5 common mistakes when writing essays to study in the US

 5 common mistakes when writing essays to study in the US

After many years of studying in the US, Hung Lam noticed that many essays were so absorbed in analyzing current affairs that they forgot to share the writer's thoughts and personal experiences.

Nguyen Hung Lam, born in 1993, has won scholarships at 13 American universities, including four full scholarships. After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Luther University, he continued to conquer eight American universities with a master's degree. Having completed a Master of Science program at Carnegie Mellon School, Lam currently works for Swiss Bank - Credit Suisse.

After many years of living and studying in the US, he set up a YouTube channel "Lam Python" and a group of international students, sharing his experiences in scholarship hunting and study abroad life. Thanks to his experience as a consultant, helping many Vietnamese students to apply, Hung Lam points out common mistakes when writing essays to study in the US.

In the US student visa application, the essay is divided into two types: the main essay (personal statement) and the supporting essay (sup essay). I will cover common mistakes in the main essay because it is one of the most important elements of the application.

Wrong genre

Many candidates write their main essay in an argumentative form, which is not true. Have you ever wondered "Why does the admissions committee make you write an essay next to a bunch of certificates and grades?". The answer is that in addition to achievements, they also want to know about your background, experience, and who you are.

For example, when you want to recruit someone to your organization or group, in addition to their ability, you also care about what kind of person they are. So are universities.

You don't have to talk about global warming, traffic violations... To understand these things, the admissions committee can read newspapers and in-depth analysis articles. Instead, use the essay space to talk about what you went through, what those experiences contributed to making you who you are today. In other words, the main essay should be written in the form of a narrative essay, without analyzing any issues.

Nguyen Hung Lam, born in 1993, has won scholarships at 13 American universities, including four full scholarships. Photo: Character provided

Nguyen Hung Lam, born in 1993, has won scholarships at 13 American universities, including four full scholarships. Photo: Character provided

Self-restriction of topics

I find this to be a mistake many Vietnamese candidates make. Instead of letting themselves be creative, many people force themselves to follow certain topics, limiting themselves to topics. I have met many students who are very good at Mathematics, possessing a series of certificates, national and international awards in Mathematics. The main thesis topic you choose is usually about how to study Math. I find this approach not wrong but not attractive.

Instead, try telling stories about fishing or learning music. Someone who is good at Math who knows many other things is definitely more attractive than someone whose life revolves around Math.

If you have a track record and want to demonstrate expertise and knowledge in the area you intend to pursue, you can leave it to the side thesis. I find it very wasteful if you use your main essay to talk about something that your certificates and grades have fully demonstrated, forgetting about the need to share a new, impressive side of yourself.

Showing off too much

High-achieving candidates often turn their main thesis into a "prose" form of their CV, listing personal accomplishments. For me, the taboo of essay writing is bragging.

The admissions committee can understand your achievements through grades, medals, certificates of merit... and they have no need to read them again in the essay. This even caused a backlash, making the judges aversion and fatigue.

I think if you want to show off, you should cleverly integrate it in the article and only choose to integrate with the content of the article. Also, dedicate essay space to the main topic.

Forgot to talk about myself

Many candidates use the main essay to talk about an experience that involved a relative, friend, or special person. However, some of you are "so busy" describing others that you forget to mention yourself.

In the main essay, the writer is always the main subject. If another character appears, you need to clarify how that person has an impact, helping you to change, think, and act. Everything about the essay should go towards one end: to highlight who you are.

If you make this mistake, the admission committee will not understand anything about you, if it's light, the admission committee will not understand you, if it's heavy, they'll judge you off topic. This makes your profile almost uncompetitive.