Following up on our recent articles about how to approach the Activities and Short Answer sections in the Common Application, we will conclude this series by dealing with the Personal Essay.
Writing personal narratives is a challenge as many people have never been asked to do this type of writing. Because of this, we encourage you to start the essay writing process early by first organizing your ideas in order to determine what your best essay material might be. There are many ways to generate and organize your ideas, here are some examples:
-What are the most important events/accomplishments in your life?
-What are you are most passionate about?
-What people had the biggest influence on you?
-What places do you have a strong connection to?
-What key skills do you have? (leadership, creativity, communication, etc.)
After you have generated some potential essay material, you will need to choose from one of the six Personal Essay options on the Common Application. Here are some tips on how to approach the Common Application essays:
Option 1 - Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
When approaching essay option 1, focus more on the end of the question: "its impact on you" and less on the experience, achievement, risk of ethical dilemma. The purpose of this question is not to determine which applicant had the most outstanding achievement or took the biggest risk. This essay requires you to give insight into why the event was significant, or how it changed you. When writing this essay provide just enough background information so that the reader can understand the story, but dedicate the majority of your precious 500 words to analyzing the situation and describing how you benefited from the experience.
Option 2 - Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
The key to successfully writing essay option 2 is to show passion for the topic you have chosen. This would be easier to accomplish if you had a close connection to the issue and were able to describe your related experience. Be sure to give clear reasons why this issue is important to you and how it has/might impact your life or society in the future.
Option 3 - Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Many applicants will make the mistake of using 90% of the words in this essay to describe the person (perhaps a relative, teacher, coach, mentor, friend, etc.). Don't forget that the person the school really wants to get to know is you - so be sure to emphasize your relationship and interaction with that person, and of course include plenty of reflection about the positive influence that person had on you.
Option 4 - Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
This is a great opportunity for music lovers, avid readers and aspiring writers, artists or scientists to talk about something that inspired their passion in that field. This essay also allows you to make connections to your intended major or future career goals if you like. Avoid the temptation to use too much space describing the character or creative work, and instead focus on the learning process involved and how it affected your thinking or actions going forward.
Option 5 - A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the education mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
As universities become more international and diverse in the United States, schools are looking for students who can fit into a diverse, team-based learning environment and make an impact. If you choose this essay be sure to explain what diversity means to you, why you feel diverse thinking is important in an educational environment, and how you can leverage your unique knowledge, skills, personality or experience to make a positive contribution.
Option 6 - Topic of your choice.
Choose a meaningful topic about a critical issue in your life that you feel the admissions committee must learn about. The admissions committee will approach your application with an open mind, therefore if you choose a topic that you really care about, you cannot go wrong!
www.transcendadmissions.com
Friday, August 24, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Common Application Tips Part II: The Short Answer
This is the second part of our series on dealing with different sections of the Common Application, the online application system used by a large number of undergraduate universities in the United States. A few days ago we provided some tips about how to choose and describe activities and extracurricular involvement in The Common Application "Activities" section.
The next critical element in the Common Application is the Short Answer (part of the "Writing" section) which challenges you to elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. Here are some things to think about when you approach this important question:
Choosing your topic. Choose an experience that you are truly passionate about and dedicated a lot of time to, rather than something you feel the admissions committee is the most interested in. Writing about an experience you are very enthusiastic about will allow you to more easily convey your passion to the admissions committee.
Give a broad perspective. In view of the topic you selected for the Personal Essay, or the other school-specific essays you will need to write, choose a topic and use a writing style that gives the admissions committee a different perspective of you. For example, if your Personal Essay is about community service or volunteer experiences, consider choosing a Short Answer topic that could give a more professional perspective or something related to your ultimate career goals.
Explain "Why". Many applicants will make the mistake of simply mentioning their responsibilities or basic involvement within the activity and organization. For the Short Answer, focus on explaining WHY this activity interests you. WHY are you passionate about it? WHY did you decide to dedicate a significant amount of time to this? WHY was the experience rewarding? The key is to describe how you personally feel about this activity.
Be concise. The Short Answer has a limit of 1,000 characters, which is about 150 words. Be careful because any words that exceed this limit will be cut off and the schools that you are applying to will not be able to read them. This tight character limit forces you to explain the key information in a very concise and straightforward way. Be sure not to waste any space!
The next critical element in the Common Application is the Short Answer (part of the "Writing" section) which challenges you to elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. Here are some things to think about when you approach this important question:
Choosing your topic. Choose an experience that you are truly passionate about and dedicated a lot of time to, rather than something you feel the admissions committee is the most interested in. Writing about an experience you are very enthusiastic about will allow you to more easily convey your passion to the admissions committee.
Give a broad perspective. In view of the topic you selected for the Personal Essay, or the other school-specific essays you will need to write, choose a topic and use a writing style that gives the admissions committee a different perspective of you. For example, if your Personal Essay is about community service or volunteer experiences, consider choosing a Short Answer topic that could give a more professional perspective or something related to your ultimate career goals.
Explain "Why". Many applicants will make the mistake of simply mentioning their responsibilities or basic involvement within the activity and organization. For the Short Answer, focus on explaining WHY this activity interests you. WHY are you passionate about it? WHY did you decide to dedicate a significant amount of time to this? WHY was the experience rewarding? The key is to describe how you personally feel about this activity.
Be concise. The Short Answer has a limit of 1,000 characters, which is about 150 words. Be careful because any words that exceed this limit will be cut off and the schools that you are applying to will not be able to read them. This tight character limit forces you to explain the key information in a very concise and straightforward way. Be sure not to waste any space!
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Common Application Tips Part I: Activities Section
If you are applying to undergraduate university programs in the United States you will likely need to fill out The Common Application, which is used by over 300 colleges and universities.
After filling out the personal information sections you will eventually arrive at the "Activities" section, where you will be required to list your most important extracurricular activities and work experiences. Many people make a mistake by focusing most of their time and energy on the Personal Essay and do not put enough thought into how to present their extracurricular experiences. Here are some tips for dealing with the Activities section of The Common Application:
- The Common Application specifically asks you to list your extracurricular activities and work experience in their order of importance to you. Thus when you list certain activities first or second you are telling the admissions committee that you feel very strongly about these activities. We advise you to choose the activities that you spent the most time on and are the most meaningful to you, not the activities you think the admissions committee cares about the most. It would also be good if some of these activities had some connection to your intended college major, career goals or something else that you have indicated is very important to you in the application.
- Do you have unique hobbies and interests? Be sure to list activities you engaged inside and outside of your school, like activities in religious and youth groups, sports, musical and artistic experiences or unique hobbies. For example, are you an electronics repair guru? Do you train for triathlons? Are you an amateur chef who can prepare many delicious foods? By letting the admissions committee see your unique talent you can stand out from others and seem more interesting.
- You only have 100 characters to list the details of these experiences and any accomplishments. Use this space wisely to clearly explain your specific responsibilities, level of involvement, how you benefited from the experience or how selective the activity or job was. For example, if you were selected out of a group of 300 people for an internship, be sure to provide this information.
- Do not exaggerate or lie about your activities and involvement. Remember, many top schools interview undergraduate applicants, and your interviewer will typically base their questions on the information listed on your application.
After filling out the personal information sections you will eventually arrive at the "Activities" section, where you will be required to list your most important extracurricular activities and work experiences. Many people make a mistake by focusing most of their time and energy on the Personal Essay and do not put enough thought into how to present their extracurricular experiences. Here are some tips for dealing with the Activities section of The Common Application:
- The Common Application specifically asks you to list your extracurricular activities and work experience in their order of importance to you. Thus when you list certain activities first or second you are telling the admissions committee that you feel very strongly about these activities. We advise you to choose the activities that you spent the most time on and are the most meaningful to you, not the activities you think the admissions committee cares about the most. It would also be good if some of these activities had some connection to your intended college major, career goals or something else that you have indicated is very important to you in the application.
- Do you have unique hobbies and interests? Be sure to list activities you engaged inside and outside of your school, like activities in religious and youth groups, sports, musical and artistic experiences or unique hobbies. For example, are you an electronics repair guru? Do you train for triathlons? Are you an amateur chef who can prepare many delicious foods? By letting the admissions committee see your unique talent you can stand out from others and seem more interesting.
- You only have 100 characters to list the details of these experiences and any accomplishments. Use this space wisely to clearly explain your specific responsibilities, level of involvement, how you benefited from the experience or how selective the activity or job was. For example, if you were selected out of a group of 300 people for an internship, be sure to provide this information.
- Do not exaggerate or lie about your activities and involvement. Remember, many top schools interview undergraduate applicants, and your interviewer will typically base their questions on the information listed on your application.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Reports Suggest Positive MBA Hiring Trends
2012 reports published by the MBA Career Services Council (MBA CSC) and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) indicate that the outlook for MBA hiring is very positive and expected to increase in 2012 and beyond.
The MBA CSC (an association composed of MBA career services and recruiting offices and companies that recruit MBA students) recently released their Spring 2012 Recruiting Trends Survey Results which indicates that a majority of business schools reported an increase in on-campus recruiting activity for full-time positions compared to 2011. Specifically, the survey notes that 51% of responding business school career offices reported an increase in on-campus recruiting and 69% reported increases in full-time job postings. Recruiting activity in the consulting and technology sectors showed the largest increases, while recruiting in financial services decreased. 72% of the responding schools also expect internship opportunities to increase this year as well.
Information reported from the GMAC in their 2012 Corporate Recruiters Survey seems to support these positive recruiting trends. 79% of the corporate recruiters responding to the GMAC survey stated that they planned to hire MBA graduates in 2012 (up from 72% in 2011), and on average they plan to hire 17 MBA graduates per firm (compared to 13 in 2011). The largest increases in recruiting seem to have come from companies in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.
The MBA CSC (an association composed of MBA career services and recruiting offices and companies that recruit MBA students) recently released their Spring 2012 Recruiting Trends Survey Results which indicates that a majority of business schools reported an increase in on-campus recruiting activity for full-time positions compared to 2011. Specifically, the survey notes that 51% of responding business school career offices reported an increase in on-campus recruiting and 69% reported increases in full-time job postings. Recruiting activity in the consulting and technology sectors showed the largest increases, while recruiting in financial services decreased. 72% of the responding schools also expect internship opportunities to increase this year as well.
Information reported from the GMAC in their 2012 Corporate Recruiters Survey seems to support these positive recruiting trends. 79% of the corporate recruiters responding to the GMAC survey stated that they planned to hire MBA graduates in 2012 (up from 72% in 2011), and on average they plan to hire 17 MBA graduates per firm (compared to 13 in 2011). The largest increases in recruiting seem to have come from companies in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Washington (Foster) Info Session in Taipei
Andy Chen, the Assistant Director of the University of Washington, Foster School of Business MBA program will be holding an MBA information session and application workshop on Saturday August 25, 2012 at 14:00.
As far as we know this is the first time Foster has held such an event in Taipei, so anyone interested in this outstanding MBA program should definitely take advantage of this rare opportunity to connect with the Foster MBA admissions staff. You can register for the event here.
As far as we know this is the first time Foster has held such an event in Taipei, so anyone interested in this outstanding MBA program should definitely take advantage of this rare opportunity to connect with the Foster MBA admissions staff. You can register for the event here.
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