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What should I include in the Application Essay
Writing an application essay can be very difficult, especially when you are not sure what information to put in. However, the essay can be a great opportunity for you to share a little bit of your personality with the admissions committee. We want this process to be very direct for you, so we have provided our application questions for you. The questions are:
* What challenges and opportunities are offered by a career in an information profession?
* Which of these opportunities are of the greatest interest to you?
* What are the strengths that you would bring to the SI program and to an information profession?
* What do you think SI has to offer you that will help you achieve your goals?
* What would you hope to gain from your SI educational program?
Most application essays for our program are 3-6 pages long and double spaced.
I think that in preparing to write your application essay, you should think about your own experiences and how you might be able to add some of that context to your essay. Some good things to read before writing your admissions essay would be the SI Mission Statement, the program descriptions of interest to you, and maybe some of the Alumni Profiles or Pathways to Success that fit your career goals. We don't expect our applicants to have a strict idea of what they want to be able to accomplish in their studies. Some students do know their goals completely, and others are still investigating a few options. Both of these scenarios are fine, and you can talk about each in your essay.
Remember, your essay is also a writing sample, so be sure to have others read it to look for spelling and grammar mistakes. Also, if you are reworking essays for multiple applications, be very careful that you update the name of the program to which you are applying.
All in all, the essay is your chance to communicate directly with the admissions committee, so take advantage of this opportunity.
Posted by lauramb at September 25, 2006 10:40 AM
