STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

grad school essay

ejc423 · Coach

Congrats on your decision! It always feels good to have something decided.

As for your questions:

1. I have always written essays like this in first person. It's supposed to be about you, right? I think it would be a mess to try to avoid "I, me, my" words.

2. Do you turn the essay in with an application or separate? If it is with an application, I would say you don't need a cover sheet. If not, I don't think it would be a bad idea to have a cover sheet with your name, the school's name and the name of the department you are applying to. Unless the website or application gives you very specific instructions on how to turn in the essay, I think it's safe to assume they won't be too picky.

Good luck--keep us updated!

lsubatgirl · Gucci

I think you would have to use the first person in this essay with the topics you have to touch upon. It would sound weirder to write in the third person than the first person.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Call each school, ask how they prefer to have the essay submitted, then get the correct spelling of the name of the person you talk to, and his or her title. Send this person a "thanks for talking to me..." note or email. Then refer to this person when dealing with the school later. And in grad school, especially law but I would think business school too... IT IS NEVER OK TO ASSUME THEY WILL NOT BE PICKY. They will be picky. They live for picky. And any little thing on the application is just a reason to toss it, because they always have tons more people applying than there are open slots.

poptart · Coach

Good for you for going back to school! I just finished my master's and I think I am more proud of it than almost anything else I have done.

As far as your essay, I agree about finding out (if possible) who will be reading the essay, and submitting it directly to him/her. As far as using the first person, it is no longer frowned upon in the way it used to be. Even in more formal academic articles, I am seeing "we" used as a replacement for "the authors have found..." and stuff like that. And in this type of essay, you MUST use it. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to display your passion for your course of study in a way that will make your essay more memorable. I agree that they will be picky, but even if they consider using the first person to be "breaking the rules" I doubt it will be a deal-breaker, especially if you do it well.

Sorry for the long reponse!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

thanks for your responses. I spent the weekend tweaking my essay. I did use I/we, but did so sparingly. I have a little time until the deadlines, so I will revisit it in a week with fresh eyes and in the mean time get names of specific people to send it to. I'm so excited for the fall, and it's not even spring!

-gd

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

This is just something I've noticed - the specific people who will read the essay are kissed up to all the time. They barely even notice. But the lower-level people who answer the phones often have a lot more pull than you'd think, and they love special treatment (and despise and will punish any small slight). So you probably already know this, but pucker harder, or at least as hard, for the secretary than for the admissions counselor.