Graduate essay template

This field allows me to assist others every day at a time in their lives when many students need it most. It was my developmental path, and I want to give that support to others. So far my academics and daily practice have not been linked nor intentional. I am excited to be able to make this so by starting a graduate program in higher education.

Understanding my former responsibilities in terms of theory and learn how to turn new theories into practice is a process I cannot wait to begin. I know the Lynch School of Education can assist me in achieving this goal through their program in Higher Education Administration. The opportunity to study in the Boston area will give me a multitude of professional development opportunities that would be hard to find anywhere else.

If I am admitted, I will work hard to maximize my time at the Lynch School and become a young professional who can innovate and improve upon current practices in the field. Why this essay is great: Haviland draws a remarkable line from her undergraduate studies and goals to the present day. Her unwavering commitment to arts education and dance as a means for furthering social justice will serve her well professionally—and it probably impressed the graduate admission, folks, too.

While contemplating how I should approach my personal and professional goals and how earning an advanced degree will support them, I came upon my application essay for Goddard College that I wrote close to three years ago:. This cultural stigmatism that exists in our society often leads to these children being segmented into a disenfranchised group as adults.

The misunderstanding and neglect that occurs in communities towards socially disenfranchised children go against everything that I was raised to take in regard when attempting to understand a person. I envision my studies reaching children and young adults in many different communities. It is my goal to immerse myself in rural, inner-city, and lower-income communities and meet these children before or in the midst of their time when the decisions they make can influence where their life may lead.

I believe that the teachings of dance as a holistic lifestyle will provide outlets of knowledge and self-expression for these children and young adults that will lead them in positive directions.

In this essay we were expected to write about our intentions and ambitions for our studies; to address the passions that acted as the drive for our work during our attendance at the college as well as after graduation.

In returning to this essay, I was pleased to discover that my ambition and dedication to using the performing arts as a source of structure and reliability for youth in this country has not changed. When applying to Goddard College for my undergraduate degree I knew that I would want to continue on to pursue my graduate degree afterwards to enhance myself as a qualified candidate working in my field. Earning my advanced degree will enable me to go forth in the world as a confident and learned individual prepared to create the positive opportunities I envisioned years ago.

Graduate school application essays, personal statements, and letters of intent can be a major hurdle to overcome in the application process. Getting just the right words on paper to convey why you want to go to grad school and the impact you intend have using your degree is a lot to ask. To help you get some inspiration and tell your story the right way, check out these three essay examples. Every essay here comes from a successful grad school application, and after reading the essay we break down just what makes it good.

University of Connecticut Class of It is radiant. I keep my nose pointed at the ceiling. Five grown men, lined up snugly on a queen-sized mattress, are soundly sleeping while I contemplate excuses for not working in the landfill that day. But I did wake up and go to work with my host family. No, I was not prepared physically or mentally, nor was I in the best of moods that day. That was back in the fall of The study abroad program I was participating in revolved around studying specific issues damning rivers, mining minerals, razing slums, etc.

It was not uncommon to have sessions lasting eight or nine hours just to prepare for a town meeting the next day. It was not your typical study abroad experience. I have yet to learn of another like it. It was also challenging at times. Thailand changed my view on a lot of things for the better, including what it means to truly work hard. As a waiter back home, it was a routine practice to work 40 hours a week in addition to going to class and studying.

Still, sometimes I wonder if I used jobs outside of class as a crutch. I always had the excuse: I have to work to support myself. But so do a lot of people. And for some of those people, like many of the villagers in Thailand, working extra hours is not temporary. It's a way of life. At the time I'm not sure I truly appreciated the privilege I had of going to college, as my undergraduate GPA might indicate. If I was to put all my effort in and still get mediocre grades, I would have considered myself a failure.

How cowardly, not to mention foolish! On multiple occasions I tasted the failure that comes with studying complex issues in a foreign land. Each time it tasted horrible. But I worked on these failures. For example, I nagged my homestay families to help me with my Thai and forced myself to request constructive criticism in a group setting. Through these trials I discovered the sweetest feeling of them all: perseverance. That meal next to the landfill, described above, was one of the most deliciously memorable meals of my life for that same reason.

I was exhausted and maybe a little bit grumpy, but I learned to work through it—and smile too. I am well aware that law school will probably force me to even further revise my definition of hard work and present challenges and setbacks the likes of which I may not have yet experienced. But I would like to face these challenges, and most importantly overcome them, at your school.

I hope my letters of recommendation and LSAT score give the indication that I am capable of doing so. This essay, lastly, is a chance for me to convince you that I can and will. I look forward to hearing from you. Try to stop reading this personal statement, we dare you. Showing rather than telling, he depicts a person who is prepared to do the work to overcome obstacles and learn from mistakes.

And since he was admitted to the grad program, clearly it worked. Boston College Class of I did not know higher education existed as a field until I came to college. Despite this, it has surprisingly been the field that has had the largest impact on my college experience.

The Environmental Studies Student Read now. The Engineering Student Read now. The Public Health Student Read now. The Physician Assistant Student Read now.

Vivid, visual opening: You can almost smell the burnt trees and see the ranches and farms thriving behind their protective forests. A clear theme that ties the essay together: The writer clearly states an interest in the clash between economic and environmental concerns throughout the essay.

Solid structure: Thanks to the continued theme of the clash between economic and environmental concerns, this is a very easy essay to read. Good use of transitions: Transitions help your reader move from one topic to the next as you connect the topic in the preceding paragraph to the topic in the next. They can consist of a few words or a phrase or simply the repetition of the topic by name as opposed to using a pronoun.

The writer used the terminology connecting economics and the environment at the end of the first paragraph, and uses the same words at the beginning of the second one. Grad school essay example 2: The engineering student A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. Consistent use of opening imagery: The writer begins his essay with the image of the first structure he ever analyzed — a simple bridge truss.

This bridge truss becomes the basis for all of his future study of structural engineering and design. Toward the end of the essay, he states that design structure has fascinated him since he saw that first image of a bridge truss for his first engineering class.

A clear theme that ties the essay together: The theme of structural design runs throughout the essay. It is mentioned right at the beginning of the essay, in following paragraphs and in the final paragraph as well.

Toward the end of the essay, the writer discusses how a grad degree in engineering will help him reach both his short- and long-term goals. Solid structure: Since the theme of structural design and engineering are so strong throughout the essay, it is easy to follow along as the writer talks about different classes he has taken, an internship he did, and even an experience as a student volunteer. Good use of transitions: The author ends his first paragraph talking about the textbook for his first engineering class, and continues on this theme in the next paragraph.

He then transitioned from classes he took to student volunteer research he participated in.