Grad School Admissions Essays

Downloadable version (Microsoft Word document)

Purpose

Most candidates for graduate school have similar test scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. The graduate admissions essay is an effective way to set yourself apart from the other candidates, and it could be the decisive factor in your admission. Use it to both demonstrate your knowledge of the program to which you are applying and to share one or two experiences that illustrate your most relevant accomplishments and unique qualifications.

Preparation

Most graduate schools will provide a question or prompt which they expect to guide your essay. Whether the school has given you a prompt or not, it is important to perform some preliminary research. Read the school’s program description and mission statement to learn about the specialties of professors within the program. Ask yourself, what type of person would fit best into this program? Which of my qualities and experiences best demonstrate that I am this type of person?

Starting To Write

Once you have identified the qualities that you want others to recognize in you (such as integrity, diligence, intellectual curiosity, etc.), think about what experiences in your past most clearly illuminate those qualities. Brainstorm and ask someone who knows you well to suggest experiences that might be appropriate. From this list, select no more than one or two experiences; it is far better to give a rich description of a few incidents in your life than to cram your essay with a list of activities and accomplishments—that is the function of a resume.

Introduction

Before you share your experience with a reader, be sure to provide them with an introduction. Use the first paragraph to let the reader know what you want to study and whyyou want to study it at their school; if there is a particular aspect of the program you are interested in, identify that interest in the very first paragraph. Avoid cliches and statements such as “I’ve always wanted to be….” The essay is a chance to let the admissions committee see your personality—make sure that you have one.

Experiences

Once the reader knows the purpose of your essay, you should quickly shift your focus from describing your desires to sharing your qualifications. An effective transition to the experiential portion of your essay might include a sentence like, “I knew that I was in for a surprise when my friend informed me that there is no word for dentist in Tagalog…” or “One opportunity that prepared me for the MBA program at Stanford is….” Resist the temptation to make assertions about yourself as a transition. Writing, “I am a hard worker” is much less persuasive than sharing a story which demonstrates your work ethic. Every applicant can make assertions, but not everyone has a story which validates their assertions.

While describing a personal experience, remember that the admissions committee is less interested in the story’s details than they are in what the story says about you. Decide in advance what quality you want to communicate and then create a narrative that illustrates your possession of that quality. Do not embellish or falsify your account, but emphasize the most important and relevant portions of your experience. Bill, an applicant to the American Studies program at the University of Maine who wanted to demonstrate his persistence might write:

I knew immediately when I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X that I wanted to write my senior thesis on Malcom X’s effect on the socio-economics of urban African-Americans in the 1990s. Unfortunately, as I attempted to locate pertinent research in professional journals, I discovered that sociologists and historians have not revisited the impact of Malcolm X since Dr. Ubekwe’s landmark study in the 1970s. Undeterred, I approached Dr. Smith of the BYU Sociology department and explained my dilemma. I asked Dr. Smith if he would be interested in conducting primary research with me in Chicago, LA, Boston, New York, and Washington D.C.

By describing a research project, Bill has made it clear that he knows what he wants to study and has made attempts to pursue his interests as an undergraduate. Bill also demonstrates a knowledge of appropriate research etiquette by describing his own efforts. Additionally, Bill has shown the admissions committee that he is a motivated individual by describing his persistence in achieving a goal.

Conclusion

Once you have shown the committee your best experiences, you are free to make a few qualified assertions. These should not be conclusive statements of fact—“I am the best candidate for your program and an exellent researcher,” but based in reason—“My experience in sociological research makes me a strong candidate for your American Studies Program.” Also, the statements in your concluding paragraph should be supported by the experiences related in your essay; if you didn’t mention it in an experience, you can’t use it in an assertion.

Zach Hutchins, summer 2005
Based on a handout by April Andreason and Heather O’Brien, Feb. 1993