Admission Essay Help

English Teacher — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:08:46 +0000

Make sure that a professional editor reviews your essays both for content and grammar – in other words both for what you say and how effectively you say it. I usually prefer to take a look at the content first, and then proofread for grammar at the end of the process. Focusing on the grammar too early can distract from the task of putting your ideas into words. Anyway, the grammar will change as you make revisions to your text. Why proofread each revision for grammar when you can do a comprehensive, careful proofreading of the final draft; that makes more sense doesn’t it?

Admission Essays Content Editing

There are six questions to ask about the content of your essays:

1. Does each essay answer to the specific question being asked? Just delete anything that is not relevant to the question being addressed.

2. Do your essays demonstrate your original analysis and introspection? ‘Original’ does not mean that you have to say something that hasn’t been said before. It does mean that anyone reading the essay should believe that these are your ideas, based on your thinking, experience, and values.

3. Will your essay help the admissions committee picture you as an individual? Will it help a reader distinguish you from other applicants with similar grades and test scores?

4. Does your writing use the proper tone? Is it too stiff, or too informal? Does it sound boastful, or self-deprecating?

5. Is there anything extraneous in your essays? Delete any passages that do not address or support the application question being asked.

6. Could anyone on the admissions committee read your essay and understand it the way you mean them to? Do you need to add information, or explain any unusual words or references? Would it be helpful if you changed the order in which you present information, or used more precise wording to explain an idea?

Admission Essays Grammar Editing

The best way to make sure that your essays are grammatically correct is to have someone with a good eye for grammar proofread them, a professional fully qualified English teacher is an example. Even professional writers have a hard time proofing their own writing. When you write something, you spend so much time thinking about what you are trying to say that it becomes embedded in your mind – and what you ‘read’ when you review your text is what you have memorized instead of what you actually have put on paper. This makes it easy to miss seeing grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Keep in mind that, even if you do not care that much about grammar, chances are that someone on the admissions staff or committee does. They may overlook or excuse one small mistake, but a pattern of grammatical errors and misspellings will make even an outstanding applicant look like a dud.

There are some websites offering to review and edit admission essays for between $750 and $1250! I couldn’t believe it when I saw them. They obviously think that all applicants are rich. My rates are just £25 per 1000 words for review and comprehensive editing. Just contact me today with your requirements.

Review my Essay!

English Teacher — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:57:10 +0000

I have two special services that I offer students. One is to help you before you submit your work to your tutor and the other is to deal with the feedback you get after your tutor has reviewed it. This is a reviewing service, for proofreading and editing click here.

Before Submitting

If you have finished your assignment, essay, report or dissertation but you would like someone with experience to review it and check it for plagiarism before submission. I will look at the key areas you will be assessed on including:

Structure and Coherence
Grammar and Spelling
Use of secondary sources
Critical Engagement
Addressing the question/assignment
Referencing and Bibliography
Use of text(s)
Style and Presentation

You will receive comments under each heading together with recommendations of what should be done (if anything) prior to submission. You can also have your work checked for plagiarism and receive a full report on this.

Here are the fees for different lengths of document.
1000 words – £7.50
1500 words – £10
2000 words – £12
3000 words – £15
5,000 words – £19.95

If you would like a comprehensive plagiarism report please add £5.

After receiving feedback from your tutor

If, after you have submitted your work, your tutor suggests that it needs rewriting, I can help you with this too. Just send through the tutor’s comments and I will make all the necessary amendments to make sure it achieves the mark you deserve.

As the revision can vary from minor changes to major rewrites the fee depends on the individual piece of work. Just send through the comments and the file and I will let you know the fee, usually within an hour. If you have any questions just contact me.

Academic Writing Services: beware the paper mill

English Teacher — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:26:41 +0000

The paper mill is the global industry based on the sale of academic essays to students.There are a number of ways that additional papers are added to the paper mill; here are three of them.

Essay Databases

Donate a paper to join. There are a number of websites that hold databases of tens of thousands of papers all browseable and searchable once you have registered. These sites are sometimes even free! Wow. But hold on they are not exactly free, first you have to contribute an essay yourself by uploading it to the database.

Now you may ask “What’s wrong with that?”; maybe it’s an old essay that has already been marked. Well to a point you are right but remember these websites are commercial businesses and some are very profitable. The profit is earned as a result of having all these papers in their database.

The free anti plagiarism scanner

There is a business currently offering free use of an anti plagiarism scanner to check your academic documents. Again this seems great; something for nothing. The process once again is an exchange, you add your essay to our database and we’ll let you check it for plagiarism.

The first problem with this is that the scanner they offer uses an entirely different method of assessing the percentage plagiarism rate than Turnitin the programme used by universities. I recently submitted the same document to both scanners, the free one came up with 5% but when it was scanned by Turnitin the level rose above 25%.. oops!

But that’s not all. When you register for the service you notice that you start getting emails from a company that sells essays! A few clicks later and it’s clear that they are the same company. So the provider of the scanner harvesting thousands of papers from students and academics also sell essays…hmmm?

Free proofreading scam

Finally, there are the ads that appear on websites like Gumtree offering free proofreading. Some offer to proofread part of your document for free but insist you send the whole document – why?

Some claim they are doing it in return for a reference – one I know has been stating this for at least two years – how many references do you need for heaven’s sake.

Others will do it all and don’t even need a reference– an offer that seems too good to be true. One I saw recently was written in appalling English and the advertisers’ only claim to be qualified was that they were ‘a former London resident’…. and presumably a current Lagos resident! When you submit your document you will be told that they are ‘fully booked’. But by then it’s too late they have already got your work. This work will go on to be sold to others I’m afraid.

So what to do?

Well you should certainly value your work, others do and they see pound signs. Any large scale heavily promoted website is likely to be part of the paper mill with a large database of students’ and academics’ work. Once your essay is ‘out there’ what happens to it is beyond your control. So my advice on this is that ‘small is beautiful’.

Secondly, avoid ‘free proofreading’ offers. Proofreading is a painstaking lengthy task if done properly and frankly nobody would do it for free.

Proofreading help a must for international students

English Teacher — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:07:40 +0000

As an English teacher who prepares international students for their IELTS and TOEFL exams I have seen at first hand the dilemma facing these hard working, determined people once they reach university. The problem is that the Universities accept students with a certain score in the aforementioned language tests but when at the university that has just welcomed them with open arms they find that their ability to write academic English is still not high enough to avoid losing marks through it. Even a student who achieved 8.0 in their IELTS is likely to have enough errors in their coursework that they could drop a grade. A student’s cognitive ability and grasp of the essay topic often far exceeds their abilities in written English. Should these students simply let their language prevent them from getting the grade they deserve? Or is it fairer that they be put on a level playing field to home students?

Different universities have different approaches to students who get help with proofreading and editing their work before submission. Many clearly recommend it and even provide lists of proofreaders, others have their own in-house service. If in doubt the best advice is always to check with your tutor. For what it is worth having helped hundreds of students with proofreading I have never known one of them have a plagiarism related problem as a result. 21st Century word processing software like Microsoft Word enables the proofreader to mark up suggested changes on the document and the ultimate choice as to whether to accept them or not is down to the student.

The cost of following a three year degree at a UK university can easily exceed £25,000, a huge investment. Imagine then the frustration of not achieving the grade you deserve because English is not your first language! Even more infuriating because the university accepted your level of English based on your IELTS or TOEFL result. When a 3000 word coursework assignment costs around £30 to have professionally proofread it’s easy to see why more and more international students are choosing this option. Knowing that your professional proofreader will ensure your English is clear and well written means they can focus on the content and the quality of their analysis.

Finally, a word on the difference between proofreading and editing: editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels: content, overall structure, quality of evidence and analysis, clarity, style and referencing. Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. Proofreading should only be undertaken after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

Glenn is a Certified English Teacher with 16 years experience in proofreading and editing having previously been Publisher and Editor of well known national magazines.

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

English Teacher — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:16:23 +0000

Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels: content, overall structure, quality of evidence and analysis, clarity, style and referencing.

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. Proofreading should only be undertaken after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

What is Plagiarism?

English Teacher — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:10:31 +0000

The ‘P’ word has to be one of the scariest a student encounters. The penalties for committing plagiarism are severe. If you are studying on a student visa they can even lead to you being required to leave the country.
Here is a list of things you must avoid in order to ensure your work is plagiarism free:-
quoting directly another person’s language, data or illustrations without clear indication that the authorship is not your own and due acknowledgement of the source;
paraphrasing the critical work of others without due acknowledgement – even if you change some words or the order of the words, this is still plagiarism if you are using someone else’s original ideas and are not properly acknowledging it;
using ideas taken from someone else without reference to the originator;
cutting and pasting from the Internet to make a ‘pastiche’ of online sources;
colluding with another person, including another candidate (other than as might be permitted for joint project work);
submitting as part of your own report or dissertation someone else’s work without identifying clearly who did the work (for example, where research has been contributed by others to a joint project).

A reputable proofreader or editor will be able to offer you a free anti-plagiarism report using one of the leading software programmes.

Should I use a proofreader?

English Teacher — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:06:33 +0000

Universities themselves estimate that the quality of English in your essays, dissertations etc. could make a 10% difference in your mark for native speakers. If English is not your first language and you have difficulty in putting across your analysis then you could fail no matter how hard you have worked.

It has long been known that proofreading your own work is never as good as giving it to someone else to do. We are just not as good as seeing our own errors as other people are. After all if you had known about them you probably would have corrected them already.

Having a person familiar with academic conventions and a good eye for detail to proofread your work is highly recommended; it is a must for those writing in a second language.

Plagiarism is the most serious thing a student or researcher can be accused of. An experienced proofreader who handles academic work every day of the week will spot any queries about plagiarism and could save you a lot of trouble. A good proofreader will also offer to check your work using anti-plagiarism software.

You can’t rely on your spellchecker. A spellchecker can tell you if a string of letters you have typed are included in its database of words or not but it cannot tell you if you have chosen the correct word to communicate your meaning. Remember – Microsoft didn’t invent the English language!

When a professional proofreader has completed your work they will provide you with a tracking document that shows exactly what changes they have made. They often include comments that are really useful and will help you avoid making the same mistakes again. Try to find a proofreader who is a qualified English teacher as they will be able to explain things more clearly.

Time is a precious resource for any scholar or researcher. Inevitably, the last few days before deadline are often taken up still working on your conclusion or making final changes to your analysis. Take the pressure of by booking a professional proofreader in advance, they can often turnaround work within 24 hours.

Choose a professional proofreader because as a professional they are in it for the long term. Keeping the same professional helper would be of great benefit. Not only are they likely to offer you a lower price for regular work but they will get to know your work and your writing style.

Time is money – but then so is money. Yes you have to pay for professional proofreading and editing services. But consider this – a UK native student will, on average, leave university £25,000 in debt and an international student would have paid over £50,000 on fees and living costs for a three year degree – huge investments. Compared to the £9.95 it costs to have a thousand words proofread by a professional and your grade improved – well you can work it out yourself!

Make sure you choose a proofreader you can communicate with throughout the process. Maybe you have seen something yourself that you want to change. Don’t bombard them every five minutes as this will only distract them but do establish that they are contactable.

Prices

English Teacher — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:46:48 +0000

You’ll find my rates extremely competitive with proofeading from as little as £8.95 per thousand words. Each piece of work I undertake is slightly different and has a different level of urgency. I confirm the price for yours before I commence our work on it. Below is a table of my normal rates.

You will be able to communicate directly with me while I am working on your writing and throughout the process.

Proofreading (see example here)

£11.95 per 1000 words for the first 2000 words

£9.95 per 1000 words for all words above 2000.

£8.95 per 1000 words for all words above 10000.

Based on a 72 hour turnaround. For 48 hours add 10% and for 24 hours add 20%.

Editing (see example here)

£19.95 per 1000 words. Based on a 72 hour turnaround. For 48 hours add 10% and for 24 hours add 20%.

Writing

Rate dependant on individual tasks. Standard Fee £59.95 per 1000 words.

Payment is made in advance and securely through Paypal or bank transfer and is on a pre-paid basis. You will receive a PayPal payment request and once payment is received you will receive another email from Paypal (not from me) confirming that your payment has been successfully made.

To keep my service as efficient and low cost as possible I am unable to meet clients face to face for tasks under 50,000 words.

How the service works

English Teacher — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:41:44 +0000

My service is fast, low cost and reliable – this is how it works…..

STEP 1: Use the Contact page to get in contact with me and explain what you need, if your file is ready then attach it. If you need more information feel free to ask.

STEP 2: I will contact you within a few hours and confirm the fee and agree the deadline.

STEP 3: If you wish to proceed you will receive a PayPal payment request that will show the agreed fee and the deadline. Work will begin once payment has been received. You will also receive an email from PayPal (not from me) to confirm that your payment has been made successfully.

STEP 4: Your work will be returned on or before the agreed deadline. One file will show all the changes that have been made and one will be the final version ready for you to submit.

Please take some time to read through my terms and conditions before you place an order.

All work is undertaken on a pre-paid basis. Work is commenced once payment has been recieved. I cannot be responsible for delays in returning work that have resulted from delayed payment.

Confirmation that I will undertake the work for you only becomes valid once payment has been recieved.

Whilst every care is taken with your written I cannot guarantee any particular outcomes such as what university grade you achieve or whether your job applications will be successful or indeed any other types of outcomes whatsoever.

When undertaking commercial work I am unable to verify the factual accuracy of legal or financial content, you should always have such content checked by a legal professional or accountant.

While I am happy to offer a re-writing service to academics and students I cannot be held responsible for subsequent issues relating to plagiarism. I never add plagiarised material to your written work and I am unable to verify whether or not the material you have sent me has been taken from another source without proper referencing.

In academic texts the client is responsible for the appropriate referencing of quoted materials. Furthermore the facts quoted in such essays will be assumed to be accurate it is the responsibility of the Client to verify such facts.

All work will be completed using UK English for spelling unless otherwise requested.

Confidentiality - my service is a confidential one, I never pass on your work or your personal details to anyone else. Clients often like to show their appreication of our service, I reserve the right to use such comments in our promotional material and on this website though I will only ever print your first name to protect confidentiality.

The submission of work to us is deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.