ESSAYS, PERSONAL STATEMENTS, AND STATEMENTS OF PURPOSE
Graduate schools generally request a written statement of purpose (sometimes called a graduate school essay or a personal statement) as part of the application process. This gives the school a “non-numerical” look at you as an applicant – something not necessarily based upon your GPA or standardized testing scores. It allows you to introduce yourself, explain your goals and objectives, why you want to continue your studies, and what you hope to do once you obtain your graduate degree.
Essay questions may be as general as “Tell us your reasons for pursuing graduate study”, or as specific as “Discuss an ethical dilemma you have faced, and how you handled the situation”. Make sure that you answer the question posed, and not use a generalized essay to cover all your applications if the questions asked by each school are different. If you choose to write one essay to cover all of your applications, make sure you change the name of the school in each essay.
Essays, personal statements, or statements of purpose can range in length from 1-2 paragraphs, to a specific number of words, to 5-6 separate essays for each application. Producing an original document can seem like a daunting task. Sometimes it helps to think of this as an opportunity to show the committee why you are the best choice as a student for their graduate program.
What should be included in a general essay?
Why do you want to continue your education at the graduate school level, and why do you want to study this specific field?
Why have you chosen each particular school? Remember to adjust each essay to speak to the individual program, and if you use a general essay, remember to change the name of the school in each application.
Define your goals and aspirations – what do I expect to do once I complete my degree?
Include information about you as the writer. Mention motivation for further study, greatest achievements to date, and how you became interested in a certain field. Give the admissions committee a glimpse of your personality – maturity, compassion, teamwork, leadership potential – whatever skills you possess that will be needed to become successful in your chosen field after completing your degree. You can include some personal history if you feel comfortable.
In some cases, it is appropriate to use your essays to discuss any areas for improvement or any deficiencies in your record (grades, standardized test scores). Include examples indicating your ability to succeed at the graduate level.
What will you contribute to your class/the school? What makes you different from other applicants?
Remember that this will be a reflection of your writing ability – grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and style are critical. Extra length is not necessarily a good thing.
What will be evaluated from my essay?
How well my goals, objectives, interests and direction “match” with the graduate program. This is critical. You must evaluate the audience for your essay. What do they want to hear? You can get some ideas by researching the program through the graduate school catalog, contacting the department directly, contacting faculty at SMC to see if they know anyone at the graduate program you can contact, reading ranking reports, and looking up papers published by faculty at your selected schools. They will want to know why they should choose you above all other applicants.
What is your personal philosophy of the field in general? Be wary of stating controversial or very strong and inflexible opinions. How does your philosophy impact your motivation and commitment to this field of study?
What are your expectations of the program, and how does this program help you achieve your career ambitions? A clear definition of your career goals – how your interest has evolved in this area; academic/non-academic influences; extracurricular activities; experiences; short, long-term and ultimate goals – is essential. It is very important to research the field, and to detail how your expectations match what is happening in the real world – not just what you perceive to be happening. Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of the field, as well as the rewards of pursuing a chosen area. Show how you will use graduate education in your planned career, and make sure you give the “big picture” view.
Your ability to write well will be assessed. Do not underestimate grammatical and creative writing skills. You need to distinguish yourself from others. Your personal statement should be interesting to read and one that doesn’t sound like all the others received. Try telling a story instead of giving rote answers to questions posed, sharing a life experience, opening or ending with a quote (properly attributed) that has meaning to you AND is relevant to the program. Share something distinctive about yourself. What were the major influences for you to continue your study? Readings in the field, a favorite professor, life experiences, best paper you wrote, a meaningful book/play/film, the single most important concept you learned in college – and how has it influenced you?
Are there details/examples to back up what you said? It is better to describe one incident than to cram your essay full of activities and accomplishments and not back them up with details. Give examples - illustrate the points you mention, or don’t mention them at all.
How have you prepared for your advanced study? Connect your educational background and related experience to your field of study. What body of relevant knowledge will you bring with you, including significant skills (lab, study, writing, research, etc.), any research completed to date, and employment or experience in the field?
Tips for writing your essays:
Review your goals and aspirations, define them, and talk to others about them. Your statement should be original, clear and succinct, and detail what you want to do and why you want to continue your studies.
Consider the audience at each school, and adapt essays to fit the specifics of each program. Demonstrate that you have researched the programs.
Outline your essay before you write to help you organize your thoughts.
Have your essay critiqued by faculty, those writing your recommendations, and/or the Office of Career Development. Get multiple people to read your essays and offer suggestions – take only the suggestions you like and remember that this is YOUR essay, not anyone else’s.
Make it neat – it’s easier to read if it’s typed rather than hand written. Use white paper or the application forms. Choose a font size and type that are easy to read. Get help with grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. It should be perfect in these areas.
Start preparing your essays way ahead of any deadlines – it will take much more time than you think.
Use your essay to refer to any weaknesses or deficiencies in a positive light.
Be prepared to discuss the essay in an interview and do a practice interview.
Resources in our Career Library to assist you:
Get Into Graduate School Kaplan Test Services
Perfect Personal Statements, by Mark Alan Stewart
Graduate Admission Essays, by Donald Asher
Great Personal Statements for Law School, by Paul Bodine
Great Application Essays for Business School, by Paul Bodine
Getting into Medical School, by Sanford J. Brown
Medical School Admissions Advisor, by Kaplan Test Services