Tag: admissions process

Navigating Career Transitions in Your MBA Personal Statement

A cartoonish and vibrant scene of a character standing at a colorful crossroads, with one path leading to a creative industry represented by artistic elements and the other path leading to a corporate business environment with sleek buildings, symbolizing career transitions.
How do you manage a professional crossroads?

Though most applicants use an MBA to accelerate their climb within their current professional silo, many people use it to transition from one industry to another. For the past 15 years, Gurufi has helped thousands of applicants earn admission into top business schools, so we’re familiar with how to reposition yourself to use an MBA to alter your professional trajectory. Whether you have a non-traditional background or are making a significant career shift, your MBA personal statement is an opportunity to explain your journey, showcase your transferable skills, and demonstrate your readiness for this new path. Here’s how to navigate career transitions in your MBA personal statement effectively:

  1. Acknowledge Your Background

If there’s something about your application that worries you, don’t ignore it, try to hide it, or hope the Admissions Committee doesn’t think about it. This is a bad idea for one simple reason: it won’t work. The best advice for how to handle unusual -or even problematic- aspects of your application that you know your reader will have concerns about is the same advice you’d give to a balding friend trying to fool everyone with a bad combover: what you can’t fix, feature. That is, if you know that the reader will have concerns, take them on head-on and even find a way to make it something that explains and contextualizes your mission and successes.

Start by acknowledging your non-traditional background or current career. Be proud of your journey and the unique perspectives it has given you. Highlight the skills, experiences, and insights you’ve gained from your previous roles. For example, if you’re transitioning from a career in the arts to business, discuss how your creativity, project management, and communication skills are valuable assets in the business world.

When you do this well, you’ll find that the reader appreciates your uniqueness. Remember, AdComs don’t want to fill classes with 150 photocopies of the same person, so your unusual path can really be a strength.

  1. Explain Your Motivation for Change

Clearly articulate why you are choosing to transition careers and pursue an MBA. Admissions committees want to understand your motivations and how the MBA fits into your overall career plan. Explain the specific events or realizations that led you to this decision. Whether it’s a desire to acquire new skills, a passion for a different industry, or the need to advance to a leadership role, your reasons should be genuine and well thought out.

The main idea here is that your journey needs to feel coherent. The three points on the line -past, present, future- should feel like the same person, even if you’re making a pivot in your career.

  1. Highlight Transferable Skills

One of the most critical aspects of transitioning careers is highlighting your transferable skills. These are abilities that are relevant and valuable across various fields. For example, skills such as leadership, problem-solving, communication, and analytical thinking are highly transferable. Provide examples from your previous experiences that demonstrate these skills. If you managed a team, resolved a significant challenge, or developed a strategic plan, describe these experiences and their outcomes.

  1. Connect Past Experiences to Future Goals

Draw a clear connection between your past experiences and your future career goals. Explain how your background has prepared you for the MBA program and your desired career path. For instance, if you’ve worked in education and now aim to transition into educational technology, discuss how your teaching experience has given you insights into the industry that you plan to innovate. This connection shows that your career transition is a logical progression rather than a random leap.

  1. Demonstrate Your Commitment

Transitioning careers often requires significant effort and dedication. Demonstrate your commitment to this new path by discussing any steps you’ve already taken to facilitate the transition. This could include additional coursework, certifications, networking, or relevant projects. Showing that you’ve actively prepared for this change reinforces your seriousness and readiness for the challenges ahead.

The idea here is that you need to show that this isn’t just a pipedream, it’s an aspiration connected to a plan that you’ve been working.

  1. Address Potential Concerns

Admissions committees may have concerns about your ability to succeed in a new field, especially if your background is vastly different from the typical MBA applicant. Address these concerns proactively by discussing how you plan to overcome potential challenges. Highlight any relevant experience that may not be immediately apparent. For instance, if you lack a traditional business background, emphasize any quantitative or analytical skills you’ve developed in other contexts.

  1. Showcase Adaptability and Resilience

Career transitions often require a high degree of adaptability and resilience. Share examples of times when you’ve successfully navigated change, adapted to new environments, or overcome significant obstacles. These stories demonstrate that you have the perseverance and flexibility needed to thrive in an MBA program and a new career.

  1. Be Authentic

Authenticity is crucial in your personal statement. Be honest about your journey and your reasons for making a career change. Avoid embellishing your experiences or creating a narrative that doesn’t reflect your true motivations. Authenticity resonates with admissions committees and makes your personal statement more compelling and believable.

  1. Tailor Your Statement to Each Program

Each MBA program has its unique strengths and culture. Tailor your personal statement to align with the specific values and offerings of each program. Research the school thoroughly and mention how its resources, faculty, and network will help you achieve your career transition goals. This shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in what the program has to offer.

  1. Seek Feedback and Revise

Finally, seek feedback from mentors, colleagues, or professional consultants like those at Gurufi. Constructive feedback can help you refine your personal statement and ensure it effectively communicates your career transition story. Revise your statement multiple times to polish your writing and strengthen your message.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top MBA programs. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

How to Get Advice for Your Personal Statement

A cartoon illustrating a 'Frankenstein Essay' scenario. A student holding a disjointed essay with visible seams and patches, resembling Frankenstein's monster. Surrounding the student are a roommate, a professor, a premed advisor, a friend, and a parent, all giving conflicting advice. The student looks confused and overwhelmed. The background includes a messy desk with books, notes, and a laptop.
Beware the dreaded “Frankenstein Essay”!

         Since founding Gurufi in 2008, I have helped clients fix, tighten, and rework probably 15,000 personal statements. Because I’ve had so many reps, I can instantly spot what I’ve come to call “the Frankenstein Essay.”

         These essays are distinctive for their abrupt change of voice, inexplicable jumps between narratives, and the overall sense that I’m not reading a single coherent essay, but rather a weird amalgam pieced together from the parts of five or six different sources. Whenever I get one of these, I’ll ask a client, “so, how many people did you show the first draft of your personal statement to?” Without fail, they’ll tell me that they showed everybody they could think of who might help: their roommate, a professor, the school’s premed / pre-law advisor, etc.

         This is a huge mistake.

         Look, it’s understandable that once you’ve finished your personal statement, you may feel a little apprehensive about what you have written, and as such it is only reasonable to seek out second and third opinions in order to make sure that you have overlooked nothing, the prose is tight, and you have made a compelling case for your candidacy.  But, just as an excellent revision and editing can make an average essay excellent, bad editing can wreck an essay. On such occasions, one is smart to heed the old aphorism that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’

         Once you have completed your first draft, you need to think carefully about how you go about using advice from other people.  Here are six pointers for how to get the best advice in order to turn your draft into an excellent final version you are proud of and happy with.

1.)  Be careful about who you pick.

Obviously, you want to get advice from someone who writes well, can be frank with you, and has some understanding of the field to which you are applying. If you choose to get advice from a boyfriend or your mother, for example, then be careful because they might give you an overly glowing review because of their esteem and love for you or may lack the qualifications to point out minor problems with your approach. Similarly, asking your English major friend to look at your Engineering graduate school essay is not a bad idea, but if you go that route, having someone involved in engineering (preferably in an academic capacity) also look at your essay is a good idea.

Good people to talk to are your academic advisor (if you are applying to graduate or professional schools) or guidance counselor (if you are applying to college).  I know that many people will take their essays to message boards and post them to see what people think of it. This is the one thing I would advise you NEVER to do. The problem here is that you have no real way to gauge someone’s level of expertise and you may get too much feedback from too many sources.

Which leads us to point #2…

  1. Don’t give it to too many people.

If you get critiques on your essay from 8-9 different people and you incorporate all of their suggestions, you will be pulled in too many directions and the essay will lose its sense of voice and focus. The old joke that a camel is a horse designed by committee applies here. Your essay cannot be everything to everyone, and you must accept this fact. There will always be something that someone would have done differently, so they will often naturally advise you that you should do something different than what you are doing.

  1. Ask follow-up questions

Whenever someone suggests a change, don’t be afraid to ask them about it. Sometimes you will agree with their rationale but disagree with the execution of the change. Also, through a conversation people will often help you see larger problems that you may have missed. People are often hesitant to give tough advice, and a friendly conversation can help you avoid this problem because by talking to someone, the person will see that you are serious about valuing their advice.

The most frequent form of advice that people will give is, “you should include _____.” Now, this is often useful advice, but because most personal statements have tight word caps, you can’t just add everything that might kinda-sorta be relevant. Thus, in my experience, one of the best questions you can ask is, “if you think that I should add ____, what do you think I should take out to make room for this new text?”

The reason is that writing is about choices, and just because something is relevant in the abstract doesn’t mean that it should be included in your essay. If their suggestion for what you should remove to make room for their suggested new text is something that you don’t think you can lose, then that may indicate that you should ignore this bit of advice.

Which brings us to Point #4:

  1. Don’t be afraid to ignore advice.

At the end of the day, this is *your* personal statement, and *your* future depends on how well you execute it. When someone suggests changes, consider their level of expertise (both as a writer and as a subject-matter expert), think about it carefully and, if you disagree, then don’t do it. Not every piece of advice given is good; often, you will receive terrible advice.

The final decision is yours, so take your role as the gatekeeper of advice seriously, and only let the best suggestions that work well with your theme, tone, approach and goal through.

  1. BUT, try to avoid pride of authorship

In my capacity as an admissions essay consultant, I often encounter customers who are furious when I tell them that they have things that they need to work on. It is almost as if they paid me $500 for me to tell them that their work was perfect, and they should not change a single letter.

Because a personal statement is so, well, personal, it can sometimes sting when someone gives you pointed advice. Try to see the bigger picture and embrace the process that will help you to move towards a better and stronger essay. Do your best not to see a critique of your essay as a criticism of you as a person, and rather see it as a positive moment that moves you one step closer to your goal.

  1. Consider using an essay editing service

They can be a bit expensive, but in the end, if you’re willing to tens -or even hundreds- of thousands of dollars on college or graduate school, spending a small fraction of that to get you into your desired school only makes sense. Getting into a top school, as opposed to an average one, is worth investing in.

Some things to consider:

-Make sure that they guarantee your satisfaction.

-Ask if they will work with you beyond just receiving a single revision back from you.  Often, it will take 2-3 exchanges with your editor to completely understand what you want to say, how you want to say it, and what core message you want to convey.

In the end, selecting the right editor / consultant is a personal choice about vibe and fit. We at Gurufi.com understand that admissions can be a stressful and opaque process, and our editors are fantastic at working with you to produce a powerful essay that reflects your personality and aspirations.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Ten Tips for Your Grad School Writing Sample

Colorful cartoon of students working on their graduate school writing samples in a cozy study space with the help of an experienced editor from Gurufi. The students are smiling and focused, surrounded by books, laptops, and coffee cups, while the friendly editor offers guidance. Text overlay: 'Refine Your Writing Sample with Gurufi – Your Path to Graduate School Success!
Your writing sample is a central part of your application… so you better get it right!
Many graduate programs, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, request that applicants submit a writing sample. At Gurufi, our experienced editor have helped scores of successful applicants refine their writing samples and earn admission to top schools. Here we go over ten common questions that people have about writing samples and provide ideas for how you can make this a strength of your application.

Overview:

Graduate school writing samples are an integral part of many applications, providing a window into your academic abilities, research skills, and potential for success in a rigorous academic environment. In this blog post, we address ten common questions about graduate school writing samples, offering guidance on how to select, craft, and present a strong sample that enhances your application.

1. What is the purpose of a graduate school writing sample?

The purpose of a graduate school writing sample is to demonstrate your writing ability, analytical skills, and readiness for graduate-level work. It allows the admissions committee to assess your capacity to engage with complex ideas, conduct thorough research, and communicate your findings effectively. The writing sample provides a concrete example of your academic capabilities and helps the committee determine if you are well-suited for the demands of their program and have sophisticated insights into the kind of complex issues that people engage with, especially within Ph.D. programs.

2. How do I choose the best writing sample for my graduate school application?

In short, you need to pick a writing sample that is germane, excellent, polished, and ideally is also representative of the kind of work you aspire to do. Showcase your strengths. To this end, consider the following tips:
1. **Relevance:** Choose a sample that is relevant to the field of study you are applying for. This demonstrates your knowledge and interest in the subject area. Even if you wrote an awesome paper for your American History class, that might not be the best choice for a Sociology graduate program.
2. **Quality:** Select a well-written piece that reflects your best work. Ensure it is free of errors and well-organized. Importantly, even if you got strong marks on the essay, you should spend a week or two refining it and revising it. Perhaps even think about tweaking it to align perfectly with the school you’re submitting it to and the strengths of that program.
3. **Length:** Follow the program’s guidelines regarding the length of the writing sample. If no guidelines are provided, a typical length is 10-20 pages.
4. **Originality:** Choose a piece that highlights your original thinking and research skills. This could be a research paper, a thesis chapter, or a critical essay.

3. What should I include in the introduction of my writing sample?

First, remember that if you are choosing a topic that’s germane to the field you’re applying to, you can expect for your reader to be quite familiar with the core ideas. That said, it would be helpful to include the prompt / assignment description if there is one. Otherwise, the writing should speak for itself as a coherent and internally consistent document, so the things that make a strong introduction in any essay apply to this one.

The introduction of your writing sample should provide a clear and concise overview of the topic, the research question or thesis, and the significance of your work. It should set the context for your research and outline the structure of the paper. The introduction should engage the reader and provide a roadmap for what to expect in the rest of the document.

4. How can I demonstrate my research skills in my writing sample?

To demonstrate your research skills, ensure your writing sample includes a well-defined research question or thesis, a comprehensive literature review, and (if relevant) a robust methodology section. Use credible sources and provide proper citations to support your arguments. Present your findings clearly and analyze the data effectively. Highlight your ability to synthesize information and draw insightful conclusions from your research.

It’s a good idea to talk to the professor for whom you originally wrote the paper and ask them for additional input on how they can strengthen the text for this particular purpose and school. Think about additional research you can do, if necessary, to demonstrate knowledge of the field.

5. What are common mistakes to avoid in a graduate school writing sample?

Common mistakes to avoid in a graduate school writing sample include:
1. **Poor Organization:** Ensure your paper is well-structured with clear headings and logical flow.
2. **Weak Thesis:** Present a strong and focused thesis or research question.
3. **Insufficient Analysis:** Provide thorough analysis and avoid simply summarizing sources.
4. **Lack of Clarity:** Write clearly and concisely, avoiding jargon and overly complex sentences.
5. **Grammatical Errors:** Proofread your sample multiple times to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors. This really should not happen. For a paper of this importance, you should go over it a dozen or more times, looking for any errors.

6. How long should my graduate school writing sample be?

Most applications will specify a length. The length of your graduate school writing sample should follow the guidelines provided by the program you are applying to. If no specific length is mentioned, a typical writing sample ranges from 10 to 20 pages. Ensure that the sample is long enough to demonstrate your ability to conduct in-depth research and analysis, but not so long that it overwhelms the reader. Quality is more important than quantity, so focus on presenting a well-written and cohesive piece.

If your best writing came in a 60-page thesis, for instance, then think about whether your best approach is to reduce that down to 20 pages or whether you should select an excellent 20-page representative section. Ideally that section would be relatively self-sustaining, perhaps with a page or so of explanation that it was taken from a larger text for which you provide sufficient context and explanation.

7. How can I make my writing sample stand out?

To make your writing sample stand out, focus on the following aspects:
1. **Originality:** Present original ideas and perspectives that demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills.
2. **Clarity:** Write clearly and concisely, ensuring your arguments are easy to follow.
3. **Relevance:** Choose a topic that is relevant to your field of study and showcases your expertise.
4. **Analysis:** Provide thorough and insightful analysis that goes beyond surface-level observations.
5. **Professionalism:** Ensure your sample is polished, well-formatted, and free of errors.

8. What role does the writing sample play in the admissions process?

The writing sample plays a crucial role in the admissions process as it provides tangible evidence of your academic abilities and potential for success in graduate school. It allows the admissions committee to evaluate your writing skills, research capabilities, and ability to engage with complex topics. A strong writing sample can significantly enhance your application by demonstrating your readiness for graduate-level work and your fit for the program.

In many programs, the writing sample determines which professor reviews your application, so be sure to account for that in terms of how you frame your admissions strategy.

9. How should I format my graduate school writing sample?

Personally, I don’t think this one matters much. As long as your formatting is clean and consistent, you should be fine. That said, some people believe that you should format your graduate school writing sample following academic standards and any specific guidelines provided by the program. Here are some general tips:
1. **Font and Spacing:** Use a standard font such as Times New Roman, 12-point size, and double-spacing.
2. **Margins:** Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
3. **Headings:** Use clear headings and subheadings to organize your paper.
4. **Citations:** Follow a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) and include a bibliography or reference list.
5. **Title Page:** Include a title page with your name, the title of the paper, and any other required information.

10. How do I address feedback and revisions in my writing sample?

Addressing feedback and revisions is an important part of preparing a strong writing sample. Here’s how to approach it:
1. **Seek Feedback Early:** Share your draft with professors, mentors, or peers to get constructive feedback.
2. **Be Open to Criticism:** Accept feedback with an open mind and consider how it can improve your work.
3. **Revise Thoroughly:** Make necessary revisions to strengthen your arguments, clarify your writing, and correct any errors.
4. **Proofread Again:** After revising, proofread your sample multiple times to ensure it is polished and error-free.

Conclusion

A well-crafted graduate school writing sample is a key component of your application, showcasing your academic abilities and research skills. By addressing these common questions and incorporating the advice provided, you can select and prepare a writing sample that effectively demonstrates your potential for success in graduate school. Remember to be thoughtful, thorough, and reflective in your writing, and you will create a compelling sample that enhances your application.

For more help with your writing sample, CV, or personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

How to Build Powerful Med School Secondaries

A four-panel cartoon illustrating the journey of a medical school applicant. In the first panel, a weary student stands at the start of a long, winding path carrying a heavy backpack filled with books, a laptop, and papers. In the second panel, the student, looking even more exhausted, reaches a point where the path splits into multiple smaller paths. In the third panel, the student sits on a rock, looking at a map while a mentor figure offers a bottle and smiles encouragingly. In the fourth panel, the student appears confident and focused, writing on a laptop with papers spread out around them.
The journey of a medical school applicant: From initial preparations to mastering secondary essays, with guidance and perseverance leading to success.

Here at Gurufi, we spend much of the late summer and early fall working with hundreds of clients to perfect their medical school secondaries. In my experience, at this point, applicants are quite exhausted by the immense work it takes to get to this point: studying for and taking the MCAT, getting letters of rec, completing your prerequisite courses, supplementing your clinical experience, completing the AMCAS, and ironing out your personal statement and Word & Activities sections. Now, you must complete a dozen or more additional school-specific essays. This naturally leads people to wonder how they can complement their existing materials in ways that maximize the value and impact of their secondaries. This post seeks to help you craft powerful secondary essays.

Secondary essays provide an opportunity to showcase your unique qualities, experiences, and motivations that make you a suitable candidate a specific medical school. Crafting effective secondary essays requires thoughtful reflection and a strategic approach. Here’s how to respond to common secondary essay prompts and tailor your responses for different schools:

1. Understand the Purpose of Secondary Essays

Secondary essays allow admissions committees to learn more about you beyond your primary application. Moreover, because the admission committees of particular schools craft these essays, they reflect questions that the AdCom obviously cares about. They are designed to assess your fit for the specific program, your alignment with the school’s values, and your readiness for the challenges of medical school. Understanding this purpose will help you craft essays that effectively convey your qualifications and aspirations.

2. Research Each School Thoroughly

Before writing your secondary essays, conduct thorough research on each medical school you are applying to. Understand their mission, values, curriculum, and unique features. Familiarize yourself with their specific programs, faculty, research opportunities, and community involvement. Talk to people at the school, including both faculty and staff if you can. This research will enable you to tailor your responses to align with the school’s specific expectations and culture.

3. Address Common Secondary Essay Prompts

While each school may have unique prompts, some common themes often appear in secondary essays. Here are strategies for responding to these common prompts:

a. Why This School?

This prompt asks you to explain why you are interested in attending that particular medical school. Be specific and detailed in your response. Highlight aspects of the program that resonate with your career goals and interests. Mention unique opportunities, such as specific research programs, clinical experiences, or community service initiatives, that make the school a good fit for you. Demonstrating a genuine interest and thorough knowledge of the school will strengthen your response.

One thing to beware of is writing a “school brochure” where you simply list a series of things that you like about the school. This doesn’t show much more than that you have access to Google. If you can explain in depth, using examples from your past, a few things really well, that is much better than mentioning a bunch of things. As with personal statements, saying one or two things really well is better than saying a bunch of things poorly.

b. Describe a Challenge You’ve Overcome

This prompt seeks to understand your resilience and problem-solving abilities. Choose a significant challenge you have faced, either personally or professionally. Describe the context, the actions you took to address the challenge, and the lessons you learned from the experience. Focus on how the experience has prepared you for the rigors of medical school and a career in medicine.

c. Diversity and Inclusion

Many medical schools value diversity and seek to understand how you will contribute to a diverse and inclusive community. Reflect on your background, experiences, and perspectives that contribute to your unique identity. Discuss how your experiences with diversity have shaped your worldview and how you plan to promote inclusivity in medical school and your future career.

d. Significant Research Experience

If you have significant research experience, this prompt allows you to highlight your contributions to scientific knowledge. Describe your research project, your role, and the impact of your findings. Explain how this experience has influenced your interest in medicine and your future career goals. Emphasize any skills you developed, such as critical thinking, data analysis, or teamwork.

There are three additional points that I’d make with this prompt. First, writing about science can be hard. It’s difficult to balance accuracy, clarity, and complexity. As such, this is among the most difficult kinds of admissions writing and you may want to think about getting help with someone experienced and adept with this. (like Gurufi! ) Second, think about how you view the role of science and research as you move forward. Do you (be honest) intend to continue doing research in and beyond medical school? If so, think about including this, even if briefly, in your essay. Lastly, also think about your research experience in the same way that you wrote about an important job in your Work & Activities section: did you grow, improve, receive additional responsibilities, or earn a promotion?

  1. Professional Goals and Aspirations

    This prompt asks you to articulate your career goals and how the medical school will help you achieve them. Be clear and specific about your short-term and long-term goals. Explain how the school’s resources, faculty, and curriculum align with your aspirations. Demonstrating a clear vision for your future and how the school fits into that vision shows that you are focused and motivated.

    4. Tailor Your Responses

    Tailoring your responses for each school is essential to demonstrate your genuine interest and fit. Use the research you conducted to incorporate specific details about the school into your essays. Mention faculty members you are excited to work with, unique programs that align with your interests, and community initiatives that you want to be part of. Personalizing your essays shows that you have a sincere interest in the school and have thoughtfully considered how it aligns with your goals.

    5. Be Authentic and Reflective

    Authenticity is key to crafting compelling secondary essays. Be honest about your experiences, motivations, and aspirations. Reflect on your journey and share meaningful insights that provide a deeper understanding of who you are. Avoid generic statements and clichés. Instead, focus on specific examples and personal stories that illustrate your points.

    6. Show, Don’t Tell

I’m sure you’ve heard this before. I don’t love “show, don’t tell” as a piece of advice because it doesn’t feel actionable. You can get to the same idea by saying “tell a story and let the story demonstrate your traits.” Not as punchy, but more accurate. For example, instead of simply stating that you are passionate about medicine, provide examples that demonstrate your passion. Describe experiences that have solidified your commitment to the field and the actions you have taken to pursue your interest. This approach makes your essays more vivid and memorable.

If you need help with storytelling, check out this video. It was made for MBA applicants, but all of the core ideas apply to medical school applications. This other video also provides a useful way to attack the “show don’t tell” problem.

7. Edit and Revise

Writing effective secondary essays requires multiple drafts and revisions. After writing your initial draft, take a break and then revisit your essay with fresh eyes. Seek feedback from mentors, peers, or professional consultants to gain different perspectives. Revise your essays to improve clarity, coherence, and impact. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation to ensure your essays are polished and professional.

BUT, do be judicious with who you send your essay to. Too many chefs spoil the broth.

Crafting effective secondary essays for medical school applications involves understanding the purpose of these essays, conducting thorough research, addressing common prompts thoughtfully, and tailoring your responses to each school. By being authentic, reflective, and detail-oriented, you can create compelling essays that resonate with admissions committees and enhance your chances of acceptance. Good luck with your applications!

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical schools. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Personal Statement, Secondaries, and Work & Activities

applicant preparing his medical school application
Have a plan for your entire medical school application before you begin

Of all the graduate and professional schools, medical school has the most onerous admissions process. Between MCATs, science prerequisites, personal statements, and secondaries, it can certainly feel overwhelming.

In the 15 years we’ve been helping applicants earn admission to their dream schools, we have become quite familiar with how difficult it can be to juggle all of the different pieces of written application materials. Crafting these components effectively requires a clear understanding of their distinct purposes and how they interrelate. This article will guide you through strategizing each part of the AMCAS application to present a compelling and cohesive narrative to admissions committees.

Planning Your Application

The best approach to tackling the AMCAS application is to begin with comprehensive planning. Start by reviewing the secondary essay prompts for all the schools you are applying to. While many of these prompts for the current application cycle may not yet be released, you can look at last year’s prompts, as they often remain largely unchanged. By gathering all the prompts, you can map out a plan to cover all your main points without redundancy.

The Personal Statement

The AMCAS personal statement serves two primary purposes: explaining the source of your interest in medicine and making the strongest case for your admission. Think of the personal statement as your opportunity to make a powerful impression on the committee in just 90 seconds. This requires focusing on depth, storytelling, and personal authenticity.

1. Depth and Storytelling: Your personal statement should delve deeply into your motivations for pursuing medicine. Use storytelling to illustrate your journey, highlighting pivotal moments that shaped your decision. Avoid generic statements; instead, provide specific examples that demonstrate your passion and commitment.

2. Personal Authenticity: Authenticity is crucial. Admissions committees want to see the real you, not an idealized version. Reflect on your unique experiences and perspectives, and convey them honestly. Authenticity resonates more than trying to fit a perceived mold of what a medical school applicant should be.

The Work & Activities Section

If the personal statement is about depth, the Work & Activities section is about breadth. This section allows you to demonstrate that you are a well-rounded candidate by showcasing a range of experiences. The main categories to cover are academic readiness, scientific bona fides, service, leadership, and character.

1. Verbs and Actions: Focus on what you did in each activity. Use strong, action-oriented verbs to describe your roles and contributions. This not only highlights your accomplishments but also demonstrates growth, initiative, and leadership.

2. “Most Significant” Entries: In the Work & Activities section, you have the opportunity to designate three experiences as “most significant.” Use these longer entries to provide depth to your application, complementing the breadth demonstrated in the other entries. If your personal statement focuses heavily on one or two areas, use these significant entries to balance your application by highlighting other aspects.

3. Avoid Redundancy: While it is fine to reference an experience mentioned in your personal statement, avoid repeating the same information. Instead, provide additional insights or details that were not covered in the personal statement.

The Secondary Essays

Secondary essays are school-specific and allow you to demonstrate why you are a good fit for each particular institution. These essays should be tailored carefully to address each prompt and align with the values and mission of the school.

1. School-Specific Fit: Research each school’s mission, values, and programs to understand what they are looking for in applicants. Use this information to craft essays that not only respond to the prompts but also highlight how your experiences and goals align with the school’s ethos.

2. Repurposing Text: While it is efficient to repurpose sections of text for multiple secondaries, do so with caution. Ensure that each essay remains responsive to the specific prompt and tailored to the school’s unique characteristics.

Integrating Key Concepts

As you compile these components, it is essential to integrate key concepts that medical schools value: leadership, service, advocacy, outreach, cultural competency, and diversity. Find ways to infuse your experiences with these themes, demonstrating your commitment through actions you have taken.

1. Leadership: Highlight instances where you have taken initiative, led teams, or influenced positive changes. This can be in academic, professional, or community settings.

2. Service: Showcase your dedication to serving others, whether through volunteer work, community service, or patient care experiences. Emphasize the impact you have made and the lessons you have learned.

3. Advocacy and Outreach: Demonstrate your involvement in advocacy or outreach efforts, especially those aimed at addressing healthcare disparities or improving community health. This shows your commitment to making a broader impact in medicine.

4. Cultural Competency and Diversity: Reflect on experiences that have enhanced your cultural competency and ability to work with diverse populations. Medical schools seek applicants who can navigate and contribute to diverse environments effectively.

Final Thoughts

Strategizing your AMCAS personal statement, Work & Activities, and secondary essays involves a careful balance of depth and breadth, authenticity, and strategic alignment with each school’s values. By planning ahead, focusing on what each section is supposed to accomplish, and integrating key concepts valued by medical schools, you can present a compelling and cohesive narrative that maximizes your chances of admission.

Remember, the goal is to provide a comprehensive picture of who you are as an applicant, highlighting both your qualifications and your personal journey toward a career in medicine. With thoughtful planning and execution, you can create an application that stands out and resonates with admissions committees.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical schools. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Mistakes to Avoid on Your AMCAS Work & Activities Section

Applicant preparing their Work &Activities section for their AMCAS medical school application
Be thoughtful about your Work & Activities section!

Every year, our editors at Gurufi help scores of candidates earn admission to their dream medical school. In the fifteen years I have been helping applicants, I have noticed that far too many applicants don’t put enough time or thought into their Work & Activities sections.

Crafting the Work & Activities (W&A) section of your AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application is a crucial task that requires careful thought and precision. Unfortunately, while many people spend weeks or ever months fine-tuning their personal statement, they treat this vital section almost as an afterthought. The W&A section allows you to showcase your experiences, learning, and growth in a succinct yet comprehensive manner and provides the reader with a clear overview of your overall strengths as a candidate. Here are some essential tips to help you make the most of this opportunity.

Focus on Your Actions, Learning, and Growth

When describing your experiences, it’s important to clearly articulate what you did, what you learned, and how you grew from each activity. Admissions committees are looking for evidence of your dedication, skills, and personal development. Applicants will sometimes get this wrong by spending too much time describing what the organization does or talking too much about things that don’t relate directly to their roles or tasks.

What You Did: Describe your specific responsibilities and actions. For instance, if you volunteered at a clinic, detail the tasks you handled, such as assisting with patient intake or organizing health education workshops.

What You Learned: Reflect on the skills and knowledge you gained. Did you develop better communication skills, learn about healthcare disparities, or gain insight into patient care?

How You Grew: Explain how these experiences influenced your personal and professional growth. Did they strengthen your commitment to medicine, enhance your empathy, or inspire you to pursue a particular medical specialty? If you struggle to nail this down, think about who you were before you started and who you were afterward. How are these different people?

Highlight Promotions and Expanded Responsibilities
If you received promotions or were given additional responsibilities, make sure to mention these. They demonstrate your competence, reliability, and the trust others have placed in you. For example, if you started as a volunteer and later became a team leader, highlight this progression to show your leadership and ability to take on more significant roles.

Avoid Jargon
Medical and scientific jargon can be confusing and may not convey your experiences effectively. Moreover, individual organizations often use idiosyncratic title names or other descriptors that don’t mean anything to people outside the organization. Use clear and straightforward language to ensure your descriptions are easily understood by all readers. Instead of using technical terms, explain your activities in a way that highlights your contributions and impact and think about how you might describe what you did to a loved one who isn’t in the medical world.

Choose Strong Verbs
The verbs you use can significantly influence how your actions are perceived. Strong, active verbs convey confidence and decisiveness. For example, instead of saying you “helped with patient care,” say you “provided patient care” or “coordinated patient services.” This subtle change makes your role sound more impactful and direct.

Be Succinct but Complete
You have only 700 characters for each entry, so brevity is essential. However, being succinct doesn’t mean using incomplete sentences or resorting to “CV speak.” Write in complete sentences to ensure clarity and coherence. Focus on the most critical aspects of each experience and eliminate any unnecessary details.

Plan Your “Most Significant” Experiences Thoughtfully
Deciding which experiences to designate as “most significant” should be done in conjunction with planning your personal statement. Because you get an extra 1325 characters, you can obviously cover a lot more ground, which is a huge benefit. Taking a strategic approach ensures you provide comprehensive coverage of your strengths and avoid redundancy. Your personal statement will delve deeply into your motivations and key experiences, while the Work & Activities section can highlight a broader range of accomplishments.

Review Last Year’s Secondary Essays

Looking at the secondary essay prompts from the schools you’re applying to can provide valuable insights. Most schools reuse essay topics for multiple years before changing, so understanding what they’ve asked in the past can help you align your “most significant” selections with potential secondary essay themes. This foresight can save you time and ensure your application remains focused and relevant.

Emphasize Breadth in Your Work & Activities
While your personal statement focuses on the depth of your decision to pursue medicine, the Work & Activities section should emphasize breadth. This is your chance to demonstrate the variety of your experiences and how they collectively prepare you for a career in medicine. Highlight diverse activities such as clinical work, research, volunteering, leadership roles, and extracurricular pursuits to present a well-rounded picture of your qualifications.

Apply the Same Care as Your Personal Statement
The Work & Activities section is just as important as your personal statement, so it deserves the same level of care and attention. Meticulously proofread your entries, ensuring they are free of errors and clearly communicate your achievements. A well-crafted Work & Activities section can significantly enhance your application and leave a lasting impression on admissions committees.

Example Entry
Here is an example of how to succinctly and effectively describe an experience:

Volunteer at Community Health Clinic (June 2020 – Present): Coordinated patient intake, assisted with health screenings, and organized educational workshops on nutrition and wellness. Developed strong communication skills and a deep understanding of healthcare disparities. Promoted to team leader, overseeing a group of 10 volunteers and managing clinic operations during weekend shifts.

This entry clearly outlines the responsibilities, learning outcomes, and growth experienced, all within the character limit. Note that the above provides a 388-character breakdown of the job. From there, you could add another 312 characters where you could briefly mention something like the most important task you accomplished, how this informs your thoughts on medical school, where this fits within your journey to medicine, or where you hope to go from here.

Conclusion

 

Writing the Work & Activities section of your AMCAS application requires careful planning and thoughtful execution. By focusing on your actions, learning, and growth, using clear language and strong verbs, and strategically selecting your most significant experiences, you can create a compelling and comprehensive account of your qualifications. Remember, this section is a vital component of your application, so give it the attention it deserves to ensure you stand out in the competitive field of medical school admissions.

Our editors at Gurufi have years of experience helping people put together their W&A sections. You can check us out here if you need help revising them, including making them fit within the tight character caps!

Crafting a Compelling Work & Activities Section for Your AMCAS Application

A cartoon of a young medical student at a desk, surrounded by tools like a laptop, notepad, and pen. The room is bright and colorful, with symbols of the medical field such as a stethoscope, a heart symbol, and a medical cross. The student is smiling and focused on their work.
Have a plan when writing your Work & Activities Section!

              In my decade+ helping applicants get into their dream medical schools, I have revised probably 500+ Work & Activities sections. I’ve discovered that even applicants who spend weeks, or even months, building and fine-tuning their personal statements will treat the Work & Activities section almost as an afterthought. The drafts they send are rife with grammar errors, and often they assume they don’t even need to write in complete sentences.

              This is a big mistake.

              When you’re filling out your AMCAS Work & Activities section, it’s crucial to put as much thought into it as you would a cover letter or a personal statement. This section is your opportunity to illustrate your experiences, demonstrate your growth, and reflect on how these activities have prepared you for a career in medicine. If the personal statement is a single, deep introduction to who you are and what you value, then the W&A is your opportunity to complement that depth with well-considered breadth. It is a crucial part of your application, and you need to give it serious thought. Yesterday, I wrote about how you can go about selecting your three “Most Significant” activities for mini-essays, but today I want to focus on the other items that you include.

              Here are some strategies to make your Work & Activities section stand out.

Write in Full Sentences

Resist the temptation to use “resume shorthand.” While bullet points and concise phrases might be suitable for a resume, the AMCAS application is not the place for them. People often write in shorthand incomplete sentences because they want to say more, but you’re always better off saying a bit less but saying it much better. Write complete sentences that clearly describe your role, responsibilities, and contributions. This approach helps the reader understand the context of your experiences and the impact you made.

Care About Verb Choice

Choosing the right verbs can transform a simple activity description into a vivid account of your involvement. Powerful verbs like “led,” “developed,” “initiated,” and “collaborated” paint a picture of active engagement and responsibility. Whenever you see a “to be” (am, was, were, is, etc.) think about whether you can replace it with something more vivid and active. By focusing on action-oriented language, you highlight what you did, not just your title.

Focus on Learning and Improvement

Medical schools are interested in candidates who learn from their experiences and show personal growth. When describing your activities, consider what you gained from each experience. Did you develop new skills, overcome challenges, or gain insights into the medical field? Share these learnings to give admissions committees a sense of your journey and evolution.

Connect Activities to Medical School Preparation

While you don’t need to explicitly state how an activity prepared you for medical school, it’s helpful to think about this connection when writing your descriptions. If a particular experience had a significant impact on your decision to pursue medicine or taught you valuable skills for your future career, consider weaving that into your narrative.

This approach adds depth to your application and shows a clear link between your experiences and your medical aspirations.

Use Adjectives to Guide Your Writing… but keep most of them out of your entries

Before you write each entry, think about 3-5 adjectives you want to convey about yourself.

These could be qualities like “compassionate,” “dedicated,” “innovative,” or “team-oriented.” Let these adjectives guide your word choice and the aspects of your experience that you emphasize. This strategy helps maintain consistency and ensures that your descriptions align with your overall message. That said, your writing needs to be lean, so the words themselves likely won’t make the cut as you trim to meet the 700-character caps. But if you start out thinking about these descriptors as your North Star, they will come across in the text.

Write Like You Talk

Avoid stilted language or industry jargon that might sound insincere. Medical school admissions committees appreciate clarity and authenticity. Write in a conversational tone that reflects your personality and avoids excessive technical terms or jargon. This approach helps create a more engaging narrative and ensures your descriptions are accessible to all readers. If you wouldn’t use a word in your everyday life, don’t use it in your essay. A good way to identify stilted language is to read your text aloud to a friend and have them note places that don’t sound like you. You can also do the same by recording yourself reading it, then listening back. Moments that give you the “icks” might be indicative of them not being authentic to your voice.

Additional Tips

– Be Specific: Provide concrete examples to illustrate your points. Instead of saying “I participated in research,” describe the project, your role, and any outcomes.

– Keep It Concise: While you want to use full sentences, avoid unnecessary verbosity. Aim for clear, succinct descriptions that get to the point.

– Review and Revise: Proofread your entries for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Consider asking a mentor or advisor to review your Work & Activities section for feedback. Of course, we at Gurufi are experts at revising these texts, including trimming down overly long entries to fit the caps!

With these tips in mind, you can create a compelling Work & Activities section that effectively communicates your experiences, growth, and readiness for a career in medicine. Good luck!

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical schools. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.