January 11, 2009
Stating Your Purpose
For some of us, "selling yourself" is easy. For the rest of us, it's downright uncomfortable. Job interviews and cover letters make our palms sweat and the prospect of writing 3-6 pages that may determine make or break our chances of getting into the school of our choice is a bit daunting. But really, is it that bad? Not really, and here's why:
When applying, it's important to remember that the Admissions Committee reviews everything holistically, so no one peice of your application should "break" your chances. Instead, any questionable spots in your materials are verified elsewhere, so that a bad quantitative score on your GRE can be buoyed by good grades in statistics, work experience that required quantitative analysis, or the word of a former employer about your wonderful quantiative skills.
With the Application Essay, you get a chance to "talk" to the committee, to guide them through your resume and experiences, and explain to them just why your path has led you to this point, what you want to do now that you're here, and why SI is the place to do it. It's your opportunity to really sink your teeth into the Mission Statement and show why it fits into your own academic philosophy. Think about it as a one-sided Admissions interview. Two important parts of the SI Admissions process are 1-Finding students who are capable of performing at the level expected of UofM graduate students, and 2-Finding students who are a good fit for the academic work and environment provided by SI. This essay is your opportunity to really introduce yourself and explain why the SI community is right for you.
A note on the Personal Statement for Rackham: If your Admissions Essay is a chance to answer the "Why SI?" question, look at your Personal Essay as a chance to answer the "Why graduate school?" question.
For more information on writing your Admissions Essay, check out Laura Elgas' post on the subject, or email me with any questions.
Posted by messelti at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)