January 29, 2025, was either an exciting day or a tearful one for Harvard Business School (HBS) Round 2 (R2) applicants: the school’s MBA admissions board notified candidates as to whether they were invited to interview or had merited “early release.” As euphemistic as it sounds, meriting early release should really be viewed by R2 applicants as a kind of blessing. They now know that they and about 30,000 others are out of the running for the HBS program and are free to consider other options. So if you were among HBS’s early release candidates this year, dab your eyes with a tissue, patch up the wall you punched, and take a look at what some of those other options are.

Options for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you can still consider applying in Round 3 (R3) at a few top programs, especially if you have a unique background or profile that these schools might be seeking to round out the diversity in their classes. MIT Sloan’s R3 deadline is April 7, and the Stanford GSB’s is April 8. Some great programs have a fourth round, including Carnegie Mellon Tepper on May 5, Texas McCombs on May 15, and UNC’s Kenan-Flagler on April 29. Vanderbilt Owen even has a Round 5 deadline on May 15. 

Did you steer growth in Africa, lead a new product in Eastern Europe, or pioneer a revolutionary health program in Mongolia? These are the kinds of unique experiences and insights that many top MBA programs would love to have represented in their student body. While visa challenges tend to discourage R3 and R4 applicants who need an F-1 Visa to study in the United States, if you have U.S. residency, you might be a prime candidate for one of these later rounds. 

Moreover, if you are living in the United States, you might find one of the many top MBA programs with part-time options to be a great alternative if there are weak points in your profile. Students in Berkeley Haas’s full-time program have a median GMAT of 730 (Class of 2026), but those in its part-time program have a median GMAT of only 700 (with 80% of students falling within the 610-750 range). The average GMAT score for students in Northwestern Kellogg’s full-time program is 733 (Class of 2026), while the average GMAT for Evening and Weekend MBA program students is 694. Kellogg waives test requirements for applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher in a business, economics, or STEM field, and for candidates who graduated from a Northwestern undergraduate program. Chicago Booth’s full-time students have a 729 average GMAT (Class of 2026), but the average for students in its part-time program is only 692. If you believe your GMAT score held you back at HBS, you might consider part-time programs, which offer the opportunity to graduate with the same degree without making another attempt – or several! – to improve your GMAT scores.

If you have more than eight years of work experience, you could consider applying to an EMBA program; most of those have rolling admissions every month. However, for this option, you must be actively employed and able to present a letter to the program from your employer stating that appropriate allowances will be made for you to attend the program as needed. Non-U.S. candidates are not eligible for EMBA programs unless they are working in the United States. You cannot get a student visa for a part-time program.

Options for Non-U.S. Citizens

If you are an international student, you are not a good R3 candidate for U.S. fall-entry MBA programs because of possible visa issues. However, there are alternatives that might put you in a business school classroom in the coming year. First, if your heart is set on building your career in the United States, then there are some program options to consider here. For example, if your goals are in finance, you might consider a Master of Financial Engineering degree from Berkeley-Haas (the R3 deadline is June 5) or an MS in finance from Georgetown (the R5 deadline is May 2, and R6’s is June 20).  Columbia offers a Master of Applied Analytics whose final deadline is June 1. 

Options Available Outside the United States

MBA aspirants who wish to pursue international careers might consider top MBA programs in Europe and Canada. Cambridge Judge has one remaining deadline for this year: May 6. And IESE has an R4 deadline of May 6. Similarly, opportunities are still available to apply for INSEAD’s August intake, for which the R2 deadline is April 22, R3’s is June 17, and R4’s is August 5.

Opportunities to Address Your Weaknesses

Finally, if your heart is still set on HBS and its full-time U.S. program peers, early release offers you time to assess your application profile and address any weaknesses over the next seven months. Many applicants find Accepted’s rejection review the perfect starting point in identifying the parts of their application and profile that would benefit from improvement. 

Have you made a noticeable impact beyond the norm in your professional role? Have you demonstrated deep community engagement? Is your GMAT/GRE score meeting (or ideally, exceeding) your target program’s average score? If not, this is a great time to take action and patch those holes.

If you would like a free profile review to identify weaknesses in your profile or shortcomings in your previous applications, register for a free consultation.

Dr. Christie St-John has more than 25 years of higher ed and admissions experience, including ten years in admissions at Dartmouth Tuck. She was formerly the director of MBA recruiting and admissions, director of international relations, and an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt University. Having also served on the board of directors of the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance and the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management, Christie has a deep knowledge of MBA and other graduate admissions. Want Christie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

• Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines 
• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One
• Rejection and Reapplication: How to Respond, podcast Episode 523

The post Rejected by Harvard Business School – Now What? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Would you like to strengthen or update your technology skills? Perhaps move into management? Maybe even start your own business? Or shift your career out of the technology space?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this might be the perfect time for you to apply to graduate school. According to research from the , jobs in the computer and information technology fields are expected to grow much faster than the average rate for all occupations between 2023 and 2033, with as many as 356,700 openings expected annually. Companies are seeking software engineers, product designers, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) experts, data scientists, product managers, and sales managers. There is ever-increasing demand for AI skills as organizations integrate AI into their business practices.

You might be committed to a career in technology but would like to lead project teams and therefore need to develop your skills in leadership, negotiation, and communication. Or maybe you’re thinking about starting your own venture and would benefit from courses in entrepreneurship, finance, and marketing. There are many good options in graduate education – from an MS or MEng in engineering,  computer science, or AI, to a master’s in engineering management, a combination program of a STEM field/MBA, or a PhD. 

If you are seeking a research degree – an MS or PhD – you’ll need to demonstrate that you have research experience, either as an undergraduate student or at your workplace. Gaining acceptance to a research program requires that you have an excellent academic record and have published research, or at least have experience with the research process. You’ll want to secure letters of recommendation from your former professors or someone from your work who has a PhD and has supervised your research. Your recommenders need to be able to vouch for your research skills and the probability of your success in a graduate research program. You will also want to clearly state what your research focus will be and your career goal upon graduation.

To select a school and program, start by identifying your end goal. How do you want to make a difference? What work will bring you the greatest satisfaction? You should choose a program (theoretical or applied) based on which one offers a curriculum that will provide you with the skills you need to achieve your end goal. You must also decide whether you want to commit one or two years to pursuing your degree as a full-time student, or whether you prefer to keep working – in which case, you should enroll in an online, part-time program instead. Other factors to consider are the program’s required qualifications, location, and cost, as well as where its graduates are employed and the extent of the career services available to support you in your job search.

For the past nine years, I have worked with STEM clients who have been accepted to highly ranked programs in many engineering fields, data science, computer science, AI, environmental science, and statistics. Applying to graduate school is a complex process. Consider hiring a consultant to help you evaluate your options, develop a plan, think strategically about your statement of purpose, edit your essays, and rework your resume for an academic setting. Ultimately, earning a graduate degree will offer you new and challenging career opportunities.

With 30 years of career and admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s College of Engineering and Johnson Business School, Dr. Karin Ash facilitated students’ entry into the world’s best companies. As an adcom member, she also evaluated applications and therefore knows what schools and employers seek. Want Karin to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources

• Statement of Purpose versus Personal Statement for STEM Programs
• How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School
• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide

The post <strong>Graduate School Options for STEM Candidates</strong> appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

As admissions consultants, we often hear college and graduate school applicants ask, “I’m applying to multiple schools, and each one requires essays/personal statements. Can I use the same essay for different schools?” Understandably, applicants want to maintain the quality of their essays and avoid burnout when having to write so many drafts. We can sympathize. Even better, though, we have some practical solutions for determining when and how to use an essay for more than one school. The good news is that what makes practical sense in terms of efficiency also makes sense in terms of quality – if you view the process as “adapting” rather than “reusing.” Reusing an essay more or less verbatim is very rarely advisable. On the other hand, the core content of some application essays – personal statements, in particular – includes information that is central to your candidacy and would naturally be relevant to share with multiple schools. And sometimes when you rework an essay/personal statement for additional applications, its quality improves as you reflect further and discover new subtleties.

So, if multiple schools ask similar questions, it’s logical to consider adapting some or perhaps even a significant portion of an essay you wrote for one program to fit another program’s prompt. One thing to keep in mind is that required essay lengths tend to differ from school to school, and your messaging will likely vary according to the nuances of each question. Most importantly, many application essays/personal statements demand some discussion of the specific program the candidate is applying to, so this content would certainly need to be revised for each school. 

When considering revising an existing essay for a different school, start by reading the new question out loud to make sure you clearly hear and understand exactly what the school is asking. Many times, an essay prompt will have more than one question within it, and you don’t want to overlook any of them and not deliver the information the admissions committee has requested. I also suggest highlighting key words in each school’s essay prompts and checking against them later in the review process to ensure that your essay touches on all the main points. Be guided first by the question and then, more broadly, by your understanding of the character of the school/program – and adapt your essay content accordingly.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when attempting to adapt an essay for one school into a submission for a different school: 

1. Create a list of the essays you need to submit and the qualities you wish to highlight in each one.

When juggling multiple essays/personal statements, consider using a spreadsheet to track each question, the school asking it, and which experiences, accomplishments, and skills you can associate with each question. This will help you see where you might be able to adapt one school’s essay for a different application.

2. If you do any name-dropping, always be sure to double-check the names!

Always check very carefully (and then check again) to make sure you have the correct school and resource names in your revised essay. You don’t want, for example, to refer to the University of Michigan in an essay you’re planning to submit to the University of Chicago. Sending an essay that discusses why you want to go to UPenn to the Yale adcom won’t be good for your chances of being admitted! And believe me, it happens.

3. Never simply cut and paste an entire essay, even if two schools have very similar questions.

As I noted earlier, some schools ask similar essay questions, but no two questions will ever be exactly alike. Whenever you are writing, adapting, or editing an essay/personal statement, keep the school you are writing for front and center in your mind. Tailor each essay as much as you can to discuss and apply to each program’s unique culture, personality, and “flavor.” And when you feel you are nearly done, reread the essay prompts and go back to those highlighted words to ensure that you have truly answered every question the adcom posed.

Do you need help writing (or adapting) your application essays? Could you benefit from an expert’s assistance in identifying the strongest elements of your experience and profile? Schedule a free consultation with an Accepted admissions expert. 

As the former executive director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School and assistant dean of admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School, Kelly Wilson has 23 years’ experience overseeing admissions committees and has reviewed more than 38,000 applications for the MBA and master’s programs in management of information systems, computational finance, business analytics, and product management. Want Kelly to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

• How an Admissions Committee Views Your MBA Work Experience
• Proving Character Traits in Your Essays
• Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose

The post Can You Use the Same Essays for Different Schools? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

In today’s world, where everything moves at lightning speed, we’re constantly making fast decisions. 

This applies to admissions committees, too. The pressure of their job forces them to make very quick decisions about whose applications they will invest more time in and whose will merit only an obligatory but cursory review before being set aside. 

Their reality is one of managing an overwhelming volume of applications with limited time for review, so when you’re applying to business school, medical school, graduate school, or college, you must capture your reader’s attention with the very first lines of your essay. Your opening sentence cannot fall flat. It needs to pull your reader immediately into your narrative. Every word counts.  

Engaging Your Readers Right From the Start

Think of your essay’s first line as the opening of a great novel. You want your reader to think, “I need to know more!” Let’s take a look at some good examples:

• Horns blare as tiny auto rickshaws and bicycle-powered school buses weave through the crowded streets of Old Delhi.
• After a near disaster on my first week as a case manager at a community center for women and children, I realized that to succeed, I’d have to suppress my anger at how poorly things were being run.
• My aunt’s cancer had spread throughout her body before anyone had diagnosed it properly – too late for treatment. That moment changed everything for me, making my interest in science personal.
• From the age of seven, while struggling with math but excelling in spelling tests and writing stories, I knew I was meant to be a writer.

Notice a trend? Three out of these four openers are personal stories. There’s no mention of GPAs or scientific breakthroughs. The first example is so vibrant and full of action that we instantly want to know who’s experiencing this scene. In each case, the reader’s curiosity is piqued, and that’s what you want. 

A strong opener will include three key elements:

1. A glimpse of your theme or story – who you are, what you’re passionate about, and the path you’re on
2. Creative details or descriptions – something that paints a picture and grabs attention
3. Energetic writing – language that makes the reader feel like they can’t stop until they’ve read the entire essay

Your opening should show a connection between where you’ve been and where you’re heading. Here are a few more examples:

• It was pitch black when we quietly climbed into the back of a truck, beginning our journey to freedom.
• Only six months after launching my start-up, I realized the money wasn’t flowing in – just out the window.
• Finding a green, scratched 1960s Cadillac in a junkyard last summer made me realize that mechanical engineering was my calling.

These lines pull you in. You can’t help but want to know the rest of the story. When done right, these kinds of personal anecdotes don’t just offer facts – they paint a picture, making your story more real and engaging.

Having read these examples, you might now have some ideas for your own essay introduction. Start by jotting down some key moments in your life that helped shape your career or academic goals. Maybe it was a job experience, a family event, or a “light bulb” moment that made you realize what you wanted to do.

For example, an electrical engineering applicant might remember the first time their home lost power and realize that that was the moment they discovered their career path. A future MBA student might recall a pivotal time when they helped a struggling person understand financial basics, which sparked their interest in nonprofit work. A law school applicant might recount witnessing a courtroom scene during an internship that inspired them to specialize in criminal law.

Once you’ve created a list of these defining moments, dig deeper. What stood out about each one? How did it make you feel? What sensory details can you include (what did you see, hear, or smell)? These tiny details will help you build a narrative that draws your reader in.

Still struggling to find that perfect hook? Our team of experts is here to help! We can guide you through crafting an essay that stands out, from brainstorming a compelling opening line to polishing the final draft. You’ve got a great story to tell. Let’s make sure the admissions committee doesn’t miss it.

Kara Keenan Sweeney has more than 15 years of experience in MBA admissions, having worked for some of the world’s top business school programs, including Columbia Business School, INSEAD, and The Lauder Institute’s joint degree MA/MBA program with The Wharton School and the MA/JD program with Penn Law at the University of Pennsylvania. Kara has guided, coached, and counseled thousands of MBA and EMBA applicants, reviewed innumerable applications, sat on admissions committees, and interviewed countless applicants, including while running Wharton’s Team Based Discussions both virtually and in person. Want Kara to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources

• The Resilience Factor: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application
• Three Must-Have Elements of a Good Statement of Purpose
• Proving Character Traits in Your Essays 

The post Writing an Engaging Essay Introduction appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Although obtaining scholarships and fellowships for graduate school is more complicated than finding scholarships for an undergraduate degree, there are definitely opportunities out there – though more will be expected from your application. This makes sense, given that you are being trained to be an expert in your field, which will undoubtedly be reflected in your CV and other application materials. 

However, before you can prepare a brilliant application, you first need to find scholarships and fellowships to apply for! Both identifying opportunities and applying for them will require strategy and work, but once you get the hang of things, the process will become much less onerous. To help guide you in this endeavor, I have five tips for discovering relevant scholarships and fellowships and then submitting a successful application for them.

But first, let me clarify the difference between scholarships and fellowships. Scholarships can support you more broadly in your studies and often come with fewer expected deliverables from the recipients. Fellowships are usually awarded for research and sometimes involve research requirements or even structured programs. Fellowships are more common in graduate study, because most money at this level is intended to support research. 

When exploring your options, pay attention to what stage you are in in your program. This is typically less important for master’s programs, but PhD fellowships/scholarships are usually divided into the three broad categories of pre-dissertation stage, dissertation stage, and postdoc for after graduation/early career. Sometimes, the same organization will offer a fellowship for each of these stages, so investigate all your options, and save any relevant info for the future.

1. Start your search for scholarships/fellowships local.

When looking for available scholarships and fellowships, think locally first, and then expand your search outward. By this, I mean that you should look first within your program, then your university, then your region, then your country, then internationally. This will ensure that you don’t overlook anything. Opportunities within your program might not be well advertised, but professors and fellow graduate students can help. Reach out to peers and mentors in your area of study to see which scholarships/fellowships they have applied for. Also, make sure to sign up for any university newsletters or social media that might advertise opportunities outside of your department. Also, check the campus resources available to all graduate programs at your school. Regionally, consider local chapters of major professional organizations. For example, the Modern Language Association is the main professional organization for the study of literature, and it has regional chapters that offer additional resources for students in the area. Look also at the webpages/resources for similar university programs. They might advertise local, national, or even international scholarships/fellowships for which you could be eligible but that are not well advertised at your institution.

2. Identify your specialties and the stakeholders for that area of study.

Funding at the graduate level depends significantly on which area within your field you plan to study. For example, the very broad field of engineering encompasses numerous areas, including electrical, computer/software, and chemical. And within these specialties are even more areas of specialization. You might be in a chemical engineering program and work on manufacturing research, while a fellow engineer in your program is focused on nuclear energy. To identify appropriate scholarships/fellowships, you need to have a clear sense of the areas of study you want to focus on and the professional organizations, corporations, government agencies, university departments, and other groups that might be invested in that type of work. This is especially the case if your work could intersect with other fields of study. A good example of this is environmental studies; centers and organizations around the country concentrate on multiple fields that address environmental concerns (e.g., sociology, engineering, legal). Don’t ignore the possibility of funding from these types of multidisciplinary organizations.

3. Work smarter, not harder, to expand your scope and increase your chances.

At first, applying for scholarships/fellowships might feel like a chore on top of all your other responsibilities. This isn’t helped by the fact that it is a numbers game, and even the most compelling applicant will need to apply for multiple opportunities to see results. In fact, in a recent trend on social media, academics shared their “failure CVs,” listing all the fellowships and awards they applied for and didn’t get! Once you have completed one or two fellowship applications, though, you will begin to see the broad similarities between them, which will allow you to start reusing materials. In the broadest strokes possible, most scholarships/fellowships require some description of your current or planned research project(s) and a CV highlighting your past research experience. Once you have prepared these two elements, you will be able to copy and paste quite a bit when applying to new opportunities.

4. Learn how to explain your research or practical experience to people outside your specialty within a field.

Imagine your audience. The readers of some of your applications will be experts in your specific area of study, but the readers for other applications might be experts in different fields. I therefore suggest preparing two descriptions of your research/work. The first should be for fellow scholars in your research area. It can be very technical and specific. The second should be for readers who are in your field of study but have a different research focus. It should be more understandable to people outside your specialization. Having these two versions on hand will serve you very well when applying.

5. Learn to describe your impact on the scholarly community.

Explaining your scholarly impact is an important component of most scholarship/fellowship applications, though what this means will vary by opportunity. For some applications, your scholarly impact refers to the intervention you are making in a field of study (e.g., “People have studied X, but no one had studied Y until I came along!”). For other applications, it could refer to the real-world impact your work will have on a societal issue (e.g., “My engineering work on nuclear power safety will give the United States better options for energy consumption.”). If you can describe your work in terms of impact, you will be well prepared to tackle any application.

Vanessa Febo has ten years of experience teaching academic and professional writing at UCLA, with a special certification in teaching writing techniques. She has drawn on this expertise to guide clients to placements at top institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, and USC. Before joining Accepted, Vanessa coached UCLA students through the application process for graduate programs, major grants, fellowships, and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessey, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. Additionally, Vanessa has extensive experience successfully guiding clients through applications for a diverse range of programs, including those in business, humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Want Vanessa to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

• Five Tips for Applying for Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholarship
• How to Write About Your Research Interests
• The Resilience Factor: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application

The post Five Tips for Applying for Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In 2024, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which is lower than the approximate 40% matriculation rate for medical schools. 

To stand out in this crowded applicant pool, you need to ensure that your personal statement for your PA application truly shines from the first sentence to the last. It must tell a compelling story that focuses on your sustained interest in the field, while at the same time building a case for your qualifications. 

The character limit for the CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) personal statement is 5,000 – which includes spaces! Some people initially misunderstand the limit to be 5,000 words and end up having to severely cut back their overwritten drafts. Don’t let this happen to you! 

The following successful essay responds to the question “Why PA?” After reading this essay, you’ll understand why the candidate was accepted to a PA program. (The individual has given permission for their essay to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers and details have been removed to protect their privacy.)

A fascination in medicine was evident at an early age, leading to exploration of healthcare careers at [undergraduate institution]. Without a clear career focus or study skills, I struggled early in my academic career. After a professor encouraged me to research becoming a PA, I found my excitement about science and desire to make a significant impact on others’ perfectly fit that role. At the same time, I was able to see the role of PAs in the clinical setting while I worked as a medical scribe in the emergency room. Their robust medical knowledge combined effortlessly with the balance of autonomy and collaboration, ensuring patients had the best possible outcomes. Being able to witness firsthand the multifaceted role of a PA confirmed my decision to pursue the profession, resulting in a significant increase in my GPA. Not only did I improve academically and grow as a student, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Human Nutrition at [graduate institution], a step on my path that enriched an understanding of evidence-based care in medicine. Completing a research-based thesis has also instilled an appreciation and interest in clinical research. I am eager to continue to build and deepen scientific knowledge and apply learned research concepts during PA school.

Having an interest in how accessibility to adequate healthcare affects various populations led to a decision to seek out volunteer opportunities in the community. Volunteering for Americares, a non-profit health clinic for uninsured individuals, taught me to be resourceful in communicating with a diverse patient population, many of whom English was not their first language. Witnessing how communication barriers can significantly affect patient care gave a profound sense of compassion, and an eagerness to serve these communities. On the other hand, volunteering at Caring Hospice reminded me of the continuum of our lives and the importance of empathy, respect, and understanding when caring for those who are near the end of life’s journey. As a PA, I want to educate patients about their health in an inclusive and respectful manner. 

Transitioning to the role of an ophthalmic technician at [clinical practice] was a pivotal experience in my journey. As I delved into this position, I found myself immersed in the lives of patients facing sudden vision loss. One particularly memorable encounter was with Joe, who presented with a retinal detachment. Joe communicated that he was a bit worried, as he was playing tennis before the vision in his right eye became black. I guided him through each step of the encounter, which began with a medical history and ended with optical imaging, finding ways to comfort him without relying on visual cues. Treating Joe alongside Dr. [Name] was rewarding as we restored his vision, but what was most impactful was the genuine gratitude Joe expressed afterward. It served as a poignant reminder of the profound influence we as healthcare providers can have on patients’ lives, as well as the reciprocal impact patients can have on us. 

I am driven by a desire to evolve for the betterment of my patients, like Joe, while fulfilling a passion for medicine. Being a PA allows no room for stagnation; for it is my responsibility to impact and add value to patients and the healthcare team alike. I want to educate patients about their health in an inclusive and respectful manner. As I reflect on my path, the role of a PA uniquely aligns with core values and aspirations to directly engage with patients as their empathetic listener, voice of advocacy, and collaborative leader in their care. 

This essay shows that the writer invested a great deal of thought into the question “Why PA?” The resulting personal statement is exceptional for the following reasons:

1. The writer specifically explains “why PA” from the first paragraph to the last.

She writes with honesty and skill, responding directly to the essay prompt. Each paragraph illustrates an additional reason that becoming a PA is the only profession for her. She builds her case by discussing her academic achievements, shadowing and volunteering, and learning to appreciate the essential “soft skills” of compassion, sincerity, and care in a PA, which convinces the reader that she is grateful for, dedicated to, and thirsts for knowledge in the field of medicine. For these reasons, the candidate was invited to interview and received an acceptance.

2. The writer demonstrates a longitudinal pattern of behavior and involvement that supports her educational goal.

In my experience, past behavior predicts future behavior. This candidate’s pattern of behavior aligns with a PA’s work and responsibilities. With a love of learning and teamwork, demonstrated by the experiences she chose in the medical arena, the writer proves through her long-term involvement with medicine that she will seamlessly fit into the role of PA. It is clear how much effort she has invested into preparing for this career.

3. She expresses vulnerability.

There are several lenses of vulnerability in this essay. First, the applicant offers a vulnerable view of herself when she discusses how her undergraduate GPA was subpar before she had clearly identified her career goal. However, once she found the PA profession, all of that changed, and her grades began to improve. Admissions committees appreciate this level of honesty and forthrightness. Second, the applicant acknowledges the vulnerability of the patients she has encountered. Understanding and voicing that medicine is a delicate balance of science and humanity is key.  

The PA profession continues to grow in stature and popularity. When submitting your application to CASPA, remember that you will be evaluated on the competitiveness of your holistic portfolio, and your personal statement is a critical component of that. Take time to craft your narrative, leave yourself sufficient time to review and edit your drafts, and ensure that the statement you submit will captivate the admissions committee!

As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherely worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

Related Resources

• How to Get into Physician Assistant Programs, podcast Episode 515
• How to Get Accepted to Physician Assistant (PA) Programs
• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Physician Assistant, a free guide

The post Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact (includes PA personal statement example) appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The most common challenge that my master’s and PhD applicant clients face when writing a statement of research interests or a statement of purpose (SOP) is how to describe in concrete terms what their research interests and goals are. This is understandable. Their ideas are still evolving, and some worry that they’ll later be held to the ideas they stated in their applications, as though they were chiseled in stone. Others simply haven’t yet thought their ideas through very much. 

Take a deep breath! By the time you begin working on your thesis or dissertation, I promise that no one will pop up and wave your SOP or research interests statement around, saying, “But that’s not what you said here!” Everyone knows that your knowledge and ideas will develop throughout your graduate program. 

Here are the two things that a great statement of research interests or SOP will do:

1. It will clearly illustrate to the admissions committee that you possess a depth of interest and comprehension in your field and that you understand what goes into research. You will sound unprepared for graduate school if you talk about ideas that are too vague or nebulous, or ones that cannot be addressed adequately through your discipline.  
2. It will explain any relevant background you have in the field, why you find it compelling, and why you are well suited for this career track. 

Four Questions to Help Identify Your Statement Focus

To narrow your interests into something that is concrete enough for you to be able to write about convincingly, without being overly general, ask yourself these questions:

1. What are the broad research questions/issues that interest you? Create a summary of your interests that you can work with, and describe your interests in a sentence – or a paragraph, at most.  

2. Within those broad areas of interest, can you begin to focus on more specific questions? If you’re not sure what the current questions/problems are in your field, now is the time to start catching up. Read recent journal publications, and go to conferences if you can. Reading the literature in your field will also give you a sense of how to frame your ideas in the language of your field. When reading, think about how the people working in your field (your future colleagues!) describe their research questions and how they approach solving or answering them. 

3. Have you done any research in the field already? If so, do you intend to build on your previous work in graduate school or go in a new direction? Explaining how your research experiences so far have shaped your plans for graduate school shows the admissions committee that you have thought carefully about what kind of work you want to do and gives you a compelling reason to return to (or continue) your education. 

4. How will your research contribute to the field?

Understanding How to Present Your Goals

Some projects described in SOPs are achievable in the short term, while others are large enough to span an individual’s entire career. If your interests/goals fall into this latter category, acknowledge your ambitions, and try to identify some element of your interests that you can pursue as a first step.

Once you have demonstrated your skills (and past experiences) in your field, you will be better equipped to define your next steps. 

Focusing your interests will also involve doing more detailed research about the programs to which you plan to apply. For example, consider the following questions:

• Who might be your research supervisor? 
• How do your interests relate to the work this scholar or these scholars are doing now?  
• How would you contribute to the department and to the discipline?

Your SOP will also address your post-degree, longer-term goals. Do you envision yourself pursuing a career in research/academia? (For many PhD programs, this remains the department’s formal expectation, even though many PhDs find employment outside the academy.) If you’re applying for a master’s degree, be prepared to discuss what your future plans are and how the degree will help you. 

Your SOP needs to be direct, informative, and purposeful! When you choose Accepted, we match you with a dedicated advisor who will help you create an SOP that best reflects your experiences, goals, and intense desire to attend your target graduate school program. And did you know that Accepted’s clients have received millions of dollars in scholarship offers? Don’t delay – get started with a free consultation.

Vanessa Febo has ten years of experience teaching academic and professional writing at UCLA, with a special certification in writing techniques. She has drawn on this expertise to guide clients to placements at top institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, and USC. Before joining Accepted, Vanessa coached UCLA students through the application process for graduate programs, major grants, fellowships, and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessey, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. Additionally, Vanessa has extensive experience successfully guiding clients through applications for a diverse range of programs, including those in business, humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Want Vanessa to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School
• Three Must-Have Elements of a Good Statement of Purpose
• Writing an Effective MBA Career Goals Essay

The post How to Write About Your Research Interests appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Applying to graduate school can be a stressful process. As an applicant’s parent, you naturally want to help them, but how can you do so? Maybe you never went to graduate school, or it has been decades since you applied. The process is not the same as it was years ago. Furthermore, your child is now an adult who has either graduated from college or is close to graduating. They might not be very receptive to your input.

Remember that selecting the right field of graduate study to achieve one’s career goals is essential. Although you might be eager for your child to attend graduate school, if they are undecided about their interests or goals, they might need to do some career exploration before applying for graduate study. Some parents encourage their children to go to graduate school right after college out of concern that if they don’t go directly, they won’t ever go. But be aware that work experience is critical in some fields, and it can also help to solidify, or could even change, one’s career plans.

Once your child decides to apply, here are three ways you can support them through the competitive application process:

1. Understand the different parts of the process. What is required to apply to grad school?
2. Learn about the criteria used to evaluate your child’s application. 
3. Provide constructive support when asked, while remembering that your adult child is the one applying (not you) – even if you are covering part or all of the costs.

Elements of a Successful Grad School Application

All graduate school application processes consist of academic, experiential, and communications elements. 

The school’s written applications are online these days. An applicant typically must provide some or all of the following:

• Application fee
• Transcript(s)
• Standardized test scores 
• Short answers in boxes throughout the application (These provide important context and background information.)
• Resume and/or work and activity history
• Essay(s)
• Video component (less common)
• Portfolio of work for arts-related fields
• Letters of recommendation
• English language test (typically for applicants who earned their undergraduate degree at a university where English is not the language of instruction)

The academic portions (e.g., transcript, test scores) provide evidence that the applicant can succeed in graduate study. Schools want to see transcripts for all accredited coursework, and some programs will require standardized tests.

Although more and more programs are dropping standardized test requirements, preparing for the relevant exam and submitting a high score could be beneficial for an applicant. A high score is particularly important if the applicant’s undergraduate academic record is less than impressive. It might be crucial if the applicant attended a college that isn’t known for academic rigor. It might also help them secure merit-based financial aid. It is important to check with each target school to see whether it requires candidates to submit a standardized test score, and if they do, which test(s) it accepts.

Most programs require letters of recommendation. Who should write these letters and how many are required varies from school to school, so your child needs to make sure they understand what their target schools want – and provide it. Most graduate programs want recommendation letters written by professors from undergraduate study; other reference writers could be internship supervisors or employers. Some schools specify who they want the writers to be. The most important criterion in choosing who should write your child’s recommendation is how well the person knows your child and their work. Don’t make the mistake of suggesting a family friend who is in a high-level position to write a letter; usually, those types of letters do not carry much weight and might even be detrimental to the application.  

Some programs also interview candidates. For schools that require them, interviews are usually by invitation only. If an interview is part of the process, schools typically extend interview invitations only after an initial screening. An interview invitation signals serious interest on the part of the school. Interviews are common in the fields of clinical psychology and counseling, and are required for medical school. 

The Criteria for Acceptance

All programs have different requirements, but in general, graduate schools want to know the following:

1. The applicant can handle the academics and thrive.
2. The applicant is a fit for the school in terms of their interests and goals, and the program’s strengths.
3. The applicant and school have shared values. 
4. The applicant will add something distinctive to the school’s class, community, and ultimately, reputation. 
5. The applicant has a goal that the program can help them achieve.

Ways You Can Help Before They Apply

Encourage your child to excel academically. If you can provide financial support so your child doesn’t have to work their way through school, that financial assistance could allow them to improve their grades and participate in valuable activities, while reducing their debt burden. 

If they are preparing for a standardized test, such as the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, or GMAT, encourage them to take a test prep course or get tutoring. If you can afford it and feel it would help them, offer to pay for the assistance.

All graduate programs value leadership and teamwork and look for an experiential component in their applicants’ profiles. Your child’s essays, resume, and activity/work history reflect the experiences they have had prior to applying. Programs might want to see community involvement, work with the underserved, evidence of compassion, organizational skills, willingness to take initiative, problem-solving ability, communication skills, and an understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Some graduate programs also require applicants to have some level of professional experience.

Encourage your child to have experiences that will allow them to develop and nurture these skills. In college, they could be a youth group leader, summer camp counselor, residence hall advisor, or tutor. They might organize a fund-raising drive for a cause that’s important to them, serve as captain of a sports team, assist people with special needs, start a business, work at a relevant internship, or take a leadership role in a student organization or student government. The most significant experiences involve longer time commitments.

Most graduate schools want to see experience that is relevant to the applicant’s degree goal, either on a part-time basis while they were in college or on a full-time basis after they completed their undergraduate study. For example, if your child is applying to medical school, they must have meaningful clinical experience. If they are applying to a research-oriented master’s or PhD program, they need research experience on their resume. For graduate school in clinical psychology or social work, experience in the helping professions is important. It can be paid or unpaid.

When your child is engaged in these activities, suggest that they journal about them. Here are a few questions that might trigger excellent journal entries:

• What did they actually do? 
• Whom did they work with?
• What did they contribute and accomplish? 
• How did they handle difficult interactions with colleagues? 
• What would they do differently? 
• What did they learn? 

These journal entries can become fodder for short answers, essays, and interview responses. Plus, the applicant will develop the writing and self-reflection skills that are important to crafting a successful application.

These experiences will also help your child clarify what they want to do professionally, which they must also convey in their applications. Graduate schools admit candidates who know what they want and how they intend to achieve it. Applicants need to articulate how a particular program will prepare them to achieve their goals.

Because fit, or alignment, is an important criterion for acceptance and critical to your child’s happiness, suggest that your child research the programs they are interested in. They should carefully review the website of any school they are considering, read faculty profiles, and note professors whose work is of interest to them. They should also review the curriculum and see whether both the required courses and the electives are appealing to them. For the schools they are most interested in, they should conduct informational interviews as well. For these, they could speak with people who are enrolled at the programs they are targeting or are in the professions they are considering. They should also attend in-person or virtual admissions open houses and meet faculty. Not only do these events provide useful information, but the schools also track candidates’ participation in open houses.

When your child is doing their research, they should jot down what they like and dislike about different programs. The information they collect, combined with their personal notes, will enable them to articulate why they would love to attend the program to which they are applying.

What should you not do? Nag. It doesn’t work.

How You Can Help as They Are Applying 

Again, nagging won’t be helpful, but there are definitely other ways you can support your child in their pursuit of a graduate degree.

In their application, your child is building a case for their belonging at the particular institution to which they are applying. Each element in the application should reveal a different aspect of their story and qualifications. Every answer box, essay, and piece of information they provide should complement and build on what they have presented in the other parts of their application, while answering any questions posed and demonstrating their fit with the program. 

Be aware that many programs require several essays, which often include a Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement. Your child should write multiple drafts of their admissions essays, revising them as they get closer to the final version. It is important to allocate enough time to refine their essays before they’re submitted, and the essays need to fully respond to each program’s specific prompts.

Your role now is to be a sounding board for your child when they ask. Give your child time and space to complete their application. You can review the material, if they request that you do, but be constructive with your feedback. Be aware that each essay should be reviewed relative to the program to which they are applying. 

Post-Application: Interviews, Waiting, Results

Your child received an interview invitation? Congratulations!

As noted earlier, for programs that conduct interviews, an invitation is a sign of serious interest on the school’s part. The purpose of the interview is to give the school an opportunity to assess the applicant’s presence, ability to think on their feet, communication skills, and fit with the program.

How can you help your child at this high-stakes stage of the process? One way is to offer to purchase a mock interview package for them so they can practice their interview skills with an experienced admissions consultant who, in many cases, was once also a member of an admissions committee. 

You wouldn’t expect or want your child to go on stage or play a sport without significant practice. They likewise shouldn’t go into an interview without practice and the opportunity to make, learn from, and correct mistakes before the “big day.”

Now you enter the next stage: waiting for the school’s decision. This could take weeks or months, especially if your child is placed on a waitlist. Waiting for a decision is difficult, so be positive. Don’t harp on any of your child’s weaknesses, but do gently encourage them to work on anything that needs enhancement. Any improvement in their qualifications that happens after they have submitted their application could help them if they are waitlisted. Or, at the least, it could position them for a successful reapplication in the future. 

Here are a few ways applicants can improve their profile:

• If their earlier grades were below average, they can take additional classes and earn top grades in them to show improvement. 
• If their test score was mediocre, but the school would consider a higher score, maybe a retake is in order, especially after your child does additional test prep.
• Perhaps they could use (and should therefore pursue) more experience related to their intended field of study. 

Hopefully, your child will craft a compelling application that presents them at their best and results in acceptance. Following these tips will contribute to their success.

Would you like your child to have one-on-one guidance throughout the application process? Accepted has a highly experienced team of admissions consultants, many of whom were formerly admissions directors at a wide variety of programs. They would be delighted to guide your child through this process. Schedule a free consultation today!

By Alice Diamond, former associate dean for career and community service at Lesley University. Alice has a BA from Colgate University, an MA from Bryn Mawr College, and an MS from Cornell University. She has more than 35 years of experience in career and admissions advising for undergraduate and graduate candidates. Alice’s clients have been accepted to top programs in a wide range of fields. Want to work with Alice? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide
• Graduate School in Psychology: PsyD or PhD, Which Is Right for You?
• Statement of Purpose versus Personal Statement for STEM Programs

The post How to Help Your Child Apply Successfully to Graduate School appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

A speaker recently told a story about traveling in Asia, where he saw a stunning emerald. Enchanted by the stone’s beauty, he decided to buy it on the spot.

He returned home and took the emerald to a jeweler for appraisal. The jeweler began examining the stone through his magnifier, and as he did so, his face went pale.

“What’s the matter?” asked the proud owner of the emerald.

“I can’t find a flaw,” said the jeweler.

“Wonderful!” said the stone’s owner.

“No, it’s not. If it’s flawless, it’s a fake. A phony. Nothing in the natural world is flawless,” replied the jeweler.

“Then find a flaw!”

After a few more tense moments, the jeweler discovered a small flaw, and the owner of the stone stopped worrying that he had been taken in by a piece of plastic masquerading as a gem.

What does this have to do with admissions? Just this: When the adcoms ask you to write about a flaw or weakness in your essays, and you either fail to offer any or the ones you come up with sound like you are just checking a box – mentioning something vague and generic and not of much significance – you will seem like a fake in their eyes.

Everything in nature has an imperfection or two (or three), including human beings. Don’t misunderstand: we’re not suggesting that you talk about every weakness you know you have and say, “This is me. Take it or leave it.”

But if you have learned and grown from your weaknesses or succeeded in overcoming obstacles, you are well positioned to flip those shortcomings into strengths in your essays. It takes honest self-reflection, a desire to improve, and hard work to break an unhealthy habit, pattern, or way of thinking. The ability to demonstrate self-awareness by working to minimize your flaws and develop new skills or talents to compensate for weaknesses will prove your maturity while also building your resilience. These are qualities that adcoms especially want to see these days. 

How Failures and Flaws Can Build Resilience 

Recently, we worked with a client who was applying to MBA programs and had once made the type of mistake that could have not only gotten him fired but also destroyed a lucrative business relationship between his employer and a major customer. 

Here’s the story: “Sami” was working in an analytics department and played a role in the incorrect interpretation of some key data. This incorrect reading led his employer to recommend a business strategy to the firm’s customer that was the exact opposite of what it should have been. What a disaster! Sami didn’t discover this catastrophic error until after the new strategy had been implemented. 

He could have watched from afar as the strategy failed and things fell apart. Instead, he came clean and waited for the blowback. Sami expected the worst and nearly began clearing out his desk.  

Instead, he was rewarded for his integrity, despite the risk to his reputation. Not only did he keep his job, but the relationship between his employer and the firm’s customer actually flourished. This experience clearly positioned Sami to write about a “failure” and the lessons he learned about owning up to one’s mistakes and accepting responsibility. He didn’t look smaller because of his mistake – his stature grew because of his honesty.  

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”

Essay questions that ask you to discuss failure, risk, mistakes, conflict, difficult interactions, or overcoming obstacles often make applicants cringe. After all, you’re on a mission to show the admissions committee that you are on top of your game and ready to conquer the world. The last thing you want to do is call attention to the details of when and where you’ve fallen short. 

As Sami’s experience proves, however, questions about failure provide a window into your character. How resilient are you in the face of a setback? How did you respond to the situation? Did you shrink from the impact of your actions, or did you muster the courage to try to set things right, as best as you could, under the circumstances? What did you learn about yourself, about the world of business, about relationships, and/or about communication? What wisdom did you gain that you have applied in your life since then? Can you show convincingly that you view your stumble as an inevitable, vital, even transformative step on the road to achievement?

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” So take heart: Writing about your flaws and setbacks is an opportunity for you to shine by showing your humility, commitment to growth, and determination to apply the lessons learned. Reading about your setbacks allows the admissions committee to understand what you’re really made of. 

Follow these four steps to transform your setbacks into achievements:

1. Demonstrate how your failure led to success.

The mistake you made might have led you to discover a new idea, strategy, or invention that you otherwise would not have discovered. Or, it might have given you the determination to strengthen your skills or knowledge base. It’s hardly a secret that some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed before achieving remarkable results. The late Steve Jobs was famously terminated from his own company before Apple became a household name. James Dyson created thousands of faulty, nonfunctional prototypes before patenting his best-selling vacuum. So, why do we forget the silver linings of these legendary failures when confronted with our own mistakes?

Be specific when you present your examples. A mistake you made in the lab might have cost you weeks of work. However, as a result, you learned something important about lab techniques, and now you’ve adopted more fastidious research practices. If you are discussing a personal failure, maybe you neglected an important relationship to the point where the relationship died. Feeling this loss keenly, you now make a point of treating people with greater respect. 

When writing about professional or personal failures and lessons learned, you cannot simply claim that you’ve changed without citing evidence. Clearly spell out what you learned and how you have changed. Offer true, believable examples of times when you behaved differently – more purposefully and sensitively – as a way of investing more deeply and wisely in your relationships.

2. Show that you truly understand why something went wrong.

Explaining what went wrong is only half the game in these essays. You must also explain why it went wrong. Doing so will show the adcom that you have taken time to really think about and reflect on your role in the situation and your understanding of the dynamics that led to the problem. Don’t play the blame game. Explain the process you went through to get real answers and solutions. Relate some of the steps you have taken to avoid making similar mistakes since. Perhaps you caught yourself about to repeat the mistake but realized that impulse was not the “new you” and saved yourself from making the error again.

Let’s look at an example. You pushed your colleagues hard to complete a work project, but your hard-driving nature made them resent you, and with no benefit to the project. Having realized your mistake – even though your sole intention was to get the job done on time – perhaps you could write about the focused attention you now pay to your colleagues’ suggestions, efforts, and capabilities. In other words, from that error, you have learned to turn lemons into lemonade. Offer at least one specific example of how your efforts have paid off.

3. Focus on what you’ve learned on a personal level.

Mature applicants view and consider situations and people differently – and make decisions more deliberately – after making mistakes. Prove that you are this kind of applicant. As the philosopher Plutarch stated, “To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.” Show how you grew by, for example, taking a course in time management to become better at effectively juggling all your responsibilities, starting therapy to help with your anxiety when work pressure feels overwhelming, or another significant step forward.

Add power to your explanations by describing “before and after” situations: the “before” stressed-out, not-well-organized person staying up till 3 a.m. to get everything done and delivering haphazard work, and the “after” person practicing time-management and mindfulness skills, and coping with responsibilities more calmly, deliberately, and competently. Demonstrating these changes through real-life examples presents you as more grown-up and emotionally intelligent. And you can bet the admissions committee wants to see these valuable traits.

4. Show the adcom how you’ve become more resilient.

“Resilience” has become a cliche, but it’s critical to appreciate the concept: it is the building of inner strength and fortitude in the face of conflict, pain, or disappointment. Successful adults must be resilient to cope with life’s rocky patches. Naturally, colleges and universities want to see evidence that you have this important quality. 

Earlier in this article, we said that a weakness or failure could be flipped into a strength, given the right attitude and effort. Similarly, a weakness can also be the flip side of a strength. For example, perhaps your tendency to be “too detail oriented” resulted in your discovering a critical error before it triggered a larger problem. Identifying your weakness and giving it careful thought might have prompted you to take steps to correct or minimize it.

Be thoughtful in your responses to questions about weakness or failure, and don’t shy away from them. Successful leaders must have honesty and integrity as part of their DNA and be able to identify and admit to failures and weaknesses. 

Nobody’s perfect, but a “perfect” answer to questions about flaws and failures just might get you admitted! To make sure your essays reflect you at your best, work with us. Every consultant at Accepted has years of experience in admissions and guiding applicants to gain coveted acceptances at top schools worldwide. Let them do the same for you!

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Dr. Ali has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources

• From Example to Exemplary: How to Use Sample Essays to Make Your Essay Outstanding!, a free guide
• Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays
• Writing a Compelling Accomplishment Essay

The post The Resilience Factor: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Check out all the blog posts in this series:

1. Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay
2. Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose
3. Writing Your Career Goals Essay
4. How to Start Your First Draft of an Application Essay
5. Revise and Polish Your Application Essays

You’ve completed your first essay draft – this is a great milestone! But outstanding essays are the result of multiple drafts, so now it’s time to revise and edit. Here’s how to get the job done: 

1. Let your essay rest for a day or two, particularly after an intensive writing session. You’ll return to it with fresh eyes, and you might be amazed at how many ways you will find to strengthen it. It’s important to remember that one of the most common problems plaguing application essays is bland, forgettable prose. One reason for this is that while you know your backstory and the details of the experiences you are writing about, your reader does not. For that reason, as you look at your essay again, try your best to root out generic writing that lacks color and details, such as the following example: 

“Although I have been responsible for a lot of exciting projects, I want to move into management, which might not happen on my current path.”

What kind of projects? What made them exciting? Why wouldn’t a management path be open to the writer? Has this been explained? Let’s wake up this sleepy prose by adding appropriate details:

“My role as a product manager for a midsized giftware business has allowed me to develop my creativity as well as my communication, market research, and social media skills. As exciting as it has been to have helped plan and release our innovative kitchen tabletop lines, I want to move into management, which seems unlikely at this family-owned and -managed company.”

Adding details takes more room, but those details make your essay come alive. When you are tight on space, rather than cutting back on detail, choose to write about fewer examples, and simply provide greater detail for each of them. This will serve you far better than offering a laundry list of vague accomplishments or character traits you feel you have. “Show, don’t tell” remains a cardinal rule in writing.

Also check to make sure that you have responded to the specific prompt and to every part of the prompt. Did you adhere to the word/character/page requirements? If you wrote multiple essays for the same program, did you avoid repeating yourself? 

2. Ditch the passive voice. Using the active voice instead will liven up and tighten your writing. Consider the following passive-voice sentence:

“Client assessments were carried out by the clinical team and me.”

This passive construction is draggy. Remodel the sentence by moving the “doer” of the action to the beginning. Doing so in this case not only highlights the writer’s leadership role but also cuts three words: 

“I conducted client assessments with the clinical team.”

3. Read your essay aloud. Hearing your essay allows you to catch any small mistakes you missed during the editing process and that can be easily overlooked when reading silently. When you read out loud, you will also be able to tell which sentences could benefit from some tightening, expanding, or other improvements. Avoid repeating words throughout your essay.

4. Assess your essay for overall quality control. Now that you have come back to your essay and reviewed it after setting it aside for a while, ask yourself whether the draft has achieved the goal you set for it. Do you sound like the focused, thoughtful, and energetic individual you hope to present yourself as? If not, continue tweaking your essay until you are confident that the voice you have created on the page reflects positively on you. 

Summary Tips:

• Step away from your draft for a day or two so you can return to it with a fresh perspective.
• Respond to the specific prompt, and follow the length guidelines provided.
• Revise any bland writing and minimize the use of the passive voice by replacing both with specific, detailed, and active prose.
• Read your essay aloud so you can identify any weak spots and assess the overall voice you have created. Does your essay meet your goals? If not, keep revising.

Now that you’ve planned, drafted, and edited your application essay, consider investing in personalized advice tailored just for you to help get you to the finish line. Here’s how it works:

1. Schedule a free consultation with an Accepted admissions expert.
2. Team up with an admissions expert who will work with you directly to help you discover your competitive advantage and use it to get accepted to your dream school.
3. Send us an email letting us know when you’ve been accepted. It makes our day!

By Alice Diamond, former associate dean for career and community service at Lesley University. Alice has a BA from Colgate University, an MA from Bryn Mawr College, and an MS from Cornell University. She has more than 35 years of experience in career and admissions advising for undergraduate and graduate candidates. Alice’s clients have been accepted to top programs in a wide range of fields. Want to work with Alice? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide
• Writing a Compelling Accomplishment Essay
• Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays

The post Revise and Polish Your Application Essays appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

When you write an application essay or statement of purpose, you’re trying to establish your worthiness for acceptance at your target school. And as part of that task, you need to show the adcom that you have the character traits their program values. But how do you prove in a written essay that you really are a person of good character, as well as smart, determined, focused, capable, and creative – without bragging? 

Show, Don’t Tell 

You’ve heard this from writing instructors many times: “Show, don’t tell.” That’s the rule here, too. “Telling” results in boastful claims, such as “I was considered among the smartest in my department,” “I’m a team player,” and “I have the maturity of someone much older.” And when candidates make these kinds of statements without backing them up with real examples, they sound hollow.  

In contrast, “showing” illustrates the personal characteristics you want to convey in a much more compelling way. By sharing selected experiences with the adcom that highlight your fantastic character and professional qualities, you’ll make a far more convincing case. 

Incorporate Real Stories

In this essay example from a law school applicant, we see how the narrative he tells reveals his character:

Driving home from a busy day at work as general manager of our family’s signage and graphics company, I received a text message from the director of a local, small, post-collegiate Talmudic academy. The director was going out of town in a few days and asked me if I would give his class on the Talmud in his absence. The class is given every day at 6 a.m., before prayer, to a group of men dedicated to studying this body of Jewish civil and criminal law. At only 21 years old, I felt honored to be asked to stand in for a man of his stature. Studying and teaching the Talmud is one of my favorite activities, and I gladly accepted. Now, in less than 12 hours, I must be ready to teach the next day’s topic. I’d be up late preparing. 

Right out of the gate, we learn that this candidate manages a family business and was tapped to substitute teach a high-level class on the Talmud. These simple facts with no embellishment establish that his character traits include responsibility, reliability, and the ability to teach sophisticated legal concepts.  

In the next paragraph, he explains the relevance of this subject matter, suggesting a link between the study of ancient Jewish law and modern-day law: 

I spent many years poring over the Talmud. Though codified in the 7th century, its exacting, sometimes tedious, arguments, legal theory, and decisions apply even in modern life. Jewish law applies to most facets and situations of our everyday lives. For example, there are laws, and nuances within laws, governing proper speech, business ethics, and obligations to honor parents, teachers, and elders. 

In the next paragraph, he connects the dots between his work in the family business and his aspirations in law. The attention to detail required in his job feels relevant to the practice of law and its endless details: 

I’ve learned many invaluable skills: project and time management, creative thinking, customer service, and leadership. I have had to develop extra attention to detail, particularly because of the customized nature of nearly all our jobs and because one of my duties is to make sure we are in compliance with the very strict signage codes in Santa Monica as well as the City of Los Angeles. Additionally, I review the signage criteria and create a “permit package” for the city, after which we hope to obtain the permit without too much bureaucratic aggravation. 

He also discusses a part-time job he had at an employment law firm, which illustrates his commitment to readying himself for law school. This section builds from a strong foundation that has convincingly revealed his broad-based personal character traits, becoming tightly focused on how he has gained a basic orientation into the workings of a law practice: 

Because it is a small practice, I was able to speak directly with clients, send out personnel requests, and draft documents required before, during, and after litigation. Although I enjoyed learning about the various stages of the civil litigation process and had an excellent experience, I also learned that I don’t foresee myself practicing civil litigation. Instead, I hope to work as a regulatory and corporate compliance specialist in the context of commercial real estate and mergers and acquisitions.

The applicant concludes by explaining his particular interest in the law school to which he is applying, pointing to its outstanding reputation, large local alumni base, employment rate of more than 80% for the most recent graduating class, and emphasis on practical legal theory:

One civil litigation attorney I met – at a World Series party – told me (during a commercial break) that Loyola’s hands-on training and practical approach prepared him for his career better than he could have imagined, and he found a job within a week of graduating.

This essay effectively models our “show, don’t tell” advice. By the end of the essay, the reader cannot help but be impressed with the applicant’s personal character traits, which he has illustrated by providing examples, not simply making claims. 

Now, let’s look at an equally strong essay, in which the candidate is asked to discuss a time when she was a team player. This is a valuable trait for just about any career and especially important for aspiring MBAs. Good examples would be times when you came up with a creative compromise to a problem over which your coworkers/teammates were deadlocked, offered to take on additional responsibilities at work or on a school or club project when everyone else was overloaded, or asked your supervisor what you could do to add more value to your department. 

For this applicant, the challenge was even bigger, as we see at the opening (Note: This essay appears in MBA Admission for Smarties, by Linda Abraham and Judy Gruen, pages 93-94.):

I arrived in Chicago in the summer of 20__ as tech lead to revamp the website of a large chain of hotels. My company, Bright Zone (a pseudonym), was in an uncommon position as a subcontractor to a management consultancy. I discovered that my coworkers’ morale had been falling for the past four months, a casualty of negative attitudes and the widely perceived incompetence of the previous firm that had been hired for the website overhaul, which had ended in disaster. I had been hired to direct development, but that was like putting out small brush fires when the whole forest was burning. I pursued team unification.

Right off the bat, we learn that this candidate has formidable tech abilities, having been asked to revamp a failed website overhaul. Second, her observations about low morale among her coworkers reveal her emotional intelligence and sensitivity.  

In the next paragraph, she starts proving her commitment to her team and to the success of this huge engagement. Notice the thought process that sparked her idea to invite the team out for social dinners after hours: 

I theorized that if people enjoyed being with each other socially, it would be harder to vilify each other at work. Over many dinners, the other techs under my supervision, as well as the consultants, seemed to begin to actually like each other and began trusting my recommendations.

Moving her story forward, she pinpoints the main perpetrator of the negativity. Barry is not only very senior to her but also her friend. Yet his severe antagonism toward the client forces her to overstep her normal boundaries, and she convinces her firm’s vice president and company chairman to take action:

My friendship with Barry complicated this dynamic, but I believed that for my team to succeed, we had to purge toxicity. After two weeks of meetings and interventions, he was fired. With Barry’s negativity removed, my social activities began to have a dramatic impact. We became a true team, as the other consulting company now trusted us and gave us broad influence with the client. In moving beyond a tech lead’s responsibilities, I helped build a multimillion-dollar strategic account.

Let’s recap the specifics the writer offers here: inviting team members for meals, talking privately with key players, and pushing to remove a toxic team member from the mix. These decisive actions all illustrate her maturity and her ability to assess the situation, take risks for the sake of the team, and earn her success on the other side. 

Demonstrate Action

Whether you want to reveal creativity, intelligence, dedication, commitment to social action, or anything else, make sure that you offer specific examples of times when you actively displayed the trait in question – rather than simply claiming in a vague and unconvincing manner that you possess it. Your actions will make the case for you.

Our consultants have many years of experience guiding applicants to admission with compelling, detailed, and story-filled essays. Are you ready to join the ranks of our numerous accepted clients? Explore our Admissions Consulting and Editing Services, and learn how we can help you create a winning application essay that highlights your greatest character traits, ones that will get you noticed and accepted at your top-choice program.

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Dr. Ali has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• Revise and Polish Your Application Essays
• Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays
• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide

The post Proving Character Traits in Your Essays appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Maybe you’re familiar with the concept of macros, which are the nutrients your body needs to function. Achieving the proper balance of macros in your diet leads to optimal health. When it comes to writing your MBA personal statements and application essays, it might be helpful to think of your accomplishments as the macros that can make your submissions the best they can be. A fascinating discussion among Accepted’s admissions consultants revealed that MBA applicants don’t always understand how the adcoms define an accomplishment, so we wrote this post to help remove the guesswork on your part. Here are the kinds of accomplishments you should strive to include in your essay:

• Examples of impact and initiative
• Evidence of having overcome obstacles
• Demonstrated leadership

Examples of Impact and Initiative

In your accomplishment essay, offering examples of when you have had an impact and/or took initiative are what will show the adcoms that you have the “right stuff,” that you have had a meaningful influence on a person, organization, or entity.

For example, maybe you proactively stepped up to boost membership in a group or to lead a team to victory. Perhaps you built a coalition in student government. Or you might have increased sales, cut costs, or found a solution to a problem that paved the way for a critical deal to go forward.

When you are assessing whether an achievement belongs in an essay about your greatest accomplishments, consider the level of impact it had and/or initiative it demonstrates. 

You might now be wondering whether awards count. It depends. If you won an award for a story you wrote that was published, your performance in an athletic competition, or some other “personal best,” then yes, those would be excellent choices for an essay about a personal achievement. More often, however, you will be asked to write about a significant achievement that involves impact beyond your own personal growth. In these situations, an award that would be appropriate to write about would be one that resulted from an effort – either academic or professional – that involved a team or people other than yourself. This is the kind of achievement that transcends a “personal best.”  

By now, you can probably see the difference between a primarily personal achievement and a career-related one. And you might already recognize some of your accomplishments that would be notable enough to write about. 

A good place to find potential experiences for your accomplishments essay is by reviewing your resume. Ideally, it will be loaded with quantifiable achievements, from both your professional and extracurricular roles. If you work in marketing and clinched four new accounts in a single year, leading to a promotion, that’s an achievement. If you work for a social service agency and developed a new intake system for clients that the agency adopted, leading to a more organized and streamlined process, that’s an achievement. In college, you might have been involved in a student organization that promotes career development and leadership among minority students, and even became president of that organization. That’s an achievement.

Which experiences on your resume stand out to you now? No doubt you’ll start to see things popping out at you.

Seemingly small achievements can actually be big. The following sample essay offers a great example of an impact that initially seems limited to one person but that ultimately radiates outward: 

From the first day I was tasked with mentoring a new hire, Thomas, it was a challenge. He had strong work experience in product development from his previous job, but he was soft-spoken and reserved, and had a strong stutter. I felt pain for him as he struggled to complete a word or a sentence, but it was also awkward for both of us as I waited for him to finish his point. During a department meeting, someone actually rolled her eyes as Thomas was answering a question. I just glared at her for being so cold. At our weekly department lunches, which were meant to be a relaxed social time for everyone, Thomas hung back quietly, seeming like he was a million miles away. 

I didn’t understand why Thomas seemed a little slow to catch on to the ways of our department. He was clearly very intelligent. It was taking longer for me to complete my own work because of the extra time I was spending with him on his assignments. One afternoon on a whim, I invited him to join me for dinner at a popular burger place. He looked surprised but agreed.

That night broke the ice. Thomas relaxed and enjoyed his dinner, and I noticed his speech was more fluid. We discovered a mutual love of soccer and political thriller novels. I really enjoyed his company and told him so. We went out again the following week to an Italian place that he chose. On our third “date,” Thomas opened up about a broken engagement that happened just before he started this new job. He was aware that his grief was distracting him, clouding his thinking, and making his stutter worse. 

“I know I’ve not been easy to train,” he told me, “but I’m starting to come out of it now.” After that night, Thomas’s work improved rapidly. He risked speaking up more at the weekly lunches and at meetings, and everyone was patient when he struggled to say something, though those occasions were less frequent. 

I consider this mentoring experience one of my greatest accomplishments, because in trying to befriend a coworker, I not only gained a true friend for myself but also helped him gain confidence and perform to his capacity at work. It was the first time in my life I felt I had such a strong and positive impact on another person. It showed me the power of small gestures of friendship and understanding. 

This writer’s decision to offer a listening ear to a coworker who was clearly in some sort of distress became an inspiring achievement that was both personal and professional. His actions had impact that flowed outward beyond just Thomas to the entire department and organization. 

Evidence of Having Overcome Obstacles

Showing the adcom that you have , such as a lack of resources (e.g., time, money, talent, people), magnifies your accomplishments. Our best-laid plans rarely go smoothly, so make sure you discuss any difficulties you faced. Be aware that obstacles can often work “double-duty,” not only by representing a setback that you experienced and found a way to navigate, but also by showing that you emerged from the experience wiser and more capable. When discussing obstacles, never blame other people or circumstances, or complain about the unfairness of the situation. Pointing fingers makes you look small and as though you are trying to avoid accountability. State the facts simply, and the situation will speak for itself. 

Here’s an example of how one applicant dealt with a significant obstacle: 

My book launch had been planned for nearly one year. This was my first book, a biography about my great-grandmother, a trailblazing homeopathic physician who lived at a time when even regular women MDs were a rarity. I wanted to self-publish but knew there was a huge amount of work involved that I didn’t feel suited for. There was editing, design, layout, marketing, getting the book accepted into the book distribution system, logistics, and more. Most published books are quickly forgotten and sell few copies. I didn’t want that to happen to mine. 

My solution was to sign an agreement with my friend Haley to publish my book. She was a talented graphic artist who had set up her own publishing company to publish her husband’s book. Our agreement spelled out our individual financial obligations and responsibilities, but I had a nagging worry. Her marriage was tumultuous, and she could make impulsive decisions. 

Six weeks before the publishing date, a popular book blogger promised a 5-star review on her blog. I also sold an excerpt to a women’s magazine with more than 4 million readers. I was still doing my “happy dance” when Haley called to tell me that our deal was off. She was leaving her husband and driving to stay with her mother, who lived in another state. She said she’d be in touch to work something out. She didn’t say when.

I was furious and anguished. My biggest problem was that the book’s ISBN (identification) numbers for print and digital downloads were assigned to Haley’s company and could not be reassigned to anyone else. Haley also had the distribution and payment agreements in her name. I could have kicked myself for not listening to my intuition, which warned me against working with someone whose life was so upside-down.

I researched my options. The ISBNs could not be transferred to me, but if I bought her publishing company, I would also own her ISBNs. I had no idea whether Haley would agree to my proposal or how we would work out terms, but the only way to save my book was to do the very thing I had tried to avoid: become a publisher myself. 

The following week, Haley agreed to sell me her publishing company for a token amount. It had no assets, and I had already paid for all book-related costs, except for Haley’s time. She also promised to help me with the transition of all the accounts. I decided not to look too far ahead and just focus on giving my book the best send-off into the world that I could. I named the publishing company after my great-grandmother. 

This story about a close call with a publishing disaster reveals the applicant’s achievement of stretching beyond what she thought she could do and finding a way to keep moving forward to achieve her goal. Making lemonade out of lemons this way is certainly an achievement worth sharing.        

Demonstrated Leadership

Leadership accomplishments that work well in application essays usually involve one’s ability to influence, motivate, persuade, direct, and work effectively with others.            

To identify good examples for your accomplishment essay, think about how you have worked with other people – how you led a team, what you learned, and so on. What specifically did you do in your role as leader that can demonstrate your leadership skills for the adcom? What did you learn about leadership, and how did you grow as a leader through the experience?

In the following essay example, the applicant’s leadership-related accomplishment seems almost accidental but had a profound influence on her career path:

My job teaching in a private school began uneventfully. I had a class of bright 4th graders, with only a handful expected to be “challenging.” I loved my supervisor, Monica, who was a gifted teacher but new to her role as a team lead overseeing the 3rd and 4th grades. In addition to having one class of her own, Monica was supposed to create interventions for struggling students, incentivize specific behavior or achievements, plan events and trips, and offer guidance to teachers. 

Monica quickly showed that her skill set was strong in the classroom but not in administration. She let requests from teachers for interventions or advice pile up, and she got testy when I reminded her that I was waiting for her feedback. I wanted to work with her, not against her, so I offered to help. I suggested we meet twice a week after school to review her inbox, which was when I discovered that she focused much better just by having me sit and listen to her discuss the situations. Although I only had two years’ experience as a teacher, Monica still seemed to value my opinion on handling awkward situations, such as when a wealthy parent who was on the school’s board of directors refused to face the reality of her daughter’s chronically aggressive behavior in class. This case was bigger than the both of us. We agreed that Monica needed to bring it to the headmistress of the school for her intervention.

About halfway through the year, Monica and I were still meeting regularly. It was an unexpected partnership, and it was clear to both of us that she wanted to return to full-time teaching. I realized that the administrative tasks and decision-making came more naturally to me than to her, and that after a few more years of teaching experience and a master’s degree in education, I might enjoy having a job like hers. 

Another person in her situation might have simply become angry or resentful at my trying to play a role in her job. She could have shut me out completely. But Monica and I became friends, and I learned a lot from watching her dynamism in the classroom. Additionally, she courageously told the headmistress about our arrangement and asked if the school could pay me for my extra hours – which it did. 

This was a totally unexpected situation that helped me realize that I wanted to take a fork in the road of my career in education. 

Finding the experiences in your life when you have shown initiative and impact, overcome obstacles, and demonstrated leadership will help you write an essay deserving of a chef’s kiss!

Are you thinking about what you could include in a winning accomplishments essay? Team up with an Accepted consultant for help identifying your best material. As your partner and guide in this process, we will ensure that your selections make you stand out for all the right reasons!

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Dr. Ali has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• From Example to Exemplary: How to Use Sample Essays to Make Your Essay Outstanding, a free guide
• Four Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
• Four Ways to Highlight Your Strengths in Your Application Essays

The post Writing a Compelling Accomplishment Essay appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Check out the other posts in this series:

1. Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay
2. Writing Your Career Goals Essay
3. Starting Your Application Essay: Three Tips
4. Revise and Polish Your Application Essays

All original essays have a unique and distinctive theme, and it can take time and careful thought to identify what yours should be. If you go back to the essays we examined in the previous post in this series, you will see that the public health program applicant opened her essay with her theme, which she cleverly presented as a question: “What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease?” This theme was her passion for finding answers to significant public health issues. 

In contrast, the law school applicant’s theme was his yearning for greater intellectual challenges while remaining in the healthcare field. While he persuasively built his case in his initial paragraphs, he saved the clincher for the final one: “I feel that my successful work experience and rigorous scientific training will allow me to debate with the best attorneys. Since medical technology and the law in this area are developing rapidly, I am also confident that this field will be constantly challenging.” 

Today, introspection isn’t as popular an activity as, say, yoga or streaming TV and movies, but it’s an invaluable part of this process. Give it the time it deserves. Your essay will be much better after it. If you are beginning to think about what the themes should be for your essays, the following questions will help you identify and define your essay’s main message. Your answers will also guide you toward expressing your goals, values as they relate to your career choice, motivations for pursuing a graduate degree, and professional dreams.

• Why are you passionate about – or at least committed to – your career choice?
• Exploring the previous question more deeply, what experiences in your life (personal, educational, professional) have influenced your career goals most powerfully?
• Has any individual played a major role in helping you discover these goals or values?
• What do you hope to achieve in your career?
• Can you visualize what career success will look like in five years? Ten years?
• What personal strengths, such as communication skills, empathy, and persistence, do you bring to this career?
• What professional skills, such as organizational abilities, clinical knowledge, teaching, and mentoring, do you bring to this career? 
• What experiences do you have that will showcase these strengths?
• After the admissions committee reads your essays, what three words do you hope they will use to describe you? How about “driven,” “intelligent,” and “creative”? Or “dedicated,” “leader,” and “focused”? Whatever the image is that you want to create, identify experiences from your life that will illustrate those qualities.

As you think through these questions, some of the answers will come to you quickly, while others will need time to percolate. Write down your ideas, memories, and insights as they come. Eventually, they will build into a satisfying little inventory, and you will be able to identify the ones that are colorful or dramatic enough to become your essay introduction. 

If you are writing multiple essays, such as for different MBA programs, each one must have its own theme. The admissions committees want to see you as a multifaceted individual and have, therefore, crafted their essay prompts accordingly. These questions provide you the opportunity to display various aspects of yourself, your values, and your personality.

Summary Tips

• Carve out some time for introspection about your career goals, values, and motivation. (That means your phone is in another room or at least in “do not disturb” mode.)
• Develop a distinct theme for each essay required by any program that demands more than one. Use each essay as an opportunity to show yourself as a multifaceted individual.

In the next post in this series, we’ll share insights into how to write an exemplary MBA career goals essay.

Work one-on-one with an expert who will walk you through the process of creating a slam-dunk application. Our admissions consultants have read thousands of essays and know the exact ingredients of an outstanding essay.

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Dr. Ali has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• From Example to Exemplary: How to Use Sample Essays to Make Your Essay Outstanding
• Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays
• Admissions Straight Talk podcast 

The post Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Landing on a school’s waitlist can be disappointing and even nerve-racking. As a result, waitlisted applicants sometimes let their anxiety or disappointment cloud their thinking, but if you’re waitlisted, try to stay calm and focused.  

Remember, if you’ve been waitlisted, you have not been rejected. If you play your cards right, you still have a fighting chance of getting into your dream school. 

In this post, I will explain how to make the most of this opportunity. But first, I want to tell you about some common but unwise actions that really turn adcom members off. 

1. Reacting emotionally

One thing adcom members really cannot stand is having to deal with waitlisted applicants who – perhaps without even realizing it – become demanding, rude, disrespectful, or otherwise inappropriate. This behavior can show up in emails and calls, and even in the form of unscheduled drop-in visits to the adcom’s offices. These types of responses reveal immaturity, self-absorption, and lack of judgment. If you react emotionally and engage in any of these unpleasant tactics, they will be duly noted and could easily eliminate your chances of moving from a “maybe” to a “yes.” 

2. Not following instructions

As a waitlisted applicant, you’re still a contender. Don’t blow your chances by ignoring the school’s exact instructions on managing your new status. Follow the adcom’s directions precisely. Send the schools what they ask for, and don’t send what they don’t want.

For example, if the school states explicitly that it doesn’t want to hear from you, leave the adcom alone. Contacting them isn’t smart perseverance; it’s arrogance, and that will hurt your case.

If your target program is open to further communication, tilt the odds in your favor by writing a well-crafted waitlist update letter or a letter of continued interest. If the program allows, you could also submit a few letters of support written by others on your behalf. These letters should focus on three areas: your enhanced qualifications, the steps you’ve taken to overcome any shortcomings, and the ways in which you are a perfect fit for the school.

Five Rules for Writing a Winning Waitlist Letter

1. Keep it short – no more than two pages, double-spaced. 

How are you a stronger candidate now than when you first applied? That’s what you need to focus on. As you brainstorm about the content of your letter – and then again after you’ve written the letter – double-check that you haven’t repeated material that is already in your application. The adcom has read that already, so don’t waste their time.

2. Update your qualifications.

What is new and improved about your profile since you submitted your application? Ideally, you will be able to convey these new elements and link them to some of the themes or experiences you addressed in your essays.

Have you earned a promotion? Scored A grades in relevant courses? Taken on a leadership role on a project or assumed additional work responsibilities? Volunteered or taken on other initiatives in your department, business, club, or community? Be specific when describing these roles and achievements.

3. Explain how you have strengthened areas of weakness or mitigated other shortcomings.

Show the adcom how you have upped your game in areas where you might have originally come up short. Rather than dwelling on a specific shortcoming, focus on what you have done to become stronger in that area, personally or professionally. For example, if you had weak communication skills, discuss how you joined Toastmasters and are now a more confident, fluid speaker as a result.  

Also, if you have plans to take additional classes for work but have not yet begun to do so, state when and where you will take them, as well as your willingness to enroll in any additional courses the school recommends or to follow any other instructions it provides.

4. Thank the school for continuing to consider your application.

Restate your commitment to the program and your belief that its philosophy and approach make it an ideal fit for your educational objectives and goals. For example, if you are 100% sure that you would attend if accepted, say so. The message you want to get across is this: You were born to attend this school, and the program was created just for you. 

Other ways to prove your “fit” include explaining what specifically you have done to expand your knowledge of the program and how you have worked to build your network there. If you mentioned in your application or interview how the school’s philosophy and approach match your educational objectives and goals, in your waitlist letter, you could cite new examples that support your argument. For example, if you have visited the campus (post-submission), share which class you sat in, who taught it, and what your impressions were.

Similarly, refer to any recent email exchanges you’ve had with alumni or students. What else have you learned about the program through these connections that align with your interests? Offering this evidence proves that you are invested in attending the program and drives home the message that the school is the best place for someone with your goals.

Admissions directors want waitlisted applicants to show passion, not obsession. Follow these steps with professionalism, maturity, and courtesy, and you can be sure that schools will respond favorably to this extra bit of personal effort.

Writing Effective Waitlist Letters: A Quiz

1. Waitlist letters can be three or more single-spaced pages long…

(a) if you have a lot of accomplishments to talk about. 

(b) never. They should never exceed two pages. 

(c) only if they are law school waitlist letters.

(d) if you are not including an additional letter of recommendation.

2. Expressing frustration or disappointment in the waitlist letter about not being immediately accepted is…

(a) okay, if the school is really your number-one choice.

(b) appropriate if it reflects how you honestly feel.

(c) never a good idea.

(d) useful in the letter’s conclusion to elicit sympathy.

3. During the waitlist process, you should generally aim to contact the waitlisting school…

(a) a few times a week if it’s really your number-one choice.

(b) weekly by email or mail.

(c) only when prompted by the school.

(d) every three to four weeks (if the school allows contact).

4. The main topics of a waitlist letter should be…

(a) developments in your work life since applying that underscore professional achievements.

(b) supporting evidence that the school is a good fit for you.

(c) updating the school on ways you have strengthened areas of weakness in your application.

(d) all of the above.

5. It’s acceptable to repeat wording from your application essays in the waitlist letter…

(a) never.

(b) if you are in a rush to get the letter done on time.

(c) if it was an especially strong part of your application.

(d) if you think it’s important enough to reinforce.

[Answers: 1b, 2c, 3d, 4d, 5a]

So, how did you do? 

I hope this post has helped you understand the purpose of a waitlist letter and how to make yours stand out in a positive way. Still, there’s nothing like having an expert who can guide you in drafting a winning letter that will turn the school’s “maybe” into a resounding “yes.” Our admissions experts have helped hundreds of waitlisted applicants do just that, and we can help you, too. From developing a waitlist strategy to identifying key areas you can highlight to your advantage to helping you edit your letter so that it makes the strongest case for your admission, we provide personalized, supportive guidance at this critical juncture. Sign up for a free consultation to discuss your waitlist options. Let’s get started!

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Dr. Ali has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• The 9 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist
• The 9 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Med School Waitlist
• The 9 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Law School Waitlist

The post Get Off That Waitlist! appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Although not all PhD programs require interviews, most do, and you will usually interview with the faculty member who will be supervising your research. If you’re invited to a PhD interview, you want to take full advantage of the opportunity you’ve been given by preparing effectively. In this post, we’ll focus on some of the questions you might be asked in your PhD interview and offer tips on how to prepare for them.

What were the factors that prompted you to apply to this program?

• Review your notes on the department.
• Familiarize yourself with the research agendas of the faculty members, especially the professors you want to work with.
• Make note of any unique opportunities you would have as a student in the department. Does the department provide funding to attend and/or present at conferences, or subsidized housing for graduate students?
• Read journal articles or books written by the professors you are most interested in.

What are your research interests?

• Be prepared to briefly discuss your past research and how it influenced what you want to research in the PhD program. 
• You might also be asked about your research methods. You’ll want to have an explanation ready as to why you elected to investigate your hypothesis the way you did. If you could start again, what would you do differently?

What is your research plan?

• Present the specific topic you aim to research in the program, and explain how you believe this research will contribute to the field. 
• Be prepared to discuss important issues in the field.     

What strengths are you bringing to this program?

• Know what your standout skills, qualities, and experiences are – as well as any areas you might need to improve on. If you have had any teaching experience, mention that you look forward to being a Teaching Assistant, if that type of position is available to you.

What are your goals post PhD?

• Do you want to continue to research and teach in academia? Or do you want to research in an industry setting? Be clear about your objectives, but you can also indicate that you are open to opportunities that might present themselves while you’re in the PhD program.

What questions do you have?

• It is important to have a few questions prepared in advance. We do not recommend trying to come up with compelling questions on the spot. 
• Some questions you can consider include “What do you think differentiates this department from other programs?,” “What advice do you have for me to excel in this program?,” and “How do the faculty support PhD students as they search for employment upon graduation?”
• If the topic you are researching crosses over into other departments, you can ask about interdepartmental collaboration.

Usually, your PhD program interviewer will have read your application materials and your resume/CV before your meeting. So, make sure to review everything you submitted, especially if it has been several months since you uploaded your information. You don’t want to be caught off guard. However, this type of interview is also a conversation. Be confident – the faculty would not be taking the time to interview you if they weren’t serious about your candidacy. And remember to smile; it’s not an interrogation!

With 30 years of career and admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s College of Engineering and Johnson Business School, Dr. Karin Ash facilitated students’ entry into the world’s best companies. As an adcom member, she also evaluated applications and therefore knows what schools and employers seek. Want Karin to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• Applying to PhD Programs: When, Where, How, and Why?
• How to Write About Your Research Interests
• Deciding Who Should Write Your Letters of Recommendation – PhD

The post How to Prepare for Your PhD Interview appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Applicants to graduate school quickly become familiar with the request to provide a statement of purpose (SOP). The SOP for graduate schools, and especially for STEM programs, usually requests information on the applicant’s motivation and preparation for the graduate program. The SOP question can vary from school to school, but essentially, you’ll be asked to discuss your academic and work experiences to date that demonstrate your interest in and readiness for the program’s graduate curriculum, to explain why you are interested in that particular program, and to share your career goals.

Some graduate programs ask for a “personal statement” or “personal history statement” in addition to an SOP. For these essays, the schools would like you to provide a more personal account of your motivations, drives, and values, and to discuss how your unique background will contribute to and enrich their community. Some programs ask you to describe how you have experienced diversity in your life and what you will do in the future to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academic environment.  

The following are some topics that appear frequently in personal statement prompts.

Values

You might be asked to share who or what has influenced you in your life, who or what has influenced your career path, what values guide your decision-making, and/or how you have demonstrated your values and beliefs.

Community Enrichment

Some candidates discuss hobbies or interests that broadened their perspective and allowed exploration beyond their comfort zone, such as learning water polo or running a marathon. One Accepted client wrote about how she demonstrated her Chinese heritage through her choice of music for her senior recital. The personal statement is an opportunity to be creative and help the school understand who you are as a whole person, not just what you’ve studied or what you accomplished academically as an undergraduate. It is also important to discuss how you could enrich the academic community you are entering.

Diversity

With this topic, it is important to write about experiences you have had with people who are different from you – whether racially, ethnically, with respect to gender, or socioeconomically – and how those experiences have influenced your perspective. Have you had to overcome any barriers? Have you been active in any organizations that help promote diversity? What extracurricular activities do you want to get involved in at graduate school that will broaden your outlook or that will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in your field at the university and beyond.

To write this essay, I suggest thinking about the holistic you – the sum of all parts. What has made you who you are today? I like working with clients on their personal statement, because it often reveals such interesting information about their life. These essays allow for much more variation in how you address the prompt, because it is “personal.”      

The Most Important Part of Your Application

Many of my clients – and especially those who are applying to graduate programs in STEM fields – ask me, “What is the most important part of my application?” They want to know where they should exert the most effort, and you might be wondering the same thing.

My response is this: all parts of the application are of interest to an adcom. However, some elements are concrete facts that you have little control over by the time you are applying. Your GPA is a fact; you cannot change it unless you are still a student and working hard to raise your grades. You can take the GRE or GMAT only so many times, and the score you ultimately submit becomes a fact that you can no longer change. Your resume is a list of experiences, accomplishments, and the value of those results, and because your resume primarily lists information on things you have done in the past, you cannot change those facts, either. 

Your letters of recommendation give you some opportunity for control, or at least influence. You can provide detailed information to your references to make it easier for them to write an excellent letter on your behalf. You can give them a list of bullet points highlighting your accomplishments under their guidance – what were your actions and the results? You can also inform them of what your target programs are seeking in candidates and remind them of your skills, offering examples of leadership, team collaboration, initiative, creative thinking, innovation, and so on. But in the end, the information and messages in those letters will be determined by someone other than you.

However, your SOP is the one element of your application that you have total control over, and it really allows you to present who you are to the adcom. It is where you can write about your motivations — the “whys” supporting your decision to major in what you did, to focus on the research you conducted, and/or to choose the jobs that comprise your work experience. 

In your SOP, you can also distinguish yourself by presenting clear, realistic goals and explaining why this particular program/school is the best fit for you – how it will help you meet your stated objectives. You can discuss which classes you look forward to and which faculty member(s) you would like to learn from or conduct research with. You can reach out to students and recent alumni to learn more about the program. You can mention the insights you’ve gained from these conversations that convince you that the school is the right one for your graduate education. In these ways, you can stand out from other applicants who might not offer as thorough or compelling a narrative.

Although I wouldn’t conclude that any one application element is always the most important, the SOP is where you have the most power to persuade the adcom and to provide a complete picture of who you are beyond your grades and standardized scores. Having sat in on adcom meetings for years, I can say that the essay was frequently the most memorable and effective part of a candidate’s application, though it was sometimes the element that led to an applicant’s rejection. As an experienced Accepted consultant, I can confidently say that strategizing for and editing an applicant’s essays is where my Accepted colleagues and I add the most value.

With 30 years of career and admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s College of Engineering and Johnson Business School, Dr. Karin Ash facilitated students’ entry into the world’s best companies. As an adcom member, she also evaluated applications and therefore knows what schools and employers seek. Want Karin to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Advice from Successful STEM Applicants
• Graduate School Options for STEM Candidates
• Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions

The post Statement of Purpose versus Personal Statement for STEM Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – applicants often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most candidates are eager to share their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful community initiative.

While these accomplishments are no doubt important, many initial drafts of application essays are missing a critical component: obstacles. In this post, we’ll explore why addressing obstacles head on in your essays can significantly strengthen your application and provide valuable insights for the adcom into who you are as a candidate.

Here are three reasons discussing obstacles can elevate your application.

1. Showing that you have overcome obstacles demonstrates your problem-solving ability.

We all frequently encounter obstacles: the traffic detour, an incompetent customer service representative, a disagreement with your partner, the approval you expected on a project unexpectedly turning into a no.  Every single person faces challenges, but people deal with them in wildly varying ways. Those who are more successful in life come out on top because they understand that obstacles are to be expected. They learn how to navigate them with patience, creativity, and a problem-solving attitude, and by – to borrow a phrase – “keeping calm and carrying on.” 

But too often, when asked to discuss their accomplishments, applicants selectively and completely forget the things that got in their way en route to their achievement. When they experience this kind of amnesia, they are shortchanging themselves. Triumphing over the hurdles they encountered might have been just as difficult as executing all the anticipated elements of their plans – and is therefore worth sharing.

2. Discussing obstacles adds depth to your story and highlights your character.

Read the following examples and see if you don’t agree.

First we have the “stop-putting-me-to-sleep” example:

As the leader of my product research group, I came up with a plan for a new widget that would save us 10% in costs. After I communicated my vision to the team, we worked hard for four weeks on a prototype, completing it by the deadline, to the delight of management. Today, my widget is still the standard for my company, saving us over $300K annually.

Okay, this sounds like a solid accomplishment, but it’s hardly memorable. How did the candidate communicate her vision? What specific example does she offer of the hard work that was done over four weeks on the prototype? We have absolutely no idea.

Now let’s look at a “dazzle-is-in-the-details” example:

As the leader of my product research group, I came up with a plan for a new widget that would save us 10% in costs. But when I explained my vision to the team, two senior engineers immediately argued against it, saying that there were key flaws in the design. After revisiting my design and realizing that they were correct, I revised my plan and was able to eliminate the flaws. We worked on a prototype for two weeks before discovering that the cost of the material we had planned to use for it had increased by more than 30% in recent months. I worked many late nights that week, researching alternative materials before finding one that was both appropriate and cost-effective. By the skin of our teeth, we met our four-week deadline and presented the prototype to management, but the VP of Manufacturing argued that we would need to purchase major new equipment to produce the widget. I convinced the team to work overtime on a manufacturing proposal that proved we could craft the product with existing equipment. Today, my widget is still the standard for my company, saving us over $300K annually.

There’s no contest here, is there? The second example, loaded with specifics about what went wrong and what almost derailed the project, is mighty impressive. The details highlight the applicant’s creativity, thoroughness, tenacity, communication skills, and leadership potential. Spelling out the story of an obstacle this way can make your essays shine by conveying the drama of the situation and associating you with lively elements and images. For example, in the second example, it’s easy to visualize the two dissenting engineers, the surprise of discovering the price hike for the materials, and the VP’s frown. In the first, we get only the haziest impression of an employee smiling about a job well done.

3. Discussing obstacles makes you more relatable and shows your full potential.

Think through the examples we just offered and consider how including specific, key obstacles in your essays and explaining how you negotiated them can showcase your ability to overcome the unexpected. This will assure the adcoms that you can capably execute a well-defined plan, even when you encounter unexpected bumps in the road. Moreover, it shows the school how you spring into action when the chips are down. This facilitates a fuller understanding of who you are as an individual – and as someone the school would like to have in its next class.

Obstacles are an inevitable part of life and an essential part of your story. By sharing how you have overcome challenges, you not only enhance the depth of your application but also give the adcoms a clearer sense of your ability to thrive under pressure, adapt to change, and keep moving forward. And these qualities will serve you well in any graduate or professional program.

Kara Keenan Sweeney has more than 15 years of experience in MBA admissions, having worked for some of the world’s top business school programs, including Columbia Business School, INSEAD, and The Lauder Institute’s joint degree MA/MBA program with The Wharton School and the MA/JD program with Penn Law at the University of Pennsylvania. Kara has guided, coached, and counseled thousands of MBA and EMBA applicants, reviewed innumerable applications, sat on admissions committees, and interviewed countless applicants, including while running Wharton’s Team Based Discussions both virtually and in person. Want Kara to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast
• Four Ways to Highlight Your Strengths in Your Application Essays
• The Resilience Factor: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application

The post Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Top engineering graduate programs expect applicants to have a high GPA, and some schools also expect an impressive GRE score, though in recent years, many schools have made GRE scores optional. Even if you earned superior grades in college, you will be competing against applicants who are equally qualified.

Your statement of purpose (SOP) is what will allow the adcom to view you as an individual with unique goals, potential, interests, values, inspirations, and motivations. It helps the adcom understand what drives you, what your short- and long-term goals are, and how their school can help you realize your dreams. It also enables the adcom to assess whether you are a good match for their program.

Structuring an Engineering SOP

Your SOP will ideally include the following:

• An introductory paragraph that grabs the reader’s attention and sets the stage for the paragraphs that follow
• A few highlights of your abilities, education, and work accomplishments 
• Reasons for any gaps in your chronological work history or lower-than-average GRE score or GPA
• A description of your short- and long-term goals
• An explanation of your interest in the program and school you’re applying to, ideally including courses or professors (and their research) that interest you and student organizations or research institutes in which you’d like to participate
• A summary paragraph that highlights key points and ties back to the introductory paragraph

Tell a Story in Your SOP

While including the elements listed in the previous section is important, a winning essay is also creative and interesting. It should not be formulaic or read like a checklist. It should also be written in your own words; be aware that schools use AI-detecting software.

In essence, you are telling a story – your story. An engineer recently said to me in a somewhat panicked voice, “I know how to write facts; I don’t know how to tell a story!” The typical MBA candidate loves to discuss their background and is usually delighted to relate the many exciting adventures they’ve had. By contrast, if I say to an engineering candidate, “Tell me about yourself,” I am sometimes met with silence and a reluctance to divulge personal information.

Engineers are taught to think logically, rationally, in black-and-white facts and figures, and they’re used to situations that have a clear right or wrong answer. Yet a graduate school application demands that you explore the “gray” areas of your life. What made you decide on a particular option? What motivated you to take a certain action? Why is what you’re writing about important to you? There isn’t a specific “right” answer to these kinds of questions, which can be freeing. 

Why Engineering?

Engineering schools want to know what or who inspired you to become an engineer. When did you first believe that this was the right career path for you, and why? Take a step back, and look at your life with objectivity, so you can explain your life trajectory and the reasons you took certain turns along the way.

Most schools have a page or word limit for their SOP, but don’t let that inhibit you when you’re first creating your story from your outline. A good engineering admissions consultant can help you tell your story effectively and still adhere to the word- or page-limit requirements. Telling your story compellingly typically requires multiple drafts, and some of my past clients wrote as many as 12 drafts before they were satisfied with the final product.

As with the other elements of the application, give yourself sufficient time to write your SOP. It could be the reason the adcom at the engineering graduate program you’re targeting decides in favor of your admission.

With 30 years of career and admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s College of Engineering and Johnson Business School, Dr. Karin Ash facilitated students’ entry into the world’s best companies. As an adcom member, she also evaluated applications and therefore knows what schools and employers seek. Want Karin to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide
• Statement of Purpose versus Personal Statement
• Application Advice from Accepted Data Science Clients

The post How to Write Your Master’s in Engineering Statement of Purpose appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

“What should I include?” “How do I start?” “What will impress the admissions committee?” These are the most common questions PsyD applicants ask about their application essays. What makes this task even more confusing is that different programs refer to this same essay as a “personal statement,” a “statement of purpose,” a “graduate essay,” a “statement of goals,” a “personal history,” or even a “letter of intent.” Some programs request several essays, including one that is biographical and one that addresses the issue of diversity. As applicants prepare to write their essays, they’re often confounded by these questions.

As you prepare to write your PsyD personal statement, here are five tips to help you make it as persuasive and memorable as possible.

Tip #1: Understand the importance of the personal statement in admissions decisions.

Although your transcript(s), recommendations, and GRE scores (if required) all factor into your target program’s admissions decision, your personal statement is what can really “close” the deal. Admissions committees read candidates’ statements very carefully. They use this submission to learn more about your disposition for studying clinical psychology; your educational background; your clinical, academic, and research experience; and your short- and long-term career aspirations. Here is where you have the opportunity to highlight the strengths and qualifications you possess that will set you apart from other applicants. 

These might include the following:

• Your fit with the program
• Desirable qualities and qualifications
• Your ability to articulate your ideas in a clear and engaging way
• How your academic studies, human services experience, field research, and long-term goals have sparked your determination to pursue PsyD graduate studies
• Any influences that have inspired your decision to apply to a PsyD program, such as an internship, job, community service experience, acquaintance who works in the field, or research experience. Make sure you provide short narratives about the experience or person, which will make you more memorable to the faculty committee.

Many PsyD essay prompts will ask you to share personal experiences. As you relate these experiences, you want to demonstrate your self-reflection skills, ability to speak in an authentic voice, and that you understand the importance of clear boundaries. Remember that the purpose of this essay to is provide information to the admissions committee that will help in assessing your qualifications for the program. While you want to be honest, you also want to show professionalism and avoid being overly self-disclosing. Consultants from Accepted can give you feedback on your essays.

Tip #2: Read the prompts carefully, and customize your personal statement for each PsyD program.

Programs can easily spot a template, generic, or AI-generated personal statement and will, most likely, place such essays in the “no” pile. It is therefore important to customize your personal statement for each program to which you apply.

Each school provides a brief description of the information it is seeking in the personal statement. One program might limit the essay to 1,000 words, in which you must address multiple questions or topics. Another might specify two or three single- or double-spaced pages, while others might limit the number of characters (with or without spaces) with which you can cover certain topics. Pay attention to each school’s directions. Not following the stated directives will, at the least, irritate the admissions staff and might even result in your application being placed in the “no” pile. PsyD programs are highly selective and competitive, and if you cannot follow clearly stated directions, it calls into question your ability to manage the academic rigor of the program. Carefully read the entire prompt, and be sure to respond to each part of it.

I suggest creating a spreadsheet that lists each program’s essay questions and requirements. This cross-checking tool will help you identify common topics among the programs you’re targeting, which might include the following:

• Academic objectives related to the curriculum 
• Relevant community service, job, or internship experiences, especially in human services
• Prior research experience and graduate-level research interests 
• Short- and long-term professional/career goals

Tip #3: Identify the specific faculty member(s) with whom you wish to work.

Some PsyD programs ask applicants to note in the application the name or names of faculty members with whom they wish to work if they are admitted. Whether or not your target program requests this information, include it in your personal statement, naming the faculty members you have pinpointed. To identify these individuals, look at the faculty profiles on the program’s website to see whose work connects with your interests. Read their journal articles that match your research and/or clinical interests. Review their CVs, which are frequently available on the university’s website. In your explanation of why you would like to work with a particular faculty member, clearly present your precise reason(s) (e.g., they focus on a certain population or clinical issue).

Tip #4: Check out the program’s website for special opportunities you could highlight in the “Why this school/program?” portion of your personal statement.

To make a convincing argument for why you are targeting a particular PsyD program, you need to identify aspects of the experience that relate directly to your needs and interests and then name them in your personal statement. These items could include the following:

• Clinical sites, including practica and internships
• Timing of clinical experiences (e.g., does the practicum start in the first year of the program?)
• Courses, specializations, and/or concentrations that you find appealing 
• Participation/presentations at professional conferences, including APA regional conventions
• On-site and/or off-site research centers
• Graduate student groups of interest
• Theoretical perspective or orientation of the program (e.g., a focus on social justice)

Avoid generic statements about the program’s “excellent faculty” or “strong academic reputation.” The admissions committee will likely view such statements as cliches or basic pandering. 

Tip #5: Being detailed can help you stand out.

Faculty admissions committees work hard to fairly review each candidate before making their admissions decision. Provide detailed information about your accomplishments. Avoid making generic statements, such as “I did some volunteer work.” Provide the details: What was the work? With what population did you work? Over what period of time did you do it? What did you learn? How does this experience relate to the graduate program to which you are applying? If you are sharing information on a course you enjoyed, include the “whys,” “whats,” and “hows.” For example, explain why the professor was particularly inspiring, what specific course content added to your knowledge base, and/or how the course content reinforced your determination to pursue graduate studies and/or research in this field. Don’t just say that you enjoyed the course.

Are there particular populations or clinical issues that you are drawn to? If so, include an explanation of why these are of interest. Remember that if you are invited for an interview, you will likely be asked about statements you made in your essay.

After completing your specificity check and before you submit your application, be sure to do the following:

• Conduct a spell/grammar check. Although it might not catch everything, running a simple spell/grammar check is an excellent first step.
• Read your entire personal statement aloud to yourself. You might be surprised by the number of errors and omissions you will notice that the computer-generated spell/grammar check missed.
• Check the word/character/page count to ensure that it conforms to the school’s requirements.
• Ask an unbiased person to read for grammar and spelling errors. A “fresh set of eyes” could notice issues you might have overlooked.
• Avoid repeating words throughout your essay.
• Proofread your statement multiple times. Be positive that you have removed all tracked changes and comments in Word. These can be surprisingly difficult to eliminate. 
• Print out a hard copy of your essay, and do a final proof. Often, you will notice errors in the hard copy that you missed on the computer monitor.
• Review your statement to ensure that its content complements – without repeating – information found elsewhere in your application.

Congratulations! Your PsyD essays are complete, and hopefully, you will soon get the good news that you have been invited for an interview!

By Alice Diamond, former associate dean for career and community service at Lesley University. Alice has a BA from Colgate University, an MA from Bryn Mawr College, and an MS from Cornell University. She has more than 35 years of experience in career and admissions advising for undergraduate and graduate candidates. Alice’s clients have been accepted to top programs in a wide range of fields. Want to work with Alice? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide
• Graduate School in Psychology: PsyD or Psy PhD, Which Is Right for You?
• Acing the PsyD Interview: The 3-P Plan

The post Five Tips for Writing Compelling PsyD Personal Statements appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Involvements outside of the classroom can be an important component of your graduate school application. Can you draw a connection between your extracurricular activities and the field you are entering? Has your participation in a particular activity influenced your decision to pursue your chosen career?

For example, someone applying to graduate school in clinical social work, clinical psychology, or counseling might have served as a resident assistant in college. In this role as a peer leader, they used mediation skills to resolve conflicts between roommates. They created a cohesive living and learning environment, developed crisis management skills, and led educational and social programs in a residence hall. These experiences are clearly relevant to working in the helping professions.

If you are applying to graduate school in occupational therapy or speech and language pathology, have you had any experiences working with people in need? If you volunteered at a shelter, you likely interacted with diverse populations facing a variety of challenges, including housing, financial, and mental health issues. Did you volunteer with individuals with special needs as a Best Buddy? If so, your ongoing connection with your buddy demonstrates an ability to relate to individuals with developmental delays.

Were you a member of an athletic team? As a varsity athlete, you likely learned to balance your academic commitments with your athletic schedule and thereby developed strong time management skills. You also learned how to work as part of a team to achieve goals. 

Some activities might have exposed you to the career field that you want to enter. For example, did working with an athletic trainer interest you in a career in physical therapy? If you volunteered at an assisted living center, were you exposed to art and music therapy?  Sharing knowledge of your field gained from community service can strengthen your application.

Perhaps you served in a leadership role in student government and advocated for policies to improve the student experience. Did you start a new club or student organization? Your entrepreneurial skills relate to many career fields and can demonstrate your ability to take initiative to motivate your peers.

You can include in your graduate school application any activities that you engaged in during your undergraduate education, in your community, or in a faith-based organization. What matters most is the depth of the experience, what you learned, and how the experience changed you. A long list of short-term activities will not distinguish your application. Activities where you had an ongoing commitment, took a leadership role, stretched yourself, and did something you are proud of are the ones to include in your application.

Recognizing the importance of experiences outside of the classroom, many in higher education are now describing activities as “cocurricular” rather than “extracurricular.” Sharing with the admissions committee your participation in meaningful activities that have enhanced both your personal and professional development can really make your graduate school application stand out.

By Alice Diamond, former associate dean for career and community service at Lesley University. Alice has a BA from Colgate University, an MA from Bryn Mawr College, and an MS from Cornell University. She has more than 35 years of experience in career and admissions advising for undergraduate and graduate candidates. Alice’s clients have been accepted to top programs in a wide range of fields. Want to work with Alice? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose, a free guide
• Four Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
• One Size Does Not Fit All – Resume Writing Tips

The post Extracurricular Activities Can Help You Get Accepted to Graduate Therapy Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.