Ready to Write More Ch-12

CHAPTER 12

Writing Essays for Undergtraduate and Graduate Schoof Appfications tg, are planning to apply to unders unlred Srares, you will probably have

J{

application process. So-" *f-r."fr',uiff give you more open-ended ques :l,j::|.-'l*ill wlr practlce writing answers to typical appli.at

the ,

essay questions.

Tips for Writing Application Essays Take the essay paft of the application very seriously. To some schools, the essay is the most

important part of your application. Admissions officers at more than one school have said that the essay can make or break a candidate,s chances for admission_ Be honest Be yourself. Be sincere. The admissions committees want to know who you are as a person. Do not misrepresent yourself. Write about something that is important to you. Even if you are given a specific subject to wriie about, you wiil have to choose your angle. Let your entrusiasm for the subject show Your interest in the subject is a very imfortant, sometimes the most important, element in an """"y. Make your application as interesting and lively as you can. Admissions officers read hundreO", ,i"Vl" thousands, of essays. You want yours to stand out. (continues)

WRITING ESSAYS FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL

APPLICATIONS A

G}€'

Tips for Writing Application Essays (continued) 5.

Do not try to write the application essay in a hurry or at the last minute. You need to give yourself time to think about the question and do some prewriting and planning before you actually write the essay.

6.

Keep your audience and your purpose in mind as you plan and write your essay. t

7.

Pay attention to the principles of good writing that you have studied in this book. Make sure you have a main idea, suppod, and clear organization. Include specific details so that your essay is uniquely about you. Do not write an essay that is so general that it could have been written by any number of other people. Add details to bring your essay to life.

Follow the rules you have learned in this book for writing a good introduction, body, and conclusion. 9. Your essay must be as perfect as you can make it. This means no grammatical, spellin g, punctuation, or capitali zation mistakes. Have several people-teachers, relatives, andlor friends-read it carefully for you. Remember that neatness counts. 10. Make a copy of your essay before you mail it. This will avoid problems if your application gets lost in the mail or in the admissions office. To be safe, send it registered mailwith a return receipt requested. 8.

Whether you are applying to undergraduate or graduate school, there are several principles that you should pay attention to in writing your essay. Even if you are not planning to attend a university in the United States, you will improve your writing skills by practicing this kind of essay.

Undergraduate Essays The application

essay is very important to admissions committees. Th.y use it to get

to know the individual behind the test point average. You should think of your essay as a chance to show yoursel.f off to your best advantage. Try to tell them a little more about yourself than they would know by reading the rest of your application. Admissions committees also use the essay to determine how well you write because good writing skills are important for success in college. In short, your essay is your special opportunity to prove that you are an interesting person and that vou can write well. scores and grade

A

GiCi

CHAPTER 12

-E

Analyzing an Undergraduate Essay Here is an example of an essay that was written in response to a university,s request: In readingyow application, we wan as we can' We ask tlwt you use this ffiortuniiy teII us wouahelp us nwmd a serrse of who'J;;;;;, i;;"you think, terest you the most. Read the essay and answer the questions that foilow.

i

someth and"

I I I

i

y worries and observe the,peaceful

WRITING ESSAYSFOR UNDERGRADUATEANDGRADUATESCHOOLAPPLICATIONS

AGiT

The experience does not end with my surfacing but continues with the stories my father, the other divers, and I tell afterward. There is a high level of camaraderie among all divers. We sit around like old pirates in a dank tavem, laughing as we talk about the stingrays who search for food in our hair (an experience that was once described as "like b"trrg mugged by E.T.") or about the dive master who found a bicycle down by one of the wrecks and started to ride it around. My fellow divers do not know that I have not yet left behind my fears of diving, because once I submerge, I inhabit a different world with them. Like leaming to scuba dive, leaming to read was also not easy for me. Most early-reading programs rely heavily on the teaching of phonetics. However, I have a leaming disability that makes understanding sound/symbol relationships difficult. This made leaming to read through the use of phonetics impossible. I was lucky, though, because I was accepted into Fenn School's Intensive Language Program. For two years (fourth and fifth grades), six other boys and I worked together, leaming how to compensate for our leaming differences. In this class, I developed a trait that I am very proud of: the ability to work hard-not only in my studies, but in everything I do. By continuing even when the waters were rough, and drawing on the support of my parents and teachers, I leamed to read and found an amazing world opened to me. Just as my fellow divers do not know that I am anxious about scuba diving, most of my classmates do not know that I have a leaming disabilicy. They just think that I am a diligent worker, but I know that, as with scuba diving, there is a lot more to the story

1.

Z.

What two experiences did the student write about? How are they related? was his purpose in talking about scuba diving?

'S7hat

What did you leam about this student? rilVhat adjectives would you use to describe him?

3.

What does the value system?

A

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CHAPTER 12

essay reveal about

the author's relationship with his father? His

r SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS that asks you for autobiographical ly wlth questions such as, ,,Tell us a little n about yourself that is the question indirectlv in life?" ,one. l

Here are some typical essay topics that are often used by colleges and universities in the United states' In smallgroups, discuss the topics and make notes about how you might answer each one.

1'

2' 3'

*it"

a significant experience or achievement

that has special meaning

Discuss some issue of personal, local, or national concern and its importance to you.

l#r,m*rson

who has had a significant influence on you and describe ou and why?

history what would-you change and why? that you have ever done. t and why? gone through and how it may affecr your

WriUng an Essay for an Undergraduate Application Prewriting

a' B'

:ff"T:.tfiT":tt':l".ffTl"l,1pics

above and, on a separate piece or paper, rreewrite

Reread your threefreewriting samples and choose one of them to develop into an using the ideas you generated

::::il

in your

p.*ti

i"g,'prepare an outine of the

on a separate piece of pape4 write the_ first draft of your essay. Be sure to start with an interesting introduction that will make the aimr"ion" committee excited about reading your essay. you shourd choose ,",ioJof organization for your supporting paragraphs, such as " time order or order of importance, that best suits your topic' Include specific details and exampres that nnirr rr"rp the committee get to know you. Finaily, make your concrusion one that ttre reaoers wirr remember. Revising and Editing

A

TO WRITE

wait at least one day, and then revise your essay using the checkrist on page 7s. Write or type a revised version of Vour """"V. use the checkrist on page 56 to ed* your essay. Go'ect at the gramma' punctuation, capitarization, and speting enors. Give your essay to your teacher and someone erse to read for any finar comLents before io, it over or type it. "opy

WRITING ESSAYS FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL

APPLICATIONS A G;!S)

You Be the Editor Most applications also include several short-answer questions. Do not be deceived by these questioru. They are just as important as the longer essay questions, and the same principles apply. Read the following student response to the short-answer question, "Tell us about the academic areas that interest you most." Therc are seven mistakes. Find and correct the mistakes.

I am interested in mathematic and

science, but at this

point I have not yet

identified a specific area to major in. I am also interest in leaming more about the field of engineering.

At Blake University I can to explore all of these areas,

before I decide upon a major. Blake even offer the opportunity to combine them

into an interdisciplinary major. finally, although I do not intend to major in art, I have a sffong interest in art and find the possible of taking courses at Blake's

School of Design attractive.

Filling Out an Application Many colleges and universities in the United States use the same application form. ft is called the common application. Turn to the appendix on pages 17+-175 to see a sample common application from several years ago. Just for practice, take the time to fill it out completely. Make sure that your information is accurate and your handwriting neat and legible.

Graduate School Essays The biggest difference between essays for undergraduate and graduate school is in the subject matter. A graduate school essay focuses on career goals and is generally referred to as a statarnent of purpose. The tips for writing application essays that you read on pages 165-166 are useful for both types of essays.

Analyzing a Graduate School Statement of purpose Here is an example of a successful graduate school statement of purpose. This student wants to study civil engineering at the University of Michigan. Stntnment of Pwpose: ('ly|e ar print clemly on d seryate piece of paper.) Yow stntement of ptnpose slnuldbe a concise, well-writtzn essay about yow background., Jour career goals, and

lnw Michigan's

17O

CHAPTER 12

gradu"ate

progarn willlvlp lou meet Jour career and. e&rcatiorwl objectiues.

Read the statement of purpose essay and answer the questions that forow.

,

My lifelong paslign for srructures and construct

yh:l I got my first LEGO,.,. I ,oulJspend ho,rrs b"|dt* and bridgeg and trying,o -ri" if,.m out of a civil engineer' .i er*aijovs "nd :": 1i ,it.r. Nothingwas accompanving him .o orr.rrlt the progress at his constructio., r* .or. iniriguing to me then

;1ru;':l'ff::[H::;t'""'ro'-

r'o^

the completion of the da my dream has been to co

"

'["'t';;;;;-ee*

pad to a

be

,

ha po

like my father's. I came to engineer, I would need to acquire a diversity of skills. !'hen I was in high schoor, the Tirrkish economy was tightly held in the hands of the gorr.-,'irrt. Almost af mr1o. industribs wer. dominated by govemment monopoli..r,.l.Ttng little room for theprivir. ,..,o. to flourish. Then, seemingly ovemight, Tr;[.r;bt from based on small ^.";;. fam i lv b us in ess es a''d go-vem-."ijr,"ra il;;;;; "r,..orromy ;;; t it ive marke t rvr.. rr,. privatizat ion of r,rkirh indus ft ies ir, o. ,:,"$ i.$::;rl: lvestments led to the birth of big.o.porJ""r - Af struction. However, the transition has not alw irrkey lacked a solid core of educated b;r-;pro

y.i:.-,

ru;:l1t of

business..il?Jil":1.;T*.,:Tiy. businesspeople skilled at negotiating

managers

with

Realizing this need, I decided that the first step of my educational pran should be to studv business,and at a university in the united States. This would provide me with.h-;;iid f"undatio I would nSed-in my.construction management "ir.""i[age and skills that o come to the United States, Turkey

ft";;;;

*"r"on v'urc th.

the

,.::

;""*::t^ltth

contempor"., o3to"s Westem influences became more years, I have become fluent

in English while eaming

ree in-finance, with a minor in economics. econd bachelor,s degree i",""rfr"_"iics. unmanaged construction engineeri with manageri

M;;g;;;";;,;;;

present management necessary to

". knc

p-l*, coordinate, and contror th.

involved in the construction industry

I am

Now, I will civil engineering. ecedented *"ttt of ; a need for highly trained n Engineering and expand || Ypgl mv

-titl

ai.,lri.t:ru:.#:ijllll,,

i6"t th"t

oy ba.kfio,rnd in economics

WBITING ESSAYS FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL

APPLICANONS

A7A

and finance, coupled with my strong quantitative skills, makes me an excellent candidate for graduate studies in rhis field.

Michigan's Corutruction Engineering and Management program will prepare me for a responsible management position in the construction industry. At Michigan, I hope to be involved in research that investigates the applications of artificial intelligence techniques as well as compurer applications in the construction industry. I would also like to research stratigies foi innovation in corstruction, especially as they relate to a developing country. Finally, I am interested in how the planning, design, and implementation oi engineering projects are integrated into a coherent, well-functioning system. I ho_pe to improve my understanding of the whole sysrem by examining how the subsystems and various components fit together. one of my goals is to improve the operation and management _ -since Tirrkey's present

of

inefficient infrastructure, I would like to study ways of improving efficiency in the use of labor and natural resources. This will involve rebuilding, restoring, and upgrading a rapidly deterioraring infrastructure as well as creating new physiial stmctures that reflect the application of modem technology. Turkey desperately needs new airports, harbors, highways, public transportation systems, and industrial planls to facilitate its rapid economic growth. The engineering problems turkey faces require professionals who are able to bring together idias from technoiogy, science, and systems and operations managemenE.

_

By eaming an M.S. degree in construction Engineering and Management,

I will retum to Turkey equipped with the -ort rophirticated knowledg"e in my field. I hope not only to leam practical informarion that I can apply ti the situation in Tirrkey, but also to acquire the theoretical basis and research skills s and

sional

172,

with

1-

'v7hat

z.

\Vhy do you think the student mentioned playing with LEGo pieces in the introduction?

3.

\7hy

4.

\7hat experiences led him to this interest?

CHAPTER 12

did this

essay

tell you about the student's background?

is the student interested

in studying engineering?

_-.-":-

5'

How has he prepared himself for graduate school?

6.

what qualities do you detect about this student that will make him in graduare school?

successful

Writing a Statement of purpose Practice writing a statement of purpose. Respond to the forowing sampte question. ln tfu spar'e belaw' plcase drscuss your educationalbackground., career objectiues, atd" research intzrests' Be specific as you can about t^re mea in

a

which you pran

n

satdy.

Prewriting

a

B,

choose one of the prewriting techniques that you are comfoftabre with. use the space below to generate ideas.

Organize your prewriting.

Writing On a separate piece of paper; write the first draft of your essay.

Revising and Editing

A. B.

Wait at reast one day and then revise your essay using the checkrist on page 75. Write or type a revised version of your essay.

READY TO WRITE

allthe gramma[ r essay to your teacher and copy it over or type it.

WRITING ESSAYS FOR UNDERGMDUATEAND GRADUATESCHOOLAPPLICATIONS

173

APPENDIX SION APPLICATION FOR I]NDERGRADUATE ADMIS

PERS{ONALDATA Legal narne:

Llittdk (coiltPbtc)

tE?

Prcfcrto b€ called; Are yor agplYing as a

krmrcnt

(nicloame)

E

if

any:

Fortlrc terrn beginning:

ftestmanor fltrmsrer shd€ntr

horre addrcss:

City

Formcr last name(s)

Nv*erudStet Zp

cotntY

orlw

If rlitrerent fiom ftc abovg plear give your rmiling

addre,ss

for all admision conEspordrnae:

Mailing address:

Itwbr ad

SIN.I

Use until: CitY

Telephone

Binhdate:

d

Zp

orTw

mailiDg ad&ess:

Pcrmancnt

AmC& Citizenship:

Mqrthr ful

horr

Elepbone: AruCod.

Nwber

E

U.S. Elp"nnarent Residentu.S'

fl ooet

cet"

fcs

lfisa ryPe

Pocsiblc arca(s) of academic concentratio'o/major: Spccial

collep or division if applicabh:

Possible carcer or nrofcssional plans:

folowbg ilcor are oPdoml:

!

orrurdccidcd

E

! No lfyes,tbe appmpriatefqm(s)wadwillbefilcdon: r-i flJ Socialsectritynumber,if any: Ll U ll - Ll LJ - LlLl Ll

willyoubeacandidatcforfinancialsid? Thc

orundecided

[

Ycs

Madtal stalrs:

Place of birth:

Coutrl

Citt

Lurguage sPokcn at hooe:

First language if other than English: How workl you describcyouself?Ctrcck any that aply' E Acricar lDdian, Alaskan Nuive (tribal afiiliuion

E Natirc Ha\raiian, hcific Islartu E nsiu nrncrion Asian fnclrdinglndim

suboootimrr) (country

tr Hispnic,ktim(ilEltrlinghefioRican)(cuffiy

E Mcxican-Amedcs! Mexican E African-Ame.rican, Black ) E mite' Anglo' Caucasist ) D Ottrcr(Speciry

-

EDUS\TIONALDATA Dde of entrY

School you atteild now'

Aatdo?ss

=

Citl

Deto of rocondarY graduation

.,ir Is

Ttit

Acr/cEEB cldcnumbor

Pri\at!?

yolr school public?

Collegc counselon Namc: School tel,elePhone:

A74.

Schml FAX:

AreeCdc

APPENDX

-

ArcoC&

parochial?

)

Briefly dcscribe any schola$ic distinctions

c

honqs you have won, beginning with ninth grade:

EXITACTJRRICT'LAR, PtsRSONAL, AND VOLIJNIEER ACTTVITIES Please ]ist yolr principal extracurricular, community, ard family activitics arxl hobbies in the order of their inrcrcst to you. Include specific cvents and/or rnajor rcomplishmeots such as musical ifftnrment playe4 varsity lefiers eame4 etc. please ( ) inthe righr column rhose rcrivitics you hope to pursue in college.

/

Activity

Grade levcl or p6l_

sccoodsry(ps)

9t0ilt2PS

Appoxilostc tirrc spent

Hours pcrwccl.

Wccls

Dopn Fosirions hcld, honors won.

pla! to pafticipate in collcge?

or lcrErs earDcd

FrJ|€or

List anyjob (including summcr cmployment) you havc held during the past threc years. Specific naturc of

wort

Erqloycr

ApproximatE d8!es

of cmploynutt

Apgoxioatc no. of

bors

spcnt per rrcek

In dre space provided below' briefly discuss which ofthes€ activities (exracurricular and pcrsonal activities or work expericnce) bas had tbc srost meaning for you, and why.

I

APPENDIX 17=i