Mha Paper
Writing Personal Statements and Graduate/Professional School Essays INTRODUCTION
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Writing a personal statement is often the most difficult part of the graduate/professional school application process. However, an essay or “personal statement” should always be submitted with your application, even if the school says it is optional. If your qualifications make you a borderline student at a school that makes a point of considering subjective factors in its admission decisions, then your personal statement could make a difference between acceptance and rejection. Writing requirements vary widely. Some programs request only 1 or 2 paragraphs about why you want to pursue graduate study, while others require numerous specific essays. Since personal statements can reveal your character more clearly than other application materials, they provide evidence that you bring something distinctive to the field such as unusual ability, background traits, experience, or a unique way of looking at the world. WHAT TO WRITE Before writing anything, stop and consider what a reader might be looking for; the general directions or other parts of the application may give you some indication. A number things may be evaluated, including: Expectations with regard to the program and career opportunities Writing ability Major area of interest Educational background Immediate and long-term goals Reasons for pursuing a graduate/professional degree in a particular field and at a particular institution Maturity Personal uniqueness - what you would add to the diversity of the entering class Some schools require specific essays, while others provide no direction at all. There are both advantages and disadvantages to vagueness. Since no specific topic is required, one can write about whatever will do the most good. The drawback of not having a precise topic is that you’ll have to choose your own topic. This choice will probably be difficult to make. Here are a few things to keep in
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Writing a personal statement is often the most difficult part of the graduate/professional school application process. However, an essay or “personal statement” should always be submitted with your application, even if the school says it is optional. If your qualifications make you a borderline student at a school that makes a point of considering subjective factors in its admission decisions, then your personal statement could make a difference between acceptance and rejection. Writing requirements vary widely. Some programs request only 1 or 2 paragraphs about why you want to pursue graduate study, while others require numerous specific essays. Since personal statements can reveal your character more clearly than other application materials, they provide evidence that you bring something distinctive to the field such as unusual ability, background traits, experience, or a unique way of looking at the world. WHAT TO WRITE Before writing anything, stop and consider what a reader might be looking for; the general directions or other parts of the application may give you some indication. A number things may be evaluated, including: Expectations with regard to the program and career opportunities Writing ability Major area of interest Educational background Immediate and long-term goals Reasons for pursuing a graduate/professional degree in a particular field and at a particular institution Maturity Personal uniqueness - what you would add to the diversity of the entering class Some schools require specific essays, while others provide no direction at all. There are both advantages and disadvantages to vagueness. Since no specific topic is required, one can write about whatever will do the most good. The drawback of not having a precise topic is that you’ll have to choose your own topic. This choice will probably be difficult to make. Here are a few things to keep in