grad school essays

[aroraborealis]

So, the personal statement for the Tufts program just... flowed. I wasn't sure what to say, but then I sat down and started typing, and I'm pretty pleased with the result. My two first-round editors both had good things to say about it AND some useful comments, which I'm integrating for a second draft, aiming to finish that by the end of the weekend. With that, the big hurdle for the Tufts application is done, because there's no test required, and now I just have to fill out some forms, and then ask recommenders to write their letters. This is excellent and exciting.

On the other hand, the person statement for UMass Boston (3, actually, as they have three questions they want applicants to address) is like pulling teeth. I have sat down numerous times for an hour or two at a stretch and somehow eked out a few sentences each time, none of which flow or feel good or tie together or even manage to convince me, much less someone who's not me, that I'm excited about this program. Does this mean I'm not excited about this program? I don't think so! Whenever I look at the web page, I think, "Hey, this is really awesome! How cool would it be to be doing this??" And then I flip the window over to my personal statement and think, "Buuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh..."

Do you have any idea how aggravating this is??

Comments

[wotw]

If it's any consolation, I've been on a lot of graduate
admissions committees, and nobody ever reads these
statements anyway.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

That's not really any consolation, but thanks :)

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

I've been on a lot of graduate admissions interviews, and it's been pretty obvious that a lot more people than I ever imagined read my statement horrifyingly closely.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

This is more consolation. Thank you!

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

Do you have any idea how aggravating this is??

Yes. Yes, I do.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

Um, can I gank your wonderful, wonderful icon?

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

Totally! I made it myself :)

[mud-puppy.livejournal.com]

Do you have any idea how aggravating this is??

*groan* Oh yes, I understand. *doublegroan* I'm there myself right now. I've been "almost done" for weeks. This weekend I will finish these things if it kills me *grin*

Congrats pm getting the Tufts statement done! Can you use that as a spring board for the UMass essay? Good luck!

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

Perhaps instead of directly dealing with the 3 questions, you could just write a statement about why the UMB program excites you, and then look in that for the elements of the answers to their questions? Either that or corner a friend, and have them pose you the questions over something minty and alcoholic, to unknot your brain on the subject.

[formlesspassion.livejournal.com]

The "personal statement" is the most difficult genre to write. The. Most. Difficult. But you can do it. signsoflife has a good idea there. I'll try to think of other suggestions. One that comes immediately to mind is to sit down with a friend and have a chat about the questions Umass asks, and have that friend jot down key phrases that sound authentic.

Good luck, and congrats on the Tufts essay.

[montacute.livejournal.com]

Do you have any idea how aggravating this??

yes, yes i do.

i agree with both signsoflife and formlesspassion: those are good things to try. my personal suggestions would be very similar. for instance: try posting the questions to lj -- friendslock it if you like -- and tell us what you think about it and why it's hard to answer. or, try writing an lj post to explain to us why you're so excited about the program. if we were all, like, "but rosa, wtf, i don't see what's so interesting about that -- why do you keep saying it's awesome?", then, well, what would you say in order to explain your interest?

i would start with that, and consider it part of a multistep process. try to turn off the internal editor/proofreader/critic; don't bother writing formally, and don't worry about whether things "flow or feel good." just talk to _us_.

what you're likely to come out with is not something you can submit as a personal statement -- but then again that's ok; it's like mining the ore that you're then going to melt down and craft into your, er, finished project, or gold earrings, or something. anyway, the point is not to worry about flow or form at all; the first part is to help draw to the surface and make visible the content that you'll be able to use later.

anyway, whatever approach you end up taking, keep us posted! we want to know how you are doing. :)

[cruiser.livejournal.com]

Whenever I look at the web page, I think, "Hey, this is really awesome! How cool would it be to be doing this??" And then I flip the window over to my personal statement and think, "Buuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh..."

That's because a personal statement really needs to be much more clever than a

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<i>Whenever I look at the web page, I think, "Hey, this is really awesome! How cool would it be to be doing this??" And then I flip the window over to my personal statement and think, "Buuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh..."</i>

That's because a personal statement really needs to be much more clever than a <beavis&butthead>This is cool! Heh heh heh heh. You guys are cool. Everything else sucks! Heh heh.</beavis&butthead>