Personal Statement = Statement of Purpose = Admissions Essay

 

One of the biggest and most challenging aspects of completing your applications to grad school is the *dun dun dun* essay portion of the package. Sometimes the essay is called a personal statement. Sometimes it is called a statement of purpose. Sometimes it is called a goal statement and sometimes the instructions are as simple as write an essay. No matter what term is thrown out there, make no mistake, writing one of these bad boys can be confusing, especially knowing WHAT to write about, and then HOW to write about it. 

Why Your Essay is So Important

A lot of applicants spazz out about GPA or test scores, but these standardized measures are far from the only determinants of whether you will receive an acceptance or letter for graduate school. Consider this: An admissions committee does not know a lot about YOU, said person who may be walking their hallowed halls by simply looking at test scores or transcripts. The only way to get to know you is if you introduce yourself.

Your first introduction to your future professors and mentors is your admissions essay. Just like a first date (and I realize this may sound like a creepy metaphor), you want to show up “dressed to impress.”

What do you want the admissions committee to know about you that they can’t determine from the rest of your materials? Give details. Give clear descriptions. It is is your time to shine in writing. Step in a be a strong advocate for yourself:

• Why do you belong in graduate school?
• Why now?
• What have you been doing to prepare yourself for taking the next step in your education?
• Why this particular program?
• Why this university?

Be clear and explicit rather than leaving the committee to read between the lines. They won’t. They have far too many essays to read and review.

If you’re worried about going over the word count limit, don’t. Just write. You can always go back and condense, check for redundant statements, or figure out how to communicate the same idea with less wordiness. This is what second and third drafts are for. By the way, for a good essay, even the best of writers find themselves writing multiple drafts.

Another point of advice: Start working on your essay early. You will need time to brainstorm. The questions presented earlier? You’ll want to spend some time soul-searching or even doing a bit of research, especially when it comes to crafting a rationale for why you chose to apply to a particular program over another.

Procrastination is another silent essay killer. Don’t do it. Give yourself several weeks before the deadline to start crafting your essays. Waiting until the Eleventh Hour usually spells a product that falls somewhere between poorly crafted, doesn’t *quite* say everything it needs to, or it’s just an overall meh, nothing special. It’s also good advice to let the essay “breathe” for awhile. Go back the next day to read it over again. Somehow, you always seem to catch mistakes that your eyes once glossed over after a period of rest.

Figuring out what to write in a personal statement essay doesn’t exactly take rocket science, but it does take forethought and typically a few drafts to get to submission-ready perfection.