Tag: essay consulting

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.

Mastering the MBA Personal Statement: From CV to Compelling Story

Crafting an MBA personal statement can be daunting. For many applicants, it’s the most uncomfortable part of the application process, transforming a straightforward CV into a compelling narrative. Yet, mastering this challenge is crucial for standing out in a competitive field. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate from your CV to a polished personal statement.

The Right Mindset

Your personal statement is about your future. Unlike a CV, which lists past achievements, your essay should articulate a clear, specific, and feasible plan for your future. This plan should align with the strengths and resources of the schools you are applying to, guiding your selection of stories and experiences to highlight.

Begin by asking yourself: “What do I want to become and do?” Then, follow up with: “What specifically do I need to learn to make that happen?” and “What is the foundation that has prepared me to pursue this knowledge?” Your past achievements matter, but only in the context of how they have prepared you for your future goals.

The One Big Question: Storytelling

The heart of your personal statement lies in storytelling. Rather than providing a breadth of experiences, focus on a few well-chosen stories that convey your traits and readiness for your goals. Ask yourself:

  1. What traits am I trying to convey?
  2. How can I demonstrate that I’m ready to pursue my given goal?
  3. What stories convey those traits and demonstrate your preparedness?

Remember, showing is more effective than telling. Instead of stating, “I have great entrepreneurial instincts,” show it through a story, like, “When Jane and I built Xenotech, we identified an unserved niche in the market and created a plan to service it.” A compelling story should make clear the trait you’re trying to convey without explicitly stating it.

Building and Writing Great Stories

Every personal statement must answer the clear “why?” questions:

  • Why MBA?
  • Why now?
  • What is your vision for the future?
  • What experiences or potential do you have that supports this vision?

Incorporate “the steak and the sizzle” into your stories. The “steak” includes a clear rationale for why you need an MBA, why now is the right time, and evidence of your ability or potential, grounded in past experiences. This foundation ensures you are not bragging but demonstrating your qualifications.

The “sizzle” adds passion, excitement, and personality to your stories. Showcase human moments and personal interactions that reveal your leadership, learning, and moments of loss. Avoid being all steak or all sizzle. All steak with no sizzle is boring and misses the chance to let your personality shine. Conversely, all sizzle with no steak comes off as emotional but lacking substance.

Your Plan of Attack

  1. Get a Notebook: Write down your aspirations and the traits or skills you hope to acquire or build upon.
  2. Identify Stories: List instances where you demonstrated or failed to demonstrate these traits. Failure can be a powerful source for a compelling essay.
  3. Connect the Dots: For each trait, find a story that shows your excellence and readiness to achieve your goals.

Final Hints

Before you start outlining, have a clear sense of what you hope to emphasize. Distill your core positioning down to 2-3 sentences. Use brainstorming and freewriting to generate useful content. Remember, your core task is storytelling.

Conclusion

Mastering the MBA personal statement requires a balance of clear planning and engaging storytelling. By focusing on your future goals, selecting meaningful stories, and blending rational arguments with personal passion, you can create a compelling narrative that stands out. For more tips and personalized guidance, check out Gurufi.com, where we’ve helped over 10,000 applicants achieve their dream schools. Good luck!

10 Questions About Graduate School Personal Statements

A cartoon of a graduate student sitting at a desk, surrounded by books and papers, looking thoughtfully at a laptop screen labeled 'Personal Statement', with floating question marks and lightbulbs signifying ideas in a cozy study room.
Use these tips to nail your grad school personal statement!

Deciding to attend graduate school is a huge decision, and from the moment you begin this journey, it’ll be clear that your personal statement is the centerpiece of your application. More than any other single aspect, it signals your interests, describes your past, and advocates for your place and fit within the program you’re applying to. A compelling graduate school personal statement explains your intellectual journey, provides insights in your research interests, and offers a glimpse of what you aspire to do and become after completing graduate school. In this post, we address ten common questions about graduate school personal statements, offering guidance on how to craft a standout essay that effectively showcases your strengths and aspirations.

1. What is the purpose of a graduate school personal statement?

The purpose of a graduate school personal statement is to provide the admissions committee with a detailed understanding of your background, motivations, and goals. It allows you to explain why you are interested in the program, how your experiences have prepared you for graduate study, and what you hope to achieve. It is more than just a narrative version of your CV; it is the story that explains your personal and intellectual journey. This essay helps the committee assess your fit for the program and your potential for success in the field.

(note: many schools have both a personal statement and a statement of academic interest. This Essay is mostly for people applying to schools that have just the personal statement. If you want more information on tips for schools that ask for both, check this out)

2. How should I structure my graduate school personal statement?

There are many ways to do this, and so long as you cover the basics, it’s not necessarily required that you follow on particular structure. Here is one that you can use, at least as a starting point:

  1. **Introduction:** Start with a compelling story that captures the reader’s attention and introduces the main theme of your essay. Avoid being too gimmicky or dramatic. People talk about “hooks” but to be honest, that’s high school writing. Mature writers know how to ease back and let your story do the work without all the silly fireworks and cheesy intros.
    2. **Body:** Divide the body into several paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of your background, experiences, and goals. Use this section to provide detailed examples and reflections.
    3. **Conclusion:** Summarize the key points of your essay and reiterate how the program will help you achieve your career aspirations. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

Since most people apply to multiple schools, a good rule of thumb is to have the first 2/3 of your essay be usable for every school, and the last third be specific to a particular program. That way you can customize. Here is more details on how to repurpose a single essay for multiple schools!

3. What should I include in the introduction of my personal statement?

The introduction of your personal statement should provide a clear and concise overview of your motivations and goals. Start with a compelling compelling personal anecdote or a significant experience, that captures the reader’s attention. Briefly introduce the main theme of your essay and provide a roadmap for what to expect in the rest of the document. The introduction should set the stage for your narrative and engage the reader from the outset. You will eventually transition (usually in the middle third of the text) into a detailed and granular engagement with the subject matter, your thoughts on it, and the questions you hope to explore… but I’ve found that the best essays first establish that you’re passionate about the subject and excited to explore it. It should feel meaningful to you.

4. How can I highlight my research interests in my personal statement?

To highlight your research interests, discuss specific projects or topics you have worked on and how they have influenced your academic and career goals. Explain why these areas of research are important to you and how they align with the program you are applying to. Mention any relevant coursework, research experiences, or academic achievements that demonstrate your commitment and expertise in your field of interest.

5. What are common mistakes to avoid in a graduate school personal statement?

Common mistakes to avoid in a graduate school personal statement include:
1. **Being Vague:** Provide specific examples and detailed descriptions rather than broad generalizations. Remember, your readers are usually professors who work in this space, so feel free to “nerd out” on hyper-specific questions and convey how excited you are to dig into these subjects.
2. **Lack of Focus:** Ensure your essay has a clear and coherent narrative. Avoid jumping between unrelated topics.
3. **Neglecting to Proofread:** Spelling and grammatical errors can detract from your professionalism. Proofread your essay multiple times and consider having others review it.
4. **Overemphasis on Achievements:** While it’s important to highlight your achievements, balance this with reflections on your growth and areas for improvement. In the end, you’re telling the reader why you want to search for more answers in this space, so begin from the perspective that you DO NOT have all the answers, but are eager to look for them.
5. **Ignoring the Prompt:** Ensure your essay addresses the specific question or prompt provided by the application. Most personal statements are open-ended, but if they’re not, it’s because the school specifically wants to know something. Tell them.

6. How can I make my graduate school personal statement stand out?

To make your graduate school personal statement stand out, focus on authenticity, clarity, and compelling storytelling. Here are some tips:
1. **Be Yourself:** Let your unique voice and personality shine through your writing.
2. **Tell a Story:** Use a narrative structure to make your essay more engaging. Share specific anecdotes that highlight your key qualities and experiences.
3. **Show, Don’t Just Tell:** Use concrete examples to illustrate your points rather than making broad statements.
4. **Connect the Dots:** Clearly link your past experiences, present motivations, and future goals.
5. **Tailor to Each School:** Customize your personal statement for each program, highlighting why you are a great fit for their specific offerings.

7. What role do extracurricular activities play in a personal statement?

For a graduate school application, I’d mention only those activities relevant to the field you’re applying to. Unlike college applications (and to a lesser extent law, MBA, or medical), the admissions committee isn’t looking for all-around well-rounded people with diverse interests… their primary question is “are you super-interested in a relatively narrow set of questions within this field?”)

8. How do I address a lack of experience in my personal statement?

Addressing a lack of experience in your personal statement involves focusing on your potential and willingness to learn. Highlight transferable skills from other areas of your life, such as academic projects, internships, or volunteer work. Discuss any relevant coursework or independent study you have undertaken to prepare for graduate school. Emphasize your passion for the field and your commitment to gaining the necessary experience and skills.

That said… sometimes you have to recognize if you just haven’t done enough or aren’t sufficiently experienced in an area. This might mean taking on additional coursework, working in a lab or on another project, or otherwise delaying your application for a year or two so that you can acquire the relevant experience.

9. What should I include in the conclusion of my personal statement?

The conclusion of your personal statement should reinforce the key themes of your essay and leave a lasting impression. Briefly recap the main points, emphasizing how your experiences have prepared you for graduate study and how the program will help you achieve your goals. End with a strong closing statement that conveys your enthusiasm for the program and your readiness to contribute to the academic community.

Look to the future, be positive, and return to the ideas, words, stories, and themes that you had in your introduction so that you bring the essay full circle.

10. How can I convey my passion for the field in my graduate school personal statement?

To convey your passion for the field, share personal anecdotes and experiences that illustrate your dedication and enthusiasm. Discuss moments that sparked your interest in the field and how they have influenced your academic and career goals. Reflect on what excites you about the subject and how you plan to contribute to the field in the future. Be genuine and heartfelt in your writing, allowing your passion to come through naturally.

Crafting a compelling graduate school personal statement requires careful thought, reflection, and planning. By addressing these common questions and incorporating the advice provided, you can create a personal statement that authentically represents your background, highlights your strengths, and demonstrates your readiness for graduate study. Remember to be genuine, specific, and reflective in your writing, and you will create a compelling narrative that 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 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.

Five Mistakes to Avoid in your Business School Personal Statement

As you go about crafting your business school personal statements, here are five mistakes to avoid making.

Three Insider Secrets of Successful Ph.D. Applications

Applying to doctoral programs can be stressful and mysterious, and one of the real challenges is that most of the advice that you’ll find online about the application process comes from people whose experience is in the world of business school, law school, or undergraduate admissions. This advice isn’t well suited to graduate school applications because the process is simply different, as are the goals of the admission committee and the people who staff that admissions committee. We detailed much of this in a recent blog post.

Today, I want to follow up on some of the items we talked about by giving you three practical tips that will help you with your PhD application.

1. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to study. In my last blog, I pointed out that, the closer you can get to articulating what the thesis of your eventual dissertation will be, the better. This advice often elicits two concerns from clients. First, will being overly specific hurt my chances of admission? No, quite the opposite. If you don’t have a really specific answer to “what?” and “why?” you’ll come across as someone who isn’t quite ready for graduate school. The old joke that ‘PhD’ stands for “Piled Higher and Deeper” is a reminder that doctoral studies are about becoming highly expert in a very narrow question within a very specific field. Or, as my old PhD advisor put it, “Brian, your task is to become the world’s foremost expert in the thing you’re writing about.”

Second, people are often concerned that they either don’t yet know what exactly they want to study or that they might change their mind along the way. Now, if you have no earthly clue whatsoever what you want to investigate, the short answer is that you have no business applying to graduate school. You should at least enter graduate school with some idea of what you want to study. BUT, even if you don’t, you should at least be able to articulate a plausible question that you may want to study. It’s fine if you end up changing your focus because most people don’t actually end up researching the precise areas that they intended to when they arrived. Now, obviously, you will stay close to home, intellectually speaking, so it’s not as though you’ll go from studying Medieval History to Cell Biology, but chances are that you might, for instance, go from studying how neural cell plasticity is impacted by traumatic injury to studying how neural cell plasticity might be involved in autism. It’s the same general subject, be very different questions. That’s a VERY normal thing to happen. In fact, your initial classes and (if you’re in the sciences) rotations through labs are designed to give you a broader exposure so that you can select a precise topic that interests you.

So, if most people end up changing their intended thesis, why do the admissions committees even emphasize your laying out your intended intellectual route? Two reasons: 1.) applicants who can articulate what they see as a cognizable and important question have done the requisite homework and thus demonstrated their seriousness, and 2) you are showcasing your ability to think and write about complicated questions within the field, and especially your capacity to position yourself vis-à-vis the important debates. This is very important skill in academics.

2. You HAVE to email the professors. So, technically speaking you don’t have to do this. Many people are admitted without having done so. That said, you really should do it. The reasons have mostly to do with the nature of graduate school and the nature of graduate admissions. Suppose, for instance, that you want to study Cell Biology under Prof. Jones at State University. In fact, the work she’s doing is what inspired you to study cell biology, her papers are groundbreaking, and her excellence and reputation are what State University’s Department of Cell Biology are built upon. Given this, you need to find out if it’s possible to study under her. She might, for instance, be retiring, moving to a new position at a new university, or may not be taking any more graduate students into her lab. You would thus be in a bad way if you showed up at State University to study under her, only to discover that Prof. Jones is now at Stanford! Or, she might tell you that she doesn’t think you’d be a good fit, and that if asked, she couldn’t enthusiastically support your application. This would hurt, no doubt, but it would allow you to adjust your application tactics.

This brings us to the second reasons. You should email potential advisors because, if you mention them in your personal statement, the admissions committee will usually forward your application to them and ask if they are a good fit for what they do. Them saying “yes” certainly doesn’t guarantee your admission, but either a “no” or an indifferent response will hurt you. As such, you should let that professor know who you are so that when they get that email, they can, “Oh Jennifer? She’s great, and I think she has some interesting ideas and could do great work in my lab.”

Just so we’re clear, if a professor hasn’t heard of you and the Admissions Committee asks them about you, they likely aren’t going to take a ton of time to look over your application at that point. Professors are very busy with other teaching, research, writing, committee work, etc., and they rightly don’t see it as their job to resuscitate your application because you didn’t bother to reach out to them before you name-dropped them.

So, how do you reach out to a professor? I’ll have more on this tomorrow, but the short version is that you should write a VERY short email introducing yourself, identifying what you’re working on, and asking if you could have 10 minutes of their time. Attach your CV and any relevant other documents. (Again, more on this tomorrow)

3. Copy-Paste will kill your application

We all know that applying to graduate school is hard and time-consuming. You have to study for the GRE, get letters of recommendation, write a personal statement, research and contact potential advisors, revise your writing sample, and fill out lots of other forms. BUT, one thing that will really hurt your chances is to use a personal statement that is very obviously just a single standard essay with the names of your various schools copy-pasted in. It shows that you haven’t done your research and aren’t particularly interested in that school. This doesn’t mean that you have to write completely different essays for each school. In fact, it’s usually the case that you can write your first essay for your first school and repurpose the first two-thirds for every school, and then the final third or so that focuses on your fit with the school you’re applying to can be written custom for each university. But readers know when they’re reading generic broadly-applicable text with the school’s name pasted in, and they don’t like it. So if you have a section like this, dump it and rewrite it:

I want to attend Stanford University because of its excellent faculty, abundant research resources, and the opportunity to work within a renowned university. I have looked at the Course Catalog, and there are many classes that fit my intellectual interests…

You could replace “Stanford” here with any top school, so you’re not really saying anything useful or demonstrating that you know anything about Stanford other than it’s a good university.

All three of these points make clear that a lazy applicant is probably going to be an unsuccessful one. Yes, it takes extra time to email professors, generate a plausible dissertation thesis, and write lots of unique text for all of your schools. But if you’re thinking about spending 7 years in graduate school, why wouldn’t you take an extra 10–12 hours to make sure that you are attending the right graduate school and are positioning yourself for long-term success and happiness?

DON’T GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL!

Okay, as some who has four graduate degrees, this might seem like hypocritical advice. And, in truth, many people should go to graduate school. But my experience is that far too many people do and that folks rarely invest the requisite thought before they begin applying.

While researching for an upcoming article on graduate school completion rates, I came across this blog post from a few years back in which Christopher Pierznik reflects on his decision to drop out of graduate school. He calls it “the best decision I’ve ever made.” His wisdom and perspective resonated with me, so I thought I’d share it. Most of what I do professionally is help people get into top graduate and professional schools, but when working with clients I often get the distinct impression that many people have invested far more time into trying to get into a school than they did in figuring out if they should go in the first place.

In my old job as a university professor, students would often come to me for letters of recommendation for graduate or professional school (med, law, business, etc.). Whenever they did, I saw it as my job to try to talk them out of it. This isn’t necessarily because I didn’t want them to go -indeed, for many people it’s the right move- but because I wanted to make sure they were going for the right reasons. Going to graduate school if you’re not passionate about the material will probably lead to you dropping out, and starting medical or law school if you’re not 100% committed could mean taking on massive amounts of debt that lock you into a professional track you despise.

So, when these bright-eyed youngsters came to me seeking affirmation, I did my best to show them the hard road ahead. I’d ask them all sorts of important questions that they probably hadn’t asked themselves. For aspiring doctors, I’d talk about debt and the fact that, once you start down the path of medicine, it’s almost impossible to get off: four years of medical school, at least two years of residency (and up to 7), and maybe a decade in which you’ll have to stay within the profession to pay off your loans.

For people thinking about graduate schools, I would ask why they want to get a graduate degree. The most common response I got was, “because I like the subject.” That’s a good start, but it’s not nearly enough. First, for all kinds of graduate degrees you need to have a clear conception of how it moves you closer to your professional goals. What job do you want to get right out of graduate school? Why is that the job for you? If you don’t know the answer to that question, delay graduate school until you know.

For folks who are seeking to pursue doctoral work with the idea of entering academia, the job question is an even more pressing one, since even very high-performing newly minted PhDs from elite programs struggle to get jobs. Almost none get tenure-track positions. What’s your plan if you’re among the substantial majority of PhDs who can’t get a fulltime position? More to the point, what’s the question that you will enter graduate school wanting to answer? If you’re doing doctoral research, “I like the subject” isn’t nearly specific enough to sustain the immense effort needed to get you through the slog that Pierznik is talking about here.

As a professor, my fear was that bright students who did not know clearly and passionately what they wanted to do were just using graduate school as a fallback. In law school and in graduate school, I saw so many people who fell into this category, and in every instance they were miserable, and most did not graduate.

So, if you’re not sure about graduate school, take a year off. Travel. Get a crummy job. Try things. And, if you do go to graduate school and recognize that it isn’t for you, take Pierznik’s advice and jump ship while you still can.

On the other hand, if you’ve done your homework, gone through a rigorous process of introspection, and still feel committed to this path, then let’s get to work!

The author is the founder and CEO of Gurufi.com and FourthWrite.com, two educational consultancies dedicated to helping students get into the graduate schools of their dreams. For questions about your graduate school application, you can email the author at fobi@fourthwrite.com

If you have a draft personal statement, get it revised by our team of experienced Ivy League educated consultants at Gurufi.com. If you need more comprehensive assistance developing, outlining, drafting, and refining your text, check us out at FourthWrite.com!

A Template for Contacting Professors at Target Schools

I have mentioned the importance of contacting potential professors at the schools to which you are applying. It’s vital that you both contact particular professors with whom you might want to work and mention them in your Personal Statement. Today I will say a bit more about what to write in your introductory email. Here are four guidelines for your email to the professors:

1. Keep it short. Aim for about 150 words. If your email is too long, it likely won’t be read. After all, when is the last time you read a long email from a complete stranger asking you for something? Get right to the point and save deeper and lengthier communications for future interactions.

2. Why them? You should say briefly why you have contacted them. Ideally, this would link their intellectual / research interests to yours. If you can point to particular articles or books that you found interesting, then do so. (if you do, and you end up meeting, you should probably familiarize yourself with that book before your meeting!) A little flattery goes a long way. The agony of being in academia is that you can spend years researching arcane topics that few people understand, so having someone tell you that they read your stuff and found it useful is really nice. Of course, don’t lay it on too thick. Nobody likes a phony.

3. Have an ask. In your email, you should state directly what you hope will happen. If you can go to their campus, then meeting up with the professor is a fair thing to ask. Again, make it painless; don’t ask to follow them all day in their lab. Instead, offer to buy them a coffee or “drop by your office for 15 minutes to talk about your research…” If you’re not going to go to the campus, then ask if there’s a time you can talk briefly on the phone. (Again, emphasize briefly, and when you do talk, keep it fairly short)

4. Attach your CV and any relevant documents, such as papers or research you’ve completed.

Here is a sample email that’s about 150 words.

Dear Prof. Joanna Jones,

My name is Sally Smith, and I am presently applying to doctoral programs in American History. As part of my research on the Haymarket Riot, I read your piece in the Journal of American History and found your thesis on the role of anti-immigration violence fascinating. In fact, it informed much of my own thinking about FBI actions in the 1960s.

I am applying to State University this fall, and I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about your work and my potential as a graduate student at State University. I will be in Collegetown this October and could stop by your office or we could chat over coffee. If that timing doesn’t work, I could also do a brief telephone call.

I have attached my CV and the aforementioned research on FBI actions in the 1960s. Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Sally Smith

Note that this isn’t especially fancy or long. A few additional notes:

-If, after a week, you don’t get a response, you can send a polite follow-up. After that, assume that it’s a ‘no.’

-If you do meet, be sure to send a thank-you note afterwards. Ideally, this would a short hand-written thank-you card, but it should at least be an email.

-Show up prepared with both knowledge of their subject, what you’re looking for in graduate school. As with all interviews, have several questions to ask. Even if you feel like you know what you need to, the correct response to, “do you have any questions?” is never “nope, I’m good.” Do your research and have a few substantive things to discuss either about their work or the graduate program.