How To Write Application Essay.docx

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