Updated December 2, 2024
Once you’re committed to earning the graduate degree from the school of your dreams, it’s time to write your statement of purpose and other graduate school application essays in a way that gets you admitted. But in some ways this is easier said than done.
Graduate school admission essays need to achieve a few different things. They need to:
- Showcase your writing and communication skills
- Explain how your academic interests and professional goals relate to your aim with this degree
- Convince the graduate school admissions officers reading your work that you are the right fit for their specific program
- And otherwise strengthen your entire package of application materials
In this post, we’re providing some of our best graduate school essay writing tips and explaining how to write graduate school essays for different programs.
The Basics: Different Types of Application Essays
There are several different kinds of grad school essays you are likely to run across. Here are some answers to FAQs about the most common types:
What is a personal statement?
The personal statement is the place where you explain your motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your specific field of study. Yes, you should detail your academic background, why you are a good fit for the graduate program you are applying to.
But the personal statement should also delve deeper into your personal motivations, experiences, and challenges that shaped your desire to pursue a particular area of study, often including more narrative elements. Go beyond just your transcripts and test scores and showcase your unique qualities and relevant experiences to the admissions committee.
And remember, tell a juicy story!
What is a statement of purpose? How long does it usually take to write one?
A statement of purpose primarily focuses on your academic goals, research interests, career goals, and how they align with the focus and goals of the program.
Explain how you plan to contribute to this graduate program, and how it will benefit both you and the program to have you there based on your academic interests and strengths.
A statement of purpose is typically only 1-2 pages, but it still usually takes several weeks to write a well-crafted version. The process requires thoughtful reflection on your motivations and aspirations, and includes brainstorming, drafting, revising, and proofreading.
What other essay prompts am I likely to run across?
You are also likely to see supplemental essays or addenda, and specific school essays such as the Yale 250 or an adversity essay.
Supplemental essays or addenda give you a place to explain things that could seem negative without context, or otherwise deliver important information that has no other home in your application packet.
An “adversity essay” is a personal narrative where the writer details a significant challenge or hardship they faced, how they overcame it, and the personal growth or lessons learned from that experience. Prompts for this kind of essay may sound like this: Describe a significant challenge you have overcome and how it shaped your academic perspective. These essays highlight your resilience and character development in the face of difficulty.
How do graduate degree admissions essays differ from college application essays?
Both types of application essays are important to a successful outcome, but there is a difference in the level of academic focus and depth. A college essay is more driven by personal experiences, and will include significant events from high school, which are not usually part of a grad school essay.
In contrast, the key to how to write an essay for a master’s degree involves demonstrating specific research experience, professional goals, and in-depth knowledge within a chosen field of study.
When you’re considering how to write a master’s degree essay, think about balancing your personal narrative with academics. Show off your knowledge of your area of study, including key research and evidence-based narratives in your specialty.
What are the key components of a successful graduate school application essay?
There are a few key components to each kind of graduate school application essay. Here are some answers to FAQs to help you know what needs to be in your essay—and what you should leave out.
What should I include in my grad school application essay?
Answer the question: Why are you going to grad school? And why is going to this particular school important?
To establish these answers, explain your future goals in detail, and describe why this degree and program will advance those goals the most. Talk about your extracurricular and academic interests and tie them to your goals.
Cover your past experiences in professional settings as well, including significant internships and community service. Highlight how these experiences helped you advance your technical skills and develop expertise—and how the program you’re applying to is the ideal next step.
What are admissions officers looking for in a grad school essay? How does it fit into the rest of the grad school application?
The entire grad school application packet is likely to include a cover letter, your GRE or other test scores, your GPA from your college and other graduate programs, and letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic work.
Admissions committees benefit most from details in essays that they can’t get anywhere else. In other words, there is no need to restate your GPA, or echo what you know recommendation letters say about you. Give them compelling information they will remember.
What are common mistakes to avoid in grad school application essays?
Trite expressions and clichés. A cliché answer reveals a lack of imagination and preparation, and may be seen as a sign of laziness.
No specific details about why this school is a good match. For example, we often see essays that cite a desire to take courses like microeconomics or statistics—courses that most universities offer. Focus on a unique course or clinic offering that your program sees as a differentiator.
Typos and other errors. We can’t say it enough: edit and proofread your work. Use a professional service if you can, and if that’s not possible, at least have another set of eyes on your essays before you submit them.
How do you demonstrate research interest in a graduate school statement of purpose?
Provide all the details you can about your research experience, projects, and goals in your statement of purpose. Describe the research projects you’ve participated in as part of your statement of purpose, including what specific roles you played in each one and their outcomes.
Discuss the research opportunities you are interested in pursuing if you are admitted to this program. Some research programs also ask for specific faculty members or ongoing projects you hope to participate in, so be careful to tailor this kind of response, too.
How can I highlight research experience in my grad school application essay?
Even if you don’t have to write a statement of purpose or answer prompts specific to a research program, it’s a good idea to highlight your research experience in other ways. For example, you can describe how you gained professional and technical skills or demonstrated leadership as you participated in research projects. This allows you to “double-dip” with one answer, highlighting not only the relevant skills the school is looking for, but also your bona fides as a researcher.
How do you address gaps or weaknesses in your grad school application essay?
If your college GPA or GRE or other test scores are not what you hoped for or fail to showcase your full potential, tell the committee exactly that. Explain why you see it this way, and support your contentions with details such as evidence of a learning disability, hardships in your past, or other information that will help them understand. An addendum or supplemental essay is often a great place for this kind of information.
What does your graduate school admissions essay look like if you’re asking for financial aid?
It looks the same. Graduate programs do not privilege applicants with means, nor do they only accept those in financial need.
If you want to ask for more financial aid, don’t do it in your essay. You may be able to submit information that is convincing—such as other school offers—in letter form or as part of your financial aid application.
What structure should I follow when writing my graduate school essay? How to format an essay for grad school
Each graduate school admission essay is potentially going to need slightly different formatting, so this is an issue that demands your personal attention. In other words, don’t just write your grad school essay and call it done, submitting it the same exact way for each school, unless you’re certain that is what is required by the essay prompts.
Here are some answers to FAQs about formatting application essays:
Should grad school application essays be double spaced?
Yes, generally, grad school application essays should be double-spaced. Double-spacing is considered standard formatting, and it makes it easier for readers to understand what you’re saying and ensure your essay fits within the required page limit. But always check the specific program instructions.
How long should a grad school essay be?
The essay prompts for each school essay should give you either an exact word count or page limit. Always follow the instructions, and don’t assume anything.
A typical personal statement for graduate school applications is 500 to 1,000 words, but this varies by program. If there are no specific instructions, aim for no more than 1 to 2 pages.
How can I start my graduate school application essay?
Here’s a better question: How can I start my graduate school essay effectively? The real goal here is to immediately grab your reader’s attention within the first few lines, and hold onto it throughout the admissions essay.
To make sure you have a strong opening to your grad school essay, try cutting out the first sentence until you’re left with something that is absolutely part of your core message. Most writers take too many words going through the introductory motions. But graduate school admissions officers are focused on the meat of your message, so don’t be afraid to jump right into the real message you want to send, without fanfare.
How to make your grad school application stand out: writing about accomplishments in a compelling, concise, authentic, and interesting way
Have you ever been to a party and froze when someone asked you a simple question like, “What’s your story?” If you don’t know how to talk about yourself in a way that’s authentic, professional, and interesting, you might fumble when the time comes for you to shine.
Why is it so hard to write about ourselves?
One of the most important pieces of learning how to write a good grad school essay is getting past this block. You don’t want to freeze like a deer in headlights when it comes time to talk about yourself in graduate school admissions essays!
Maybe it’s easier for some people than others, but talking about ourselves, let alone writing about ourselves, doesn’t come easily. You don’t want to sound arrogant. You certainly don’t want to be the person that shares too much.
The bottom line is most of us don’t know where to start or where to go when it comes to telling our story. So, what are some effective strategies for writing a successful graduate school application essay and what’s the easiest and fastest way to figure this out?
Here are our best tips for how to write graduate school essays that are more compelling, concise, in-depth, and interesting, and answers to FAQs about creating truly stand out work.
What makes a good personal statement stand out from average essays? What tips can help me write a compelling graduate school application essay?
Brainstorm. Once you know what your focus should be, take some time to just think. Be creative. What is the most interesting and unusual way you can respond to this prompt?
Devote enough time to the writing process. Do not leave your grad school essays to the last minute. These are professional essay readers, and they are going to notice.
Follow the rules. This may sound basic, but failing to follow essay prompts or comply with word limits and other formatting rules is a serious mistake many applicants make. No matter how wonderful your written work is, no admissions committee likes to see essays with word counts that exceed the rules.
Sometimes, telling the right story requires writing as much as you can and editing your draft down later. You can streamline your story and distill your message by writing more than the word count, then trimming it down.
Think like an artist working on a sculpture when you’re writing your essays. Sculptors start with a large piece of stone and chisel it down to reveal the beautiful piece of art underneath it over time. When you approach your essays this way, you’ll make each word count while staying under your word count.
Start writing by interviewing yourself. Break down any essay response with these three questions:
- What did you do?
- How did you feel?
- What did you learn?
This first question, “What did you do?” sounds simple. Simplicity is key for getting to the heart of what you’re trying to convey. Tell your readers what you did, what impact it had, and why it mattered. When you can answer these questions for yourself, it’ll be clear in your writing why you’re awesome.
Since you’re interviewing yourself, don’t stop at these three questions. Keep digging deeper and asking more questions until you find the juicy, compelling parts of your story that strengthen your essay.
Triumph is built on adversity, so pick your most relevant hero’s tale. Everyone has experienced hardship. Those difficult moments shaped us into who we are and show that we can handle the stresses and struggles of graduate school. The stories in your life where you failed, and later found your way to success are the best ones to share in an essay where an admissions committee wants to understand if you’ve got what it takes to graduate from their program.
Take the admissions committee on a journey as you describe what you did. When telling your story, don’t fall into the trap of writing in the passive voice. You’re trying to persuade the admission committee that you’ll be successful in the graduate program you’re applying to.
Write like yourself, not how you think you’re supposed to write. You already are professional, smart, and interesting. Make sure that comes through when you talk about how excited you were traveling to a new country for a work assignment or getting promoted to lead a team. These things are big deals, and sharing your emotions as you went through your journey helps the reader connect with you.
Afraid of sounding like a robot when you talk about your accomplishments? The thesaurus is your best friend for helping readers understand how you felt during your journey. The nuances of the different words you pick to convey your emotions will help you paint the picture you want your admissions committee to see in your essays.
Show how much you’ve grown as a person by sharing what you learned. Difficult experiences change us. How they change you is up to you, and so is how you tell that story. If you start your story with what you have accomplished and lead readers through your hero’s journey against life’s challenges, the most beautiful way to finish is to share how you’ve grown as a person.
When you talk about what you’ve learned from your story, you show that you know how to face adversity and how to succeed and grow despite it. It also shows your admissions committee what experiences you’ll bring to your graduate school community. All of this helps build you up as a gritty, smart, accomplished individual who deserves a spot in a top graduate school program.
Tie it all together with why it matters. Don’t forget the most important part! After you’ve told your readers what you did, how you felt, and what you learned, you have to bring it home with why it matters.
If your work empowered your community, share how proud you are of that. If you’re the only person out of a hundred who got picked to travel across the world for your company on a special assignment, make that clear to your readers. This is how you’ll contextualize your accomplishments to show off how important they are and how great you are!
Proofread. One of the most important graduate school essay writing tips is to do everything you can to make sure you don’t submit any written work with errors in it. Once you’ve ensured you are writing about the right topics and complying with rules, editing and proofreading your work to make sure you did everything right makes a tremendous difference.
There are a number of common apps you can use for these purposes like Grammarly and Hemingway. And there’s no substitute for another pair of eyes reading your work! This is especially true if you’re not as used to writing in American English—which is notoriously tricky and full of strange rules and unusual phrases that can trip most writers up.
Next up on the agenda for your graduate school admissions essays: tailoring each story for a specific reader.
How to tailor a personal statement to a specific program
It’s important to tailor your admissions essays to each specific school if you want a chance at acceptance. Here are a few tips on tailoring grad school application essays to make them more specific to the universities you’ve chosen:
Do your research. Before you start writing your grad school admissions essays, take some time to figure out what makes each school unique. This will help you identify ways in which this school is a good fit for you and how you might be able to contribute to the program as well.
When doing your research, explore which areas of law, business, or policy the school is known for and which faculty members specialize in areas that you’re interested in. Cite why you chose these specific programs and what you could do there that wouldn’t be as advantageous anywhere else.
(Remember, even ivy league schools tend to frown upon chasing nothing but rankings. Graduate programs want to know why you want to study at a specific school.)
Be specific about why you chose the university. Though it’s alright to use some of the same information in all of your admissions essays, the section about why you chose this specific university or how the school will help you achieve your career goals needs to be unique. Use specific details instead of vague phrasing.
For instance, instead of saying that you chose a school for its “strong curriculum” or “renowned faculty,” mention a few specific courses you would like to take, how and why their master’s degree or doctoral program is different, or which faculty members you’d like to work with who can contribute to your growth as a graduate student and professional.
How does the location impact your experience? In addition to mentioning specific courses or faculty, you should also consider how the location of the school will impact your experience there. Different cities offer different opportunities to network, attend certain events, or work for companies headquartered there.
For example, if you want to work or live in Michigan, explain why to the admissions committee. The more specifics you can offer, the more committed you seem to their program.
As another example, if you want to work in the financial sector, it may help to mention how you will take advantage of this opportunity while attending grad school in New York. Or perhaps you have goals related to access to tech hubs with STEM opportunities, make your case for California.
Discuss the university’s environment. The environment on campus can have a significant impact on your experience there and what opportunities you are able to pursue while in law, business, or policy school. Why is the campus culture for your dream school a perfect fit?
Do you want a smaller graduate program that gives you more experience to connect with faculty and colleagues? Or are you looking for a larger program and grad school that offers a vast network and wealth of resources? The environment is often one of the key factors that impacts an applicant’s path to graduate study and school of choice, so be sure to mention how the environment has played a role in your decision.
Connect with current graduate students or alums. Want to know what it’s really like to go to attend a specific law, business, or policy program? Connect with some current students or alums.
Not only will they give you an idea of whether this school and program will be a good fit for you, but they will also give you some additional insight on how this specific program or school will help you get closer to your educational and professional goals. Our clients that work with us in our signature program, Application Accelerator®, have access to a list of past clients who serve as client ambassadors. That way, they know they have people at all the top programs to whom they can reach out to and connect with.
Why did you want to go to grad school? Don’t forget to answer this question in context. In the process of tailoring your essay responses for graduate school applications, you can always go back to your actual personal journey. How did you get here?
In other words, why are you going on to pursue graduate-level work? How did you decide on this area of graduate studies? Once you did, how did you choose this particular college? How did your decisions at each step land you on their metaphorical doorstep? Tailored responses to each of these questions prove that you’ve done your homework—and drawn the right conclusions.
While it can be tempting to speed up the application process by just copying and pasting content from one essay to the next, don’t do that. Take the time to thoroughly research each school to which you are applying. That way, you can confidently explain why you’re drawn to each university.
What are the best strategies for writing a compelling, effective “why this school?” essay?
It may seem obvious why you want to go to the particular school you’ve chosen. In fact, we can hear you right now: “Obviously, everyone wants to go to Yale,” or “The University of Pennsylvania is among the top three schools in this area by rank and reputation.”
But that’s not really what you’re being asked. These programs all already know that they rank highly, and that it’s competitive to get in. It’s not the school name, rank, or reputation that matters most for essays that answer the “why this school?” question.
You’re there to tell them something they don’t know, and it’s all about you. The best way to answer the why this school question is not just why this school, but why you and this school. How will you contribute to the student body and program in a unique way?
Here are some “why this school” essay tips and answers to FAQs about the best ways to tackle this kind of prompt.
How do you start a “why this school” essay?
Don’t spend a lot of your word count on vague statements about how great the school is. Specificity is what matters in this essay.
Jump right into the nitty gritty and share the details—even small ones—that convince you why this school is the absolute best choice for you.
What are the best strategies for researching a college for the “why this school” essay?
Start online. Check the school’s website and mission statement, social media accounts, and any other piece of their internet presence. Schools help you answer the “why this school?” question by explaining “why us” to prospective students—and they do a lot of that communication work online.
If you can, talk to mentors who are familiar with the school and the program. Get specific details from them, especially if they’re convinced you’re a great fit. And if it’s possible for you, take a campus tour—online or in person—to really dig in. Don’t be afraid to talk about how you experienced the tour and the culture! It shows that you’re doing the work.
Once you’ve done your research, let it shine through in this essay. Here are some examples of what we mean:
Make sure you use the right name for the school. It’s very damaging to your candidacy to accidentally write about how excited you are to go to Princeton in an essay you are sending to Georgetown. We see this mistake every season when people come to us as clients, and this is not a mistake you want to make.
Write about 2 or 3 classes you want to take. Name the specific class and what you hope to learn. Don’t choose courses that are offered everywhere for this piece; choose unique offerings and explain why you’re so keen to participate in these classes.
How will what you learn in this class help you move forward in your career? Share what and how you plan on contributing in class. What role will you play in classroom discussions? What perspective, experiences, and insights do you bring to the class discussion?
Share what and how you plan on contributing to the extracurricular community. Name 1 to 3 clubs you look forward to joining. What do you hope to learn, experience, and contribute in each of these clubs? What role do you hope to play in the extracurricular activities? You don’t have to start a new club or be the president; being an active member is good enough.
For example, if you’re writing a “why this school” essay for MIT, highlight your desire to work with other passionate students and faculty in a collaborative setting, because this is a core tenet of MIT culture. Emphasize how MIT’s focus on technological innovations and their practical application resonates with your desire to solve real-world problems through your studies.
As another example, if you’re writing a “why this school” essay for Tufts, mention the school’s strong international programs and other academic and extracurricular opportunities that align with your goals for a more global focus. Demonstrate how your personal goals dovetail with the Tufts focus on social responsibility and community engagement.
How do you explain why you want to attend this school when it’s not your top choice?
Be honest, but be positive. Explain all of the reasons why you would thrive at this school, and the ways the programs, classes, faculty, and other aspects of life there would advance your academic and professional goals.
And be specific! For example, if you’re writing a “why this college” essay for NYU, demonstrate a deep understanding of what makes the school unique. Explain why NYU’s vibrant New York City location, diverse academic programs, strong industry connections, and global reach align so well and make for a genuinely excellent fit with the NYU student body.
In contrast, if you’re writing a “why this school” essay for Cornell, demonstrate that you see not only what makes the school unique, but why studying in Ithaca is a better fit for you than a place like New York City. (This is especially important since so many applicants fail to understand how different the regions of New York State are!)
What should I say in a why us essay when you’re a transfer student?
A lot of applicants worry about this, because if you “got it wrong” before, why would you be so certain that you were right this time? But this is a great opportunity to showcase how much you have learned about your area of study, and how much better the fit will be if you transfer.
You are going to show them why it is in everyone’s best interest to let you come! Show them what you’re going to contribute to their school, and why you’re so motivated to take this major step.
How to approach “why this school” when you were previously waitlisted or rejected
This is more of an exploration of specific questions about why you are the best fit for this school now. Highlight what you have learned since your previous application, and how much more you have to offer the culture today.
It’s okay if you were rejected in the past! Things change, and now you just need to explain why those changes make this program the best fit right now.
What are the writing prompts for grad school that give you opportunities to answer the “why us” question?
Here are some examples of “why us?” prompts:
Harvard Kennedy School:
MPP and MPA2 Essay 2: There are many pathways one can pursue in order to make a difference in the world. Why is the MPP Program at HKS an appropriate pathway to achieving your goals? (500 word limit).
MPA/MC Essay 1: Essay 1: Submit a statement that discusses your career goals, as well as the factors that led you to select the Mid-Career MPA program as a means of furthering your personal and professional goals. Be as specific as possible in describing how your expected course of study will enable you to build on your prior professional experience and achieve these goals (750 word limit).
Columbia SIPA:
MIA/MPA Question 1: (400 words maximum): Why are you interested in pursuing your MIA or MPA degree at SIPA? How will a degree (and intended concentration/specialization) from SIPA enable you to achieve your career goals? Describe your academic and research interests and career objectives. Be sure to include details regarding the features of SIPA that you believe are integral to helping you in your career pursuits.
We hope you found these essay examples and tips helpful as you write your essays for your dream schools!
Want some more help with your essays?
Don’t just read graduate school essay writing tips for telling your story in a compelling, concise, and authentic way. Begin putting them into practice today when you schedule a Quick Call with our team!
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