Why do obstacles matter to the adcoms? Applicants love to write about their accomplishments, whether in personal statements for graduate school or in b-school essays that ask for greatest achievements, challenges, and the like. And when they do, they are not shy about coming up with tangible accomplishments: driving innovations that led to revenue boosts…
Personal Branding in Admissions
The term “personal brand” is bandied about a lot in admissions. I don’t claim to be an expert on branding, but after fifteen years editing essays and advising applicants, I know a bit about admissions. I see the concept of “personal brand” as a threat and opportunity for applicants. Want to know more? See this…
Three Topics to Discuss in Waitlist Letters
If you are on a waitlist, Linda Abraham has something to tell you: You want your waitlist letter to be as compelling as possible. Check out our Waitlist Services and work one-on-one with a dedicated advisor who will help you jump from the waitlist to that coveted acceptance pile. Learn more about how we can…
How to Demonstrate Leadership When You Don’t Have Leadership Experience [Short Video]
Most admissions committees are looking for applicants who can demonstrate leadership. If you don’t have any formal leadership positions to discuss in your application essays, that doesn’t mean that all is lost. Watch this short video for Linda Abraham’s definition of “informal leadership” and how to highlight it in your applications. Visit our services section…
Writing the Diversity Personal Statement
One of the many challenges of applying to college or graduate school is showing the admissions committee how you’ll fit in and stand out. Adcoms are trying to build student bodies that will work cohesively towards shared goals and ideals, but that come from different backgrounds and with different ideas so that the combined educational,…
4 Must-Haves in Your Law School Application
Your law school application needs to contain a number of key features. Watch this video to learn what four of the most important ones are. Full video transcript I was recently interviewed by U.S. News for an article on the opportunity inherent in the sharp decline in law school app volume since the Great Recession….
Do I Really Need a Mock Admissions Interview? [Short Video]
Just how important is a mock interview if you have a graduate school admissions interview coming up? Listen to Linda Abraham’s 2-minute answer to this often-asked question. Wondering how applicants who participated in mock interviews feel about them? Here is some recent feedback from two of our clients: “Our session went exactly like the simulation… Thank…
Application Boxes Should Do the Heavy Lifting
For one of Accepted’s first forays into video, I decided to focus on application boxes, the mundane, pedestrian elements of an application that frequently are not given appropriate attention. Please watch the video to see how you make the ordinary into extraordinary, value-added elements of your application. Since this is our first attempt at providing…
Epidemic Among Applicants!
Your personal statements, application essays, and statements of purpose are suffering. It’s serious. And could be fatal to your application. This latest epidemic of vacuous, declarative sentences that either state the obvious or make non-credible claims has reached epic proportions in applicant essays, personal statements, and statements of purpose. The cure? Substance and specifics. Stories…
The Biggest Application Essay Mistake [Video]
What is the very worst thing you could possibly do in your application essays? Watch Linda’s answer and add your own comments below: Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best
Optional Essays: When and How to Write Them
In this short video, Linda Abraham explores the two kinds of optional essays, who should write them, and what should go into them. Don’t miss the crucial warning at the end. Related Resources: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Application Essays, a free guide • How to Edit Your Application Essays, a podcast…
