Applying to University

Tips for Crafting a Powerful Essay

Use the tips below to craft your own powerful essay questions so that universities can learn more about what makes stand out.

• Make it personal and be original: Be honest and authentic in your responses, and don't be afraid to discuss struggles or hardships that have led you to this point. Remember, this is your opportunity to show universities who you are outside of your test score.
• Demonstrate passion: Tell what excites you. Universities love that students are passionate about a variety of subjects and interests.
• Don't rush: It's important to take your time completing your essay responses.
• Edit and spell check: After you've written your essay responses, make sure to reread and review with a fresh set of eyes to make sure you're presenting yourself in the best manner possible for admission and scholarship consideration.

Here are some excerpts from essays in which the students have shown their personality and character. Remember, universities are not looking for the standard response; they want to hear your real stories!

Something to consider: Your own cultural experiences

Example Question: Music spans time and culture. Explain how the lyrics of one of your favorite songs define you or your cultural experience.

Example Response: ...This song ("Jitterbug" by WHAM!) is definitive of my culture because so much of my generation revolves around finding love and having fun, entertaining experiences. In the chorus “Wake me up before you go-go, cause I'm not planning on going solo” details the insatiable fear each of us in my generation have of missing out, also known as FOMO (Fear of missing out). With all the social media at our fingertips, staying connected has never been easy or caused more anxiety. No one wants to miss out on what their friends are doing and so this song encapsulates that fear. Overall, this song is one full of joy and that, in essence, is the definition of my life and cultural experience.

Phillip Spaulding
Yukon, Oklahoma

Something to consider: What experiences have shaped you?

Example Question: At age 60, you have just completed an autobiography detailing your life journey to date. Write the summary that would appear on the back cover. What parts would draw in readers?

Example Response: Jansen Patterson is a very silly and loveable character who has worked hard and fought through adversity at a young age to become a very active and optimistic person. At age nine Jansen was diagnosed with Leg Calve Perthes disease and required two hip surgeries to help fix the lack of bone growth in his hips. Using his past as his inspiration he double majored in Physical Therapy so he could one day help kids recover from surgeries and find their own passions…

Jansen Patterson
Lewisville, Texas

Tips on Returning to a Graduate Program

As an adult who's made the decision to return to university in pursuit of graduate studies, you can be assured of one thing: your life will certainly change. Going back to school is hard. For adults who have begun a career, married or settled down in a steady relationship, or maybe even had children (or grandchildren) since college graduation, returning to academia can be daunting. Doubts may seem overwhelming at times - will you be able to keep up with the work? How will you handle work and school, if you've decided to attend part-time? How will you manage financially if you go full-time in a graduate program? Fully exploring each of these issues of going back to school could fill an entire book but there are some simple steps you can take now to address your concerns and help you succeed in graduate school

Start planning early

Spend some time thinking about how your daily routine would change as a returning graduate student. What sort of class schedule can you anticipate? What will that mean to the family schedule? Will you need someone to fill-in for you as chauffeur for the kids, for instance? It's easier to find someone like that if you've given yourself plenty of time.

Talk to your family and make sure you have their support

Graduate school is hard work under the least demanding of circumstances, so you can expect greater difficulty when you have family obligations and responsibilities as an employee. Let your children and spouse know what this will mean for them, and be as specific as possible. Instead of saying, "I'm going to need you guys to be quiet in the evenings," be more specific by telling them, "I need quiet time from 7 to 9 PM, three nights a week, and I'll go to the library on the weekends for four hours each day." Be equally specific when delegating house duties like laundry and dishes.

Don't underestimate your study skills

Most adults worry about their ability to handle the heavy coursework when returning to graduate school, but this is largely a groundless fear. You'll quickly get the hang of it again. If you're really concerned, check out the web for material to improve study skills.

Ensure you have adequate financing for graduate school - and then add a little more for a cushion.

It's far better to postpone graduate school for a year or two than to try to manage it on a meager budget. Graduate school will be stressful enough without worrying about who's going to pay the rent this month. Don't give yourself any added stress.

See if your employer will help pay the cost

Many companies will assist employees with their plans for seeking graduate degrees, since more highly trained employees can only help their bottom line. If you're staying in your field, or seeking a higher-paying position within the same company, talk to your employer about offering a scholarship or tuition assistance.

Conserve your loan funds

If you take on loans to finance your graduate studies, do everything in your power to use them minimally. Don't start eating lunch at a fancy steak house, for instance, instead of the campus cafeteria. The less you have to pay back, the better.

Seek scholarships, teaching and research assistantships, work study opportunities and any other non-loan funds - and do it early

Competition for these types of non-debt sources of funding can be incredibly steep. Beat all deadlines, and be aggressive (but polite).

Be prepared for a bit of culture shock.

Don't let generational differences stop you from socializing with your classmates. Most graduate programs take at least a year, and you'll need support from one another when the time comes to study for exams.

Finally, don't feel intimidated or unworthy just because you're a bit older than your classmates

Recognize the great value of your life experience. Realize that you're setting an example for younger people, whether or not they realize it. Your ability to remain flexible and adapt to new circumstances may help them develop a more mature perception of the world.