How to Write a Winning Pers Stmnt 3rd Ed

Of all the tasks we usually face when applying to graduate and professional schools, from choosing universities to preparing for and taking admission and standardized tests, from soliciting recommendations to having transcripts send out, writing a good personal essay is among the most important and difficult to accomplish. The strong competition for admissions to grad schools, the personal statement often becomes a crucial element of your application package. It is the one element that can set you apart from the competition and open the door to your successful application. This book describes the mistakes that applicants commonly make, and offer advice on how to make your statements as effective as possible. The book dedicates 60 pages to display 40 winning personal statements, as practical examples of what should be included and what not in order to write the essay that could give you the unconditional acceptance to the grad school or program of your choice. Absolutely a must have for anyone applying to graduate and professional school.

This book was EXCELLENT. I had read two other books before this one, and was disappointed. Though they claimed to be good for grad apps, they were clearly geared toward undergraduate application essays. This book asks thought-provoking questions that help to bring to light relevant experiences and skills that you may have left out. It is great as far as taking you through the process of brainstorming, writing, and revising, but also explains how to write a good essay even if the deadline is looming. It was very good at helping me to organize my thoughts and feel like a good essay was just around the corner - which did wonders for calming my anxiety about the process. The examples in the book were also very helpful, and this is the first book I have seen that had sections dedicated to specific programs (medical, law, business, etc.) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

In "How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School", Mr. Stelzer concisely elucidates how one must bring out an original yet refreshing personal statement. 90% of the sample essays are geared towards the Big 3- Law, Medical, and Business. For students interested in other programs like myself, there are several takeaways one could get from this book. I would strongly suggest using the questionnaires in the Appendix. I learned several things from the pages on advice from admissions representatives. I would also suggest reading all the sample essays first and then the introductory chapter which would help one lay out the groundwork for an original personal statement. Real Essays for College and Grad School by Anne McKinney is another helpful book. Good Luck!

An excellent, broad-based resource no graduate applicant should miss. While clearly useful for individuals seeking admission to law, business and medical schools (which attract the largest numbers), the book lives up to its title by also providing a wealth of valuable information for those of us applying to other types of graduate programs. Included among the excellent essays, for instance, are examples from candidates for public administration, English and American literature, science, dentistry and geology. The author's advice, and that of a multitude of admissions officials, obviously applies to all applicants and offers exceptional direction.

After struggling many days to write some decent admission essays, I was very happy I found this book, a well-conceived, easy-to-read, first-rate guide whose usefulness explains its popularity. The author is apparently a consultant who works with graduate applicants, and he brings a very pragmatic, non-theoretical approach to his numerous on--the-mark suggestions for effectively composing these important essays. (As an MBA applicant, I was really glad Stelzer addressed some of the unique challenges of the B--school essays,) The many examples of successful essays are varied and terrific, showing us both ordinary stories interestingly told and more inherently interesting stories presented in a way that maximizes their impact. The applicants come across as very real and likab1c, rather than just clich6-sprouting, run-of-the-mill candidates. The exceptional interviews (presented cleverly in a non-Q- & -A format) with more than two dozen admissions officials --from every top school you can imagine --provide excellent insights, specifics on what these men and women are looking for and, quite wonderfully, some useful information I never saw anywhere else. The interviews also give the reader a clear sense of the intelligence of the individuals deciding who gets in. Reading their comments and the author's, and having a large batch of "winning personal statements" to examine and study, gave me the knowledge and confidence to do a good job for myself. This book really helped me understand the path I needed to follow and opened my eyes to options I otherwise wouldn't have considered.