Monthly Archives: April 2009

Top 3 Ways to Screw Up your Personal Statement Essay

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The personal statement or college admission essay is probably one of the most essential admission requirements that you will submit to the schools that you will apply to.  Not only can you use the such essays to showcase your writing skills, but it is also a chance for you to introduce yourself, your character, and your personality to the admission committee.(1)  If you want to write an excellent admission essay, then you should know what mistakes to avoid.  Here are top three fatal mistakes as seen in some bad examples of personal statements:

Writing a full-length biography of your life

The admission committee doesn’t want to know about your entire life, from birth to the present.  You have to keep your goal in mind, when writing your admission essays, that is, to introduce yourself and state why you want to go to the school you are applying to.  Based on some examples of personal statements, you can see how writers specifies how can do well in the school.(2)  Even if you have a very interesting biography, you have to make sure that the experiences and instances that you talk about are relevant to the topic at hand.

Talking about just dreams and not real experiences

Another mistake that people often commit on their college admission essay is focusing too much on their dreams and aspirations.  While some personal statement examples mention dreams and aspirations, you should also talk about the experiences that you have actually been through.  Talk about how some of the challenges and opportunities you have faced in the past have prepared you for college.  After explaining a little about your real experiences, you can then go into how you plan to use your college education to reach your future goals and aspirations.(2)

Making bad connections between experiences and goals

It is a good idea to link your experiences to your future goals, but it is important that you avoid making a bad connection. By reading examples of personal statement online, you can see how writers mention experiences that don’t actually coincide with their future plans.  When making relating your experiences with your aspirations, try to make your essay flow.  A good idea would be to briefly describe an experience, then go into how this forged certain values and virtues into your character, and then describe how such virtues and values are essential for your college life and your future in general.(3)

(1)  http://www.depauw.edu/admission/documents/college-essay.pdf
(2)  http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html
(3) http://www.yale.edu/yalecol/academics/fellowships/application/essays.html

Personal Statement Examples: 3 Solid Ways to Get Admission Officers to Read Your Essay

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When applying to any post-secondary educational institution, one of the significant admission requirements is the personal statement.  It can either work for or against you, depending on how well written your essay is.  Perhaps your most important aim when composing your personal statement is to write an essay that will grab and hold the attention of the reader–the admissions committee.  So here are three sure-fire ways to get admission officers to read your essay:

Tip 1: Don’t waste time, go directly to the point

If you take some time to read a few personal statement examples, you’ll find that it should be direct to the point.  When you write your essay, try not to go around in circles or explain things too much.  Instead, try to be concise, straightforward, and honest.(1)  By keeping it simple but engaging, admission officers are more likely to keep reading.

Tip 2: ‘Show’ instead of ‘tell’

A common mistake that you will find in poorly-written examples of personal statement is that the writer simply ‘tells’ or reiterates their achievements or experiences.  However, your goal is not to enumerate your achievements, because all of that information is already in your application form and CV.  Instead, capture the reader’s attention by telling an engaging story of how the challenges in your life have helped you grow as an individual.(2)

Tip 3: Make your essays sound sincere but still interesting

It can be hard to be sincere, straightforward, and direct to the point, because doing so can sometimes result in an essay that is less interesting or downright boring, as seen in some bad personal statement examples.  Still, you can keep your reader interested by letting your personality shine through your writing.(3)  Be patient, and take time to learn from examples of personal statements that you can check out online.  This way, you can find interesting ways to write what you want to say.

(1)  http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(2)  http://www.bates.edu/essay.xml
(3)  http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html

Top Reasons Not to attend MBA School

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People often go on and on about how great it is to go to MBA school and earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  Students from around the world apply to some of the most prestigious B-schools in the country in hopes of earning an MBA.  For those who decide against going to business school and for those whose applications got rejected by MBA schools, there isn’t much to fret about.  Here are some of the top reasons not to attend MBA school:

The recession

The current recession has sent numerous huge companies and brands tumbling down.  Plummeting along with these huge names are the bank accounts of people all around the world.  With the recent economic recession, jobs for MBA graduates have become rather iffy at best.  For example, investment bankers have lost a lot of their business due to the effects of the recession.  As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find well-paying jobs as an MBA graduate.  Besides, even if you could find a good job, it’s hard to find clients who will trust you with their money nowadays.(1)

Working around the clock

Another problem with going to MBA school is that you will be working towards a career and lifestyle that is constantly filled with stress.  Sure, endless hours are spent by doctors who save lives and lawyers who deal with legal cases, but businessmen and bankers have to handle the stress of turning over multi-million dollar deals.  A lot of the time, the careers that MBA graduates end up in are those that fill their lives with work and stress.(2)

The pressure to achieve more

One of the perks of getting an MBA degree is that you can work your way towards a relatively well-paying job.  The problem is, you may never feel as though your accomplishments are enough.  The competitive nature of many business schools out there leaves graduates in constant competition with their colleagues, co-workers, and other business grads.  When you end up hearing all of the success stories of past classmates, it is easy to get caught up in the pressure and competition, making you feel inadequate or unappreciative of your own achievements.

Mounting expenses

MBA schools pose another problem: cost.  MBA schools usually get away with charging an arm and a leg, because they promise that an MBA degree will help you to earn big.  The problem is, you’ll probably start out with a huge debt, as you borrow money to get through B-school.  After earning your degree, you’ll probably spend a number of years just working to pay-off your debts and loans.  Next thing you know, you’re working to pay off a new car, a house and lot, or a new yacht.  In the end, you forget about all of the great ideals that you had about what you would do as an MBA graduate.  It all becomes an endless cycle of paying off expenses and debts.(3)

Next time you consider taking up an MBA degree, give it some good thought, because you may just end up a victim of one of these reasons not to go to MBA school.

(1)  http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/In-Recession-US-MBA-Students.html
(2)  http://gradschool.about.com/cs/new/a/studentstress.htm
(3)  http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/13263.html

How To Make an Exceptional Resume

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Your resume will be one of the first things that admissions committees and possible employers get to see from you. Resumes outline the experience, training, and education that you have had which is relevant to the field you are entering into. As a main component of your application package, it is important to make an exceptional resume; here are a few things to keep in mind in writing that resume.

Keep it concise

It can be tempting to write down all of your educational and professional accomplishments on your resume. Still, you have to consider how many resumes employers have to go through. Keep your resume concise by going straight to the point and keeping things short – one to two pages should be all you need. You can use bullet points for each accomplishment and skip the long explanation. If the readers have any questions, they can be answered during the interview.

Read, revise, and get and advice

Once you have finished making your resume, be sure to read it over a few times. Take a break from making your resume, revisit it and see what revisions you can make. Here are some simple tips on how to revise your resume:

* Make sure there are no grammatical, spelling, or syntax errors.
* Try not to sound redundant by avoiding repetitive words or phrases.
* Be honest and confident, but avoid sounding boastful.
* Make sure that all information is relevant, true, and complete.

After you have revised your resume and you think it is ready for submission, seek the advice of colleagues, friends, relatives and guidance counselors. Have them read your resume and give you their comments and suggestions. Make changes appropriately.

Tying in your resume with your application package

Once you have finished your resume, you will want to compile it with all of your other application requirements. If asked for a personal statement, you can use the essay to explain how the experience, training, and education mentioned in your resume has impacted you as a person. Use examples of personal statements to get an idea of what employers and admissions committees look for. You can also get ideas, themes, and topics from examples of personal statement available online.