Writing the Grad School Essay

Start Early! You’ll need time to brainstorm about content, write rough drafts, revise, get constructive feedback, and finalize the essay – all before the application deadline.

Brainstorm Content. With the application in mind, generate a list of responses to questions like:

• What are your dreams, hopes, and aspirations?
• What life experiences have had a major impact on your goals?
• What challenges have you overcome?
• What events and people have motivated or influenced your education and/or work?
• What traits, work habits, and attitudes will ensure your success in reaching your goals?
• What do you hope to gain from graduate study?
• What about you is unique?

The Beginning Should be Terrific. Grab attention and interest right from the start.  But relax –   you don’t have to write the beginning first.  After you’ve written the middle parts of the essay, a terrific introduction will likely come to you. Some ideas to consider are:

• Using a surprising statistic
• Starting in the middle of a story to hook someone in
• Asking a self-reflective question

Think about what the application asks for and how they fit with your brainstormed list of experiences, challenges, movitations, and positive traits. At some point, you’ll probably want to discuss the following:

• Your goals and how this graduate program will help you reach them.  
• The connection between your undergraduate coursework or experience to what you are pursuing.
• Relevant accomplishments and valuable experiences.  If you want to discuss one of your personal qualities, don’t just say you possess the quality; illustrate it by relating a relevant experience.  Evoke a vivid image of an actual event, placing the reader “with” you in the experience.
• The unique perspective you’d bring to the field and the program.
• The qualities and experiences that show you’re prepared to excel in graduate school.
• Specific aspects of the program that interest you.  Don’t write how prestigious the institution is (they know that already).  But if there are special programs that appeal to you and/or key faculty of interest, briefly mention your interest in becoming part of them. 
• If extenuating circumstances have negatively affected your past academic performance, briefly explain them, but don’t overdo it.  Be specific and concise.

The committee reads hundreds of essays, so make yours stand out!  Don’t bore them.  Write in a concise and engaging manner to help them feel involved in your experience.  A fresh, lively, and different statement will put you ahead of the pack.  Tell a story.  Share specific examples that introduce the readers to who you are, what you can bring to their program, and your potential to succeed.

Don’t use the same statement for all applications.  Answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed for different programs, write separate statements. Thoroughly research the program to which you’re applying to help you determine what the admissions committee is looking for.  Your research should provide enough knowledge about the school to tailor your essay to it.

Good writing skills are important to admissions committees.  Be meticulous!  Express yourself clearly and concisely and stick to stated word limits. 

• Use AI tools responsibly. While these tools can be helpful for generating ideas or proofreading your writing, it’s important to use them properly when working on your graduate school application essay. Admission committees want to hear your voice, experiences, and perspective. You can use AI to support your writing and editing process, but make sure the final product truly reflects who you are.
• Avoid clichés.  Statements like “I want to help people” or “I am a people person” or “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher” are unoriginal.  Find fresh ways to describe yourself.  Tell vivid stories of events that led to your interest in the field.
• Vary sentence length and don’t start every sentence with “I.” 
• Use active rather than passive verbs.  Passive verbs (such as “was,” “have,” and “is”) are forms of the verb to be.  Overusing passive verbs makes writing feel flabby and dull.  Example:
  • Passive: The classes that have prepared me for my graduate studies were taught to me by my advisor.
  • Active: My advisor taught the classes that shaped my graduate research interests.

Plan to write multiple drafts of your essay.  Each re-write will bring improvement.

Type and proofread your essay very carefully. 

Ask for honest, constructive feedback on your writing from as many people as possible, such as professors (past or current), employers, classmates, or career advisors.  Reviewers can help spot grammar problems and can tell you whether your writing is interesting, fresh, clear, necessary, memorable, and relevant to your application.  Everyone with whom you share your essay will have their own opinions, but in the end, you need to feel comfortable with the content and format.

When you’ve written what you think is the final version, set it aside for a day or two and revisit the essay with a fresh perspective so you can objectively judge how it reads.  When you’re really done, reading the essay should make you feel great, and you’ll have taken a huge, positive step on the way to your graduate school career!