For the student who is serious about graduate studies, few documents are as important as the application essay. Graduate schools attract an immensely talented pool of applicants; along with exemplary undergraduate grades, standardized test scores, and good recommendations, a well-prepared, well-written essay can help students stand out in a crowd of strong contenders. Writing a winning essay (also known as a personal statement) takes much time and energy, especially since all experts advise applicants to write a different essay for each school. However, when you measure a post-baccalaureate degree's potential benefits to your scholarly practice and professional career, the many hours you spend in this effort are well worth your time.

The purpose of this document is to guide you toward that excellent essay. It is far from the last word on the subject; other useful resources and a checklist appear on the last pages. However, since crafting an effective statement involves much more than stringing together sentences and paragraphs, we will place essay-writing in a larger context of identifying your strengths and aspirations, researching graduate schools, and linking your goals to their programs.

Admissions Process Timeline

This is a generic schedule; the exact deadline date often varies by discipline. For example, medical school application deadlines range from October to December. Law and business schools often have three rounds of applications in November, January, and March for classes starting in September. Some schools have "rolling admissions"-they continually consider applications and admit students on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, many institutions have early admissions programs with earlier dates, and spring deadlines for fall semester are not uncommon. It's best to check the website for each prospective school.

Twelve to five months before deadline:

• Prepare for and take a standardized test (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, MCAT, or other)
• Learn about graduation programs via brochures, the Internet, or personal contacts.
• Make note of the deadline for applications.
• Assess your talents, experience, motivations, and ambitions . An often skipped, but essential step. It could make the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Four or five months before deadline:

• Begin the preliminary draft of your essay. Writing an outstanding essay takes time.
• Investigate financial aid, including grants, loans, and fellowships.
• Arrange for letters of recommendation.

Two or three months before deadline:

• Arrange for transcripts (If possible, wait until you have your fall grades before having the transcript sent).
• Continue to review and revise your essay.

One month before deadline:

• Make final changes and proofread essay.
• Assemble all components of the application package, and mail it. Most graduate schools acknowledge receipt with a postcard; if you do not receive one, follow up before the deadline.

What Do Admissions Committees Look For?

Members of admissions committees are also very busy, and they see a lot of essays-at larger schools, they may read thousands per year. Make their time worthwhile-give them a carefully crafted, thought-provoking, accurate, and well-written portrait of a student who will contribute to the school's mission.

Committees look for applicants with strong writing skills; essays that wander from the topic raise questions about their authors' ability to maintain the intense focus of graduate study. Admissions representatives also look for gifted, motivated learners who can work independently, respond well to constructive criticism, and desire to build good scholarly relationships with faculty. Graduate schools want students who possess enough motivation to successfully complete a difficult course of study.

Also, keep in mind that, just as you may assume a financial burden to obtain an advanced degree, the school would make a substantial investment in you, in terms of faculty members' time, educational materials, and use of facilities.

Furthermore, the school's reputation depends in part on the quality of teaching and research produced by its graduates. In short, both parties are taking a chance on each other. Honor your achievements and the admissions committee's trust by writing the best possible essay.

Before You Write: Know Your Audience, Know Yourself

Unlike most academic assignments, application essays are uniquely personal-this time, the subject is you! With this in mind, psychology professor Tara Kuther, whose research interests include issues faced by graduate students, describes the essay as "a story that tells the admissions committee who you are and what you can offer." Purdue University's Online Writing Lab maintains that it is "your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process."

The first definition implies an interesting narrative; the second implies the need to demonstrate how you would benefit your prospective school. A thorough understanding of the graduate program, combined with awareness of your academic and personal strengths, will help you frame a statement that will satisfy both aspects.

Find out all you can about the program that captures your interest. Nearly every graduate department has a website that describes its goals, specializations, and courses. Take careful notes about courses that interest you; later, this information can help you match their offerings to your interests. Entering the name of the department in an online search engine may yield interesting information as well. For example, you may discover a new research project directly related to your goals. Demonstrating specific knowledge tells the admissions committee that you have thought about the contribution you can make to their institution.

Research yourself, too. Ask yourself what makes you special as a learner. The sources at the end of this document will give you much food for thought, but here are some preliminary questions:

• How did you become interested in your field?
• What would you like to do with your graduate degree?
• What motivates or excites you?
• What obstacles have you overcome to get your education?
• What life events have affected your learning experiences?
• What attracts you, in particular, to this school?
• How do your accomplishments affect your values?

This is a good time to engage in "freewriting"-writing whatever comes to mind, without concerning yourself with grammar, organization, or spelling. These will be crucial issues later, but for now, get your words out where you can see them. Much of what you write may not appear in the finished essay; think of this as a brainstorming session to get the ideas flowing.

The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recommends that after you have done this, focus on the most memorable statements, and eliminate imprecise, general statements, such as "College has expanded my horizons" or "I can achieve my potential at __________ University." You may find that the sentence immediately following a generic statement is more specific. However, pay attention to the thoughts behind generalizations-often they can lead you to specific and relevant examples. (You can find more ideas from UNC-CH on their website, listed at the end of this handout.)

What Do I Write?

Suzanne Zilber of the Student Counseling Service at Iowa State University suggests seven possible components of an application essay[1]:

• The history of your career interests
• Coursework related to the program
• Experiences or research related to the program
• Research or specialization interests
• Future career goals
• Answers to any specific questions the application asks
• Why that particular school or program fits you.

How you state your ideas is as important as what you say. It is essential to establish a good tone for your essay. Do not be shy about your knowledge, ideas, and experience, but don't go overboard. Use specialized or technical language carefully; make certain you know exactly what you are talking about. Strive for a balance between a casual conversation and a formal interview.

These suggestions are simply a starting point. Consult the final pages of this handout for other useful resources.

Revisit, Revise, Reflect

Avoid "freezing" your essay at too early a date-doing so may shut out useful ideas. Return to it from time to time to reflect on what you have written so far. For many, the essay-writing process clarifies their goals.

As your essay takes shape, remember your ultimate goal: to convince the admissions representatives that you are uniquely qualified for their program. While it is certainly true that your grades, test scores, and recommendations also play an important role, everything in your essay should be directed toward that purpose-if it doesn't, toss it out!

Although originality and innovation are important in a personal statement, make sure that you express your ideas in terms familiar to your discipline. Show your essay to a professor in your field, and, if possible, someone who works in your field outside the university.

When you are close to a final draft, pay close attention to spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. Look for "verbal fat," such as unnecessary prepositional phrases, jargon, and empty verbiage such as the reason is and the point I am trying to make is . Delete all words, phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs that do not contribute interesting, useful, or relevant information.

Be direct and concise. Write in the active voice.

When proofreading, do not rely solely on spell-checkers; read each sentence out loud in reverse order, starting with the last sentence, then the next-to-last, and so forth. This may feel strange the first time you try it, but persevere-this is especially good for finding wrong words that are spelled correctly, such as "form" instead of "from".

When you are about to mail your application essay, stop. Ask someone who has never seen it to give it one final reading. Believe it or not, it's still possible that an embarrassing error still lurks!

Cold Feet? Stuck?

• Maintain your perspective. Your essay is only part of a package; your undergraduate grades, test results, and recommendations will also play a role in selection. Strengths in one area may offset weaknesses in another.
• Avoid anxiety about stating career plans. Be as specific as possible about your career goals, without locking yourself in. Graduate students' research interests sometimes evolve, and no one will hold you to the plans you announced in your personal statement.
• Ask for help. Writing/Speaking tutors will be glad to look at your essay and offer suggestions for improvement. Other sources for help include professors, advisers, and professionals in your field.
• Start anywhere . No writing assignment must be written in the order in which it is read. If you are having problems writing a compelling introduction, start in the middle. Just be sure that the final product presents its ideas in a logical order with smooth transitions.
• Take breaks . After hours of concentration, your thoughts grow stale. Put the essay out of your mind for a while. Go outside, work out, watch a movie-anything to relax your mental muscles.

Checklist for an Excellent Essay:

• Answer the questions. This seems like simple-minded advice, but a surprising number of applicants are turned down because their essay did not relate to the question.
• Be specific . Explain how your accomplishments demonstrate intellectual and life skills that will benefit your graduate study.
• Be positive . Don't lie, but do emphasize your strengths.
• Stick to what you know . If you are not well versed in some area of your discipline, focus on topics with which you are familiar. Tell what you have learned from research, seminars, reading, and conversations with your professors.
• Show them that you know them . Tell the admissions committee why you are interested in their program in particular. Your research into the school and your self-assessment should generate good reasons for your attraction to their program. (You did research the school and assess yourself, didn't you?)
• Emphasize workplace and collegiate experience . Graduate study is demanding. Admissions representatives want to know if you can work and study hard.
• Handle descriptions of life-changing events with care . Well-written examples of meeting challenges and overcoming adversity add depth to your story-but they should relate clearly to your academic and professional goals. Overly dramatic or sensational stories without an obvious connection to your qualifications can easily distract readers from the rest of your essay.
• Explain any interruptions in your schooling or declines in GPA . Admissions committees understand that students sometimes have to deal with crises; what gives them pause are attempts to minimize or hide this information.
• Emphasize your uniqueness . Commonplace, generic statements, such as "I want to be a doctor and heal people," move no one.
• Elaborate rather than duplicate . Do not repeat information presented elsewhere in your admissions materials, unless you expand upon it.
• Be considerate of your audience . Format your essay with ample margins and readable type. Do not exceed the page or word limit -admissions committees must read many essays in a short time. Be neat.
• Uphold academic integrity . Copying language from another student's personal statement or a published example of an application essay is plagiarism.
• Strictly observe the conventions of standard written English . Misspellings, awkward syntax, confusing sentences, and grammatical errors will damage your chances of acceptance. If you are having problems, visit Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services, consult a writing manual, or check online sources such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab (see Internet Resources at end).
• Use your own words . Admissions representatives are not impressed by attempts to "fancy up" essays with needlessly erudite words, so use the thesaurus only as a guide to finding synonyms for repeated words. However, avoid using slang; find a more formal way to say things like "Mayan architecture really rocks".
• Get to the point immediately and provide lots of detail , especially for applications with several short-answer essays.
• Avoid "hot button" statements that may alienate admissions representatives. Although intellectual debate is an important part of graduate school, in general, avoid anything that pulls readers away from your central message

Internet Resources

http://www.ncsu.edu/tutorial_center/writespeak.html
Website for Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services. Information on hours and locations, workshops, and other resources.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Home of Purdue University's Online Writing Lab, considered by many to be the best Internet resource for clear, thorough explanations of writing issues.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_perstate.html
This comprehensive document provides examples of successful personal statements and valuable comments from admissions representatives.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html
Includes a thorough discussion of researching graduate schools and assessing your skills and interests. Produced by the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center.

http://www.iastate.edu/~career_info/EssayGuide2000.html
Handout from Iowa State University includes examples from essays that admissions representatives consider excellent.

http://gradschool.about.com/
Internet information provider About.com has produced an extensive, readable guide to the graduate school admissions process and the ingredients of a successful essay.

Books : [Both are in print and available at the NCSU Libraries]

Mason, Michael James (2000). How to write a winning college application essay (Rev. 4 th ed . ) . Rocklin, CA: Prima. Includes a chapter on graduate school.

Stelzer, Richard R.(1997) How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School (3 rd Ed.). Princeton, NJ: Peterson's. Includes interviews with admissions officers from leading business, law, and medical schools.

1 Quoted from Zilber, Suzanne (2002). Graduate and Professional School Application Essay Guide. <http://www.iastate.edu/~career_info/EssayGuide2000.html