When you write an application essay or statement of purpose, you’re trying to establish your worthiness for acceptance at your target school. And as part of that task, you need to show the adcom that you have the character traits their program values. But how do you prove in a written essay that you really are…
Writing a Compelling Accomplishment Essay
Maybe you’re familiar with the concept of macros, which are the nutrients your body needs to function. Achieving the proper balance of macros in your diet leads to optimal health. When it comes to writing your MBA personal statements and application essays, it might be helpful to think of your accomplishments as the macros that can…
Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose
Check out the other posts in this series: All original essays have a unique and distinctive theme, and it can take time and careful thought to identify what yours should be. If you go back to the essays we examined in the previous post in this series, you will see that the public health program applicant opened…
Twelve Reflections on Teacher Recommendations
Teacher recommendations are an important part of your college application, with most schools requiring one or two letters supporting your candidacy. These recommendations offer additional insights into your personality, intellectual curiosity, and potential impact on your college community. These letters of recommendation (LORs) are only one element of your application and probably won’t make or…
Get Off That Waitlist!
Landing on a school’s waitlist can be disappointing and even nerve-racking. As a result, waitlisted applicants sometimes let their anxiety or disappointment cloud their thinking, but if you’re waitlisted, try to stay calm and focused. Remember, if you’ve been waitlisted, you have not been rejected. If you play your cards right, you still have a fighting chance of…
College Admissions: Exploring Your Identity for Your College Essays and Personal Statements
Langston Hughes begins his poem “Theme for English B” in this way: The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you — Then, it will be true. I wonder if it’s that simple? “Tell Us about Yourself” When colleges give you the instruction “Tell us about yourself,” that might…
How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School
Your statement of purpose is one of the best ways you can sell yourself to the admissions committee as an original, well-qualified, and purposeful candidate. A strong statement of purpose will demonstrate your knowledge of and suitability for your chosen field, as well as your intellectual development, maturity, and ability to write and think clearly….
How Personal Is Too Personal In Your Application Essays?
The personal statement is your chance to stand out and make an impression on the admissions committees. How can you make your essay original? How much should you tell? And at what point are you crossing the line into TMI? When I applied to college, I wrote a personal statement describing some challenging family circumstances…
The Diversity Essay: How to Write an Excellent Diversity Essay
What is a diversity essay in a school application? And why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you go about writing such an essay? Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to the diversity on their…