We can say much about the style of your admission essay. Since these writing assignments generally call for you to tell a story about yourself, they invite you to write in a personal tone. That tone should come from you and your voice. I urge you to avoid trying to add an inauthentic “style” to your essay. As William Zinssser, cautions in his essential book, On Writing Well:
There is no style store; style is organic to the person doing the writing…Trying to add style is like adding a toupee. At first glance the formerly bald man looks young and even handsome. But at second glance –and there’s always a second glance– he doesn’t look quite right…The point is that he doesn’t look like himself. (1998:19).
When you write your essay, you will go through a process of finding your voice. This voice is how you express yourself and come across as the real you. And that’s what admissions committees want to hear.
Happy writing!
-Dr. Kirschner
