By now you likely are aware that applying to graduate school entails some effort. For many applicants the admissions essay is the most vexing and time consuming part of the graduate application. When faced with a blank screen many students panic and furiously generate words to fill the white space. It may seem like a good idea, but banging out your admissions essay at top speed is not advised. Remember that your application is likely the only personal contact you will have with the admissions committee. Sounds obvious, but many applicants become so consumed with completing the graduate school application that they forget to attend to details and forget to ensure that their application presents them in a positive light. Below are seven common mistakes to avoid as you write your admissions essay for graduate study.
Spelling Errors
Some applicants believe that spelling is not very important. However from a graduate admission committee's perspective there is no excuse for misspelling a word.
Admissions committees assume that applicants to graduate school can spell everyday words and, if not, know how to use spell check. Spelling errors are a mark of sloppiness.
Grammar Errors
Considering that grammar is part of the elementary school curriculum, poor grammar can send a graduate application straight to the trash. The misuse of contractions and the apostrophe s are particularly common. Ask a friend to proofread your essay because grammar errors, like spelling errors, signal laziness at best, ignorance at worst.
Misuse of Words
Many words are commonly misused. As an applicant, you're trying to present yourself as intelligent, well educated, and prepared for graduate study.
Confusing words like your and you're, for example, will not impress the admissions committee. Learn more about commonly confused words to ensure that your essay does not include silly mistakes. Other often confused words include:
loose / lose
affect / effect
to / too
they're / there / their
Informality
Sometimes admissions essays are too informal. For example, essays containing slang may turn off some readers.
Others may dislike the use of contractions. Err on the side of formality to ensure that you don't offend the graduate admissions committee.
Sharing too Much
Perhaps the most important error that graduate school applicants can make in preparing their admissions essays is becoming too personal. The admissions essay is not the place to unload frustrations or provide a detailed overview of your childhood, for example. Here's the test of what to include: If you would feel comfortable discussing the topic in a face-to-face interview with a member of the committee, then include it. If you're unsure whether to include something in your essay speak with a faculty member at your school.
Better yet, ask him or her to read your essay.
Addressing the Wrong School
Most applicants apply to multiple graduate programs. As they write their graduate admissions essays, most applicants refer to the university to which they are applying. Take special care to be sure that you change the institution name each time. An admissions committee will trash your application if the admissions essay refers to another school. Don't let a careless mistake prevent you from attending graduate school.
Making Excuses
The admissions essay is a place where you can add a personal touch to your application. It is where you can provide context for your accomplishments. Some students use the essay as a place to explain poor grades. Take care in your decision to discuss your grades. Appropriate excuses to offer include serious illness, deaths, and major life stressors. If you choose to provide an excuse for poor grades keep your explanation succinct. Don't make your admissions essay an explanation. Admissions committees have heard it all. They may empathize with your situation, but ultimately their concern is locating applicants who will excel in their programs. Focus on your strengths rather than explaining your weaknesses.
Arizona Summit Receives WRBLSA Award Arizona Summit was recently awarded the 2016 Black Student Law Association Chapter Award at the
Western Region Black Law Students Association (WRBLSA)'s 48th annual convention held during the
first week of January in San Diego.
Charlotte School of Law AAMPLE®
If a lower LSAT score is hurting your chances of getting into law school, Charlotte School of
Law (CSL) offers the Alternative Admissions Model Program for Legal Education (AAMPLE), a
seven-week online class that helps prospective students prove they are able to handle a
demanding law school curriculum.
Florida Coastal Law's Practitioner Clinics Florida Coastal Law's Practitioner Clinic is an innovative course offering students a chance
to work closely on pro bono cases with a practicing lawyer. Students are often invited to
work on these cases in the practitioner's office off campus, and the Clinics are offered as
two credits with an evening classroom component.
Center for Professional Development Arizona Summit's Center for Professional Development (CPD) is a full-service career counseling
and resource center that supports and assists students in all stages of the career planning
process, while helping employers fill their semester, summer, and permanent hiring needs.
Charlotte Law Compliance Certificate Program
Students with or without a legal background can pursue a career in the rapidly growing
field of compliance and ethics. Charlotte Law is one of the few law schools in the U.S.
offering a Corporate Compliance Certificate Programentirely online. It's an 18-week
platform that prepares students for the Compliance Certification Board exam.
Florida Coastal Law Offers LLM & Certificate in Logistics & Transportation Florida Coastal Law is the first law school in the U.S. to offer an onlineLL.M. Degree or
Certificate in Logistics & Transportation. Students in the 24-credit LL.M. or 12-credit
Certificate program gain expertise in global logistics and transportation law through
cutting-edge courses taught by attorneys and industry professionals online.
