Essays & Personal Statements

NOTE:  Never underestimate the importance of your essay or personal statement.  It is suggested that you write several drafts and have several people review those drafts before your final version is ready to submit.

The emphasis on essays or personal statements varies tremendously from institution to institution.  The application essay or personal statement can be anything from a couple of paragraphs about why you want to attend graduate school, to a lengthy document which expounds on your achievements, strengths and weaknesses, and your motivation for attending. Still others ask you to address hypothetical problems. The following five types of essays or personal statements are some of the most common.

TYPE 1 – OPEN: Asks you for an autobiographical sketch, a description of your personality or, strengths and weaknesses.

APPROACH: Give detailed descriptions of important events only; generalize the less exciting aspects.  When describing a weakness, show how you've overcome it.  Explain any circumstance that may have inhibited your academic performance.

TYPE 2 - WRITING SAMPLES: Asks for a graded paper, a piece of fiction, or a report on one of your interests.

APPROACH: Send a diverse body of work, such as one science paper and one English paper to display a wide range of talents.

TYPE 3 – SPECIFIC: Asks you to write on a single topic such as your greatest achievement, a memorable experience, an influential person or significant event.

APPROACH: Don't limit yourself to the occurrence (receiving X award).  Include how you managed to receive X award (volunteer work, etc.).  The event or person doesn't have to be dramatic but may have had a dramatic effect on you – tell why.

TYPE 4 – CREATIVE: Asks you to discuss a novel, a fictional character, or your reaction to a quote.

APPROACH: Don't be afraid to be honest. You are judged less on your opinion and more on the logic of your thoughts.  If you don't understand the quote, talk about it with friends to clarify your ideas.

TYPE 5 – GOALS: Asks you to write about your future plans, college major or life experience.

APPROACH: Describe what you've done that shows a committed interest in the proposed area of study, such as club or association membership.  Talk about what you hope to gain from the degree program, and in turn what you hope to offer the world as a graduate of that particular program from that particular institution.When writing your application essay, remember your audience.  Admissions committees may be trying to evaluate several things including the following:

• Motivation and commitment to a field of study
• Expectations with regard to the program and career opportunities
• Writing ability
• Major areas of interest
• Research, work, volunteer experience
• Educational background
• Immediate and long-term goals
• Reasons for deciding to pursue graduate education in a particular field and at a particular institution.
• Maturity
• Personal uniqueness - what you would add to the diversity of the entering class

Remember to keep your essay positive.  You will need to explain anything on your application that could reflect negatively on you; however, the essay may not be the best place to address such concerns.  These may be better explained in an attachment to your application.             

Helpful Resources for Writing Essays or Personal Statements

Books
Graduate Admissions Essays:  Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice, Don Asher

Great Application Essays for Business School, Paul Bodine

Great Personal Statements for Law School, Paul Bodine

Medical School Essays That Made a Difference, 2nd Edition, The Staff of the Princeton Review

NOTE:  The above books and many others are available for reference in the Career Services Resource Library (201 Hogg Hall).

On-line Resources
About.com:  Graduate Essays
Provides a helpful overview of the purpose of the Graduate admissions essay,
tips for what to include and not include, things to think about before
writing your essay, among much more.

GradSchools.com:  Writing graduate school statements and personal essays
Provides tips for writing a Graduate School Statement including how to
choose a topic, tips for editing, guidance for your essay introduction,
advice for concluding your essay, among others.

GradSchoolTips.com
Provides an overview of essay types as well as tips for writing law school, medical school, business school, and graduate school essays.

Lafayette College Writing Associate (WA) Drop-In Service
Writing Associates can provide general feedback and help with organization of your ideas and flow of content.

Writing Personal Statements Online
An online handbook that walks through the personal statement writing process for students applying for scholarships and graduate study.

Yahoo! Education: Law school personal statements advice
Provides an overview of the Law school personal statement including 10 tips
for writing your essay.

On-Campus Resources
Career Services Gateway Counselors

Academic Department Graduate School Advisors (Check with your Gateway Counselor about this resource.)