Writing application essays is an important part of the admissions process for colleges, universities, scholarships, and graduate programs. The essay is your opportunity to share your personal story and reasons for wanting to attend the school beyond just academics and extracurricular activities listed elsewhere on your application. While there is no single correct way to write an application essay, following some tried and true guidelines and examining strong examples can help you craft an effective personal statement.
The main purpose of an application essay is to help the admission officers get to know you as an individual beyond just your grades, test scores, and activities. They want to learn things like your personality, values, motivation, unique talents, background experiences, and what makes you stand out from other applicants. Rather than summarizing your resume, focus on conveying who you are through vivid examples, anecdotes, and insight into how you think. Admission officers are essentially asking “Why should we admit you over other qualified applicants?” so take time to thoughtfully address what draws you specifically to that program or school.
When contemplating topics for your essays, think about meaningful experiences, hardships overcome, talents developed, or interests sparked that explain why you are a good fit. Beyond grades, what attributes and contributions will you uniquely bring to their institution? Reflect on meaningful influences like people, books, or opportunities that have shaped your goals and dreams. Avoid surface level topics like sports or hobbies unless you can tie them to deeper self-reflection or goals. While it’s ok to discuss challenges, keep the tone positive and solution-oriented rather than dwelling on problems.
Start the brainstorming and outlining process early so you have time to choose the most compelling anecdotes and themes to develop. Review examples from successful applications in your intended field of study for inspiration but do not directly copy their stories or phrasing. You want your essay to feel fresh and genuine to your own experience rather than derivative. Allow time for multiple drafts, feedback from teachers or counselors, and revision before final submission. Proofread thoroughly and have others review as well to catch any errors in spelling, grammar, or flow.
Typical essay lengths vary from program to program but generally range between 500-650 words or one single spaced page. Stick reasonably close to any explicit length guidelines provided but always err on the side of brevity rather than being long-winded. Admission officers read hundreds if not thousands of applications and appreciate essays that are concise yet adequately comprehensive. Paragraph structure is generally expected with an engaging introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs developing your central themes with vivid examples, and a conclusion that ties it all together reflecting on why you would be an asset.
Here are a few specific examples to consider emulating in your own essays:
Leadership Essay:
Discuss an event or situation in which you took a leadership role. Describe the impact of your leadership on others and the outcome. For a high school senior leadership essay, this could explore heading a club or sports team. For graduate school, leading a work project may be relevant. Keep it positive and avoid placing blame. Use vivid details to allow the reader to picture the scenario and your valued contributions. Conclude by connecting your developed skills to continued success in their program.
Diversity Essay:
Discuss how your life experiences with people from diverse backgrounds, culture, religions, or who face adversity have shaped your understanding of complex issues and qualified you to contribute unique perspectives. You might explore meaningful interactions, lessons learned from role models of other backgrounds, or community service work. Again use specific examples and personal anecdotes rather than generalizations. Explain your commitment to creating an inclusive environment and how your diverse experiences have motivated your chosen field of study and future goals.
Adversity Overcome Essay:
Share a significant challenge or obstacle you have faced, whether a health issue, family difficulties, financial struggles, or other hardship. Explore how it impacted you emotionally and how you responded, grew, and developed resilience from overcoming it. Admit any mistakes or lessons learned rather than portraying yourself as perfect. Discuss how dealing with adversity strengthens your dedication and what assets you will bring as a result of your experience facing life challenges. Applicants who can discuss setbacks thoughtfully are often viewed as mature and motivated individuals.
When it comes to style and voice, engage the reader with an enthusiastic yet authentic tone. Use the first person and write actively rather than passively. Proofread for any cliches, platitudes, or filler words and instead use vivid, thoughtful language to convey your experiences and personality. Start with a compelling opening line and finish with a memorable conclusion reflecting on why this opportunity is perfectly aligned with your dreams, talents, and how you aim to make a difference. Stay true to who you are while highlighting what makes you uniquely qualified. With practice, meaningful reflection, and revision, you can craft an impressive application essay that helps you stand out from fellow applicants.
Andrew Stroud