Dear customer,

Welcome to the September edition of ICON+’s University Access Newsletter. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you inquired about our test prep and/or admissions consulting services.

This month, we focus on writing style tips for college admissions essays.

You’ve stared at your application essay questions for hours on end, finally overcome writer’s block, and identified which key experiences to showcase in your admissions package. However, you realize unique and relevant content alone will not get you into your dream program; you now face the challenge of delivering your topics with style.

Keeping in mind the most common writing bloopers our clients make, we’ve outlined below helpful tips to assist you as you pen down that all-important admissions essay.

Use the Active Voice

“I will always remember my visit to the University of Pennsylvania,”

is better than,

“My visit to the University of Pennsylvania will always be remembered by me.”

This is particularly true if you are writing for a US college or university. Perhaps it’s the country’s culture of independence, free will, unlimited opportunity, and action – who knows? – but most US English teachers urge their students to write in the active voice. Sentences in the passive voice are generally regarded as wordy and less vigorous. In contrast, writing in the active voice, in which the sentence’s subject completes an action, is seen as more impactful and thus more interesting to read.

In addition, sentences in the active voice are almost always more concise than those in the passive voice. For example, in the example above, the sentence in the active voice cuts out the words, “by me”. In an era and culture in which time is considered money, the faster you can say your piece, the better.

Craft Assertive Statements

Similar in its effect to writing in the active voice, putting statements in the positive form, or avoiding noncommittal language, will make your admissions essay more impactful.

First of all, beware of your use of the word, “not”.

“She was not dressed in a professional manner,”

is weaker than,

“She was dressed unprofessionally.”

Secondly, taking out the word “not” often makes sentences more concise.

“Ignored” means the same thing as “did not pay any attention to”, for instance.

You will also sound more resolute and thus stronger in character if you avoid unnecessary auxiliaries and conditionals.

“If you would let me know of the admissions decision, then I would be happy to mail you the tuition deposit,”

sounds less powerful and committed than,

“If you will let me know of the admissions decision, then I shall be happy to mail you the tuition deposit.”

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Getting started on your revision for your SAT is always the biggest step. Purchasing a great revision guide can be the easy kick start you need to get going with your preparation and practice. These revision tools provide useful techniques and tactics to effectively answer different question types as well as general exam advice.

The second step, of course, is to actually use and read the book, soaking in all the techniques and tactics discussed. By the time your exam comes around the corner, aim to have completed all the exercises and practice questions in the book.

• Barron’s SAT, by Sharon Weiner Green M.A.

• The Official SAT Study Guide, by The College Board

• Cracking the SAT, 2012 edition, by Princeton Review

• Boot Camp for the Brain: A No-Nonsense Guide to the SAT I, by M. Denmark Manning

• Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the SAT, by Kaplan

• Grubber’s Complete SAT Math Workbook, by Gary R. Grubber

• The New SAT & PSAT, by Spark Notes

To read more click here

Many students worry about their pronunciation, which can significantly affect their overall confidence on the speaking section of the IELTS. The truth is the IELTS exam is not going to mark you down for having an accent. What IELTS wants to see is that you can communicate your points effectively to the interviewer. I’ve compiled a list of tips to help improve your English pronunciation.

·         Split up the word - When tackling a difficult word, start by breaking the word into more manageable chunks, known as syllables. For example, take the word ‘demonstration’. You can simplify the pronunciation of the word by splitting it into four syllables, ‘dem, on, stra, tion’.

·         Record yourself speaking - Sometimes it can be difficult to see where you are going wrong or what mistakes you are making. A simple trick to correct this is to record yourself reading a paragraph. Once you have finished, play the recording back whilst following the text and try to identify the incorrect sounds. At first, it will feel a bit awkward or embarrassing talking out loud to a recorder, but this technique is an effective way to recognize mistakes.

·         Emphasize word endings when speaking - From time to time as speakers, we forget to fully articulate the ends of our words, most commonly plurals and verb endings. For example, ‘I visited the National Park’. The emphasis needs to be on the ‘ed’ in visited. In addition, ‘I like going to the park’, the emphasis should be on the ‘ing’ in going. . To make your communication stronger, really emphasize the plurals in your sentences as well. For instance, ‘I have two exams today and three papers to write. The stress in your voice should be on the s’s.

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