Teamwork – and its close cousin, leadership – are highly prized by graduate programs and universities. But if you haven’t worked in a team on any regular basis, don’t worry! You’ve probably got a number of examples of teamwork in your back pocket that you didn’t even realize were there. Consider the following four ideas when you …
One of the most important pieces of advice you’ll ever get regarding your personal statements and application essays is this: Show, don’t tell. It’s a classic writing lesson, and you’ve probably heard it before, but how do you actually “show, not tell,” in your essays? Simply “telling” is ineffective, because it usually involves boastful claims such …
A speaker recently told a story about traveling in Asia, where he saw a stunning emerald. Enchanted by the stone’s beauty, he decided to buy it on the spot. He returned home and took the emerald to a jeweler for appraisal. The jeweler began examining the stone through his magnifier, and as he did so, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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