Effective Admission Letters

Written by Margaret Procter, Writing Support

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When you write a letter or personal statement as part of applying for graduate or professional
school, you will make your case as much by the way you write as by what you say. Here are some of
the qualities to aim for.
Be focused. Take your cue first from the prompts given in the application form. Is the real question
why you want to be a lawyer, or is it why you will make a good one? If the prompt is very general or
the questions scattered, decide what point you want to make overall: that you are a proven achiever,
or that you can deal with challenges, or that you have something special to contribute to the
profession…. Don’t just write about law or medicine in general—that is extremely boring to the
readers. Write about yourself as a lawyer, physician, or anthropologist.
Be coherent. Being “together” is a quality of writing as well as of character. A clearly organized
letter can create a picture of a clear-minded and sensible person. You might want to write from
an outline or a diagram of main points. At least check the topic sentences of each paragraph in your
finished piece to see if they make a logical sequence. Ask a tough-minded friend to give her
impression. See over for types of structure and for books that give further advice about writing.
Be interpretive. You need to make an impression concisely, so don’t use your letter just to repeat
the facts set out in other parts of the application. Provide explicit answers for the question that arises
in the mind of any reader looking at a hundred or more similar documents—”So what?” Use nouns
and adjectives that name qualities (outgoing, curiosity, confident) and verbs that show action
(coordinated, investigated, tried). Make an effort to find the exact right ones to suit the evidence you
are offering.
Be specific. There’s no point making claims unless you can back them up. Refer to the fact lists in
other parts of your application (“as my academic record shows”), but be sure to offer enough
examples in your letter so that it can stand on its own. Say that they are just instances, not your
whole proof (“An incident from last summer is an example….”). The concrete language you use for
these specific references will also balance the generalizing words of your interpretive points.
Be personal. Your letter substitutes for an interview. In effect, the readers have asked you to tell
stories, mention details, expand on facts. So mention things you might not have put into the rest of
the application—your ethnic background or political interests, if you wish and if they are relevant.
Don’t be afraid to mention problems or difficulties; stress how you overcame them. Use “I” rather
than phrases like “this writer” or “my experience” or “was experienced by me.” A stylistic tip: to avoid
monotony, start some sentences with a subordinate clause such as “While I scrubbed floors” or
“Because of my difficulties”—then go on to I did or I learned.

Options for Organizing an Admission Letter

Judge by the clues on the application form and by the nature of the profession or discipline what kind
of logical structure you could use to tie your points together into a coherent whole. You may see
indications you are expected to tell stories, or be self-analytical, or to enter into discussions in the
discipline. Here are some standard patterns for prose exposition:
Narrative: This has the virtue of being linear, and thus easy to organize. It progresses from a
beginning to an end, and you can divide up the middle into manageable sections. But beware of
overworked openings like “I have always wanted to be a dentist.” Make sure, too, that you balance
interpretive points with specific facts
Analytic: To deal with the central question why you are a good match for the program, give an
overall answer about yourself and then discuss the elements that contribute to your engagement
with the discipline and predict your contributions. Discuss your interests in terms of key issues and
theories in your discipline. To balance the dryness of this approach. break into memorable stories at
times, using specific details, and use verbs to put yourself in action. Show what you intend to do
after you have completed the program.
Technical: To indicate your research or professional interests, show your involvement with a
specific issue. Don’t just outline the topi you want to work on; write about your summer research job
or independent-study project, or your program on student radio or your volunteer experience. Outline
specific undergraduate programs as examples. Emphasize what you learned from these activities,
and indicate how your studies will extend that learning.

Other Sources of Advice

Writing Style: Don’t give your readers any excuses to eliminate your application. Proofread carefully
for missing details as well as errors in grammar or punctuation. Write readably; don’t overload your
sentences with academic jargon or pretentious words. Pull out your dictionary and reference books
on writing if you’re wondering about specific constructions. If you need to set up your statement as a
letter, check a book or website on standard letter formatting for the date and return addresses. If you
use a Word template, choose one of the simpler ones to avoid looking pretentious.
Guidebooks: Lots of books give advice on writing graduate admissions letters. The ones you’ll see
in bookstores and libraries are nearly all focussed on American universities, so take their advice and
samples with a grain of salt. Above all, don’t imitate too closely—suspected plagiarism or obvious
insincerity brings quick rejection.
Online Advice: Academic sites like these give advice and sometimes include examples. Avoid
commercial sites.

 Purdue University, www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/

 University of Wisconsin, www.writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/apessay.html
 PsychWeb, www.psywww.com/careers/applicat.htm

Writing the Personal Statement

Summary:
This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.
Contributors:Jo Doran, Allen Brizee
Last Edited: 2012-05-08 09:59:04

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into
one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often
prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.
2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should
respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple
essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

 What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
 What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have
shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help
set you apart from other applicants?
 When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about
yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are
well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
 How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other
experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
 If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or
managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
 What are your career goals?
 Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great
grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your
GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
 Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic,
familial, or physical) in your life?
 What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you
possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a
way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
 What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
 Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and
effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
 What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be
interested in you?

General advice
Answer the questions that are asked

 If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are
somewhat similar.
 Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer
each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write
separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

 Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst
things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and
different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your
story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific
  Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up
with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical,
the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should
emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

 If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it
interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

 The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the
reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the
statement.

Tell what you know

 The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular
field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or
no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific
as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in
conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations
with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of
specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have
to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of
your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

 There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to
experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't
mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political
issues).

Do some research, if needed

 If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some
research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the
school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might
be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

 Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say
that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as
they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word
limits.

Avoid clichés

 A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other
people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired
statements.