Writing Your Graduate/Professional School Application Essay
Tutoring Center & Writer’s Place
101 Roscoe West Hall www.tcnj.edu/~tutoring
609-771-3325
Essay prep – START EARLY
Keep track of deadlines—don’t miss them!
Pace yourself so you have lots of brainstorming and planning time.
Write multiple drafts.
Put your draft away for days, a week or more, and then go back to it and revise.
Do your research
Research institution so you can narrow your focus.
Learn about the research of someone you want to work with and why.
Write about skills, experience, knowledge, undergraduate research, etc. you can offer the institution or department.
Think in terms of what you can offer the department/institution, not just what benefits you would derive as a student.
Write pre –application emails: PhD contacting professor “to see if you are currently taking on advisees or if you can
recommend anyone in the department with similar interests.”
Consider your audience and the essay guidelines
Using an anecdote is okay but must be related to point that responds to prompt.
Don’t go over the word limit (electronic forms probably won’t allow over-limit, but if paper, many readers won’t go past
page/word limit.)
Include details that show your unique strengths, knowledge, interests.
Present “weaknesses” as something you want to work on/expand upon for which this institution will be a good
environment.
Readers are reading 100s, so you must send completely error free.
Don’t be too cute, don’t use slang, don’t be too modest—sell yourself but in a professional way.
Don’t write what’s already on your transcript or resume.
Keep audience interested by telling them enough to be understandable (don’t assume they have expert knowledge), but
don’t share TOO much (which will make your statement too long).
Keep in mind that grad school is not to explore (this is what undergrad is for) but rather to have a focus and contribute
to the field.
Remember to tailor essay (especially last paragraph) to each specific school.
Remember address institution-specific questions
Remember to change name of institution in each letter
Get feedback
Get several/many people to read and give feedback.
Ask different kinds of readers (professors, tutors, staff you’ve worked with, people you know in your prospective field)
Don’t rely on spell-check and grammar check!
Tutors can help with:
- serving as a supportive but questioning audience
- tailoring the statement to specific schools, professors, or research projects within interests of
school
- connecting your interests to interests of professors
- ensuring that the statement really fits the institution
SEE NEXT PAGE FOR USEFUL LINKS……
Useful Links:
Purdue’s “Writing the Personal Statement”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/
RPI’s Graduate School Essays:
http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/resources/careers-and-graduate-school/graduate-school-essays/
UC Berkeley’s Graduate School Statement
https://career.berkeley.edu/grad/gradstatement.stm
My SciNet (from Science Careers in the journal Science)
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2006_01_06/nodoi.1567
9808495969386309
DePaul University Preparing Personal Statements For Graduate School & Professional Programs
http://careercenter.depaul.edu/_documents/Preparing%20Personal%20Statements%205-31-12.pdf
Pomona College
Tips on Writing Statement of Purpose and Personal ...
www.pomona.edu/.../graduate.../Grad-School-and-Fello...
Tips on Writing Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement Essays ... and a good statement of purpose can also affect
those professors who will write ... Statements of purpose are required of all fellowship and graduate school applications.
S:\\Tutoring\HSS\ESSAY WRITING TIPS\ Grad School App Strategies Spring 2015.docx.