Essay questions dealing with failure, risk, mistakes, and difficult interactions or conflict often cause applicants to cringe, squirm, and bite their nails. After all, you want to show yourself succeeding and conquering the world in your essays and personal statements, not falling down. But there’s a reason why these questions are common. Schools want to…
LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Encore: Focus on Fit in Admissions [Episode 334]
I am taking time off for family this week, and as a result I decided to air an encore of one of our most popular shows ever, Focus on Fit. I chose it not only because of its popularity, but because the topic is relevant to so many, if not all, specialties. A solid understanding…
How Personal is Too Personal?
The personal statement serves as a terrific opportunity to share with admissions committees an interesting and unique aspect of your life. How much should you tell, and how much is too much? When I applied to college, I wrote a personal statement describing some challenging family circumstances I’d had while growing up. I can still…
How to Use Powerful Details to Create Strong Essays
To really draw your readers into your goal-focused essay, you’re going to want to lay the scene for your future accomplishments. After all, what better way to convince the adcom of your ambitions than to illustrate them in your essay? First, identify your goal. When you begin your essay, try showing yourself having reached your…
The Art of Interviewing—Are You a “Can” or a “Cannot”?
“I am doomed… This is a disaster… I really never expected this… What am I going to do?” This from Daniel, a prospective PhD student. I couldn’t imagine what had happened to cause such a negative response, especially as Daniel is a very strong candidate with impeccable credentials. My shock was further compounded when he…
Admissions Tip: BE YOURSELF!
One of the things admissions committee members tell us again and again is that they wish – really, truly wish – that applicants would not try to write what they imagine the adcom wants to hear, and instead would just be themselves. Admissions committee members time and time again say they wish applicants would answer…
Add-Ons and Extras: Supplements to Your Law School Application
If your law school’s application offers optional or extra opportunities for submitting supplementary materials, you are wise to take advantage of them and give the admissions committee more information about you, more reasons to admit you. When writing these supplemental materials, choose your topics carefully and write an essay that will make the admissions committee…
Generic-itis Prevention [Warning: If Untreated, Can Cause Rejection]
Each year, Accepted consultants are witnessing a recurring epidemic. And it’s worse than you can imagine: Generic-itis. What generic-itis looks like Here is an example of a severe case of generic-–itis that I drafted based on several different examples I recently read, along with 25 years of experience in this business: I find Top Choice’s…
What Does a UVA Law School Application Reader Look For? [Episode 330]
Interview with Brigitte Suhr, international lawyer, former admissions reader and current Accepted law school admissions consultant [Show summary] Accepted consultant Brigitte Suhr brings a wealth of law school admissions knowledge to today’s podcast. As an application reader at UVA School of Law, Brigitte read more than 2,500 applications, so she knows what works and what…
Two Grad School Applicants Walk Into a Bar…
This might be a great opening line for a comedy night at a university student center, but can you use humor in a graduate school application essay? Should you even try? The answer is…maybe. If you have a funny bone, use it If you can use humor effectively, it will help you stand out from…
What to Include in Your Admissions Resume
I suggest that applicants begin assembling materials for their applications as early as possible in advance of admissions deadlines. One of the first items you should start working on is your resume, a document that all professionals should always have updated and at the ready. 6 tips for creating a rockin’ resume Here are some…
A Bain Consultant-Turned Wharton MBA Starts Her Own Business [Episode 329]
Interview with Andie Kaplan, Wharton MBA student and founder of ConnectEd [Show summary] Andie Kaplan had an undergraduate degree in business, but knew she needed more formal training to successfully launch her own business, and one year into her MBA at Wharton, she has done just that! Andie shares her story of honing her business…
Recipe for Disaster: Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Law School
Take a few buzzwords like “pro bono,” “intellectual property,” “empower,” “clerkships,” and “diversity.” Season with legalisms like “heretofore,” “whereas,” and “therein.” Add a pinch of acronyms: DA, TRO, M&A, ADR, and IPO. Stir in generous platitudes about “forces that molded you into the person you are today” and “the top-notch faculty, diverse student body, and…
Putting Your GRE Game Plan into Action
Did you miss all the great tips from Brett Etheridge of Dominate Test Prep during our recent webinar, Your 3-Part Game Plan to Dominate the GRE? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. The webinar is now live on our site and ready for viewing at your leisure – just don’t take too leisurely an…
Review Your Essays Like an Admissions Consultant and Use the Editing Funnel
Most of you are now — or will be soon — editing your critical application essays and personal statements. When Accepted consultants review and edit your essays, they go through a process I call the editing funnel. When you edit your own essays, you should follow a similar process. How the editing funnel works Here’s…
When to Submit Your Law School Application: Is Timing Really Everything?
Most law schools subscribe to the concept of “rolling admissions.” The application cycle begins or “opens” in early fall, likely September 1, and remains open until early spring, usually March or April. Applicants can submit their application during this time period, and schools will email decisions on a “rolling basis.” Thus, if you apply in…
One Size Does NOT Fit All – Resume Writing Tips
“I don’t understand… I already have a perfect resume… I have used it in all of my job searches… I don’t need to make any changes… I really don’t need help with this.” This was from Carina, a prospective Master in Environmental Engineering student. I had told Carina that she needed to improve her resume,…
How to Stay Within Essay Word Limits by Reducing Verbal Verbosity
Most applicants – whether applying to med school, law school, business school, or any other grad school or college program – need to deal with rigid character or word limits when writing their application essays or personal statements. You may start out thinking that you have nothing to write, but generally, once applicants begin writing,…
Last Call! Learn the Best Way to Prep for the GRE
Got the jitters about taking the GRE? We understand, which is why we’ve got an information-packed webinar coming up to help you take control of the process – Your 3-Part Game Plan to Dominate the GRE, hosted by Dominate Test Prep’s founder, Brett Etheridge, on Monday, August 12th at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Don’t miss out…
Why the GRE Matters (And What it Means for Your Prep)
Let’s acknowledge something upfront: The GRE can be a nuisance. It stands between you and graduate school, and there’s a lot you have to learn to do well on it. For a lot of students, it’s been a long time since you’ve had to do the kind of math tested on the GRE. Certainly you…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 34
- Next Page »
