Advice from Undergraduate Admissions Officers

Summary:
This resource contains advice on writing the college admissions essay from undergraduate admissions officers from colleges
and universitys all over the United States.
Contributors:Douglas Christiansen, Vanderbuilt University; Stacy Kostell, University of Illinois; Courtney McAnuff, Rutgers
University; James Nondorf, University of Chicago; Kasey Urquidez, The University of Arizona; Jarrid James Whitney,
California Institute of Techn
Last Edited: 2012-10-09 12:20:33
From Dr. Douglas Christiansen, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions
at Vanderbilt University:
The essay is the one opportunity each student has to give a college or university insight into his or her innermost
thoughts, aspirations, dreams, and personal realities. It is to the students advantage to use this opportunity to let
admissions officers see beyond the test scores and grades. Students can explain why there may have been a lapse in
grades or other important life events that have changed their high-school careers. More important than the
experience is what the student reveals about how the experience has changed his/her life, how (s)he has grown and
made different choices as a result of the experience, and how (s)he has improved his or her corner of the world as a
result. Through the essay, regardless of the topic, it is possible to enlighten the reader regarding choices that have led
to personal growth, involvement, and success or failure as a result. Through the essay, the admissions officers should
be able to see more clearly the intangible characteristics of the applicant: honesty, integrity, commitment, ethical
choices, perseverance, empathy, and leadership. When the number of applications is in the thousands, and the admit
rate is only 10 15% of those applications, explaining why one student is different than all the rest is key the essay
is the opportunity to do just that!
From Stacey Kostell, Assistant Provost and Director of Undergraduate Admissions at
the University of Illinois:
When writing your application essays, it is vital that you answer the question asked and address any specific criteria
noted. Ive read thousands of essays and have realized that there are the five factors shared by all successful
applicants.
Be prepared. Slow down and fully consider the questions and your answers. You should then create an outline, write a
first draft, and edit multiple times.
Be personal. Provide specific examples of your experiences and goals. Generalizations do not help the admissions
committee get a sense of who you are and why youll make the most of your time at the university.
Be direct. Choose your words wisely in order to clearly state your message. Many universities have a word limit on
responses, whichmeans there is no room for fluff.
Be focused. There is no need to repeat your transcript. Instead, share how your qualifications will be a benefit to you
at the university.
Be professional. Submit the best possible essays, free of spelling and grammatical errors. You should proofread and
edit them yourself; however, request critiques from counselors, teachers, and your parents. Its always helpful to
have feedback from readers.
From Courtney McAnuff, Vice President of Enrollment at Rutgers University:
This is the one time it really is all about you; colleges want to know what makes you unique. The essay is a critical
component for our holistic review. Express yourself honestly. Review the essay question, and jot down your
immediate responses. Dont Google the question to see what others have written for their essays. If you cant resist,
at least write your outline first, and stay true to yourself in the final version. The requested essay topics reflect each
colleges interests in shaping their incoming class. Writing on the requested essay topic should interest you. Be sure
you answer the specific topic; dont just tweak a generic essay. If the topic doesnt engage you, think about why that
college is one of your choices. Do submit the essay exactly how the school requested it. The care you take in
following directions can be seen by the school as an indicator of what type of student you are now. Try to do
everything at least two weeks before the deadline to cover every computer crash/power outage/school closing
possibility.
From James Nondorf, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at
the University of Chicago:
For many colleges and universities, the essays are a crucial element of the application process. They provide you with
a chance to let admissions officers get to know you beyond just your transcripts and test scores. The most important
part of any college admissions essay, then, is to write something you believe truly represents your unique voice
something that, beyond demonstrating your competencies as a writer, also displays your ability to be a creative and
critical thinker and to make unique contributions to an academic community. First and foremost, its important to
respond directly to the prompt given (admissions officers can tell when youre fudging and trying to write your way
into a different essay topic), but beyond that, creativity is key. Dont settle for the first idea that comes to mind or the
first draft you put to paper. Keep revising until you feel you have an essay that reflects your original perspective. And,
really, you should try to have fun with your essaysexercise your sense of humor, write about something youre
passionate about, and write in a way you find inspiring. The more you enjoy writing your essay, the more well enjoy
reading it.
From Kasey Urquidez, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at The University of
Arizona:
Your statement gives you the opportunity to show the college or university to which you are applying a chance to
learn more about you. While your academic preparation is very important, your statement will help you shine.
Taking time to write your best statement before submitting is important. Here are a few tips as you write your
statement:
Be yourself.
Focus on one topic and making an impression. What will be remembered?
Use appropriate, yet colorful, vivid language to express yourself.
Be descriptive.
Share new information. Reiterating what you already included in your application is not very helpful.
Provide a strong opening and closing. You will want your reader to want to know more from your opening and
remember you from your closing.
Know your audience. Admissions representatives from diverse backgrounds of all ages will read your
statement.
Read the instructions carefully and pay attention to word limits.
Write a rough draft.
Do not rely on spell check.
Read your statement aloud to help you hear what it will sound like to others.
Select a few people you trust to proof read your work.
Submit once you're completely satisfied!
From Jarrid James Whitney, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at
California Institute of Technology:
When applying to colleges, I often remind students that their responses to the essay prompts are, in essence, like a
personal interview with the admissions committee. That is, they should open up about whats important to them and
cover topics that are meaningful, and specifically address important items that may not come up in the rest of the
application or even stress other parts of the application.
The essays are really a reflection of who an applicant is, and thus the students voice is critical. Often times students
get others to help them craft their responses, which is fine, but I also remind students not to lose the essence of who
they are. The story still has to be their own.
It is also very important that the student make sure they tie the essay back to themselves. Students tend to get
caught up in a great story about another person, place, or thing, and forget they need to bring it back to why that
person, place or thing is important to them. Also, remember that the short answer responses are just as significant to
an admissions committee as the long personal statements.
Finally, students need to take time in preparing their responses. Most essays will probably go through many drafts,
which is expected, since writing is truly an art. Ultimately, colleges are looking for the right fit so hopefully those
essays can help to confirm if the college, and the student, are a match.
Statements of Purpose: Overview and Before You
Draft
Summary:
The statement of purpose is perhaps the most important, and most challenging, element of your application packet. This
letter needs to reflect who you are and why you would be an asset to the program you are applying to. It needs to make you
stand out from the hundreds of other applicants and yet stay within the genre-based expectations for a statement of
purpose. This resource provides information on writing statements of purpose specifically for graduate school applications.
Contributors:Fernando Sanchez
Last Edited: 2013-10-07 02:19:48
Your graduate statement of purpose is one of the most important documents in your application packet. A good
statement of purpose may not necessarily get you in to a program, but a poorly written one could cause the
committee to overlook your application. In addition, submitting a strongly written statement works in your favor in
such situations as:
having a low grade in one or two of your courses
breaking a tie with other applicants who have performed at your level in terms of GRE and GPA scores
getting into programs in which standardized test scores are weighted significantly less than demonstrating
ones professional interests and abilities (i.e., Humanities and certain Social Science fields).
Remember that your statement of purpose is the only opportunity you will have to let the admission committee
directly get to know you. They will have some sense of who you are based on your recommenders notes and on the
writing sample you include, but this is the chance for you to personally make a good, strong impression.
Please note, that these resources focus on applying to graduate studies programs in the United States. The
information contained in these resources may or may not be appropriate to other contexts.
Before you begin
Unlike with most job applications, you can have months to review the statements of purpose that graduate programs
ask you to write. Most graduate programs include questions or writing prompts that they would like you to answer
within the application materials themselves. As soon as the materials have been updated for this years applications,
write down, or copy and paste the questions into a document, so that you can have as much time as possible to think
through each one. Start making connections (mentally or visually) between your classes, work experience, or
volunteer opportunities. Based on what you would like to do in graduate school (and beyond) what kinds of themes
begin to emerge?
Look up information about the programs you are applying to. Check out their websites and if there is any material
that you are curious about but they dont list, such as the graduate curriculum or research opportunities, check in with
the program administrator. Then, once you have gathered all of that information, start looking for the connections
between the programs and your own work and interests. Which of the programs that you have in mind would be the
best based on their required coursework, professors in the fields, teaching opportunities, and so on?
You can use several exercises to write down some preliminary thoughts in a non-linear fashion before you start
drafting: for example, prewriting to get your ideas flowing; sketching out a preliminary outline; or, you can also use a
number of other invention strategies such as: brainstorming, freewriting, clustering, or asking questions to help you
get your thoughts on paper.
There is a lot at stake in the statement of purpose, so it can be daunting to begin writing. You might feel hesitant to
start drafting your document until you are absolutely sure that you know your theme, structure, and have all the
pertinent information about each program ready at hand. The fear might be that youll have to just change everything
later if you start writing now, so why waste the time? There is, most definitely, an element of truth to that logic, but
remember that the longer you procrastinate, the less time you will have to make any changes whatsoever. Dont be
afraid of these so called false starts. Getting started early on your writing will help you generate more ideas, which
will strengthen your statement down the line.