Today’s GMAT Tip comes from our friends at Knewton. In this article, they share advice on how to ace the AWA portion of the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
A lot of good folks argue that your GMAT essays are meaningless, but don’t forget that the essays can be a determining factor in the increasingly competitive admissions process. An extremely low score could set off flags, and raise doubts about your ability to complete graduate work. Additionally, admissions officers will use your GMAT essay as a check on your personal statements, to make sure they were authored by the same person.
1. Have a strong opinion
In both Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument essays, it is important to pick a side in the intro/thesis and argue it persuasively throughout. Do not merely summarize—be an active advocate for a perspective.
2. Organize
And then don’t deviate. Shoot for the time-honored five paragraph model of Intro-Body-Body-Body-Conclusion. This template should help you organize your thoughts. Again, this is not the only way to do it, but it is perhaps the method that essay readers find most appealing.
3. Pick relevant and eclectic examples to back up your thesis
Each body paragraph should be about one (and only one) of the talking points.
4. Do not relax come conclusion time
Many students will bail out of their essays at the end—and dash off only a sentence or two as the last paragraph. Hang in there and write a substantial conclusion. Restate the thesis in the conclusion, but introduce the thoughts in a new way—and make it at least three sentences. Remember, your conclusion is the last thing the reader will see before giving you a score.
5. Proofread
Scorers (both human and computer) will focus a trained eye on your grammar and syntax.
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