A well-crafted essay can be the key to graduate school admission.
Writing graduate school essays is a daunting process for most, with entrance into your school of choice hanging in the balance. A well-thought-out and well-written essay can catch the eye of the entrance board. These essays are often in the form of a personal statement, telling the school why you would like to apply to a particular program and outlining your qualifications.
Use a Checklist and Outline
Creating a checklist before you begin your essay helps you formulate ideas and write them cohesively, while not leaving out any important facts or ideas. This also allows you to keep underlying concepts that are important to the academic program in the back of your mind while writing. After writing a checklist, write an outline of your paper, noting words or concepts you want to use. Refer to your checklist as you write.
Do Your Research
Research the school and find out what it look for in applicants. This might be on its prospective students page or on forums about the school's program. For example, if you are applying to medical schools and they require an essay expressing your interest, research whether they are more patient-care-based or clinical-based in their program. Some schools want to hear that you have a strong research background; others want to know that you are personable and will have a good patient-based attitude.
Hit the Highlights
Highlight the skills, knowledge and academic strengths that will enhance your program and will add to the class' collective body of knowledge. A school wants to produce graduates that will reflect well on its reputation. In your essay, highlight any qualifications that make you a promising student. Whether this is undergraduate research, papers published or written, extracurricular activities or volunteerism, or involvement with your undergraduate school, write about highlights from your past academic years.
Be Professional
Write your essay with professionalism in mind. Avoid personalizing the writing too much or making excuses for grades or low involvement. Reread the paper several times to check that the grammar is correct and to clean up rambling sentences. Spelling should be perfect; use the spell-checker in your word processing software. Never use slang or shortened words, and never address the reader in an informal manner.
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