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US College Essay Tips for International Students

Published on September 21, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on December 8, 2023.

Beyond your test scores and grades, the college essay is your opportunity to express your academic and personal character, writing skills, and ability to self-reflect.

You should use your unique culture and individual perspective to write a compelling essay with specific stories, a conversational tone, and correct grammar. Here are some basic guidelines on how to write a memorable college essay as an international student.

Table of contents

Research: how applying to us colleges is different, stories: show your strengths, tone: be conversational, but respectful, culture: write about what you know, language: use correct grammar, word choices, and sentence structures, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

The US college experience offers not only academic growth, but also campus community. While admissions officers use your grades and test scores as a baseline, they also use the college essay to further evaluate if you can add value to the academic community, student body, and campus culture.

The college essay, or personal statement, is a creative, personal piece of writing in its own genre. Rather than providing a broad overview of your life, personal essays are often centered around a specific narrative or theme.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in a student’s application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. Many students spend weeks一even months一brainstorming, workshopping, writing, and revising their essays to produce an original, compelling story.

Before starting your essay, you should take time to brainstorm topics and research your desired schools’ academic programs and campus cultures. Then, you can start outlining why you’re a good fit for a particular university.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays (e.g. diversity essays , “Why this college?” essays ), which must be submitted along with the college application. Scholarship essays are also worth writing, as many students overlook this opportunity. Research deadlines early, and create a college application timeline and checklist . Or check out our guide to writing fast if you’re running low on time.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Just being an international student isn’t enough to be competitive in a pool of both US and international applicants. To write a memorable essay, share specific stories that illustrate your strengths not only as an international student, but also as an individual within your culture. You should add details about your life that aren’t apparent in your application.

In South Korea, school is war. Similar to Battle Royale , students viciously compete, not for their life, but for their futures. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., I study either in school, an after-school academy, or my room. With no time to spare, I eat my meals over my textbooks while memorizing chemical compounds or geometry theorems. My bathroom breaks are like short breaths before I dive back underwater into the vast sea of knowledge that I must conquer before it drowns me. Among this chaos, I find solace twice a week with my online English tutor, Catherine. Her stories of college in Boston help me to imagine a reality where classmates can be collaborators, not competitors. Rather than memorization drills and one-sided lectures, I imagine a lively discussion between pupil and professor. As we converse in English about my future dreams, I get a taste of what it’s like to be not a prisoner to knowledge, but a friend.

American student-teacher relationships are much less formal than those in many other countries. US universities value student-professor discussion, debate, and collaboration.

Similarly, college application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing. You should use a conversational yet respectful tone, as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be honest about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the admissions officer. To improve the tone of your essay you can use a paraphrasing tool .

• Firstly, I would like to elaborate on how my family moved from Xizhou to Beijing.
• When I was just five, my family and I left behind our tranquil village in southwest China to make a new home in the vast, bustling capital of Beijing.

As an international student, you have a wealth of culture that you can share with admissions officers. Instead of potentially using American idioms and cultural references awkwardly, write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Make sure to explain any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might not be familiar with. Provide context to help your reader understand the significance of what you’re writing about.

While drowsiness still clouds my thoughts and vision, I trudge over to the bathroom to wash before Fajr , the Islamic dawn prayer. While my mouth still reeks of last night’s kabsa , a Saudi dish of rice and meat, my older sister prances out of the bathroom with sleek, long hair, flawless makeup, and a TikTok-ready outfit. While softly humming BTS’s “DNA,” she picks up a comb and begins to skillfully tackle the labyrinth that has taken over my head. Twenty minutes later, she manages to tame my wild, frizzy mane into an elegant French braid. Sara always knows how to make beauty out of chaos.

Admissions officers don’t expect your English writing skills to be perfect, but your essay should demonstrate a strong command of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structures. Remember to use US English rather than UK English .

Choose your words carefully. You can be creative in your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers; focus on language that you know well so that your writing sounds natural and genuine. Prioritize simple sentence structures for clarity.

If English is not your first language, it’s a good idea to have a native speaker check your essay. You can also use our essay checker .

If you want 100% accuracy, you may want to consider working with a qualified editor or essay coach who can check your grammar, tone, cultural references, and content. Scribbr’s college essay editors can help.

Explore the essay editing service

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

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Complete Essay Writing Guide for International Students

If you are an international student and English is not your first language, academic writing may take extra practice. Learn how to write an essay for your US university classes.

For many international students, learning how to write an essay is essential to a successful college career in the US. (You may be required to write an essay when applying to college, too .) There are many types of essays and, when it comes to essay writing, there is more than one way to share your ideas and communicate well.

Here are some essay writing tips to build strong academic writing skills, even before you arrive at your US university.

Essay Writing Tips for International Students

No matter your major , writing essays is important to getting good grades – and good writing skills will help you succeed in any future internship or job. If you are an undergraduate student , you may also be completely new to writing academic essays for higher education.

Keep reading to learn how international students at United States universities can get comfortable with essay writing, especially understanding an essay outline, thesis statement, and paragraph structure. 

Create an Essay Outline

Working from an outline lets you plan the main points of your international student essay and put them in order. This makes it easier to stay organized once you start writing. 

“I always require my students to work on an outline before they draft their essays,” says Maad El-Gali, ESL instructor at the University of the Pacific . “Regardless of essay formats, an outline generally leads to successful writing because it allows students to picture what their essay would look like. [It also] allows me to give students feedback before they start [the student essay writing process].”

El-Gali teaches his students that every essay outline must have four parts: 

A thesis statement (also known as a central argument)

Topic sentences

Major and minor supporting arguments

A conclusion

Once you have created an essay outline containing these four elements, you are ready to begin the academic writing process.

Do Your Research 

Student essay writing requires research! Brainstorm ideas for your essay’s focus and look into existing material on the topic you’ve selected. Writing down your ideas and thoughts helps you organize them and plan the arguments for your college essay as an international student.

After brainstorming, it is time to dive into your research. Review existing literature on your ideas to find additional concepts and material to support your main points, and remember always to cite sources when you paraphrase or quote ideas that are not your own. Plagiarism is a serious offense in the US educational system, especially in academic writing. Remember to give due credit to the authors of the material you use! 

Form a Thesis

After finishing your research, it is time to formulate a thesis. A thesis statement introduces your academic essay’s main argument and provides a roadmap of the supporting points for your readers. Good thesis statements show your interpretation of the subject, convey the central idea of your argument, and hook readers into learning more. 

There are three types of thesis statements:

Argumentative - presents a disputable claim and defends it.  

Expository - presents a claim and explains what the reader should learn.  

Analytical - compares and contrasts themes. 

To decide which type of thesis statement best fits your academic writing assignment, it is important to learn more about your topic, also known as your essay prompt.

Understanding the Essay Prompt

The first step toward writing your international student essay is making sure you understand your essay prompt. An essay prompt is the topic or subject you need to write your essay on. The prompt you receive can be written in different formats, such as a statement, a question, or a set of data. The following is just one example of an essay prompt: “Reading more books improves your skill as a writer. Explore this statement.” 

With the above example, your next step would be to break down this prompt and understand the different areas involved in the topic. Ask yourself questions about the prompt which helps to define the topic in your essay, for example: How does reading books improve one’s writing skills? Do certain books help improve writing more than others? Is this true for all kinds of writers and writing? 

By asking yourself these types of questions, you can gain a better understanding of which components your college essay should include. As you usually have a limited word count and/or page length for your essay, as well as a specific due date to turn it in, it is important to plan out how you want to structure your essay to make it easy to read while still containing a compelling argument supported by thorough research. 

Intro Paragraph

The introduction is the first paragraph of your international student essay and gives the reader a brief overview of the topic you are writing about. This is one of the most important elements of your essay, as many readers use an introduction to get a first impression of your content. 

Your introduction should immediately get the reader’s attention and encourage them to take an interest in what you have written. The essay introduction should contain a valuable or interesting piece of information to the reader, such as a statistic, an unexpected fact, a relatable scenario, or a compelling quote. 

Additionally, the introduction should have a clear and brief outline of what is discussed in your essay, such as the sections to follow, questions to be answered, and even the intended audience. 

Finally, the introduction to academic essays typically has a clear thesis statement: a central argument to be defended with supporting research in the pages to come. 

How to Write a Strong Thesis

For a typical college essay or academic paper, the first part of writing a strong thesis is to present a clear thesis statement. This statement presents your argument to your reader and gives a glimpse into what you cover over the course of the essay. With your thesis statement, explain how your argument joins the conversation of the overall topic it relates to, and how it contributes to this discussion.

Your thesis should be specific and focused. Avoid deviating too far from your central idea and make sure your supporting evidence is relevant and helps the reader understand your most important points. To better support your argument, your essay should go into deep detail and define what your argument is, the importance of your argument and why you are presenting it, and the approach you have taken to explain it.

A strong thesis is also unique, and your supporting points should emphasize your argument and its validity in larger discussions and contexts. Analyze your argument impartially by exploring multiple angles. By including counterarguments from different perspectives, you can highlight the depth of your research — and better make your case to your reader. 

Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay will have multiple sections which break down your central argument with supporting evidence. Your goal is to present your thesis and research in a way that is easy to understand, while also covering critical information. 

Here is a good sample structure for the body of a college essay:

Begin with a definition—Explain what your topic is and its most important aspects. Give your readers context and the basic knowledge they need to understand the more advanced information that comes next.

Go into detail—As you dive deeper into your topic, describe its simpler components first and move on to more advanced sections as necessary. Make sure each section comes under its own heading and paragraphs are short and easy to read.

Focus your content—Avoid generalized information and make sure all information is relevant. Focus only on one major concept in each paragraph. Your paragraphs should transition naturally and create a logical journey through your essay. This helps the reader understand your main points in a structured way.

Explain your point—After helping the reader learn more about the topic and giving clear context, you can start presenting your thesis statement. Your argument should tie in all the information you presented before and use it as a basis to explain the validity of your argument. Use references, data sources, examples, and other supporting evidence from reputable sources to emphasize your claims and add credibility.

Evaluate counter arguments—If relevant, present the positive and negative sides of the topic you are arguing. This shows you have conducted a deep analysis and you aim to avoid bias, which improves the authority of your essay. You can also use this section to emphasize why the positives of your argument outweigh the negatives.

Once you are satisfied with the content and structure of the body of your essay, it is time to end your essay with a strong conclusion.

Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion is the final segment of your international student essay and should wrap up your main points. This section should not introduce any new information; instead, it should summarize what you have discussed while emphasizing the importance of your point or argument. 

Your conclusion should connect back to your introduction and how the points you have discussed contribute to your central argument. The challenge in this section is summarizing your most important points without sounding repetitive. 

To present an effective conclusion, rather than repeating your introduction statement, try rephrasing it:  Since your introduction or thesis statement presented the topic before the reader had context, your conclusion should now speak to the reader as one newly informed and familiar with your research and point of view. 

Your conclusion should end with a positive note which promotes your central argument, provides your reader with a sense of closure, and presents broader implications encouraging the reader to learn more, like a final suggestion, course of action, solution, or a question. 

Top 3 Tips for Essay Writing

Become familiar with different citation styles.

The referencing style you use depends on your major, course, and university. Typically, your professor’s preferred citation style will be listed on your syllabus . Understanding different citation styles helps you follow your assignment, correctly attribute your sources, and avoid possible issues with plagiarism. 

Some of the most common referencing styles used in the US are 

American Psychological Association, or APA

Chicago Manual of Style

Council of Science Editors, or CSE (Common for biology, physics, chemistry, and geology)

Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE (Common for engineering, computer science, and information technology majors)

Modern Language Association, or MLA

You will not be expected to get familiar with an entire style guide right away: There are many resources available for academic writing. If you have any questions about using style guides, speak to your professor, university writing center staff, or your Shorelight advisor for citation assistance. 

Utilize Online Writing Resources

Some online guides for specific citation styles include the Purdue Online Writing Lab and the official APA and MLA websites. Many offer subscriptions, where you pay a fee for unlimited access over a specific period of time (e.g., one year).

Using free online tools such as Grammarly and Turnitin can also improve the quality of your writing, catch errors and mistakes, and check for plagiarism. Since most online writing aids are operated by artificial intelligence (AI), use caution: It is important to remember these programs may not pick up on every error and might misunderstand certain sentences, depending on your writing structure and/or tone. While using these tools can be very helpful, try not to rely on them entirely and use them more as tips or clues for areas to improve in your essay.

You may want a peer or advisor to take the last look at your essay before you submit your work. 

Start Early!

Giving yourself plenty of time before your essay deadline takes the stress out of the essay writing process. Don’t rush your brainstorming, researching, writing, or revising. More time means you’ll be more intentional, improving the overall quality of your essay because you won’t need to rush. You will also have more time to ask and integrate any feedback from your friends and mentors into your writing. 

Revise Your First Draft

After completing the conclusion, the first draft of your international student essay is now complete! The first draft of your essay is the first version and contains all your raw ideas and unedited writing. The next step in writing a good essay is to revise your draft to bring it closer to the final version.

Why should you revise your first draft? Think of it as a newly constructed house — with the overall structure completed, it is time for you to do a thorough inspection and spot possible faults or areas for improvements. This can take two or even three more draft revisions, but the most important part is to ensure your essay is improving in quality each time so you can put your best work forward.

During your revisions, you may notice your first draft is very long. As you write down your ideas and research findings, it is very easy to repeat information or get sidetracked into topics outside your focus. As you revise, read each segment carefully to spot any repeated information and excessively long paragraphs or sentences and shorten these as needed.

Remember also to look for areas where you may need to add more detail — a first draft is often written quickly as ideas come to your mind, and some sections could benefit from additional information or evidence you had not initially considered. At the same time, check that your sentences flow in a logical sequence and order: Read paragraphs out loud to see if they sound right to you — if they do not, readers would notice this as well.

As you revise your first draft of your essay, keep the following tips in mind.

Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing

1. Don’t write more than you need to. Do make sure your words matter. 

“Multilingual writers (aka international students) tend to be focused more on the quantity rather than the quality of writing,” says El-Gali at the University of the Pacific. “They believe that writing more means having a higher grade on writing assignments, which is not necessarily true.” In fact, adding too many extra words can result in a paragraph structure that is difficult for the reader to follow.

2. Don’t forget about your reader. Do find clear, clever ways to make your point.

Keep your reader in mind as you write and try to make your writing interesting, engaging, and relatable. Remember: Different languages have different writing rules and phrases. While writing, be aware of your readers’ perspectives and always aim to communicate clearly so your words are understood.

3. Don’t just run spell check. Do edit and proofread essays thoroughly.

“This is crucial so that the English-speaking reader will understand the writer’s intention,” El-Gali says.

If you want more advice on improving your writing or general writing tips, reach out to a Shorelight advisor! They are always ready to provide essay tips and academic support for international students . (They also provide dedicated international student services such as helping you improve your English skills, evaluate graduate programs , prepare for visa interviews, and much more.)

Check out Shorelight’s international student guidebook >

Common Mistakes of a First Draft

Your first draft is the blueprint for your final essay and should be considered the first of several drafts. As a blueprint, your first draft should focus on including key information and building the overall structure of your final essay. Some students make the mistake of not revising and turning in their first draft as the final (which is often not their best work and can lead to a lower grade). 

Here are common mistakes of a first draft to watch out for:

Focusing on grammar, style, vocabulary, or particular word choices—In the first draft, ideas come first. (You can worry about style in a later draft!) Your main priority is to ensure all the critical points of your argument are covered.

Adding too many details—Adding too much detail to each of your points in your first draft can make it difficult to effectively structure the essay’s overall flow. Your first draft only needs the most important points determined and mapped out.

Starting late—The earlier you start, the better! You want plenty of time to research, write, and revise. If you are forced to rush, the quality of your essay may not be as high compared to starting early and being able to take your time.

Editing while writing—Since you are likely to go through several drafts before your final essay, it is not important to edit your spelling and sentence structure in these initial stages. You may even replace certain sections as you revise, which makes editing early unnecessary.

Once you have written a well-structured first draft as a guide, you can proceed to your next draft. Refine your research and supporting details, while also addressing grammar and style, as you work toward your final draft.

Finalizing Your Essay

The final draft is what you submit to your professors for grading, so it is important for it to be comprehensive, detailed, and polished. Your final draft is the last one, the product of your many rounds of feedback, changes, and revisions. It should reflect everything you have learned about your essay prompt throughout the time you have spent researching, writing, and revising your essay.

Here are some tips for finalizing your essay:

Final Checks 

Read your essay out loud. It is easy to miss details during multiple revisions. By reading out loud, you can spot errors in both content and grammar. You can also use Text to Speech software to hear your essay out loud.

Check for inconsistencies in logic in your arguments, gaps in knowledge, and anything you might have missed from your outline. Remove or restructure arguments that interrupt your essay’s flow.

Ensure your essay covers the prompt and matches university standards and style guide requirements. This includes checking your document’s margins, heading structure, citation style, and other specific areas your professor has requested. 

Ask a friend or mentor for feedback. A new reader may spot issues you might have missed after working with the essay for a long period of time. 

Essay Writing Help  

For many international students, college-level essay writing is a new skill. If you have outlined, written, and edited your essay and are still not sure whether it is ready to turn in, do not be afraid to ask for help. 

ESL students can get assistance with how to write an essay and receive general writing tips from a writing coach at the writing center on campus, or check with your Shorelight academic advisor to find relevant resources and support services.

Remember, the more college-level essays you write, the more familiar and comfortable you will be with the student essay writing process. 

Follow these essay writing steps to develop strong writing skills. Keep up the good work!

Ask a Shorelight advisor about academic support for international students >

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5 online platforms to help students with essay writing

When a student enrols in college or university, an essential aspect of their student experience is marked by their involvement in essay writing for academic purposes.

For many international students who further their education in an English-speaking university, essay writing may be challenging as they are required to adapt to a new curriculum and write content using the right grammar, vocabulary and context in a language they haven’t quite mastered yet.

Luckily, there are a number of essay writing tools that are accessible for free or for a small fee online. These online resources are a haven for students to refer to when brushing up on their comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.

Do note that essay writing tools are not the same as essay writing services.

It is unethical to enlist the help of an online provider to write the assignment on behalf of the student as it defeats the purpose of the journey and learning processes taken to complete the assignment. Students are meant to spend time researching, checking resources and consulting their lecturers for feedback to come up with a high-quality assignment.

Online essay writing tools are meant to guide and facilitate students with their learning process. With that being said, here are five platforms to help students with their essay writing.

Platforms to help students with essay writing

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Grammarly (@grammarly)

Students who struggle with grammar and spelling will find Grammarly ideal. Grammarly is the go-to online platform to ensure content does not contain many errors, including grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.

Besides being an excellent proofreading platform, Grammarly offers suggestions to improve the clarity of their content to make it more easily understood to their audience. Synonym suggestions help readers to apply different words to their sentence to make it more readable and precise. 

Additionally, Grammarly provides a plagiarism checking service to ensure that their content is unique. 

Grammarly is mostly free , however, additional features can be accessed by paying a premium which can go up to 30 US dollars a month.

Hemingway Editor

Hemingway App makes writing bold and clear http://t.co/rIajo9q1KC pic.twitter.com/8S2hjQ0d8F — O’Reilly Media (@OReillyMedia) February 12, 2014

The Hemingway Editor App helps students to make their writing bold and clear. Whether they are a beginner or a professional writer, this word processor helps writers to create simple, concise and engaging content. Amendments to sentences created by the writer is colour coded.

Hemingway Editor can be accessed for free online . However, the desktop version on Mac and PC costs a one-time payment of US$19.99.

A Research Guide

A Research Guide provides students with essential guidelines on how hone their academic writing skills. Source: A Research Guide

If students are looking for a one-stop centre to learn all things related to writing a research paper for academic purposes, A Research Guide is an information haven for students to refer to.

From learning how to get started with a research paper, including content that fulfils the requirements of the assignment brief all the way to coming up with a strong conclusion, A Research Guide gives you the tools to guide you in writing your research paper every step of the way.

Among the writing guides provided by the platform include how to use search engines, using the correct format and quote passages and how to write a bibliography. Samples of essays in different categories are also available to give students an idea of what a well written essay looks like.

A Research Guide is free and can be accessed here .

Open and free! 🗝️ Journals, books, images, primary source materials, and research reports from JSTOR and Artstor are at your fingertips. 🔖 Bookmark this page to explore all of the #OpenAccess content JSTOR has to offer. Begin your research with a search! https://t.co/4BSZ8zl8KP pic.twitter.com/PF07eNZEDx — JSTOR (@JSTOR) April 4, 2022

Students who struggle to find content that have been cited or provided in an academic context may flock to JSTOR, which is an online archive containing lots of different academic journals and books.

Navigating the JSTOR archive is straightforward, as students can search a database of journals, books, research reports, pamphlets and other learning resources by simply keying in the author, subject (keyword) or title.

JSTOR may require a fee to access most of its contents. However, students can still access public domain resources on JSTOR for free, with an additional six articles per month that are free to access.

Should this not be possible, students may pay for a JPASS which costs U$19.50 a month. However, it is possible for students to login to JSTOR and access materials for free using their university credentials as most universities have a paid subscription to it.

Small SEO Tools 

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by SMALL SEO TOOLS (@smallseo.tools)

Occasionally, students may feel overwhelmed by the need to rephrase or formulate a sentence using their own words, resorting to copying word-for-word what the original author or site mentions in their article.

This is a cardinal sin as plagiarism is frowned upon and may have dire consequences . This includes failing the course to getting expelled.

Plagiarism checkers such as Small SEO Tools helps students to avoid making this mistake. Small SEO tools is free if the content checked is under 1,000 words. More words can be checked for a higher fee .

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Published August 01, 2021

Tips for International Candidates Writing the Common App Essay

Lisa Mortini

Senior Assistant Director, NYU Abu Dhabi Admissions

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

“Give Me 10 Minutes and I’ll Write a Superior Essay”

You’ve spent hours scouring the internet to find tips for international candidates about writing the Common Application essay. You’ve singled out the perfect essay question to answer within the seven recommended prompts. Nervous with excitement, you’re finally applying to your dream school and you’re all ready to go. Yet, hours later, you’re still not sure what to write about. Why is it so tough to get started? Surely, it should be simple at this stage, right?

It’s Not That Simple

The truth is that writing a thoughtful, outstanding essay is not that easy for anyone, let alone YOU, an international student who may not be fully familiar with the added complexities of applying to colleges outside of your own country.

Here is my advice to conquer these essay-writing fears and put your best self forward in the process.

1) “I’m Not Sure What U.S. Colleges Want from Me”

If you were applying to university back home, there might not be any essay to write or maybe the essay has to focus exclusively on your academic subject of choice (looking at you, unis in the UK). As a result, that’s what you’ve been preparing for and the Common Application prompts may seem odd. In contrast, U.S. colleges prefer to assess your academic interests and results through transcripts and recommendations. Above all, this means the essay should focus on an aspect of your application that can’t be found elsewhere— your personality .

Through the story you carefully weave, U.S. admissions counselors will expect to get a sense of “fit” for their school . They hope to glimpse evidence of what will make you a great addition to their campus and how well you will contribute to their community. If you’re unsure if you might be a good fit for NYU, I’d recommend checking out my colleague Eudora’s excellent blog post here .

One of the top tips for international candidates writing their essay is simply to be yourself, be honest, and write in your own voice . If you try to “fit in” by changing who you truly are, chances are you will not thrive at that school after you get in—and that would be a shame!

2) “That’s Fine but… Who Am I and What Do I Stand For?”

Writing a good Common App essay does require a certain level of self-awareness . This can be difficult to figure out, especially if the culture you grew up in did not prepare you for this kind of introspection. Maybe you are not used to talking frankly about yourself and the very idea is puzzling or terrifying! Don’t worry, being self-aware and sharing inner thoughts can be hard at any age and for people of all backgrounds.

Establish What Truly Matters

One of the more practical tips for international candidates writing their first draft is to jot down two lists . One should feature people and activities that make you happy and motivate you. The second should record unnerving things that you’d like to change in the world. Such detailed lists will help you define your priorities and the impact you wish to have around you . Universities will be particularly receptive to these themes.

3) “Great. So, What Should I Talk About in That Essay, Really?”

Maybe boasting about accomplishments is frowned upon in your culture and modesty is appreciated. Maybe you have no issue being proud of your achievements but can’t quite see how the University will relate to them. Regardless of which essay prompt you choose, universities will want to read a story around something that happened to YOU . But which one? You could always make more lists to figure this out. You may have noticed by now, I am an unashamed fan of lists (and spreadsheets).

Story of Your Life

Why not make a blueprint of your life’s events, big and small ? Write down your proudest achievements (for example, sports competitions, good grades, personal successes, overcoming fears) on one side. Then record failures or things you wish you’d done differently—and what you learned from them—on the other.

When you start writing your essay with a prompt and a theme in mind, these lists will certainly help narrow down your focus on one impactful event or experience that will become the core of the story.

4) “I Don’t Feel That I Can Be Myself”

You may find it easier to tell friends a story in your mother tongue and struggle a little to find the right tone in English for this essay. English may not be your first language, and that is OK! You will undoubtedly produce multiple drafts to refine your style. The key here is to find the balance between your natural voice and the level of academic writing expected in a university application .

The Byzantine Nature of This Treatise Is Importuning Me...

For that reason, do not overuse the thesaurus . It can be unnerving for a reader to realize quickly—and we do, trust me—that either someone else has written this essay for you or that every simple, logical word has been replaced by a more obscure, over-polished version. If it feels like you are trying too hard, you are.

5) “Will They Really Get ‘Me’?”

If your narration holds elements unique to your country or civilization (or even your community or school), feel free to briefly explain them to help the reader gain more insight into your world. For instance, when speaking about culture-specific events, behaviors, or traditions, you may want to provide some context. Customs which may seem obvious to you might be unknown to others. On the other hand, application reviewers are often well-traveled or even international citizens themselves!

Don’t Forget:

We are all human beings with many commonalities. There is no need to suppress your personality or culture here to conform to what you think a foreign university may want. One of the best tips for international candidates applying to a school in the United States is just to be yourself and let your personality shine in the essay — that’s truly all you need to do .

Lisa is a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions for NYU Abu Dhabi and the Global Admissions Team, based in the London office. Born and raised in France, Lisa also lived in Denmark and spent a couple of years in leafy upstate New York.  She is a dedicated gardener, a keen traveler to India and Japan, and loves watching the tennis at Wimbledon. She now spends her free time playing with her little rescue terrier dog, Cooper.

More from Lisa:

Finding Your College Fit as an International Student

How do you figure out if a school is the right fit when you can’t visit? Check out Eudora’s tips for international students about how to approach the college search process.

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Essay writing skills for international students

Essay writing is an essential skill that all international students need. We take you through how to approach the process with some guidelines and advice.

As part of our academic writing series, we look at how to start essay writing at university. Academic writing is very different from any English language writing you may have done so far. It’s a process, and you shouldn't miss any parts of the process.  

Here we give you an overview of the steps involved in  academic  essay writing and some advice for each section. 

How to start essay writing  

Reading 

To begin writing, the first thing you must do is read. Read the essay question carefully and highlight the key words and parts of the question. Read your lecture notes and do further reading on the subject using the reading list and other resources you have been given.  

While  reading , make lots of notes and make sure you keep a list of all the sources you have used. You’ll need this to write a comprehensive reference list at the end. Being able to reference and use citations is vital. Copying and using other peoples’ words in your essays is a serious offence at university and has serious consequences. You can find out how to reference and use citations in our article on referencing.  

Planning 

This part is as important as the actual writing, so make sure you never miss this step. Use the essay question to help guide you and keep you focused. The question can help provide the overall structure for your essay. Your reading and notes will also help you decide on a plan, don’t worry if you need to change the order or structure as you go along; it’s easier to adapt a plan than to rewrite a whole essay.  

During this planning phase, you’ll be able to organise your ideas into different sections and start inserting some details and references into paragraphs. Once you’re happy that your plan is organised clearly and cohesively (the ideas and paragraphs link together) and that it covers each part of the essay question, you’re ready to begin writing.  

Writing 

If you’ve followed this advice so far, then beginning to write will be easier now that you have a good, solid plan. While  writing , make sure that your arguments are supported by evidence and that you reference each time you use the words or ideas of a different source. Each university and sometimes each department has its referencing style so ensure you follow the guidelines.  

To potentially avoid using someone else’s words or ideas, you need to be able to summarise and paraphrase. Paraphrasing is expressing the meaning of something you have read during your research in your own words. It's a key academic writing skill that all university students need to learn - it isn’t just  international students . Each university has its own academic skills and  English language  support services, so please make sure to use these services. 

Reviewing  

This is the final part of the essay writing process and definitely shouldn’t be missed or cut short. You should reread your essay and check the following: 

Each part of the essay question is answered. 

The introduction has a thesis statement and clear essay structure.

Each paragraph has only one topic. 

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence. 

Relevant and strong evidence. 

The conclusion summarises the main points and doesn’t introduce any new information. 

Referencing has been used correctly. 

The reference list is included. 

A bibliography is included. This is a list of all the sources you have used in your research, even if you haven’t referred to them directly in your essay. 

The style of writing should be formal: 

                           - use more sophisticated vocabulary.

                           - use more sophisticated grammar structures.

                           - do not use contractions. 

Grammar and spelling.

Save and back up a copy of your essay.

Hopefully, you’ll find this advice useful. Come back for more tips in our academic writing series. While you're here you might find our series on useful English language for different situations helpful.  

Top 10 job seeking tips for international students

Finding a job after university is pretty much every graduate's dream. After years of hard work and late-night cramming in the library, it’s time to enter the professional world of work to gain a well-deserved salary and experience. But how easy is it to find work as an international graduate? Well, it firstly depends on whether you have permission to remain in the country to work. This should be your first step if you wish to stay in your study destination or move

Opening a bank account as a study abroad student

Organising your finances is a major part of the study abroad preparation process. You need to make sure that while you’re in your new study destination, you are able to live and support yourself and have access to your money. This includes being able to pay for things such as rent, groceries, travel, books and daily living costs. To do this without paying exchange fees, it’s a good idea to open a bank account in the country you’ll be living and studying in.

Top five jobs for students abroad

Studying abroad and being a full-time student has many advantages. You’ll be fulfilling your academic ambitions, experiencing a new culture and hopefully getting fully involved in university life. Admittedly one of the other aspects of being a student is not always having that much disposable income available. Studying abroad can be expensive and so finding some extra money to support yourself could mean needing to find a student job. It’ll allow you to fund some

How to revise for exams effectively

We’ve all been there. That circled date on the calendar that looms large, the feeling of anxiety at the amount of work to be done and wondering whether you’re covering the right areas. Examinations, when you’re a student, can seem overwhelming and insurmountable. However, we’re here to help you reduce that stress. We’ve got some top tips, advice and guidance on how to revise for exams, including effective study techniques. Having a good exam revision strategy goes a

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University Academic Writing for International Students: A Usage-based Approach

Carol Lynn Moder

Alys Avalos-Rivera

Ho'omana Nathan Horton

Miriam Kinfe

Seth French

Copyright Year: 2020

Publisher: Oklahoma State University

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Laura Zumwalt, Adjunct Faculty Member, Tidewater Community College on 6/24/24

The textbook takes students from narrative (a beginner writing assignment) through Persuasive (which is an end goal for many writing instructors). But we do find a dearth of information regarding argumentation all by itself. There is mention of... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The textbook takes students from narrative (a beginner writing assignment) through Persuasive (which is an end goal for many writing instructors). But we do find a dearth of information regarding argumentation all by itself. There is mention of verbal argumentation in discussion, but no real study of written argumentation (as a chapter). For many textbook authors, argumentation is the "big Kahuna" of the semester/the big research paper. It is concerning that it is glossed over in moving straight to persuasive, which the authors deem as less formal (not necessarily.) Upon closer inspection, the chapter related to persuasion does indeed cover formulating argumentative strategies such as taking a position on one side or another, and they do address refuting the opposition. But argumentation should present both sides of the situation with respect and research with the end goal of educating the reader and allowing him/her to decide, (not necessarily changing his/her mind). However, persuasion is a different animal. Good persuasion suggests a change in beliefs or behavior and provides a call to action often providing (baby steps) to effect the change. The opposition for persuasion is inertia and ennui. It doesn’t seem that they are treated with enough attention to the differences between the two and knowing which approach is appropriate under which circumstances, especially if they are not aware of the nuances that accompany argumentation, and lack understanding what a neutral stance is.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

No blatantly false information is presented through the chapters. There is a pretty good review of formulating Thesis Statements and rating them. The examples, discussion, and open approach leaving space for the instructor to provide guidelines, are all good ideas. However, it is not clear how this would work with open textbooks (or should they be taking notes too?)

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Writing from readings is a good idea for a chapter discussion. Just as native English speakers often have trouble with new vocabulary, international students may have those issues much more frequently. This provides ways to approach vocabulary in context. It would be helpful for on-going difficulties. Writing for Information section could be longer with more examples and explanations. After we learn to write, we write to learn and to showcase what we've learned. International students would do well to keep these end goals in mind. But newer examples are always a good idea. They seem to be formulated in such a way that updates could be added frequently. I did recall seeing a source from 2005 used in an example. That is borderline archaic. Students are often taught to use extant literature for many writing assignments.

Clarity rating: 5

It all seems very clear. It might be clearer with more examples and explanations, especially in the in the "Avoiding Plagiarism" section.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistently full of long explanations that spell out each concept. Not all topics are given the same length and breadth of commentary, but that is appropriate for the type of book this is.

Modularity rating: 5

The different sections could easily be used out of order or as a supplement even to class exercises and essay assignments. Subject headings and pre-reading content clues are abundant and effective in helping an instructor in dividing the information into "chunks". This would be effective in an online, asynchronous class as well.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics can build on one another if that is the instructors' aim. But as previously noted, it is easily amenable to using in the order of the instructor's choice. It does seem to move from the simple to more complex writing. The summaries, descriptive and evaluative writing are at the end, which ensure that instructors can easily find them.

Interface rating: 5

Some users may find initial difficulty navigating through the chapters. They might get to the bottom of a page and not know where to go next. Perhaps some arrows or directions about where to go next would help alleviate some navigating around clicking on +s. Make sure students know where to go for the next page, or section or if that was the end of the lesson or section of reading.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

This is well-written. No notable errors found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The issues discussed in examples are world issues. They integrative and unifying. As these topics fade, it is a matter of using more current examples as they become available. There does not seem to be any cultural insensitivity.

The "Organizing of an Essay" would be much stronger with a complete formal outline approach. There is a start of one with topic sentences for the varying parts, but no formal structure introduced. While it is widely known that outlines need not accompany final drafts of documents, but that doesn't mean students shouldn't write them anyway. Aside from organizing thoughts and research, outlines also provide a very easy approach to discuss the direction of their essays with their professors (especially if the outlines are formatted properly.) If a student approaches an instructor and asks, “would you read over my rough draft to make sure I'm doing this right?" The professor is likely to say no (no time, possible unfair advantage, etc). But if the same student asks the professor to glance at his outline to see that he is on the right track, the professor is much more likely to provide the glance as it merely depicts the highlights. International students could make good use of outlines in this fashion. Because of this omission (numbered lists aren't enough), this instructor would not teach from the book for this chapter and would substitute a more extensive use of proper outlining technique as students will need that in their speech classes as well.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Writing Through Narrative
• Writing for Information Purposes
• Writing to Persuade
• Email Guidelines
• Using Outside Material and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Evaluating Your Sources
• Writing Summaries (Descriptive and Evaluative)
• Transitional Devices
• Presenting with Examples

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This resource is designed specifically to meet the academic writing needs of international students studying at universities in the United States. The materials in the book can be covered within a 14-week semester, but each chapter or section may also be used independently. Based on a series of needs analysis projects, this resource provides an overview of major rhetorical patterns of writing that are commonly used in university settings in the United States. These commonly required genres include descriptive and evaluative summaries, short essays, comparison and contrast assignments, literature reviews, descriptive reports, and proposals. The resource includes chapters that address the structure and purpose of these more common genres, including an awareness of the ways that the target audience and situation should shape the writing of each.

About the Contributors

Dr. Carol Lynn Moder

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• Essay Writing Tips

Improving your Essay Writing Skills

IELTS Study Tips

Last updated: 6 March 2024

Essays provide the opportunity to craft thoughtful arguments on complex topics within the confines of a prescribed and often restrictive word count. As an international student at a UK university , the biggest challenge in essay writing is making each one a little bit better than the last, especially if you must write them regularly.

So, how do you take your essays to the next level and go from great to brilliant? Learn more about six great essay tips and techniques that will improve your essay writing below and if you're getting ready to apply to study in the UK , make sure to  arrange a free consultation with SI-UK to learn more about the best universities ,  courses and how to make sure your  IELTS score is high enough.

Six Essay Writing Tips for International Students

1. read other people’s essays.

Starting a study group is a great way to exchange essays, which will help you develop your essay-writing style. Read as many as you can from fellow students and academics on a variety of subjects and different disciplines, and as you do so, be critical: what do you like and dislike about them? How persuasive are the arguments presented? Is the argument a balanced one, with points adequately supported with evidence?

2. Build your vocabulary and use it properly

A good vocabulary will allow you to express exactly what you mean as clearly and concisely as possible. Economy with words is a characteristic of all good essays, so try to be precise and clear with arguments and points.

• Read fiction and nonfiction widely and refer to a dictionary for words you don’t know; this way, you’ll learn about new words and know how to use them properly.
• Use a thesaurus – you will add variety to your language and avoid re-using the same words.
• Learn prefixes, suffixes and roots – many roots come from Latin and Greek words and it’s often possible to deduce the meaning of a new word if you know its root and read it in context.
• Start a vocabulary book by using a notepad and collecting new words and their meanings. The act of writing down the definition will help you remember it.

Do not use big words just for the sake of it though. Your essay should not contain meaningless meanderings, so review each sentence and remove any words or paragraphs that don’t add anything to your argument.

3. Words to help develop an argument

Like the above, avoid repeating yourself and focus on using language effectively to help build an argument and create a sense of structure. Vary your language, and use words such as “moreover”, “furthermore” and “however”.

4. Elevator pitching and planning

Make an essay plan before you begin and understand your argument. Only then can you start writing the structure for an essay that builds up to your overall conclusion?

To condense what you’re trying to say into a short, snappy summary, try making an ‘Elevator Pitch’ - a technique salespeople use when condensing an argument - to surmise what you intend to write and why readers should be interested in it.

5. Tell the reader what other people say

When writing essays it is extremely important to cite other people’s opinions, and sources, on what you’re writing about. Contrasting views should be sought; it’s unlikely that everyone agrees on the topic, so show you’ve looked at all the possible angles.

It’s fine to disagree with a scholar you quote, provided you can give evidence and reasoning. This shows that you have thought about it and made your own mind up; this is a good way of demonstrating strong critical reasoning skills.

6. Syntax, punctuation and tone of voice

A sophisticated sentence structure makes a world of difference to your argument. Make your essay easy for readers to understand by using a variety of sentence structures, long and short, and be precise so that your sentences don’t become too long or difficult to read. Poor grammar makes an essay harder to read.

Study in the UK

If you need to improve your reading or writing before applying to study at a UK university, SI-UK London provides IELTS preparation lessons and an  IELTS Practice Test to learn your current ability.  Enquire with our international education consultants and teachers to get started today.

You might also be interested in...

Blog 10 mistakes to avoid as an international student in the uk, blog the best ielts textbooks for international students, blog the academic ielts test format, blog improving your essay writing skills, blog homophones: the english words that create confusion, blog group ielts vs private ielts lessons – which is better.

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Guide To College Essays For International Students

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He'll also open up the floor for a Q&A where he'll answer any and all questions about writing essays as an international student

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The International Student Blog

5 essay writing tips you need to know.

1. Create a 5 Paragraph Outline

Sometimes it can be good to go back to basics! Outlines are a great way to organize ideas in an informal way. For basic writing assignments, you should create a basic 5 paragraph essay . The 5 paragraph essay has the following headings:

• I Paragraph: Introduction
• II Paragraph: Body I
• III Paragraph: Body II
• IV Paragraph: Body III
• V Paragraph: Conclusion

Once you have your essay prompt, you can start filling in the information that is associated with each heading. The first paragraph should always introduce the topic and establish the point that you are trying to make throughout the rest of the essay. Paragraphs 2-4 represent the body of the essay and should include the evidence to support the statement that you have made in your introduction. The last paragraph, or the conclusion, should tie up your essay like a bow.

Creating a 5 point outline is an important step when you are writing an essay. Your outline should be separate from your first draft and can include bullet points of the information that you need to write. Keep in mind that not all of your assignments will fit into that 5 paragraph mold. As you get into more advanced classes or research assignments, your essays will be far longer than 5 paragraphs and probably longer than 5 pages! Creating an outline can still be an effective tool to help you organize your thoughts and the information that you present in an essay.

2. Prepare a Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is one or two sentences where you express your position on the argument you are giving in an essay. The thesis statement is almost always in the middle-to-end section of your introductory paragraph. Your thesis statement should always be in the beginning of your essay because the body of your paper should support your view or opinion of the essay prompt. The very beginning of your essay should grab your audience’s interest. If relevant, you may consider starting your essay off with a quote that ties into your argument. Depending on the essay, you can also consider posing a thoughtful question that your thesis statement responds to.

Even though there is no magical formula for writing the perfect thesis statement, there is certain information that you should be sure to include. Most thesis statements should include the subject, the thesis idea and the three points that you will make that develops your thesis idea. Keep in mind that depending on the subject that you are writing can impact what each of these key pieces of information is.

Check out the following thesis statement examples to see how this is applied:

In Pride and Prejudice , written by Jane Austen, the complexity and solidarity of family dynamics is revealed by exploring sisterhood, marriage and mother-daughter relationships.

The Rosetta Stone provides key insight into the development of trade within society due to its location in ancient Egypt, it’s inscriptions and its historical context.

Jacqueline Schultz, a blogger for International Student, discusses how to write a compelling essay by providing technical tools, examples and humor (we hope!).

3. Avoid Passive Voice Like the Plague

Passive voice should be eliminated when you are writing an academic essay. Passive voice is a verb tense where a noun (other than the subject) performs an action. Active voice, as opposed to passive voice, is when the subject of the sentence performs an action.

College professors typically want you to write with an active voice. Writing in active voice tends to make your writing more clear, concise and organized. Active voice also tends to have shorter sentences, making your views more confident and direct. Passive voice can also be more confusing to understand, while active voice tends to move your thoughts along.

If you start to write an essay in passive voice, you will probably need to stop and restructure your sentences. It is important not to be discouraged. Everyone has written full essays in passive voice at one point or another. You may find it helpful to have a buddy proofread your essay for you. Ask them to look specifically at your sentence structure and highlight any sentences that sound incorrect. You can also try reading your sentences out loud. The act of speaking what you write can be an extremely useful method of catching any grammatical errors.

4. Never Include Personal Pronouns

Ok, I know, I know. I am not the best example of this tip. However, for an academic essay, you should never include personal pronouns. The only real exception to this rule is if you are quoting someone and they use personal pronouns. Some common personal pronouns include, “I”, “my”, “our”, “your”, and “we”. This tip may sound easy, but the implementation can be very difficult.

Although your essay is based on your opinion, which should be clearly stated, it is important that the essay should not be focused on you. It can, however, be challenging to persuade your reader that your opinion is correct without stating that it is your view. Though difficult, it is possible. To see a couple of key methods of expressing your opinion without using personal pronouns, check out the following:

By substituting personal pronouns for generate nouns, you can effectively express your opinion. This can be an awkward way of writing at first. There is nothing wrong with slowly getting to this phase, though. Start off by writing your essay and using personal pronouns in your first draft. Once you have completed that draft, edit out the personal pronouns. This can be a great method of allowing you to get your opinion on paper, while also writing in a grammatically correct way!

5. When You’re Blocked, Take a Walk

It is no secret that every college student, whether they are international students or not, need three basic things: food, coffee and naps. It is also no secret that every student at one point in their college career is going to suffer from writer’s block. When that happens, rest assured that this is completely normal. Ernest Hemingway, author of some famous books like The Old Man and the Sea , had some key insight on writer’s block himself.

The best way is always to stop is when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.

-Ernest Hemingway

Even if you have deadlines approaching, the worrying will not help get your creative juices flowing. Sometimes it is important to take a break from your work and unwind. It is important to have a well-balanced diet, get plenty of rest and exercise and do something you enjoy. Take a walk or go see a movie with a friend! Having a balance between your academic and personal life can make all the difference. You may even be able to use the experiences you have with your work. Hemingway certainly did.

Write a Little Every Day

Hopefully these 5 essay writing tips you need to know have made you excited about completing college papers. If not excited, at the very least they should provide some insight on how to get started with writing essays. Keep in mind that you do not have to write the perfect paper on the first draft. Chances are it will take multiple drafts before you are confident turning papers in to your professor. Be sure to check with your school’s student services office to see if there are any on-campus writing tutors available. Your school wants you to succeed and likely has varying resources at your disposal. One final tip that I would recommend is to write a little bit every day. Keeping a journal and writing a little bit every day will not only make you a better writer, but will give you the opportunity to enjoy it.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 13th, 2019 at 5:10 am and is filed under International Student . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.

Written by Jacqueline Schultz

Jacqueline joined the EIC team in 2017. She has a BA in International Relations from Rollins College. Prior to joining EIC, she has worked in sales and the nonprofit sector. Her passion for international education led her to Envisage.

Other posts by Jacqueline Schultz

One Response to “5 Essay Writing Tips You Need to Know”

Hi, This tips was extremely helpful. Thanks alot.

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Academic Writing

DOI link for Academic Writing

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Most international students need to write essays and reports for exams and coursework, but writing good academic English is one of the most demanding tasks students face. This new, fourth edition of Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students has been completely revised to help students reach this goal.

The four main parts of Academic Writing are:

• The writing process
• Elements of writing
• Vocabulary for writing
• Writing models

Each part is divided into short units which contain examples, explanations and exercises, for use in the classroom or for self-study. The units are clearly organised to allow teachers and students find the help they need with writing tasks, while cross-referencing allows easy access to relevant sections.

In the first part, each stage of the writing process is demonstrated and practised, from selecting suitable sources, reading, note-making and planning through to re-writing and proof-reading.

The fourth edition of this popular course builds on the success of the earlier editions, and has a special focus on the vital topic of academic vocabulary in part three, Vocabulary for Writing. Part three deals with areas such as nouns and adjectives, adverbs and verbs, synonyms, prefixes and prepositions, in an academic context. More key features of the book include:

• All elements of writing are clearly explained, with a full glossary for reference
• Models provided for all types of academic texts: essays, reports, reviews and case-studies
• Full range of practice exercises, with answer key included
• Use of authentic academic texts
• A companion website offers further practice with a range of additional exercises
• Fully updated, with sections on finding electronic sources and evaluating internet material

All international students wanting to maximise their academic potential will find this practical and easy-to-use book an invaluable guide to writing in English for their degree courses.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part | 2  pages, part 1 the writing process, chapter 1 | 6  pages, 1 background to writing, chapter 1 | 7  pages, 2 reading: finding suitable sources, chapter 1 | 9  pages, 3 reading: developing critical approaches, 4 avoiding plagiarism, chapter 1 | 5  pages, 5 from understanding titles to planning, 6 finding key points and note-making, chapter 1 | 10  pages, 7 summarising and paraphrasing, 8 references and quotations, 9 combining sources, 10 organising paragraphs, 11 introductions and conclusions, 12 rewriting and proofreading, part 2 elements of writing, chapter 2 | 6  pages, 1 argument and discussion, chapter 2 | 5  pages, 2 cause and effect, chapter 2 | 4  pages, 4 comparisons, 5 definite articles, chapter 2 | 3  pages, 6 definitions, 8 generalisations, 10 problems and solutions, 11 punctuation, 12 singular or plural, chapter 2 | 8  pages, chapter 2 | 7  pages, 14 visual information, part 3 vocabulary for writing, chapter 3 | 6  pages, 1 approaches to vocabulary, chapter 3 | 4  pages, 2 abbreviations, chapter 3 | 7  pages, 3 academic vocabulary: nouns and adjectives, 4 academic vocabulary: adverbs and verbs, chapter 3 | 5  pages, 5 conjunctions, 7 prefixes and suffixes, 8 prepositions, 10 time markers, part 4 writing models, chapter 4 | 4  pages, 1 case studies, chapter 4 | 5  pages, 2 literature reviews and book reviews, chapter 4 | 8  pages, 3 writing longer essays.

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A Practical Guide to Academic Writing for International Students

Writing essays and dissertations can be a significant challenge for many international students studying at English-language universities. To help instructors support their students in this demanding task, we have put together some key chapters from leading titles in the field of Academic Writing for non-native English speakers.

Download now to instantly read the chapters included, but also be sure to click through and learn more about each title. Each of the following chapters we've chosen to include is just a small sample of the kind of information you can find in these books:

1. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students by Stephen Bailey

2. Academic Writing for International Students of Science By Jane Bottomley

3. Academic Writing for International Students of Business and Economics by Stephen Bailey

4. Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language: A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors by Brian Paltridge, Sue Starfield

Enter your details below to download your free copy.

The country you have selected will result in the following:

• Product pricing will be adjusted to match the corresponding currency.
• The title Perception will be removed from your cart because it is not available in this region.

Writing College Admissions Essays: An International Student’s Guide

9 tips you can use to put together a winning admissions essay, from our friends at i-studentglobal!

Not long ago I received this email:

Dear Mrs. Epstein, I am an international student, so the admission process has been quite a challenge to me. As a student outside of the United States, I am a little lost about what to write.

I was quick to reassure the student that everyone can write a great college essay – you just need to understand how to approach it.

The word “essay” is misleading, because a college admission essay isn’t really an essay – it’s a story. In it, you’ll need a main character (you), a setting (describe it with details), conflict (either external, which is a struggle between you and outside forces, like climbing a mountain; or internal, which is a struggle within yourself), and a resolution. 2. What should the story be about?

It’s up to you, as long as it illustrates some of your positive qualities, shows a growth experience and, above all, is meaningful to you. Never choose a topic that might offend your reader. 3. Include what you’ve learned.

This is essential. Schools want to see how you’ve grown or what you’ve learned from your experience. Your essay will be incomplete without it. 4. Make it unique.

I always say that if 50 other people can write your essay, then it isn’t unique enough to you.

How do you make your essay unique? Include details, such as what you heard, felt, tasted, or even smelled.

Take the reader through your thought process – why you struggled, or how you came to a decision.

Avoid common topics, like getting an “A” in class or winning athletic events. Instead, write from a different angle, such as the relationship you had with your teacher, coach or teammates. 5. Don’t bore your reader.

Start your essay in an interesting way. Here are three techniques you can use: Ask a question, make an intriguing statement, or begin in the middle of your action. 6. Don’t write in your native language and then translate to English.

Sometimes translations can be awkward or might not make sense. 7. Consider the cultural divide.

If you’re an international student, it’s important to remember that a U.S. reader may not be familiar with your customs or culture. In that case, take the time to explain.

For example, a Vietnamese student wrote that she was from “a coastal area.” She could have aided the reader by giving the name of the town and details to help visualize it.

A student in the UK wrote that The Guardian had published his article. He needed to explain that The Guardian was a major UK newspaper so that the reader understood it was an important accomplishment. 8. “Big” isn’t always better.

You don’t need to have experienced a big event, like an earthquake or a death in the family, to write a great essay. International students aren’t expected to write about world issues or their “global perspectives,” either. Just write about what has meaning for you.

A student in Ulaanbaatar, for instance, wrote about greeting her mother at the airport. It was effective, not because it was “big,” but because during her mother’s absence the student had learned resilience, independence, and how to think for herself. 9. Proofread.

For both American and international students, the goal of the college admission essay is the same: Tell your story, so that colleges will know what makes you special and how you’ve grown. The process can be challenging, but no matter where you live, you can always write a great essay.

Author bio: Sharon Epstein is a Cornell graduate and award-winning television writer. Most of all, she loves teaching. Sharon writes for the International student website i-studentglobal . She also teaches college essay writing, resume writing, and interview skills. Her business is First Impressions College Consulting and she blogs about college admissions at ApplyingToCollege.org .

This post was written by a friend of Magoosh.

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International Student Writing Support

Learn about the extensive writing resources that exist across campus at NYU! These resources are here to support all NYU student writers, helping multilingual writers to expand their knowledge of the English language and American rhetorical conventions, and develp their ideas and arguments in their own voices.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center (located both on the Washington Square and Tandon campuses) welcomes all student writers from across the NYU community to work collaboratively on your writing, from first to final drafts. Through an array of workshops, writing groups, and individualized writing conferences with faculty consultants, graduate student consultants, and undergraduate peer tutors, the Writing Center is dedicated to helping you develop your writing and grow as a writer.

Learn more about making an appoinment with a consultant at the Writing Center.

Expository Writing Program Writing Workshops

The Expository Writing Program (EWP) at NYU offers a set of remote and in-person workshops for all undergraduates and MAs. Want to make your sentences clearer and more concise? Need strategies for close reading a complex text? Unsure of where to start with articulating a research problem? Wondering how to organize your essays? Or what to include in your statement of purpose for graduate school? Workshops are tailored to answer each of these questions and many more. View the writing workshop calendar . Workshops that are designed with multilingual / international students in mind are:

• Grammar and Flow: Improving Sentence Clarity (for undergrads)
• Refining Your Academic Voice (for advanced undergrads or MAs)
• Understanding College Expectations (for undergrads)
• Avoiding Plagiarism (for undergrads)

Expository Writing Program Writing Modules

• Methods for Improving Grammar
• Five Tips on Structuring Your Essay

Writing Partners

The Writing Partners Program is designed for undergraduate multilingual writers who are eager to engage in a long-term process of improving their writing in English. As a participant in the program, you will be paired with a dedicated peer tutor, who will collaborate actively with you during weekly 45-minute conferences as you draft and revise your writing.

Learn more about Writing Partners at Washington Square . Learn more about Writing Partners at Tandon .

Additional Essay Writing Resources

The EWP Statement on Academic Integrity provides detailed guidance concerning how to avoid plagiarism, properly cite work, and navigate different citation styles. Essay Writing Resources developed and identified by Jono Mischkot, EWP Assistant Director of the Writing Center:

• Establishing a Line of Inquiry
• Turning an Obvious Thesis into an Arguable Problem
• Engaging with Sources
• Building Coherence
• Grammar, Mechanics, Academic Style & Convention, and Research

Writing in the Disciplines

Writing in the Disciplines (WID) promotes effective, intellectually engaged student writing by offering instructional support for students and development opportunities for faculty. Their mission is to encourage conversations and moments of collaboration across departments at NYU to emphasize how writing and communication are central to students’ academic and professional success. In turn, they help students build on what they learn in introductory writing courses, and become increasingly skilled at the writing practices unique to their chosen disciplines. Any course or department is eligible to receive free support from a WID consultant, who are full-time faculty with expertise in writing pedagogy.

Academic Success and School-Based Support

• Resources for Student Success
• University Learning Center Writing Support
• Steinhardt Writing Center
• Wagner Writing Center
• Academic Resource Center

Mercer Street

Mercer Street is an annual online anthology collecting the very best student essays written for NYU’s Expository Writing Program over the course of the previous academic year. The anthology presents twenty exceptional essays that were composed by NYU students in their expository writing courses last year. We invite you to read these essays both for your curiosity and to learn how other writers make moves that you can try out in new ways in your writing.

The Hundred River Review

The Hundred River Review is a journal of excellent student writing produced in core writing courses at NYU-Shanghai, celebrating essays that challenge our thinking, present us with new ways of seeing texts, build great arguments and model the writing goals of NYU-Shanghai core courses. The Hundred River Review provides a platform for students to share their writing and read the work of their peers.

• Resources for Academic and Cultural Adjustment

2024 International Education Week Essay Contest

2024 theme: "local to global: celebrating international education at emory"  , for a pdf version of the essay contest flyer, click here ..

Emory University is proud of its diverse and inclusive community, where local perspectives and global insights come together to create a rich educational experience.

Reflecting on the theme "Local to Global: Celebrating International Education at Emory,"  you are invited to write an essay that speaks to the importance that global experiences, people, or perspectives have made on your Emory experience: whether in Atlanta, on an Emory-affiliated experience around the world, or coming to study at Emory from another country.

You may choose (but are not required) to respond to one or more of the questions below.  

• Describe a specific experience during your time at Emory that highlights the impact of international/global education on your personal and academic growth. How did this experience shape your understanding of global issues and cultural diversity?  
• How have you contributed to the diversity of perspectives at Emory through your involvement, identity, and leadership?    
• Describe how you have navigated your cultural identity at Emory.   

Your essay should be between 500 to 750 words and adhere to the contest guidelines. We encourage you to draw upon your identity, personal anecdotes, specific examples, lived experiences, and thoughtful analysis to craft a compelling and insightful essay.

Essay Contest Guidelines:  

• Eligibility: This contest is open to any currently enrolled Emory students (graduate and undergraduate)
• Word Count : 500-750 words  
• Format : Typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, in Microsoft Word or an editable document.
• Must be written in English.
• Include a title and a cover sheet with the author's name and contact information
• No identifying information should be within the essay itself.  
• Only one essay may be submitted per person.  
• All aspects of the Emory Honor Code will be enforced, citing any references or copyright materials where relevant.  
• AI Tools (e.g. Chat GPT, Grammarly) can be used to edit a draft, but not to formulate ideas or write an initial draft. If used, AI tools must be credited at the conclusion of the essay.  
• Submission : Submit your essay via the submission form by clicking on the button below  by 11:59 EST on October 6th , 2024.
• Contest Rules: You must read the following rules of the contest to enter. By submitting an essay, you agree to the aforementioned rules.
• Evaluation Criteria : Essays will be judged based on critical engagement with the essay themes, creativity, organization and structure, and adherence to the rules of the essay contest.
• Winners : The review committee will select first place and runner-up graduate student essays well as as first place and runner-up undergraduate student essays. First place essays will receive  $500, and runners-up will receive $250.

Ready to submit your essay? Click the button below: 

Questions : Please reach out to Charlie Hammons ([email protected]) , International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Senior Associate Director, via email .   

Good luck, and we look forward to reading your essays!  

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• Essay Writing Center
• Admission Essays

Choosing a Topic for Your College Essay

Every year, an admissions officer reads hundreds, even thousands of application essays. After reading a plethora of essays about dreams, visions, academics and athletics, the content inevitably begins to sound redundant and painfully ordinary. If you want to stand out against the thousands of applicants with similar test scores and GPAs, writing a college essay that is memorable and proficient is the best way to do so. Usually an application will offer a very broad topic with which you can do almost anything, or they will allow you to write about whatever topic you would like. In this case, choosing your topic plays a pivotal part in the success of your essay.

Wrong the Wrongs So You Can Write the Right

Before you start writing your essay, here are a few topics you should avoid:

Potential College Essay Topics

Creativity, originality, and memorability are the most important aspects to keep in mind when choosing college essay topics. Before writing your college essay, you should take the time to plan, brainstorm and discover ways you can make your essay fresh and personal.

Writing a college essay can be a daunting task at first, but understanding how different topics of college essays work may benefit you in the future. Know your writing style and what you are trying to communicate to the admissions officers. Your college essay is your first impression to the school to which you are applying. You want your first impression to be one of intelligence, endurance and motivation. Though there are plenty topics of college essays that many admissions officers tell students to avoid, as well as topics admissions officers will encourage students to write, it is a very personal and specific decision. If your college does not give you a certain topic for your admissions essay, get to know yourself and get to know your school. If you pair this knowledge with good writing skills, spell and grammar checks, peer reviews, and editing, you are sure to make a good impression with the school. Don’t lie and don’t exaggerate; just be yourself. The admissions officers will see that and admire your authenticity.

For more tips on writing a great scholarship essay, visit Eight Steps Towards a Better Scholarship Essay .

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