sample graduate school essays

The Westmont Office of Life Planning Blog is a help website for people within the ages (or stages) of pre-college, college, graduate school, job hunting, and early career life. It provides articles loaded with tips, advice, and pointers for students and job seekers, complete with step-by-step procedures and articles written in a manner that is easy to understand.

Plus points of WHTNW

As of checking, the home page link of the website is not yet working. Instead, when you visit the home address, you would be welcomed by a message saying that the administrators are still working on the website and that there is still a lot to be done. Despite that, the blog is already up and running and is loaded with articles that talk about the most common and essential things that students and job hunters need to know and take note of.

The articles are well written and conversational, making them reader-friendly. The titles clearly state what the articles are all about, making it easier for readers looking for certain tips and information and articles that would address their needs. The blog entry titles are composed of the umbrella topic and the specific topic that the article is all about. For example, the article on graduate school financial aid is entitled: Grad School ? Financial Aid. Plain and simple. Because of these clear titles, it would be easy for information seekers to look for the right articles even just by browsing through the blog entry titles.

Downside of WHTNW

The main blog page provides an array of the most recent blog entries and links to each entry’s page. However, the array includes the entire articles instead of excerpts, which makes the page unnecessarily more cluttered. The website also lacks visual attractiveness due to limited pictures, graphics, and other materials that could make the website look more interesting.

The PHDs.org Engineering Science Blog is a blog especially intended for Engineering Science graduate and college students and practitioners. It is laden with news, tips, and feature articles that such an audience would find helpful and interesting.

What to look forward to when visiting PHDS

The site’s news and feature articles tackle various issues in the field of graduate studies and Engineering Science such as topics about risk aversion at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Interestingly, while it is an Engineering Science blog, there are also a number of articles for graduate school students and aspiring graduate school students in general.

There is a considerable number of articles about looking for and choosing graduate schools. One of the blog?s most interesting features that sets it apart from other blogs and websites offering the same kind of information and content is its unique mechanism for searching graduate schools based on your priorities. This mechanism helps you find the right graduate school for you. There are drop down boxes from which you could choose the type of graduate program that you?re looking for and the field or area of discipline that you wish to study. After that, you just have to click “search” and the schools offering courses in relation to your search would be listed in front of you. Should you wish to make a more customized search, you can use the third drop down box and the search results of the universities you?re looking for would be arranged according to which school offers the best program in the field of study that you chose. Fun and easy.

Areas for improvement

Besides that, the site also provides links to other websites that would be helpful to science graduate students and practitioners. The use of more pictures and videos would further improve not just the blog?s look but also the information and content that it can provide its visitors.

The Backward Glance is a blog written by Lincoln Mullen, a Brandeis University PhD student in American History and historian of religion. Mullen?s study and expertise are basically on early American history and the religious history of New England. His blog is composed mostly of tips and articles on education, digital humanities, religion, history, and the life of a graduate student. The targeted audience are graduate students and aspiring graduate students, history students and practitioners, and those who are interested in American history, religious history, and digital humanities.

The site’s strong points

Lincoln Mullen?s blog is basically what you would expect of a blog: an array of the latest articles on the main blog page composed of titles, excerpts or lead in paragraphs, and links to each entry?s page. The articles are mostly about Mullen?s field of expertise, though there are a lot of articles about being a graduate student. There are entries and interesting bits and pieces of trivia about America?s history and the religious history of England, religion in America, graduate school book reviews, and frequently asked questions about graduate school, among many others. There was an article providing a list of materials that one must read before and after applying for graduate school. It includes short descriptions for each book, along with short previews on what the books are all about and what a person could get out of reading it.

The site’s weak points

One good point about the blog is that it makes use of pictures to spice up the articles and make the blog more visually interesting. The articles are also written in a simple and conversational manner, at least the advice articles, which makes them easy to understand. The website also serves like a portal to other websites that the author is interested in, since it provides a number of links. Making use of more pictures, videos, and having a more interesting layout of photos and texts in articles would perk up the blog tenfold.

The Eduplan Blog is a collection of articles on tips, advice, and other important information on graduate schools, graduate school admissions, MBAs, careers, and job hunting. It targets graduate students, those planning to take graduate studies, job hunters, working people, and others concerned with careers, graduate schools, graduate studies, and job hunting.

What Eduplan offers

Simple as it is and with well-written and comprehensive articles on topics that its audience would commonly be interested in, the blog is a good find and a helpful friend. It has helpful articles on topics such as choosing a graduate school, how to look for online classes, school admissions, resume writing, handling interviews, and career development, among others. Navigation is easy because aside from links to the latest articles on the side bar and on the array of blog entries, there are also permanent sections containing links to most commonly searched topics: college admissions, MBA admissions, graduate school admissions, career coaching, resume writing, effective job search, and scholarships, as well as immigration, job hunting, and schooling in the United States.

One article that particularly took my interest was the one which tells the reader how to use Twitter for job search. Such an article is one good proof of how the blog keeps up with technology in terms of article content. It is good that the blog makes use of pictures to prevent it from looking dull and boring.

What Eduplan lacks

The blog, however, would do well with making excerpts from the links appear on the array of latest blog entries on the main blog page. The blog entries, which are lengthy by the way, appear complete on the blog array. There is no actual need to present the entire article on the main blog page when you can simply provide links to the entries. Simply providing an array of the latest titles along with excerpts or teasers will do.

After all the preparations and the difficult tasks of researching about the school, what’s left for you to do is to create a personal statement that’s tailor-fit to you chosen school. Check if your personal statement adheres to the school?s standards and academic principles. Do not allow all your efforts and preparations TO be futile in the end. That is why when you start writing your essay, make sure you begin with the end in mind. With that, you’ll be more focused on the real objectives of the writing task.

The admission essay as an important part of the application process

The admission essay is a crucial part of the school application. It is considered to be the face of your application because it serves as a way for you to market yourself to the admissions panel. This a way for the admissions panel to know you better. As such, don’t merely summarize your academic achievements in the essay. The admissions panel would like to more about your points of view and character traits through your experience and the way you communicate through writing.

Tips in writing a winning essay

Pour out all your ideas and thoughts into one sheet of paper, create an outline, and make a draft. This will help you organize your thoughts well and focus on the main topic. Your goal is to give readers an easier time reading and understanding your essay. So you won’t bore your readers, establish a connection right from the start. Start with attention-grabbing intros. Write in a very relaxed tone, but don’t be lazy or sloppy with your writing. Focus on your application, instead of turning your essay into an autobiography.

Other things to keep in mind (essay deadline, word count or page limit, format, etc.)

Minor details that should not be forgotten include the deadline, word count, page limit, and format. Remember to follow the instructions carefully. With hundreds of grad school essays to read, the admissions panel won’t bother going over an essay that failed to meet the basic requirements.

Related links:

Grad school application – About becoming a graduate student
Grad school tips – About grad school application and essay tips
Grad school admission – Tips on graduate school admission
Essay writing no-nos – Tips on writing your grad school essay
Graduate school programs – Brief discussion of competitive graduate school programs

When writing your personal statements for grad school, you have to go beyond the normal expectations, if you want to get ahead all the other applicants. Expect grad school to be tougher than college and to have higher requirements. Editing and proofreading will be the two most important parts of your writing task. You have to revise your essays to meet the quality standards and cover the basics of good essay writing styles.

Using a tape recorder to record essay you’ve read aloud to help identify errors

It has always been recommended that after making the first draft of your admissions essay, you must replay your recorded essay to detect any error you have missed. Reading it aloud is a good proofreading and editing technique than just reading it with your eyes on paper.

Using a check list or set of questions when proofreading your essay

Use a checklist or a set of guide questions to direct where your application essay should go. Check if you are honest enough when detailing your achievements and credentials. Be sure to use a friendly, conversational tone to easily connect with your readers. Read your essay several times, so you won’t miss any kind of error. Only when you’re satisfied with the outcome can you be confident in submitting it.

Using the Internet for editing tools and professional editing services

There are various online editing tools you can use for checking your essay. They can check basic spelling errors and offer suggestions for correcting grammatical flaws. Although most of these tools are free to use, you still have to use your good ol’ grammar sense. You can’t expect them to be 100% accurate all the time. If you’re after top notch editing service, you can hire a professional editor but will have to consider the cost of doing so.

Related links:

Grad school admission – Tips on graduate school admission
Graduate school programs – Brief discussion of competitive graduate school programs
Career goals – Discussing career goals in your essay
Online MBA program – About choosing an online MBA program
Admission essay – How to put together attractive essays

In order to craft a well-written graduate school personal statement, you must use a checklist or guide to direct you on how you should go about writing your essay. This checklist will surely help you come up with an effective personal statement that would spell A-D-M-I-S-S-I-O-N for you.

Purpose of a grammar or content checklist when writing and evaluating your essay

Develop your basic skills when you practice writing essays. According to expert writers, this is a good step to improving your writing skills and getting the desired results. Write down ideas and create an outline out of these. Make an initial draft that you will have to revise several times. Before you edit for grammar flaws and spelling errors, check first the value of the content. Are the topics well presented? Are they relevant to your application? Remember to weed out irrelevant information and focus on the most essential ideas and themes.

What should be included in your checklist

Writing your personal statement may be a difficult task when applying for graduate school. If you have no means of knowing what exactly the admissions officers are looking for, it might do you good to prepare a checklist you can consult. First and foremost, there should be honesty, an authentic voice, and a sense of being straightforward for easier reading and understanding by your readers. Also seek to establish a connection with the admissions panel. Make sure that the final draft is error-free.

Other tips when using a checklist to evaluate your essay

When revising your essay, make sure that you always check it against the criteria and guidelines set by your target school. That way, you will have a clearer picture of what revisions you need to make in your essay, should there be any. It will help you come up with a personal statement that would be a sure knock-out.

Related links:

Grad school admission – Tips on graduate school admission
Graduate school programs – Brief discussion of competitive graduate school programs
Career goals – Discussing career goals in your essay
Basic writing tips – About how to improve your writing skills
Writer’s checklist – The writer’s checklist when writing a personal statement

Self-examination or self-assessment can actually help you formulate a creative essay that will help you gain an edge over other applicants. To assess yourself better, you would have to first identify your own strengths and weaknesses. You can then check if the chosen program pairs well with your strengths or is aligned to your goals and ambitions in life. Only then can you know for sure if you’re on the right track.

Purpose of a self-examination or self-assessment process

The purpose of self-examination is to see whether or not you are fit to the chosen program or graduate course. Another reason is for you to be able to introduce yourself better through the admission essay. Through self-examination, you’ll have a better idea what characters traits to highlight and what skills to improve on. You can also set goals for your career and life as a whole.

What to ask yourself during this process

There are basic questions you must ask yourself before you start writing a personal statement for grad school. These questions will help you create the main ideas for your essay before sending it to the admissions panel who will hand down the decision. First, ask yourself about your real objectives, why you wish to pursue schooling in your target school. After having checked the background of the school as well as its programs and academic principles, ask yourself if these are aligned or at least compatible with your goals and personality. Answering these self-raised questions will help you overcome the challenge of writing a personal statement. You’ll at least have an idea what to write about.

Recording your answers and ideas as preparation for writing your essay draft

After raising these questions, you can start creating an outline. Record your answers and ideas, and then make an initial draft. You can also create some writing prompts that will guide you in crafting an effective personal statement.

Related links:

Essay writing no-nos – Tips on writing your grad school essay
Grad school profiles – All about U.Va, Duke Universisty, and Northeastern University
Top grad schools – About top US grad schools
Connecting to readers – About how to connect to your readers
Personal statements – All about writing personal statements

Careernews provides news, tips, and advise about career and employment. Directed toward the labor force and those who are about to enter it, this website is a fine collection of articles and blog entries that are easy to understand and are very helpful to job hunters and working people alike.

What to like about this site

One of the first things you would notice about the website is its professional stance and simplicity. Its professional look gives it an air of credibility, allowing browsers to have considerable confidence in the contents of the website. The simplicity of the website?s layout, on the other hand, allows for easy search and navigation. With this kind of layout, it is not so difficult for the website to communicate to the reader what it is about and what it offers to its visitors. Visitors would hardly find it difficult to find the things, news, and advice that they need. On the left hand side bar, there are links to the latest and most popular entries, while on the right hand side bar are links to websites on job openings.

Entries range from news articles to tips and advice about various issues concerning career and employment. There are tips on getting MBAs, successfully and gracefully getting past interviews, making effective resumes, and many other things relevant to job hunters and the working population. There are also articles on issues such as career diversification, career warfare, and keys to success, among others. One article that took my interest was the one on changing jobs, which provides five tips and notes to remember when changing jobs. It includes comprehensive tips on how to go about the career change and on the things that should be considered when thinking of career change.

What to improve on this site

With the use of more pictures and videos, the website would be more effective as a tool for communication. With such interesting topics and well-written articles, the website could do better with a visual level-up.

Researching about your target school can be fun and, at the same time, challenging. You might be glad to find out that you qualify with some of the standards, but feel threatened because of the immense competition going on. To get ahead, you need to secure every process of application. Aside from passing the entrance exam and meeting the GPA requirements, it is important for you to research about the criteria for admission, standards, and programs of the school you want to go to so you may tailor-fit them to the kind of essay you will have to write. A well-written admission essay can spell a big difference in the success of your application.

Benefits of doing a research on your dream school

One great benefit of doing research on your dream or target school is that you get to give your essay the right treatment, tailored to the standards and principles of the school you are aspiring to go to. The admissions officers will see you as a candidate who knows what he or she wants. That in itself will make your essay stand out. You can choose experiences and topics that will be most appealing to your readers and ones that can strengthen your qualification.

Discussing your dream school’s strengths in relation to your goals

When you write your personal statement, make it a point to relate the strengths of your dream school with your personal goals and ambitions. When you do this successfully, you are sure to connect with your admissions panel because you are talking about what they cherish most.

Discussing what you can offer to your dream school

Write about what you can contribute as a student who qualifies for the school program. Highlight your well-planned objectives and future career moves that will manifest your leadership qualities if ever admitted to your target school. Tackle how you would contribute as a member of their community and succeed in the industry.

Related links:

Essay writing no-nos – Tips on writing your grad school essay
Essay help – How grad school essay samples can help you in writing your own
Career goals – Discussing career goals in your essay
Business schools – Discussions about business schools
MBA admissions – All about the MBA school admission