How To Write Application Essay.docx
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HowToWriteApplicationEssay
Howtowriteapplicationessay.
LessonOne:
TacklingtheQuestion
Introduction
Thinkoftheessayasthefaceofyourapplication.Anapplicationwithoutanessayisastatistic—justanotherfacelesspersoninacrowd.Anapplicationwithapoorlywrittenessaydoesnotgiveadmissionsofficersthechancetocareaboutyou.Usesimplepsychology:
makethemfeelthattheyknowyou,anditwillbeharderforthemtorejectyou.MakethemknowyouANDLIKEYOU,andtheymightacceptyoudespiteyourweaknessinotherareas.Understandingtheimportanceoftheessayisanecessaryfirststeptowardperfectingyourapplication.
Ifyouarenormallyaprocrastinator,youshouldunderstandthatyoursuccessdependsentirelyontheamountoftimeandeffortyouputintotheessaywritingprocess.Ifallofthishasyousweating,youcanrelaxnow.Takingthisprocessseriouslyisthefirststep.Thiscoursewillhelpyougetthroughtheothersteps.
ContinueonforQuestion-SpecificStrategiesonthemostcommonapplicationquestionsandSampleEssayswithcommentsbyadmissionsofficers.
Extra:
Who’sReadingMyEssay?
Contrarytopopularbelief,alladmissionsofficersarenotoldmenwithbowtiesandEnglishaccents.Infact,thefirstpeopletoreadyourapplicationareoftenpeoplenotmucholderthanyourself.Atmostcollegesanduniversities,recentgraduatesofthecollegeserveasassistants,conductingthefirstreadonalloftheessays.Iftheylikeyouressay,theywillpassitontotheassociatedirectorsoronlyreadwhattheassistantspassalong.Then,theassociatedirectorschoosewhichessaystopassalongtothedirector,whomakesthefinaldecision.Soessentially,themysteriousgroupthatholdsyourfutureinitshandsiscomposedofafewrecentgradsofthecollege,acoupleofassociatedirectors,andadirectorwhomustevaluatethousandsofapplicationsinamonthortwo.Themoralofthestory:
Don’twriteyouressayforanoldBritishguy.Beyourself.Writeinarelaxedtone.
WhyGraduateSchool?
Thesecrettodoingthisthemewellistoshowwhyyouwanttostudyyourfield.Don'tjustsayitandexpectittostandonitsown.Admissionsofficerswantbelievabledetailsfromyourlifethatdemonstrateyourdesireandmakeitrealtothem.
Onesecrettoavoidingthehere-we-go-againreactionistokeepaneyeonyourfirstline.Startingwith"I'vewantedtobeaphysicistsince?
makesadmissionsofficerscringe.Yes,weknowit'saneasylinetofallbackon,butthesepoorpeoplehavereadthissentencemoretimesthantheycancount,anditgetsoldfast.Instead,startwithastorythatdemonstratesyourearlycalltolaw.Look,forexample,atthefirstparagraphofthisessay:
"That'snotfair."Evenasthesmallestofchildren,Iremembermakingsuchaproclamation:
inkindergartenitwas"notfair"whenIhadtosharemybirthdaywithanotherlittlegirlanddidn'tgettositonthe"birthdaychair."WhenGeneralMillschangedmyfavoritechildhoodbreakfastcereal,"Kix,"I,ofcourse,thoughtthiswas"notfair."Unlikemanykids(likemybrother)whowouldprobablyhaveshutupandenjoyedthe"greatnewtaste"orswitchedtoCheerios,thiskidsatherbottomdowninachair(boostedbythephonebook)andtypedalettertothecompanyexpressingherpreferenceforthe"classic"Kixoverthe"greatnewtaste"Kix.
Intellingthestory,thiswriterdemonstratesthattherootsofherpoliticalactivismrundeepwithouthavingtoeversayit.Shedoesn'tjusttellusandexpectustotakeherwordforit-sheshowsus.
Anotherapproachthatisoverdoneisthe"mydadisaXXX"approach.Someadmissionsofficerssaidthatwhentheonlyreasonanapplicantgivesforwantingtostudyafieldisafamilylegacy,itmakesthemquestionnotonlythemotivationbutthematurityoftheapplicant.Whilethisdoesn'tmeanyouneedtohidethefactthatyourparentisamemberofyourdesiredfield,itdoesmeanthatyoushouldavoiddependingonthatasyoursolereasonforwantingtogotograduateschool.Ifaparenttrulywasyourinspiration,thendescribeexactlywhyyouwereinspiredbythem,andwhatyouhavedonetotestyourmotivationintherealworld.
WhyQualified?
Anothermajorthemedealswithyourexperienceandqualificationsbothforattendinggraduateschoolandforbecomingacontributingmemberofyourfield.Havingworkexperienceorresearchexperienceinyourfieldisalwaysthebestevidenceyoucangive.Ifyouhavenone,thenconsiderwhatotherexperienceyouhavethatisrelated.Theruletofollowhereis:
Ifyouhaveit,useit.
FieldExperience
Directexperiencewithyourfieldofstudyisthebestkindtohaveinyouressay.Buttheimportantthingtorememberhereisthatanytypeoramountofexperienceyouhavehadshouldbementioned,nomatterhowinsignificantyoufeelitis.HereisanexampleofanessaybyanHIVcounselorandonebyanapplicantwithERexperiencewhobothareapplyingtomedicalschool.
ResearchExperience
Awordofcaution:
Donotfocussolelyonyourresearchtopicunlessthisisthestandardpracticeofyourfieldofstudyandyoumustoutlineyourthesis.Byoverrelyingonyourresearch,youriskyouressaysoundingimpersonal.Watchoutforoveruseofjargon.Ifitisnecessaryforthedescriptionofyourproject,then,ofcourse,youhavenochoice.Butincludingjargoninyouressayjustbecauseyouareabletowillnotimpressanyone.Thisapplicant,forexample,delvesintotheuseofscientificandmedicalterms,butalsospendsenoughtimeawayfromthemtorevealhisownpersonal,non-technicalvoice.
UnusualFieldExperience
Evenifyouhavenoformalexperience,youmightstillhavefieldexperiencethatcounts.MaybeyouareanaccomplishedamateurastronomerorhavebeenresearchingquantumphysicsforyearsbeforedecidingtopursueaPhD.Thisapplicantdealswithafascinatingsuccessstory:
ThewriterwasforcedtobecomeadoctorbydefaultinavillageinHondurasforasummer,eventhoughshehadnoformaltraining,noexperience,andheronlysupplywas"a$15Johnson&Johnsonkit."
SampleEssay:
EnglishMajor
Note:
Thisessayappearsuneditedforinstructionalpurposes.EssayseditedbyEssayEdgearesubstantiallyimproved.ForsamplesofEssayEdgeediting,pleaseclickhere.
"That'snotfair."Evenasthesmallestofchildren,Iremembermakingsuchaproclamation:
inkindergartenitwas"notfair"whenIhadtosharemybirthdaywithanotherlittlegirlanddidn'tgettositonthe"birthdaychair."WhenGeneralMillschangedmyfavoritechildhoodbreakfastcereal,"Kix,"I,ofcourse,thoughtthiswas"notfair."Unlikemanykids(likemybrother)whowouldprobablyhaveshutupandenjoyedthe"greatnewtaste"orswitchedtoCheerios,thiskidsatherbottomdowninachair(boostedbythephonebook)andtypedalettertothecompanyexpressingherpreferenceforthe"classic"Kixoverthe"greatnewtaste"Kix.
Throughtheplentyof"notfair"incidentsthatfollowed,mymothertriedtoexplainthatunfairthingshappensometimes,butIneveracceptedtheideaofanunfairworldandbegantorealizethattherewereagreatmanysituationsandconditionsthatwere"notfair"towomen.
Atageten,IwasmortifiedthatalltheboysinmyCatechismclassweresigninguptobealtarservers,butgirlscouldnot.Whenmygrandmothertoldmethat,atonetime,becauseshewasawoman,shewasonlyallowedtotouchthealtarwhenshewascleaningit-thefightagainsttheCatholicChurchwason.Onceagain,Isatmybottomdowninthechair(stillwiththephonebook)andtypedalettertotheMonsignorrequestingtobetrainedasanaltarserver.Withnoimmediateresponse,IrespectfullybutpersistentlyharassedtheMonsignorandtheotherpriestseverySundaywhenIsawtheminchurch,until,nearlytwoyearslater,Ibecameanaltarserver.AtagetwelveIwasalmosttoooldtoappreciatethenewprivilege,buttherearegirlsbecomingaltarserversinthatchurchtothisday.
Fightingagainstthings"notfair"forwomenhasbeenmygoalthroughoutmyeducation,justasitwillbeinmyfuture,andIhavehadseveraluniqueopportunitiestowardthisend.
IhaveworkedtwosummersinaSacramento,California,lawfirmforthemanagingpartner,abrilliantlitigatorandawomanwhoreallycaresaboutjustice,ontwoofthebiggestcasesofhercareer.Iperformedlegalresearchrelevanttotheissuesofspoliationandantitrust,andIdirectlyassistedMs.Fwithtrialpreparation,accompanyinghertocourtduringthetrials.UnderherguidanceIhavelearnedtheinnerworkingsoflitigation,andIhaveseenthatunfairnesspervadesalltypesoflaw.Havingexperiencedlitigation,IknowtheheavyworkloadthatcharacterizestrialpreparationandcansafelysaythatIapproachalegalcareerawareofitsrealities.
Ihavealsoparticipatedinthe[school]CenterforAmericanPoliticsandPublicPolicy(CAPPP)QuarterinWashingtonprogram,whichallowedmetotakeclassesatthe[school]CenterandinternattheNationalWomen'sLawCenterinD.C.TheLawCentershowedmethepublicinterestsideoflaw,theareaoflawthatIhopetoenterinordertoaddressthewomen'sissuesthataresoimportanttome.Publicinterestofferstheopportunitytohelpwomenwhoneeditthemost,thosewhocouldnototherwiseaffordlegalassistanceandwhoareoftenvictimsofthe"notfair,"ofviolationsoftheircivilrights.
Myclassesat[school]andthroughCAPPP,aswellasmyparticipationinthevolunteerprogramatthe[school]Women'sResourceCenter,haveaffordedmethechancetoresearchissuesofthe"notfair"forwomen.Violenceagainstwomen,anunfairnessthatmaimsandrapesandkills,hasevolvedintoaspecialintere