A Graduate School Admission Essay – Just How Important Is It?

When it comes to being accepted into graduate school or medical school, the stakes are higher than ever. After all, every applicant has fantastic grades, a variety of extracurricular activities, and stellar letters of recommendation. Your straight A’s and four years of varsity sports may not be enough. However, the one thing that can really set you apart is your graduate school admission essay.

But, a grad school personal statement is so subjective, unlike your grades and test scores. With a graduate school admission essay, it is up to you to strike a chord with the people reading it. This is your one opportunity to showcase yourself, and explain how your experiences and your qualities make you the perfect pick.

A great grad school personal statement can set you apart from the thousands of other applicants who may have a background and resume that’s similar to yours. That’s why the pressure to create the perfect essay can be intense.

But it is not just graduate school applicants who are feeling the pressure. Medical school applicants face the same stress. A medical school application essay is just as important as any other grad school personal statement. In fact, it may be even more important. A medical school personal statement is oftentimes used instead of a face-to-face interview. That means your essay may be your only chance to set yourself apart.

However, aspiring doctors may have an extremely difficult time crafting the perfect medical school application essay. After all, the typical med school applicant is very adept at math and science, but he may not be as proficient at expressing himself verbally. Many med school students say that one of their toughest challenges has been crafting the perfect medical school personal statement.

If you’re interested in graduate school, it’s important to remember not to heap undue pressure on yourself. When it comes to any graduate school admission essay, you cannot do it alone. It is always helpful to have other people look at your essay before you send it in. A fresh set of eyes can alert you to issues that you never noticed, or tips to make your essay better that you may never have thought of yourself.