Undergraduate and Graduate admission application essays have slightly different nuances. The first of which is what they are called i.e. a personal statement vs a statement of purpose (SOP).
At the undergraduate level, the application essay is called a personal statement – The idea is that it is focused inwards, on you, your interests, accomplishments and goals. At the graduate level, it is called a statement of purpose – It’s less about your personal interests and more about what drives you, your contributions, and the impact you hope to make in the world.
There are some general rules to consider when writing either an undergraduate or graduate school application essay: – impact statements, story telling, S.T.A.R. method, addressing oddities, draft iteration, and formal language.
Specific tips for an undergraduate application essay
Admissions officers are looking for students with a unique background that will enrich their freshman/transfer class. Why should they pick you? – The answer to this question should be in your essay. Note: These essays are typically short: Requiring about 250 – 600 words. So you don’t have a lot of space to ramble.
Typically in the college application essay you are responding to a prompt. Here is a link to the college board prompt from 2021 to give you an example of what prompts are – https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2021-2022-common-app-essay-prompts.
Let’s focus on question 2 for example: “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”
How might you begin to tackle this prompt? We offer a few ideas below:
i) Think through your experiences in high school, or while participating in extra-curricular activities. Note down when you’ve encountered challenges or obstacles. Come up with 3-5 different scenarios. Doing a lot of reflection on the essay prompt in the beginning is the most important legwork you can do!
ii) From your list, is there a scenario that where you could generate atleast 2-3 paragraphs worth of material to discuss. You can think about it in a S.T.A.R. approach. This will be the meat of the essay.
iii) How are you going to introduce the story? Maybe you start with a separate personal anecdote, a childhood memory, or a favorite quote? The possibilities are endless.
iv) In the same vein, think about how you’re going to end the essay. By the time the admissions officer gets to the end of your essay, what do you want the takeaway to be? A good conclusion and introduction cannot be overstated.
The good thing about open-ended prompts is that they allow you to be creative in your response. Remember, every prompt is an invitation to tell a story. An invitation to show the admissions officer a side of you that has not yet come across from your transcript, resumes and recommendation letters.
Specific tips for a graduate application essay
Recall, earlier in this article, we noted the difference between a Personal Statement and a Statement of Purpose (SOP). At the graduate level, the graduate admissions committee is interested in slightly different things than the undergraduate admissions committee.
The graduate committee is interested in admitting someone into their class/department who has a strong potential of winning a Nobel prize, or at the very least performing at the top of their chosen career field. So, they need to see what you’ve been able to accomplish with what you’ve been given.
So how do you show that admitting you into the committee’s graduate program is a win-win for you both, in ~800 – 1000 words? We offer some advice below:
i) Before you begin the writing process, go through your resume and think back on all the things you’ve accomplished so far. Are there 2-3 projects you are passionate about and can talk about in 2-3 paragraphs. In the S.T.A.R. format discussed above. These projects should highlight your skill as a researcher (if you’re applying for a research program) or as a data-analytics expert (if that is your focus). You get the gist. The projects should highlight the things you’ve done and your specific contributions.
ii) We advise that you follow this structure for your essay
a. Introduction – In your introductory paragraph you want to convey all the important points in your essay so that if someone doesn’t read your entire essay they know what you’re about. So it should contain, why you’re interested in the field (this is where a really good story or “hook” comes in), a 2 sentence summary of what you’ve done so far in the field, why you’re picking the school, and what your future plans are. All in 4-6 sentences.
b. You will spend the next 2 paragraphs highlighting the projects you’ve done, your contributions, and how they’ve helped fuel your interests.
c. The next paragraph after this is where you highlight 3 professors in the department you’d be interested in working with (If you’re applying for a STEM Master’s or Ph.D. program). What interests you about their research? What do you think you can contribute to their group?
d. This paragraph 5 is my favorite paragraph. This is where you get to showcase things you’ve done outside of academics. What extra-curriculars are you most passionate about? How have you demonstrated leadership? How did these things help shape you to become the person you are today? And why are they beneficial for the graduate program?
e. The conclusion. Bring it home with this paragraph. Restate your why. Look forward into the future and tell us what you hope to accomplish with the degree.
Happy writing! We can’t wait to see all the great essays you will write!
P.S. if you need any assistance with the writing process or need a second set of eyes on your draft essay, we are happy to do that. Check out our services.
The SASS Team