Follow the graduate application essay guidelines. If there is a word limit, adhere to it. If there are content specifications, adhere to them. Read the application materials carefully, from start to finish, before you begin writing your graduate admission essay. Knowing the confines within which you need to work will make the job easier, if not while writing, then while revising. Nothing is worse than realizing a word count too late and having to cut 400 words from an essay you thought was almost done.
Do your research. Know about the graduate school you are applying to, the program you are applying to, and the instructors in the program. Know how this school differs from others with similar programs and be able to articulate the reasons you are choosing this school. But don’t waste essay space singing the school’s praises, advises Christopher T. Hank, of the Center for Communications Practices at New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The admissions committee already knows how great their school is; what they really want to know is why YOU want to be there.
Answer the questions asked. Some graduate school applications leave the subject matter for the personal essay open, some ask a very specific question, and some require not just one essay, but a series of essays that answer several different questions. Whichever you do, make sure you address the question asked. According to Quintessential Careers, it won’t matter how well written your graduate school essay is—if you miss the question, you will likely not be admitted to the program.
Outline your essay. This can be a full-blown outline or simply a list of what you want to include. Or brainstorm, cluster, or free-associate your ideas for your graduate school essay, then organize them in a way that will allow your writing to flow smoothly from one to the other. List your long- and short-term goals, your accomplishments and work experience relevant to your application, and the life experiences that have brought you to the point of applying for graduate school. Actually writing the essay will be much easier if you have an outline from which to start.
Be creative and original. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Be specific, and back up your claims with meaningful facts and statistics, but make sure YOU shine through. The graduate admissions committee wants to see a real person behind the words on the paper, according to Ivy Essays and Quintessential Careers. But don’t ramble, says Hank. “Remember, this is an application essay, not an autobiography.” Be original, be creative, but be relevant.
Write well. At this stage, you are expected to have a certain level of writing competence. The graduate school essay is an opportunity to showcase your writing ability. The essay must be as well written as you can make it. Revise and proofread. Get someone else to proofread. It helps to have fresh eyes review your work, preferably the eyes of someone with a good grasp of writing and grammar skills. Your writing skills may not be what actually get you into a graduate program, but, according to Ivy Essays, a poorly written essay could easily be what keeps you out.