Product Description

Writing the personal statement, or application essay, can be the hardest part of applying to graduate or professional school. This guide shows how to do it correctly, revealing the latest essay questions used by top law, business, medical, and graduate schools. Fifty actual student essays--with comments from admissions officers--tell what makes a winning statement.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #437271 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Customer Reviews

only good for law, business and medical school applicants
This book is nice for people applying to law, business or medical school but doesn't cover anything for other programs.

Review of Perfect Personal Statements
Every year, college students across the country prepare to enter the workforce or graduate school. One important part of this process is writing a personal statement that describes and applicant's goals, experiences, and future plans. Mark Alan Stewart is an expert on graduate level entrance exams. His book, Perfect Personal Statements, provides information and advice for college students seeking admission to graduate and professional schools.
Stewart's book is easy to read and understand. He answers the common questions like, "How will my essay be evaluated?" and "Should I discuss that glaring blemish in my past, or should I ignore it?" Stewart also provides students with minor details, like how to dress for an in-person interview. Finally, the advice from medical, law, and business school experts could prove to be helpful. The experts provide specific information about what they look for in an application. Each type of school has different standards and it is beneficial to know what admission offices across the country like to see.
College students applying to graduate schools tend to be very busy. They don't have time to read a long and confusing book. Mark Alan Stewart seems to have kept this in mind. He has packed a lot of information into only 114 pages. The book is also divided into sections that allow the reader to quickly find information on certain subjects. Stewart's book helps to simplify the application process and provides students with strategies to prevent them from feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

Actual Personal Statements from Successful Applicants

If you are planning to attend a graduate or professional school, you will have to submit a successful application, accompanied by a first-rate personal statement.

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. This handy reference is packed with inside advice and proven strategies to help you get into your first choice schools. Among other things you will learn:

- What questions are asked an all the most popular professional and graduate school applications.
- How to create and write personal essays that impress admission officials.
- What goes into a recommendation letter, and who should write it.
- How to handle in-person interviews.

Absolutely a must have for anyone applying to graduate and professional school.