How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 10

(This is the final installment in a series introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back soon to see what else we have in store!)

Step 10: Revisions
It is shocking how often applicants present essays (either to professors, consultants, or even to the admissions committee) that are nothing more than glorified drafts. Crafting an essay is a time intensive process that requires a great deal of revision in order to write with economy, power, and persuasion. You will almost certainly go through multiple revisions with your essays, but the applicant who takes the time to execute multiple drafts on their own will be leaps and bounds ahead when it comes time to take the next step.

Proper revision requires at least three steps:

1. On Screen. Review your work on your computer screen and make changes as you go. Doing so will clean up the bulk of your original errors and the most obvious misuses of style and structure.


2. Pen and Paper. Walk away from your work and give it some time before sitting down and reviewing the document carefully in printed form. Doing so not only allows you to read from a fresh perspective, but also to lavish more attention on the finer points, such as transition words, passive voice and indexing.


3. Read Aloud. While most people take the time to review their own work, few actually read it out loud. Reading aloud forces you to read each word and ensure proper inflection, and it also represents an ideal way to spot excess words, misplaced modifiers and other issues that will trip up a reader.

We hope these ten tips help you in your admissions journey. A finished product is only as good as its starting point, so be sure to take these tips to heart and truly put in the effort to become a great writer. Do that, and you will be far ahead of most other business school applicants.

You haven't seen the last of our tips. Check back soon and see what we've got brewing here at Veritas Prep. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 9

(This is Part 9 of series on the Veritas Prep Blog, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more admissions essay tips!)

Step 9: Manage the Word Limit
Nothing strikes fear into the heart of an applicant like a word limit. It is an imposing number whether you are trying to reach the limit, or, more likely, trying to stay under that magic threshold. It confines your expression and suggests that whatever needs to be said can be done so in the exact amount of space allotted. Do not let the word limit intimidate you—like every aspect of an application process, what can easily be construed as a hurdle is merely an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Targeted, refined writing will allow you to convey more with less and use the word count to your advantage.

The following is a five-pronged method for handling the challenges of a word limit:

1. Write with clarity and brevity. As discussed in Step 4 ("Diversify your style"), you want to create a mix of simple, compound and complex sentences, but the backbone of your essay should be simple sentences that convey points in a concise manner.


2. Practice. As stated in Step 2, practicing is the best way to hone your skills and master the art of saying more with less. The more you write, the more adept you will become at finding a better way to state your idea and the words will melt away.


3. Respectfully push the limit. If the word limit is 600 words and you have a perfect essay at 608 words, do not revise it simply to get under the count. Programs will usually allow you about 10 percent of the designated word count as a buffer zone, so feel free to go over by just a bit. That said, do not push the envelope and exceed the limit by more than that 10 percent because readers will notice. Once they notice, they will either be frustrated by the extra work it takes to read the essay or insulted by your lack of respect for the guidelines, neither of which are good outcomes for you.


4. Pay attention to flow. There is nothing more obvious or underwhelming than an essay that has clearly been chopped down to fit under a word limit. If you are 100 words over the limit on a 600-word essay, then you need to revise the entire essay. Do not simply lop off a paragraph or a sentence here and there or eliminate examples and transition words—stripping your work of its style and grace is not the solution. The best course of action is to first revise all cumbersome and wordy sentences and see where that leaves you. If you are still over the designated word limit, go back to the drawing board and execute an entirely new essay.


5. Seek evaluation. Veritas Prep clients are perfectly situated to manage their word limits effectively given the expert evaluation techniques and skills utilized by their consultants. Having a trained eye look at your work is the surest way to trim the fat and boil down your ideas and concepts to their most precise and effective form. If you start with an essay that is within 15% of the word limit, your consultant can help you boil it down the rest of the way.

Stay tuned for the last step, in which we'll show you some tips for revising your essays and making them perfect. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 8

(This is Part 8 of series on the Veritas Prep Blog, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more admissions essay tips!)

Step 8: Scrub Out Your Indexing
Indexing is when an author uses substitute words to stand in for a thought previously expressed. Rather than restate the concept or, better yet, elaborate on the premise, the author swaps in an index word as a placeholder. Consider the following sentence:

The candidate applied to Harvard Business School. He hoped to learn a great deal about management by doing this.

"This" is an index word that stands in for the previously stated action of applying to Harvard Business School. Index words do not read well and can indicate either lazy writing or a last minute attempt to shave words to fit under the word limit. A better way of framing the second example sentence would be something along the lines of:

He hoped to learn a great deal about management at one of America's finest institutions.

Index words are often indicated by this, that and these, and come at the beginning or end of a sentence.

Stay tuned for Step 9, in which we'll give you some strategies for managing word limits in your essays! In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 7

(This is Part 7 of series on the Veritas Prep Blog, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more admissions essay tips!)

Step 7: Link Everything Together
Given the strict parameters that often accompany essays and other application writing assignments, there is a tendency for applicants to write in stilted, disconnected paragraphs. When you have to express a number of ideas or cite a series of reasons -- and do it all within a strict word limit -- choppy writing is a common result. Fortunately, there is an easy and graceful solution: link your paragraphs together with transition words.

In addition to elevating the art of your writing, the use of a transition word requires you to bridge two thoughts and lead into a new idea while acknowledging the previous concept. Transition words will make your essays read more smoothly, provide logical structure, and allow your readers to easily navigate from the first point to the last.

While the concept of applying transition words is a simple one, there is still an art to selecting the right word or phrase. Be sure to examine the purpose of the sentence or paragraph and determine what type of connection you are striving to make. Consider the following:

Words and Phrases to Use

Additions -– Good for tacking on additional reasons or supporting ideas: Also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover and similarly.

Consequence –- Best used to arrive at conclusions: Accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, subsequently, therefore and wherefore.

Illustration -– Effective for citing specific examples of a more general concept: For example, for instance, illustrated with, as an example, in this case and exemplified by.

Emphasis -– Use to call attention to a prominent theme or example: Chiefly, especially, namely, particularly, including, singularly and specifically.

Similarity -– Ideal for bridging similar concepts or ideas: Correspondingly, identically, likewise, moreover, comparatively and coupled with.

Exception -– Use sparingly, only when distancing a weakness that you are mitigating out of necessity: Aside from, barring, besides, excluding, other than, outside of and save for.

Words and Phrases Not to Use

Generalizing -– Never use a generalizing transition word or phrase, as it dilutes the specificity of your essay: As a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily and usually.

Restatement -– Avoid using a restatement transition word or phrase for conclusions; instead utilize something from the consequence group above: In essence, in other words, that is to say, in short, in brief and to put it differently.

Diversion -– Never divert your focus in an essay: By the way, incidentally.

Bonus

Never use dead sentences in your writing. A "dead" sentence is something that is pure filler and that stands in for a meaningful and accurate transitional word or phrase. Dead sentences begin with phrases such as: it is often said, it can be determined and we can surmise.

Stay tuned for Step 8, in which we'll teach you how to scrub out your indexing! In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 5

(This is part of a new series that we will roll out over the next several weeks, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more MBA admissions essay tips!)

Step 5: Marry Your Thesaurus
Variety is the spice of life, and that goes for food, people, travel, and, yes, words. The easiest way to raise the linguistic bar is through word choice; finding appropriate synonyms to stand in for tired words is one of the most effective things you can do to improve your writing. The trick is in finding descriptive words while avoiding esoteric or "showy" language. Consider the following strategies:

Play it straight while drafting, spice it up while revising. You've probably been warned against using fancy words in your writing and that is a worthwhile piece of advice. That said, it doesn't require that you be bland. The best way to avoid using forced language and ridiculous words is to express your thoughts in the most straightforward way possible on the first pass. Then -- and only then -- should you go back through the composition with your handy thesaurus and find more reader-friendly and natural replacements. Thanks to Microsoft Word, you don't need an actual thesaurus—simply highlight the word and right click to find the "synonyms" option.

Say each word out loud; then define it. If you can't pronounce a word, or you don't know exactly what it means, don’t use it. Just because a word is synonymous with another word does not ensure that they mean exactly the same thing within the context of your idea.

Be bold. If you are interested in writing at the highest level, consider investing in a great thesaurus and experimenting with word origins. In particular, make an effort to use English words with Germanic origins. Most words in the English language derive from either Romance languages rooted in Latin, or Germanic languages. Romance words are typically more elegant, while Germanic words are more forceful and in most instances, there is a counterpart for each word. Depending on the situation, one is more appropriate than the other. In the case of persuasive writing steeped in results, forceful, Germanic words are often preferable.

Stay tuned for Step 6, in which we'll teach you how to be passive aggressive! In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 4

(This is part of a new series that we will roll out over the next several weeks, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more MBA admissions essay tips!)

Step 4: Diversify Your Style
When handing out advice on essay writing, many experts encourage applicants to use short sentences. Others demand essays to be rich in detail, which require a longer sentence. So which is the most effective approach?

The answer, of course, is both. The mark of strong writing –- of interesting writing –- is stylistic diversity, blending short and long, simple and complex sentences. Words have power and the way we string them together can call attention to the most important themes or points.

What follows is a short breakdown of the types of stylistic devices you want to incorporate into your work:

Simple sentences. The anchors of any essay, short, simple sentences are the surest bet when conveying an important message in a small space. Simple sentences keep the reader interested and afford your work clarity, as you reduce the risk that a thought will go on too long and run out of steam. Perhaps most importantly, using a shorter sentence lowers the odds of committing a mistake likely to occur in a more complex sentence. It also goes without saying that simple sentences are the friend of any author battling a constrictive word count.

Compound sentences. Linking two simple sentences together is a great way to diversify your style, but compound sentences can also bridge ideas and lead into a powerful conclusion. These sentences are also useful to mitigate a weakness allowing that the final thought expressed by the sentence is the solution or takeaway rather than the weakness itself. Remember that compound sentences always feature a coordinating word such as and, but, nor, for, so or yet.

Complex sentences. We’ll avoid the word “long” here, because there is no value in drafting a sentence that is long just for the sake of being long. However, there are times when you should use complex sentences that articulate multiple ideas. A well-crafted and artful complex sentence is suggestive of strong writing ability, which is one of the traits being evaluated in your application essays. Remember that a complex sentence is not merely the joining of two simple sentences (that is a compound sentence), but rather the joining of an independent clause and a dependent clause. Look for subordinating words such as since, after, although, or when.

Use of a series. One of the most common questions with regard to writing style is how to make the words in a series stand out to the reader. Again, diversity is ideal, but be careful not to go too far. Applicants see the power of simple sentences and go overboard in listing out a series of thoughts as individual sentences. Listing a series of ideas as separate sentences is a device that has become increasingly common and effective in fiction writing, but is dangerous ground in a professional document.

An example of what not to do:

"My goal is to graduate from a top program with the necessary tools for success. Business acumen. Management experience. Vision."

Play it safe and express this notion in a more conventional way:

"My goal is to graduate from a top program with the necessary tools for success, which include business acumen, management experience, and vision."

Whatever you do, never decide to list the serial items as individual paragraphs. Time and time again, this tactic has proven ineffective with essay readers.

Stay tuned for Step 5, in which we'll show you how to tastefully exercise your vocabulary. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 3

(This is part of a new series that we will roll out over the next several weeks, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more MBA admissions essay tips!)

Step 3: Be Specific!
Most applicants know that they are supposed to be specific in their essays, yet the majority of writing samples are still filled with vague proclamations. Part of the reason for this disconnect is that there is some level of confusion as to what specificity means. It does not mean that you merely provide examples -- in fact, if you've ever heard the phrase "specific examples," then you know that the words mean different things (otherwise it would be redundant).

Writing with specificity means eliminating the diluted, vague statements in favor of detailed explanations. While that can often mean providing examples, sometimes being specific is as simple as expanding on an idea.

Consider the following sentence, which is typical essay fare:

"Upon conclusion of the deal, I had the opportunity to hear a diversity of opinions and enjoy the company of a variety of different types of people, from unique backgrounds."

The example sentence is the opposite of specific as it reads as vague, Inspiration 101 content. Consider a more specific alternative:

"Upon conclusion of the deal, I dined with a most unusual dinner party and bore witness to the sight of a died-in-the-wool Republican and a bleeding heart Democrat arguing their political views and opinions to a Korean businessman armed with just two days of American culture under his belt."

Granted, the second sentence burns up more precious words and while managing your word count is important, you never want to sacrifice specificity just to trim space. Lending a rich and powerful voice to trite sentiments is the surest way to keep your essay from being passed over and dismissed as standard fare.

The best way to inject specificity into your writing is to search your essay for anything that feels clichéd or "too easy." Look for buzz words that have lost their impact due to overuse and swap in the exact idea you are trying to convey. Most of all, examine your conclusions to ensure that they actually say something. If you examine the first example above, you can see that buzz words like diversity, variety, unique, and backgrounds populate the sentence, rendering it nothing more than a cliché. By articulating the message with specific details, the sentence is transformed into a rich statement on a truly memorable conclusion to a business deal.

Stay tuned for Step 4, coming soon. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 2

(This is part of a new series that we will roll out over the next several weeks, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more MBA admissions essay tips!)

Step 2: Practice
It may sound strange to practice essay writing in the midst of an application process, but practice is the single most effective strategy to master this art form. While the old adage "practice makes perfect" may not be entirely true, there is no doubt that practice does breed comfort in word counts, themes, and structure, which is paramount to position yourself to get the most out of the process.

Consider that you will be working with your consultant on multiple versions of each essay and will be addressing critical components such as themes, content, structure, and style, as well as focusing on expressing fit with each program in question. This extensive model of evaluation is perfect for improving your writing, crystallizing your story, and polishing up your presentation. That said, your finished product will always be relative to your starting point. The Veritas Prep model of essay composition is designed to ensure that the essay remains "yours" throughout and does not become the work of the consultant. To that end, we specify the number of drafts and outline an exact process, providing guidance to maximize your candidacy without undermining the admissions process as a whole.

Think of the improvement you will make in this process as a guaranteed amount, limited only by your starting point. Put into simple terms, our experts and our methods will improve your essays by two letter grades. If you are starting with "C," we can take you to an "A" quality essay. However, if your essays are "D" quality to begin with, your likely finish line will be a "B" essay.

What does the above analysis mean for you? Try your very best to start with at least a "C," of course! The goal of creating an adequate and satisfactory starting point is the reason for this entire guide, but it is also the most compelling reason to practice writing. Before you ever send your first draft of an essay to a consultant, you should spend time examining great sample essays and practice, practice, practice.

After your initial call with your consultant, you will have ample time to develop your skills. Your consultant will be engaging in the most thorough analysis of your candidacy possible and crafting your Personalized MBA Game Plan™. During this time, you can start developing great writing habits by carving out a schedule and an ideal writing environment, as detailed above, and you can begin to turn essay-writing into second nature through practice. Immediate outcomes of practice include:

1. Improved efficiency with words and ability to adhere to designated word counts. There is no worse feeling than sitting down to write a 400-word essay, pouring your heart into a first draft, and subsequently realizing that you are over by 150 words. Practicing staying within the confines of various word counts will help you see the value in economical writing and enable you to consider ways of condensing your work so as to get more affirmative statements out of fewer words.


2. Improved clarity regarding your motivations. The more times you grapple with common essay questions and themes, the more clarity you will have when you sit down to craft responses on your actual applications. Answering the same question in multiple ways or addressing the same themes embedded in different answers is a great way to really hone in on your reasons for pursuing admission to graduate school. Getting comfortable with your motivation allows you to interject those answers into your application without resorting to contrived or forced answers.


3. Comfortable using the first-person narrative. One of the most consistent problems we see with candidates' essays is that they are not crafted as a bold and clear portrayal of the individual in question. In almost every instance, this issue stems from a discomfort with writing from a first-person, or "I" perspective. From the time we are old enough to write in complete sentences, our teachers have encouraged us to avoid using the word "I" when we write. However, the personal statement is the one time when using the word "I" is completely necessary. After all, it is your story - your case to make to the reader in question.

While many applicants are not comfortable with the usage of "I," most understand its necessity in the application essay. The main problem, then, is not an awkward avoidance of the word "I," but rather a massive proliferation of the pronoun. This syndrome is primarily due to a lack of comfort and skill with the first-person device, making practice the surefire way to gain that level of comfort. Practice does not even have to take the form of application essays -— instead, take a stab at writing a few short stories or essays that feature a first person narrative.

Write 600 words about taking a bus ride, completely from your perspective. Get comfortable with offering a genuine, first-person narrative without starting every sentence with "I." When you feel comfortable with the narrative style, you can stop worrying about counting your "I" uses and wincing at stilted phrasings, and instead focus on content and on telling a great story that encapsulates who you are as a person and an applicant and effectively articulates that message to the reader.

Stay tuned for Step 3, coming in a few days. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write Great Admissions Essays: Step 1

(This is part of a new series that we will roll out over the next several weeks, introducing our readers to our proven 10-step process for writing great admissions essays. Check back often for more MBA admissions essay tips!)

The process of executing a powerful and persuasive application essay is both an art and a science. Fortunately, you are not alone in this endeavor. In addition to being graduate admissions experts, Veritas Prep admissions consultants are also excellent writers who can help you refine your prose and style, each having used Veritas Prep's best practices and strategies for great writing for years.

We have gathered their collective wisdom over the past several months and boiled it down to ten critical steps, and will share it with you in this space over the next few weeks. By the time you have read all ten tips, you should be that much closer to a fantastic admission essay.

Step 1: Create a Writing Environment
One of the most common and easily avoidable mistakes when it comes to essay writing is one's setting —- applicants too often elect to write in the wrong place or at a bad time. What makes an environment inappropriate for writing? It could be many things, but it almost always centers around a negative impact on the author's ability to focus. Examples of contributing factors to a poor writing environment include:

• Noisy area


• Cluttered or messy workspace


• Too many distractions or opportunities to focus on other tasks


• Rushed time frame


• Writing at odd hours, particularly late at night


• Uncomfortable seating and lighting

While the problems above may sound trite and obvious, or like considerations from a bad copywriting manual, each example above is unfortunately very common. At one point or another -— out of necessity or otherwise -— you may have found yourself guilty of committing some of these writing environment sins. Working on an essay while riding the train to work, outlining your paragraphs in the student lounge, keeping one eye on your email inbox, slumped on the couch late at night in a dimly lit room... all are very realistic scenarios in which you might find yourself composing an essay. Considering the number of essays you will write and the busy lives that most graduate school applicants lead, it is not surprising to see people cramming in writing whenever they get a break in the action. As a result, you must be willing to make the commitment to your writing. If you want to write like a pro, you have to approach the task like a professional.

To create the proper writing environment, take these important steps:

• Block out time in your schedule to work on your essays. Ensure that the block of time is long enough to get significant work done, factoring in time to brainstorm as well as compose. "Writer's block" is bound to occur and you want to be able to push through any slumps before your session concludes. Additionally, adherence to a schedule is mandatory.


• Find a proper work space and use it every time you write. An easy way to create an environment conducive to focus is to sit at a desk with proper lighting and a comfortable chair. Try not to let your office or cubicle at work double as your essay writing work space; however, so long as you can disengage from the work day, writing in your office is often better than writing on the train, on the couch with your laptop propped up on your knees or amongst noisy roommates.


• Shut down your wireless connection. Nothing is more distracting than the looming temptation to check email, cnn.com, Defamer or whatever your Internet preference might be. For the duration of your essay writing session, turn off your phone, turn off your wireless connection and concentrate on the task at hand.


• Pay attention to the audio environment. Some people enjoy listening to music while others are distracted by it, or perhaps you need earplugs to drown out the sound of the TV from the other room. Discover what makes you comfortable and allows you to concentrate, and consider looking into the many available relaxation and concentration tools that are available in audio form. It’s all about getting comfortable, settled in, and focused.


• Eliminate mental clutter. There is nothing more difficult than writing while daydreaming or dwelling on problems. Your best writing will come when you are able to focus all of your attention to the task at hand—composition. Obviously, achieving total focus is easier said than done, but it can still be achieved if you eliminate tasks from your to-do list beforehand and vow never to write when you are upset or fresh off of dealing with a complicated issue.

Stay tuned for Step 2, coming in a few days. In the meantime, if you need help with your MBA admissions essays or personal statements immediately, give us a call at 800-925-7737 and talk to one of our admissions experts. And, as always, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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How to Write a Personal Statement

Around here, we spend a lot of time talking about applications and the writing samples that comprise those applications. For MBA candidates, the focus is on essays and how to both answer a school's question while also injecting your key message points into the response. Essay writing requires a specific approach, which is an intuitive concept for most applicants, given the specific nature of the essay questions and the variety of issues that matter to individual schools. But what of the personal statement? How do you take a blank page and vague instructions and maximize the opportunity before you? Personal statements also require a specific approach, one that can best be understood as a three-step process.

Before examining the three steps to writing a great personal statement, note that there will always be subtle differences in strategy, depending on the program type. For the personal statement on a law school application, the goal is always to maximize the space in whatever way that circumstances dictate. On a medical school AMCAS personal statement, there is always going to be a "stand out from the crowd" element to consider. For many grad school programs, candidates need to make sure they understand the program in question. You can go right down the list and find a caveat for every type of graduate school. That said, once you account for those nuances, you will always come back to the following three steps:

1. Determine Your Position. Positioning focuses on the major thrust of the personal statement. What is the strength you most want to advertise? The weakness you most need to mitigate? Is there a unique factor you can showcase? What is the one hole in your application that the admissions committee is dying for you to resolve in this space? This can be different for each applicant, but the one thing that is certain is that the personal statement exists for you to tell the reader what he or she needs to know. Forget what you think you should write about or what makes for the best traditional essay – it all depends on a hierarchy of needs. If someone has a perfect test score and flawless transcripts from a great college, while sporting an incredible resume, then the only concern is how entertaining the writing needs to be and maybe stating some goals. For someone with amazing grades and test scores, but zero real life experience, that individual had better be sure to talk about how he or she can lead and relate to people. And on and on.

Talk to anyone who works full-time in admissions and you will learn that they are constantly amazed by the fact that applicants avoid the “big issues” in their profile and instead write about something trite or off topic. Who cares if an applicant did relief work when the admissions officer's big question is whether or not the applicant is smart enough? It may sound harsh, but that is how it works. Therefore, your biggest challenge as an applicant is to figure out how to frame your personal statement and what the scope should be, based on the preliminary facts that are in your favor, and those that are not.

2. Understand Key Application Themes. In addition to your primary positioning (aka answering the reader’s biggest question), you also need to try to round out the key application themes for the type of program to which you are applying. This is an area that often requires insider perspective and the help of a great advisor or consulting company. For law school, the five key applications themes are:

1. Intellect (both intellectual curiosity and intellectual horsepower).
2. Motivation.
3. Discipline.
4. Collegiality.
5. Leadership.

(Note that leadership is not as important in the law school process as it would be on the MBA side – it is mainly self-serving as law schools simply want to ensure that they have enough "leaders of men" to run their student programs. A fairly cynical take to be sure, but producing leaders and putting them in the work force is just not a major priority. That said, it is still better to show leadership than not.)

In addition to coming up with a great position and knowing where to focus your energies, you also want to be sure that all of the key application themes are covered somewhere in your application. Some of these aspects may be evident on your resume or in your test scores/grades (or, conversely, it may be evident that you do not possess them), but others require some elaboration. The themes above will help you understand your positioning (example: if you have a low college GPA, it is likely that the admissions officer's "big" question will about your level of focus and discipline, requiring you to make that your position on the personal statement), but they also ensure that you have proper balance throughout your application. If your resume and educational/career path are not typical of someone in your program of interest, then it becomes mandatory to showcase motivation in your personal statement. If you are highly accomplished but lack the type of activities on your resume that indicate leadership and collegiality, then the personal statement becomes the place to broadcast those traits. Learn the key themes, identify which are missing from your application, and then use the personal statement to introduce and bolster these areas.

3. Add Some Entertainment Value. Adding some entertainment value to your personal statement often comes down to framing, especially if there is a risk of the writing sample reading like a laundry list or a glorified resume. Lists and recycled resumes are to be avoided, but sometimes candidates need to drive home accomplishments or events in a way that starts to resemble a list. It becomes a bit of a catch-22. A great way to deal with this dilemma is to embed a hook and frame the personal statement in that way. You can root things around “challenges” or "accomplishments" or any other device that gives the personal statement a narrative thrust and a unifying thread. Then you can create a setup in the intro, 3-4 nice exemplary paragraphs, and a conclusion that brings it all home. Be sure to get right to the point, stating the big takeaway point in the very first line – then work from there.

Overall, the personal statement is not the place to cover everything under the sun. You just want to triage what is most important and then build a compelling and detailed narrative to support that position.

To receive assistance on any type of personal statement, be sure to visit our website to read about services for law school, medical school, and grad school.

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Law School Admissions: Tackling the Personal Statement (Part II)

Last week we initiated a two-part series on the law school personal statement. Part I focused on the art of positioning and answering the reader's biggest question, Part II will describe the five law school themes as well as some thoughts on creating entertainment value in the personal statement.

The Law School Themes. In addition to your primary positioning, you also want to try to round out the key law school themes. They are:

1. Intellect (both intellectual curiosity and intellectual horsepower).
2. Motivation.
3. Discipline.
4. Collegiality.
5. Leadership.

For most applicants, two or three of these themes are readily apparent from the academic profile and resume. Most commonly, things like leadership, collegiality, and discipline jump off the page – evidenced by a long history of getting involved, being part of groups and organizations, and staying committed to tasks.

(Quick note on leadership: this aspect is not as important in the law school process as it would be on, say, the MBA side. Seeking applicants with strong leadership skills is mainly a self-serving proposition as law schools simply want to ensure that they have enough “leaders of men” to run their student programs. Okay, that sounds cynical, but producing leaders and putting them in the work force is just not a major priority.)

For many clients, the big themes that remain at issue are motivation and intellect. Let me discuss them each in turn.

Motivation – This has become an important issue this year as applications are up and MBA types have turned their attention to law school. A JD from a top program offers a bit more job security and, frankly, the program lasts longer, making it easier to ensure riding out a recession. So not only are you competing with more applicants this year, you are also competing against a “type” that is more common now than in previous admissions seasons. The best course of action is to “backdate” your interest in law school and then really spell out your motives for attending law school in the personal statement. It can be secondary to explaining your abilities, but it needs to be there. Another way to look at the issue of motivation is to consider the big three unasked questions on every law school application: 1) Why law school? 2) Why this law school in particular? and 3) why now?

Intellect – This breaks down into both intellectual curiosity and horsepower. Many applicants are fine on the former, but weak on the latter due to a low LSAT score (“low” being a relative term based on the 25th-to-75th percentile ranges at their schools of interest). Even if the GPA and LSAT components are fairly strong, they are often not indicative of a candidate’s true potential.

Entertainment Value. Considering the entertainment value of the personal statement does more than just provide relief for the weary application reader – it also aids in the framing of your writing sample, especially if there is a risk of the personal statement reading like a laundry list or a glorified resume. Listing everything out in that way is obviously to be avoided, but sometimes candidates must drive home accomplishments or events in a way that starts to resemble a list. A great way to do it is to embed a hook and frame the personal statement in that way. One solution is to build the narrative around “challenges” or “accomplishments” or any other device that gives it a thrust and a thread. Then you can create a setup in the intro, 3-4 exemplary paragraphs, and a conclusion that brings it home. Be sure to get right to the point, stating the big takeaway point in the very first line – then work from there.

Overall, the personal statement is not the place to cover everything. You simply want to triage what is most important and then build a compelling and detailed narrative to support that position. Confront your issues head on and tell the reader what he is dying to know and you will be leaps and bounds ahead of your competition.

For more on how to draft fantastic personal statements, take a look at our law school admissions consulting services, including our personal statement assistance service.

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Law School Admissions: Tackling the Personal Statement (Part I)

For law school applicants, this time of year tends to be all about personal statements. It is often the last remaining piece holding up submission of an application. Candidates struggle with the blank canvas nature of the assignment as they try to figure out what to write about and how to fit it all into two pages.

Many of our clients seem to be making one of two common mistakes: 1) trying to cram everything into the personal statement, to the point it sounds like an annotated resume, or 2) writing at great length about their strengths. It is tempting to throw it all at the wall and see what sticks, or to lean on what you know works. Neither of these methods will get the job done.

Below are some suggestions for your personal statement that will help candidates avoid these problems and craft a meaningful, persuasive writing sample. The Veritas Prep approach to creating a great personal statement always centers on three elements: 1) positioning, 2) the law school themes, and 3) entertainment value.

Positioning. Positioning focuses on the major thrust of the personal statement. What is the strength you most want to advertise? The weakness you most need to mitigate? Is there a unique factor you can showcase? What is the one hole in your application that the admissions committee is dying for you to resolve in this space? This can be different for each applicant, but the one thing I know for sure is that the personal statement exists for you to tell the reader what he needs to know. Forget what you think you should write about or what makes for the best traditional essay – it all depends on a hierarchy of needs. If someone is a 4.0/180 from a great school, with a great resume, then the only concern is how entertaining the writing needs to be. For someone with amazing grades and LSAT scores, but zero real life experience, they had better be sure to talk about how they can lead and relate to people. And so on. During my time in admissions, I was always amazed by the fact that applicants avoided the "big issues" in their profile and wrote about something trite or off topic. Who cares if an applicant did relief work when my big question is whether or not they are smart enough to handle the work? I hope that does not sound harsh, but that is how it works.

Therefore, your biggest challenge as an applicant is to figure out how to frame your personal statement and what the scope should be, based on the preliminary facts that are in your favor, and those that are not. One of the most common application positions tends to be "my GPA and LSAT do not fully indicate my abilities." This isn’t going to feel amazingly original, but for a candidate with substandard scores, this will be the main question in the mind of the reader after glancing at a "one sheet" (the internal document that has your basic stats and information) and the resume. When you write your personal statement and review it, ask yourself: "Am I convincing the reader that I have the raw intellect to kill it in the classroom?" You want to be able to say yes to that.

Come back next Wednesday for Part II, focusing on the five law school themes as well as advice on bringing it all together in an entertaining fashion.

For more on how to draft fantastic personal statements, take a look at our law school admissions consulting services. We also offer specialized personal statement assistance services.

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Law School Personal Statement Advice: U Chicago

The University of Chicago is considered by some to be the most "old fashioned" of the elite law schools - quick to ban Internet use in classrooms, slow to add cutting edge cirriculum additions (although it is clear that Justice Scalia would prefer they move even more slowly).

So it might come as a surprise to many in the law school community that Chicago actually features one of the most student-friendly and transparent admissions blogs out there.

A recent post was particularly helpful for law school applicants, as it provided some insight into the law school's perspective on the increasingly tricky personal statement component of the application.

The advice contained within is not exactly groundbreaking, but still offers some nice commentary on the difficulty of the assignment (hopefully providing some peace of mind to applicants) and seems to invite worthwhile and honest feedback, which is a departure from a recent post on the Yale Law School blog.

Among other tips, the blog's author - Sarah Arimoto-Mercer, Director of Financial Aid - stresses that applicants do not have to describe post-graduation legal practice goals, details some major "don't" items (grammar errors, unconventional personal statements, naive statements, and "big words"), and hammers home the point that a personal statement is about the applicant.

The best news for client's of Veritas Prep's Law School Admissions Consulting services is that we see eye-to-eye with the University of Chicago. Consider the following phrases:

From Veritas Prep's "Personal Statement" page:

One of the most difficult things facing an applicant during the law school admission process is the lack of control. Many application components are set in stone or out of a student's hands entirely. This makes the personal statement of paramount importance. Students can control their own story in this critical writing sample.

And from the U Chicago blog post on the subject:

The personal statement is your chance to go above and beyond the numbers. Your LSAT and GPA are pretty concrete by the time you apply to law school. The personal statement is an element of the application where you can still make a difference. Since you cannot request an interview with the admissions committee, you can think of the personal statement as your chance to say what you would have wanted to highlight in an interview.

For students who would like to receive more insight into the personal statement component of the application, consider reading the following application tips on the subject.

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