Sample Graduate School Essays Are Just The Beginning

As what the title says, you’ve only just begun as you browse through sample graduate school essays.  Graduate school is different from college life: it has less of the partying—if there’s any at all—and more of the reading, studying, reporting, studying, doing research, studying, writing papers, and as if it hasn’t been said enough… studying.  Oftentimes, graduate students drop out of their studies not because they cannot make the grades.  More than that, the reason for this “mortality rate” in graduate school is the stress that comes with graduate studies.

Why the selection process is very “selective”

The main purpose of the admission requirements for a graduate program is not to give you a hard time—although this may be partly true.  The reason is that the admission committee wants to know just how much of the pressures you can take as a graduate student.  This is not something that your college GPA and the GRE can directly assess.  Because of this, your graduate school admission essay should be able to accomplish that.  How and where do you start? If you have been reading through the sample graduate school essays that you were able to find on the Internet, you will notice that those who succeeded in getting into the program and university of their choice always show their determination to fulfill their goals and passion for their field.

What things to look for in sample graduate school essays

How do the writers present their philosophy and motivation for pursuing a graduate degree? A good essay should tell how a socially relevant event influenced a writer’s decision to earn his or her master’s or PhD.  For instance, an applicant for a master’s program in finance may talk about the global economic crisis and the corresponding recession.  He or she may even add an analysis by saying that it is an issue of trust between banking and other institutions, which reflects his or her principles and reasoning capacity.  Aside from that, what do these writers say about being able to fulfill the demands of graduate studies? Of course, it is not enough to just say, “I can do this.” Your claim has to be supported by a review of your past experiences.  Note that some sample essays tell how the writer has faced a major disappointment in life, such as being passed up for a promotion.  Instead of calling attention to the reasons why he or she was not promoted, what you will find is that the writer’s ability to bounce back from a setback is highlighted.  More likely, the essay relates how well he or she handled the issue by keeping a positive attitude and working doubly hard on his or her weak areas.

There is nothing scary about graduate school if you have what it takes to push through.  If you have the right reasons for pursuing a graduate degree, it is more likely that you would have the staying power required.  Know how to maintain balance, so you can have a work-play rhythm that will keep you from getting burned out.