You will see that the samples here employ a creative voice, use detailed examples, and draw the reader in with a clear writing style. While point one says you should avoid showering faculty with praise, you should demonstrate knowledge of the program. The whole point of the essay is for you to tell us who you are. On multiple occasions I tasted the failure that comes with studying complex issues in a foreign phd application essay sample. Without the Student Affairs professionals I have interacted with over the past four years, I would not be where I am today, phd application essay sample. Teaching Excellence. Enter Me Now!
Grad school essay example #1: The environmental studies student
The grad school personal statement is an important factor in your application process. Here are a few good grad school essay examples to help you figure it out. by CollegeXpressDaniel MascielloBridget Sullivan and Haviland Johannesson-Forgit. Graduate school application essays, personal statements, and letters of intent can be a major hurdle to overcome in the application process. Getting just the right words on paper to convey why you want to go to grad school and the impact you intend have using your degree is a lot to ask. To help you get some inspiration and tell your story the right way, check out these three essay examples.
Every essay here comes from a successful grad school application, and after reading the essay we break down just what makes it good. University of Connecticut Class of It is radiant. I keep my nose pointed at the ceiling. Five grown men, lined up snugly on a queen-sized mattress, are soundly sleeping while I contemplate excuses for not working in the landfill that day. But I did wake up and go to work with my host family. No, I was not prepared physically or mentally, nor was I in the best of moods that day. That was back in the fall of The study abroad program I was participating in revolved around studying specific issues damning rivers, mining minerals, razing slums, etc. It was not uncommon to have sessions lasting eight or nine hours just to prepare for a town meeting the next day.
It was not your typical study abroad experience. I have yet to learn of another like it. It was also challenging at times. Thailand changed my view on a lot of things for the better, phd application essay sample, including what it means to truly work hard. As a waiter back home, phd application essay sample, it was a routine practice to work 40 hours a week in addition to going to class and studying. Still, sometimes I wonder if I used jobs outside of class as a crutch. I always had the excuse: I have to work to support myself.
But so do a lot of people, phd application essay sample. And for some of those people, like many of the villagers in Thailand, working extra hours is not temporary. It's a way of life. At the time I'm not sure I truly appreciated the privilege I had of going to college, as my undergraduate GPA might indicate. If Phd application essay sample was to put all my effort in and still get mediocre grades, I would have considered myself a failure. How cowardly, not to mention foolish! On multiple occasions I tasted the failure that comes with studying complex issues in a foreign land. Each time it tasted horrible. But I worked on these failures. For example, I nagged my homestay families to help me with my Thai and forced myself to request constructive criticism phd application essay sample a group setting.
Through these trials I discovered the sweetest feeling of them all: perseverance. That meal next to the landfill, described above, phd application essay sample, was one of the most deliciously memorable meals of my life for that same reason. I was exhausted and maybe a little bit grumpy, but I learned phd application essay sample work through it—and phd application essay sample too, phd application essay sample. I am well aware that law school will probably force me to even further revise my definition of hard work and present challenges and setbacks the likes of which I phd application essay sample not have yet experienced. But I would like to face these challenges, and most importantly overcome them, at your school. I hope my letters of phd application essay sample and LSAT score give the indication that I am capable of doing so.
This essay, lastly, is a chance for me to convince you that I can and will. I look forward to hearing from you. Try to stop reading this personal statement, we dare you. Showing rather than telling, he depicts a person who is prepared to do the work to overcome obstacles and learn from mistakes. And since he was admitted to the grad program, clearly it worked. Related: How to Know if Law School Is Right for You. Boston College Class of I did not know higher education existed as a field until I came to college. Despite this, it has surprisingly been the field that has had the largest impact on my college experience.
It has given me direction going forward. College has been my most important experience so far, in that it has allowed me to better understand how I interact with my environment and how others experience the world phd application essay sample them. Without the Student Affairs professionals I have interacted with over the past four years, I would not be where I am today. I hope that in my future as a Student Affairs professional I can give students the great experience I have been privileged to receive.
I will take the lessons I have learned and those that I will learn in the future to improve the college experience for many future generations going forward, phd application essay sample. I have enjoyed being a Resident Advisor, a Parent Orientation Leader, and an Assistant Resident Director while attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell for the past four years. All of these jobs fall under the Office of Residence Life. These opportunities have been cornerstones of my college education. They phd application essay sample taught me the long-term and transferrable skills of organization, conflict management, and supervision. I have most enjoyed being an Assistant Resident Director, as I phd application essay sample to work with the Resident Advisors and Resident Director in a more administrative capacity.
The ARD works closely with the RD to get the work done and hold RAs accountable. I think my favorite part of being an ARD this year has been working with the RAs to make sure they have the best experience they can, while at the same time making phd application essay sample they complete their work well and on time. I enjoy helping RAs and other students reach their full potential, and I feel that it is a learning process for me too. The ARD position has shown me how much I value helping others on the path I have set for myself through my experiences with the RAs I supervise. Because of the ARD role I have been afforded, I have had the opportunity to see how this potential career may play out. I feel confident about my ability to transition to the professional side of the field because the ARD position has already forced me to take on many of these steps.
I tested the waters of the potential career in my RA role last year; this year as an ARD has shown me that I know I can succeed. I am passionate about student affairs and higher education because phd application essay sample is an opportunity to work with college students and help them grow and develop. This field allows me to assist others every day at a time in their lives when many students need it most. It was my developmental path, and I want to give that support to others. So far my academics and daily practice have not been linked nor intentional. I am excited to be able to make this so by starting a graduate program in higher education. Understanding my former responsibilities in terms of theory and learn how to turn new theories into practice is a process I cannot wait to begin.
I know the Lynch School of Education can assist me in achieving this goal through their program in Higher Education Administration, phd application essay sample. The opportunity to study in the Boston area will phd application essay sample me a multitude of professional development opportunities that would be hard to find anywhere else. If I am admitted, I will work hard to maximize my time at the Lynch School and become a young professional phd application essay sample can innovate and improve upon current practices in the field. This personal statement takes you on a journey, phd application essay sample, as Bridget discovers her calling as an undergrad, gets all the hands-on experience in it phd application essay sample can, and figures out the perfect way to make it her career: grad school, phd application essay sample.
And not just any grad school—Boston College in particular! Related: Alternative Jobs for Education Majors. Castleton University Class of While contemplating how I should approach my personal and professional goals and how earning an advanced degree will support them, I came upon my application essay for Goddard College that I wrote close to three years ago:. This cultural stigmatism that exists in our society often leads to these children being segmented into a disenfranchised group as adults. The misunderstanding and neglect that occurs in communities towards socially disenfranchised children goes against everything that I was phd application essay sample to take in regard when attempting to understand a person.
I envision my studies reaching children and young adults in many different communities. It is my goal to immerse myself in rural, inner-city, and lower-income communities and meet these children before or in the midst of their time when the decisions they make can influence where their life may lead. I believe that the teachings of dance as a holistic lifestyle will provide outlets of knowledge and self-expression for these children and young adults that will lead them in positive directions. In this essay we were expected to write about our intentions and ambitions for our studies; to address the passions that acted as the drive for our work during our attendance at the college as well as phd application essay sample graduation, phd application essay sample.
In returning to this essay, I was pleased to discover that my ambition and dedication to using the performing arts as a source of structure and reliability for youth in this country has not changed. When applying to Goddard College for my undergraduate degree I knew that I would want to continue on to pursue my graduate degree afterwards to enhance myself as a qualified candidate working in my field, phd application essay sample. Earning my advanced degree will enable me to go forth in the world as a confident and learned individual prepared to create the positive opportunities I envisioned years ago.
While earning my advanced degree, I intend to learn the details and structure that is needed to successfully run arts organizations. The closeness that Castleton University has with the Association for Arts Administration in developing its program for the MA in Arts Administration encourages me; it assures me that the quality and rigor of the program at Castleton is the right fit for my personal and professional aspirations, phd application essay sample. The efficacy of the program combined with the professional portfolio of projects demonstrating a mastery of skills in a range of areas in the arts and the six-credit culminating internship is exactly what I am looking for in an advanced degree program. My background in the performing arts is broad.
Not only have I have spent many years performing in productions of theater and dance, but I have also devoted my time and learning to other aspects of performance arts, whether it be technical, political, and social, phd application essay sample. My time attending Goddard College has proven to be extremely educational in training me in areas of social justice and cultural realizations of privilege, class, and human rights. With an accomplished and culturally diverse faculty and staff, the College requires its students to incorporate this training into their degrees, which makes for globally conscious citizens. My dedication to improving myself as an individual in my career is resolute; earning my advanced degree is vital to my continuing as a professional in a field so important to the foundation of our culture, phd application essay sample.
I look forward to the opportunity of earning my Master of Arts in Arts Administration at Castleton University. Haviland draws a remarkable line from her undergraduate studies and goals to the present day. Her unwavering commitment to arts education and dance as a means for furthering social justice will serve her well professionally—and it probably impressed the graduate admission folks too.
writing essays for scholarships examples
Grad school essay example 2: The engineering student A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. Consistent use of opening imagery: The writer begins his essay with the image of the first structure he ever analyzed — a simple bridge truss. This bridge truss becomes the basis for all of his future study of structural engineering and design. Toward the end of the essay, he states that design structure has fascinated him since he saw that first image of a bridge truss for his first engineering class. A clear theme that ties the essay together: The theme of structural design runs throughout the essay. It is mentioned right at the beginning of the essay, in following paragraphs and in the final paragraph as well.
Toward the end of the essay, the writer discusses how a grad degree in engineering will help him reach both his short- and long-term goals. Solid structure: Since the theme of structural design and engineering are so strong throughout the essay, it is easy to follow along as the writer talks about different classes he has taken, an internship he did, and even an experience as a student volunteer. Good use of transitions: The author ends his first paragraph talking about the textbook for his first engineering class, and continues on this theme in the next paragraph. He then transitioned from classes he took to student volunteer research he participated in. When discussing what he plans to study in grad school, the same terminology is used again, joining the whole essay into one cohesive whole.
Grad school essay example 3: The public health student What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? Consistent use of opening imagery: The idea of providing primary care to large populations and the benefits the population could get from this care are woven through the whole essay. Finding ways to improve the health of underprivileged populations is also found throughout the essay. A clear theme that ties the essay together: Provision of primary care to large communities is a theme that runs throughout the essay. Solid structure: The theme of providing primary care to large underprivileged populations is a theme that ties this personal statement together. The author ends the second paragraph talking about work in the field, and begins the next paragraph by mentioning field experience.
This makes it easy to follow the flow of the essay. Grad school essay example 4: The physician assistant student I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. You can also feel her relief when she is finally diagnosed — and treated — by a PA. She continues to illustrate her love of all things medical throughout the essay. A clear theme that ties the essay together: Her essay has a clear theme — her interest in medicine and healthcare, and her connection with PAs. And for some of those people, like many of the villagers in Thailand, working extra hours is not temporary. It's a way of life. At the time I'm not sure I truly appreciated the privilege I had of going to college, as my undergraduate GPA might indicate.
If I was to put all my effort in and still get mediocre grades, I would have considered myself a failure. How cowardly, not to mention foolish! On multiple occasions I tasted the failure that comes with studying complex issues in a foreign land. Each time it tasted horrible. But I worked on these failures. For example, I nagged my homestay families to help me with my Thai and forced myself to request constructive criticism in a group setting. Through these trials I discovered the sweetest feeling of them all: perseverance. That meal next to the landfill, described above, was one of the most deliciously memorable meals of my life for that same reason. I was exhausted and maybe a little bit grumpy, but I learned to work through it—and smile too.
I am well aware that law school will probably force me to even further revise my definition of hard work and present challenges and setbacks the likes of which I may not have yet experienced. But I would like to face these challenges, and most importantly overcome them, at your school. I hope my letters of recommendation and LSAT score give the indication that I am capable of doing so. This essay, lastly, is a chance for me to convince you that I can and will. I look forward to hearing from you. Try to stop reading this personal statement, we dare you. Showing rather than telling, he depicts a person who is prepared to do the work to overcome obstacles and learn from mistakes.
And since he was admitted to the grad program, clearly it worked. Related: How to Know if Law School Is Right for You. Boston College Class of I did not know higher education existed as a field until I came to college. Despite this, it has surprisingly been the field that has had the largest impact on my college experience. It has given me direction going forward. College has been my most important experience so far, in that it has allowed me to better understand how I interact with my environment and how others experience the world around them. Without the Student Affairs professionals I have interacted with over the past four years, I would not be where I am today.
I hope that in my future as a Student Affairs professional I can give students the great experience I have been privileged to receive. I will take the lessons I have learned and those that I will learn in the future to improve the college experience for many future generations going forward. I have enjoyed being a Resident Advisor, a Parent Orientation Leader, and an Assistant Resident Director while attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell for the past four years. All of these jobs fall under the Office of Residence Life. These opportunities have been cornerstones of my college education. They have taught me the long-term and transferrable skills of organization, conflict management, and supervision. I have most enjoyed being an Assistant Resident Director, as I get to work with the Resident Advisors and Resident Director in a more administrative capacity.
The ARD works closely with the RD to get the work done and hold RAs accountable. I think my favorite part of being an ARD this year has been working with the RAs to make sure they have the best experience they can, while at the same time making sure they complete their work well and on time. I enjoy helping RAs and other students reach their full potential, and I feel that it is a learning process for me too. The ARD position has shown me how much I value helping others on the path I have set for myself through my experiences with the RAs I supervise. Because of the ARD role I have been afforded, I have had the opportunity to see how this potential career may play out.
I feel confident about my ability to transition to the professional side of the field because the ARD position has already forced me to take on many of these steps. I tested the waters of the potential career in my RA role last year; this year as an ARD has shown me that I know I can succeed. I am passionate about student affairs and higher education because it is an opportunity to work with college students and help them grow and develop. This field allows me to assist others every day at a time in their lives when many students need it most. It was my developmental path, and I want to give that support to others. So far my academics and daily practice have not been linked nor intentional. I am excited to be able to make this so by starting a graduate program in higher education.
Understanding my former responsibilities in terms of theory and learn how to turn new theories into practice is a process I cannot wait to begin. I know the Lynch School of Education can assist me in achieving this goal through their program in Higher Education Administration. The opportunity to study in the Boston area will give me a multitude of professional development opportunities that would be hard to find anywhere else. If I am admitted, I will work hard to maximize my time at the Lynch School and become a young professional who can innovate and improve upon current practices in the field.
However, teaching may or may not be a part of your doctoral program. Even if it is, the faculty will want to see that you are focused on research. Help out the admissions committee by highlighting any relevant experience and skills you have. Be sure to point out any research experience in your essay even if mentioned on your resume. Such experience, in any context, helps demonstrate your interests and skill set. Also be sure to mention any other relevant skills for research that you may possess such as computer programming e.
SPSS, MATLAB, STATA and writing. Be sure to highlight any recognition you received for writing; high level writing skills are a major plus. Admissions committees will not react well if it appears you are hiding or avoiding a topic. Failure is a common event in research. Showing how you successfully rebounded from setbacks bodes well for you. But, surprisingly, we often see sloppily written essays with typos, poor grammar, addressed to a different university and any other number of mistakes that could have easily been fixed. Be sure to ask others to proofread these essays for you. A sloppy essay signals you would be a sloppy researcher.
If you have work experience in the field, please note that this is not always helpful in applying to PhD programs. If you can link your work experience to your motivation and the relevant research topics, great! Be sure to do that. In particular, be sure to share your essays with your recommendation writers. That helps them write stronger letters of support for you and ensures what they say is consistent with what you are saying. Furthermore, if you have drafts of your essay completed early enough, it is reasonable to ask them for feedback. They may not have time, but most faculty are quite willing to help their former students out if given sufficient notice. Professor Laincz serves as the director of the PhD program at LeBow. He completed his PhD at Duke University and his primary research interests are in economic growth, industrial organization and research and development.
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