5 Tips for Writing the YYGS Essay

November 27, 2017

As the application deadline nears, the YYGS Team would like to offer five helpful tips on completing your required essays and written responses:

01. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WORD COUNT
As a general practice, you should aim for the maximum word limit. MORE words doesn’t make for a better essay, but too few words can send the message that you didn’t put much effort into the essays. Don’t send that signal!

02. DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
Avoid vague statements such as “Because I love my country” or “Because I want to help people” or “Since a young child I have always wanted to…”. Instead, your essay should provide details to help the reader visualize your specific circumstances, or to understand your unique way of seeing things.

03. ADDRESS ANY WEAKNESSES
If needed, address any gaps or weaknesses in your application or academic performance. Turn them into a positive if you can. For example, if you’ve faced a long-term challenge such as gaps in school due to lack of fees, or moving around a lot and changing schools frequently, you should explain these circumstances and what you learned from the experience in your essays.

04. USE YOUR OWN VOICE
The YYGS Team wants to know who YOU are, so use your own voice! It is important to make good use of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation - and in doing so to demonstrate your knowledge of the English language - but try not fill your essay with complicated, lengthy words that you would never use in conversation.

05. SHARE YOUR PERSONALITY
Avoid too much overlap with other sections of your application package. Do not treat every question or essay as an independent task, rather think about what is being portrayed by your whole application. The YYGS Team wants to learn all about you, so consider highlighting different aspects of your personality in different parts of the application.

We hope these tips help, and best of luck with your essay writing!