerate and face the stress of an exam, many have been reported to suffer from panic attacks and shortness of breath (ProCon.org, 2017). Although the individuals who decide to pursue higher education have an increased degree of endurance towards tests, the worst victims of the aforementioned stress include young children who are often too playful to be able to dedicate the entirety of their energy and free time to success in academia. Despite everything, the majority of students, including alumni, have universally agreed in stating that the biggest fault with examinations comes from the brutally short time limit often placed upon them as an additional burden. This feature is noted for being the most strict and cruel during tests pertaining to subjects in mathematics. For most universities, the time limit on Calculus exams fails to even span the course of an hour, as professional educators believe that forcing completion of all questions within the confines of no more than 50 minutes should sufficient enough (ProCon.org, 2017).

Furthermore, the ability of students to achieve good academic standing under these constraints serves to highlight the quality of education offered by the particular institution they attend. However, this is observed only by the professional educators, as the students often feel it to be a sacrifice of their potential in exchange for someone else’s reputation. When the time allotted for an examination is expanded to beyond an hour, so much of the pressure that students face during test taking is removed for the fact that they feel they can slow down, read questions multiple times, and check their answers upon completion. In a world of competition, pressure, anxiety, stress, and unfair time limits, most students no longer comprehend the value of their education to be in their understanding of the material, but rather the grade they received at the end of the semester based on their performance during exams (ProCon.org, 2017). As there is no better way to force students to understand the material, exams should remain. However, maximizing their time limit will remove so much of the pressure and stress that often inhibits their grades.

• Nixon, B. (n.d.). The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Retrieved November 24, 2017, from https://www.whitbyschool.org/passionforlearning/the-pros-and-cons-of- standardized-testing
• ProCon.org. (2017, January 31). Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America? Retrieved November 24, 2017, from https://standardizedtests.procon.org/

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