Graduate Application Essay Tips

Remember to tailor your essay to each school and the faculty committee that reviews your application.But first, take note of what kind of essay is being requested of you.If you are applying to a Ph D program, trying to figure out what to say in your statement of purpose or personal statement can be the hardest part of the application, but it is the most important.

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Admissions committees will not react well if it appears you are hiding or avoiding a topic. Showing how you successfully rebounded from setbacks bodes well for you. But, surprisingly, we often see sloppily written essays with typos, poor grammar, addressed to a different university and any other number of mistakes that could have easily been fixed.

Be sure to ask others to proofread these essays for you.

If you can link your work experience to your motivation and the relevant research topics, great! Having 5, 10 or 15 years of experience may make you an excellent employee or manager, but that does not always translate into the academic research environment.

In particular, be sure to share your essays with your recommendation writers.

They may not have time, but most faculty are quite willing to help their former students out if given sufficient notice.

Graduate Application Essay Tips

Admissions committees deal with countless stacks of applications: faceless GRE scores and GPAs.

The essay should convey your intellectual trajectory and how to came to the decision to further your education. Why do you wish to study at this particular university? Answer the question: Why are you a good match for this program?

Do not waste space telling the university and faculty how great they are and how much of an honor it would be to study under such brilliant minds (they already think that). Answer the questions: Why do you want to obtain this degree? While point one says you should avoid showering faculty with praise, you should demonstrate knowledge of the program. Give us some examples that display your intellectual curiosity in action.

Such knowledge is available on the program’s website or by talking with people in the program. Ph D programs are all about training you to do high-quality, independent research. In your statement, an emphasis on a love for teaching can be detrimental if it comes across as your primary objective.

Your essay should demonstrate knowledge of the university’s research and how you and your interests fit with that. It is true that having a Ph D qualifies you to become a university instructor.