Ryah Cooley Cole is an award winning writer and a high school English teacher based on the Central Coast of California. She is most interested in bringing diverse stories to her readers and students.
Ryah Cooley Cole ContributorRyah Cooley Cole is an award winning writer and a high school English teacher based on the Central Coast of California. She is most interested in bringing diverse stories to her readers and students.
Written By Ryah Cooley Cole ContributorRyah Cooley Cole is an award winning writer and a high school English teacher based on the Central Coast of California. She is most interested in bringing diverse stories to her readers and students.
Ryah Cooley Cole ContributorRyah Cooley Cole is an award winning writer and a high school English teacher based on the Central Coast of California. She is most interested in bringing diverse stories to her readers and students.
Contributor Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Updated: Jan 2, 2024, 5:46am
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You’ve made a big life decision: applying to grad school. The transcripts are ordered, the letters of recommendation requested, and the interview is on the books. Now you just have to complete what might be the hardest part: write the perfect grad school admission essay. How do you get started? What should a grad school admission essay include? Follow our guide below to get started.
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A grad school college essay, otherwise known as a statement of purpose, is a required part of the grad school admissions process that tells school officials who you are, your academic and professional interests, and how you might contribute to the program.
A statement of purpose should generally be between 500 and 1,000 words, but check with your individual program for length, font size and spacing preferences.
Most graduate schools require a statement of purpose as part of the application process because it allows them to learn more about you in a personal way and decide if you will be a good fit for the program.
Applicants should convey that they have a decent amount of experience in their desired field of study and will be successful in a graduate school program. If there’s anything lacking or missing in your GPA or transcripts, you can briefly address it in your statement of purpose and explain why it won’t be an issue. Schools also like to see that applicants are resilient and can overcome challenges, so bring up any personal anecdotes that pertain to that as well.
A good personal statement should include information about your work and academic experience. It should be detailed but concise. Your statement also provides a chance for you to share a personal side of yourself with the admissions committee, explain why you’d be a good fit for the program and showcase how you could add value if accepted.
Above all, your personal statement should demonstrate that your interests would fit in the program and that you would do well there. For example, if applying to a master of business administration program, you might want to talk about your undergraduate studies in business, internships with high-profile companies, past jobs you’ve held, or even future entrepreneurial ideas that you’re passionate about.
Graduate school is no easy task, and admissions officers want to know that you’re up for the challenge. Talking about other times in your life when you’ve struggled but persevered through hard work and dedication can assure school officials that you’ll rise to the occasion at their program if given the chance.
Receiving positive and negative feedback is important, especially in an environment of growth like grad school. Including experiences like rewriting a paper after getting a bad grade or stepping it up at a job after getting tips from a boss can show an admission committee that you’re able to hear hard things and learn from them.
Convey that you’ve had previous academic success, while also admitting that you still have more learning and growing to do. Admissions departments often find these qualities appealing when assessing candidates.
You’ve researched and brainstormed, but now it’s time to actually write the admissions essay. Make sure your personal statement is strong and stands out by understanding the prompt, outlining your essay, including a clear thesis statement, personalizing your essay and making it relevant to your desired program.
Most schools will want to know about your academic and professional experiences as well as how you will add value to the program. However, every program and application is unique and your school might have a unique prompt or specific questions they want you to answer in your statement of purpose. Be sure to read the prompt carefully several times so you answer all of the questions it asks.
Before you start writing, make a plan for your personal essay by creating an outline. Not only will this make the writing process easier and faster, but it will help you thoroughly address the prompt in a clear and cohesive way.
A thesis statement is the central idea or argument of your personal statement. Essentially, your thesis statement should preview the arguments for why you would be a good candidate for a particular program.
Applying to veterinary school? Be sure to include your lifelong love for animals or your time spent working in an animal shelter. Or perhaps you’re pursuing graduate studies in psychology. Experience with, say, a peer counseling program in high school or college, will help you stand out. The point is to make your essay so personal it only could have been written by you.
Admissions officials for a healthcare administration program will be perplexed if you talk about the time you set up a lemonade stand as a child. Similarly, a graduate engineering program probably isn’t too concerned about your recent dance recital. Make sure the information you include in your personal statement is relevant to the program and school you’re applying to.
After writing your statement, it’s time to perfect and refine it before you attach it and click submit on your application.
Now it’s time to edit. Editing is different from proofreading as it focuses on structural changes and even content revisions. Read the prompt again. Make sure you’ve addressed all questions asked by your program. Then, look at the structure. Try reading it out loud. Does the information flow in a way that makes sense? Are there parts that should be moved up or down? Could sections be cut and new parts added?
Run a spelling and grammar check in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. You can even use a program like Grammarly to make sure your personal statement is free of typos and errors and adheres to the formatting required by your application.
Fresh eyes will only improve your writing. Ask classmates and professors to read your personal essay and provide you with feedback. They might see something you missed or have ideas for ways to improve. Make sure you give any readers enough time to go over your personal statement before it’s due.
Writing is really all about editing and rewriting. No one gets it right on the first try and sometimes not even on the second try—don’t be afraid to revise your statement of purpose as needed before your grad school application deadline.
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ContributorRyah Cooley Cole is an award winning writer and a high school English teacher based on the Central Coast of California. She is most interested in bringing diverse stories to her readers and students.
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