Strong Writing Skills Are Key to Upward Mobility

Many institutional factors contribute to upward mobility for alumni, including selectivity, graduation rate, spending per student, and location. Outside of choosing a graduate or undergraduate program, you have no control over these factors. Additionally, education remains most accessible to wealthy families who have the assets to buy books, hire tutors, and send their kids to private schools. Privileged families also have the means to pay for test prep courses and multiple retakes of standardized tests, like the ACT, SAT, LSAT, GMAT, etc. Fortunately, not all hope is lost for students who come from low-income families. Regardless of your socioeconomic background, you can build skills that give you an advantage when applying to college or graduate programs. Then, carry them into the workforce. One important thing you can do to succeed in school and your career is to develop your writing skills.

Writing skills are key to upward mobility because they provide a foundation for many activities and opportunities that help students succeed in school and throughout their careers. Below we provide a broad overview of how colleges and universities evaluate skills when reviewing undergraduate and graduate applications. Additionally, here are the benefits you reap from learning how to write well.

Hard Factors vs. Soft Factors

Colleges and universities review numerous factors in an application package. They look at hard factors like standardized test scores and grades and soft factors like writing, work experience, and extracurricular activities. Focusing only on hard factors illuminates disparities among low-income, first-generation, and minority students. This is largely due to access to resources. Students from privileged families can boost the hard factors in their application and increase their chance of acceptance. However, this leaves many schools with more applicants than they can accept who meet GPA and standardized test requirements. All things being equal, soft factors can significantly impact whether someone gets admitted to the college or professional program of their choice.

This is good news for those whose hard factors are lacking. Students with lower standardized test scores or who struggle with obtaining high marks can improve soft factors, like writing skills, to strengthen their application. Strong writing skills allow applicants to use the power of words and storytelling to capture their audience. An incredible essay can push a mediocre application package over the edge. Indeed, it makes up for low standardized test scores, a less than stellar academic record, and other deficiencies.

Submitting substandard essays in an application package can also directly hurt your chances of getting accepted to the program of your choice. Our CEO, Sydney Montgomery, has ample experience consulting with prospective law students and interacting with law school admissions deans. On more than one occasion, she learned that deans regularly reject law school applicants with high LSAT scores when their essays are poorly written and indicate they are not strong writers.

Colleges and universities review numerous factors in an application package. They look at hard factors like standardized test scores and grades and soft factors like writing, work experience, and extracurricular activities. Focusing only on hard factors illuminates disparities among low-income, first-generation, and minority students. This is largely due to access to resources. Students from privileged families can boost the hard factors in their application and increase their chance of acceptance. However, this leaves many schools with more applicants than they can accept who meet GPA and standardized test requirements. All things being equal, soft factors can significantly impact whether someone gets admitted to the college or professional program of their choice.

This is good news for those whose hard factors are lacking. Students with lower standardized test scores or who struggle with obtaining high marks can improve soft factors, like writing skills, to strengthen their application. Strong writing skills allow applicants to use the power of words and storytelling to capture their audience. An incredible essay can push a mediocre application package over the edge. Indeed, it makes up for low standardized test scores, a less than stellar academic record, and other deficiencies.

Submitting substandard essays in an application package can also directly hurt your chances of getting accepted to the program of your choice. Our CEO, Sydney Montgomery, has ample experience consulting with prospective law students and interacting with law school admissions deans. On more than one occasion, she learned that deans regularly reject law school applicants with high LSAT scores when their essays are poorly written and indicate

Linking Writing Skills to Upward Social Mobility

Education is key to improving your socioeconomic status, but it's difficult, if not impossible, to succeed in college and graduate programs without strong writing skills, making it difficult to thrive in your career. Here are some of the key benefits of learning how to write well:

Higher Chance of Acceptance

Whether you are applying to a state university, an Ivy League school, or some other private institution, you have decided the school you are applying to is a good fit. Strong writing skills ensure you submit powerful personal statements, diversity statements, and other required writing during the application process. As mentioned above, you greatly increase your chances for acceptance when you demonstrate strong writing skills in your application package.

Higher Chance of Securing a Job With Strong Writing Skills

In many situations, your first interaction with a hiring manager or human resources department is the cover letter and résumé you provide to apply for an open role in their organization. In some cases, your initial communication also includes an email. Demonstrating strong writing skills in an email, résumé, and cover letter sets you apart from other job candidates. Not only do you have a better chance of getting an interview, but you also have a better chance of getting the job. Written communications with errors and poor grammar also lead stakeholders who make hiring decisions to question your attention to detail and professionalism.

Better Career Opportunities

Colleges and universities review numerous factors in an application package. They look at hard factors like standardized test scores and grades and soft factors like writing, work experience, and extracurricular activities. Focusing only on hard factors illuminates disparities among low-income, first-generation, and minority students. This is largely due to access to resources. Students from privileged families can boost the hard factors in their application and increase their chance of acceptance. However, this leaves many schools with more applicants than they can accept who meet GPA and standardized test requirements. All things being equal, soft factors can significantly impact whether someone gets admitted to the college or professional program of their choice.

Ambitious go-getters indeed create their own opportunities. However, those who strive for upward social mobility sometimes have opportunities presented to them or fall into their laps. This is partly because of social and professional networks but also depends on reputation. When you have strong writing skills, your boss knows it. Your peers know it. Your readers know it when your writing is used externally on a website or blog. Further, your reputation as a skilled professional with exceptional writing skills gives you credibility, creates a professional image, and puts you at the top of the list for promotions or new opportunities with other organizations. This can lead to memberships in elite clubs related to your profession. Alternatively, you could be asked to serve on the board of directors for a local non-profit. The opportunities are endless.

Increased Ability to Understand and Promote Abstract Thinking and Ideas

Whether you aspire to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or entrepreneur, you need to be at the top of your game. This means understanding complex and abstract ideas—thinking out of the box. Your writing skills allow you to communicate your ideas effectively to your boss or your team when you become a leader. Strong writing skills give you the chance to influence those around you. Maybe this involves promoting progressive ideas you have about your job and your organization's mission. But, it can also involve understanding good ideas when you read them so that you can take them to the next level.

Improve Your Writing Skills With Outline

Outline is an interactive writing platform with proprietary essay development for students. The platform allows you to organize thoughts about writing and create strong outlines, ultimately leading to a better final product. Visit our website to learn more! Contact us to learn more.