Things to Consider When Using Sample Graduate School Essays as References

Obtaining a graduate degree is never easy, and the challenges begin during the application stage.  If you are aiming for admission into the most reputable academic institutions, you should expect that the degree of difficulty in fulfilling the admission requirements would be greater.  Competition is tougher, and the Admission Board is more selective.  On the average, those who get accepted into graduate programs range from 9% to 50% of the total number of applicants.  At this frustrating rate, the best thing you can do is to turn in a graduate school essay that stands out from the rest.  How?  Here are a few of the reasons why your admission essay can spell the difference between acceptance and rejection, and how you can make these work in your favor:

Why you need to put in a lot of effort in your graduate school essay

It would be safe to assume that those who want to attend graduate school are ambitious and determined to succeed.  Therefore, it is expected of them to have outstanding GPAs and to receive the highest recommendations from former professors and mentors.  What the Admission Board could not assess through the stellar grades and good words are the applicant’s personal vision and commitment to finish the program and do something noteworthy out of it.  The board would want you to tell them how much pressure you can take and what you intend to do with your degree once you have earned it.  The admission essay is also referred to as “personal statement,” as it sums up your personality, motivations, and goals.    

How you can write a graduate school essay that stands out

Do your homework.  Before brainstorming for the key elements that you want to include in your essay, read up on the background of the university and program of your choice.  Take note of remarkable people who have studied at the same university or completed the same program.  This should give you an idea of the things that the university or program considers important or takes pride in.  Later, when you come up with a list of items to discuss in your essay, keep in mind that your essay should be able to show the Admission Board that you and your goals are a good match to the ideals of the university.   

Browse through relevant sample graduate school essays of successful applicants to the best programs and universities.  Study them, and you will see that they have some things in common, such as clarity of goals, consistency of purpose, and personal experiences which influenced the applicants to want to do something good for society.  For instance, if you are applying for a community development program, include relevant extra-curricular activities, such as volunteering, organizing student activities, or being a professor’s research assistant in handling focus group discussions.  However, avoid padding your essay with activities and achievements you did not really participate in or have.  The Admission Board will be able to detect discrepancies when you get called in for the interview, and one lie will cause them to wonder if there are other things in your essay that you have lied about.

Writing an effective graduate school essay is not just a matter of composition and style, although these things also help.  The bottom line is that your essay should present you as a suitable candidate for the degree.  Do not copy the sample essays that you would find, no matter how good they are.  Exercise good judgment in deciding how personal you would want your essay to be.  The key to an outstanding essay is the extent to which it explains your principles and motivations in wanting to specialize in a particular field.