Graduate School Admission Essay - Essay Writing Tips - Continued

Graduate school admission essay section is courtesy of EssayEdge.com Admissions Essay Help.

Page 2 of 6    Back

Graduate School Admissions Essay Categories:

Graduate School Personal Statement | Essay Writing Tips
Sample Admission Essay | Why Graduate School Essay
Why Am I Qualified Essay

3. Do Use Personal Detail. Show, Don't Tell!
Good essays are concrete and grounded in personal detail. They do not merely assert "I learned my lesson" or that "these lessons are useful both on and off the field." They show it through personal detail. "Show, don't tell" means that if you want to relate a personal quality, do so through your experiences without merely asserting it.

Before: If it were not for a strong support system which instilled into me strong family values and morals, I would not be where I am today.

After: Although my grandmother and I didn't have a car or running water, we still lived far more comfortably than did the other families I knew. I learned an important lesson: My grandmother made the most of what little she had, and she was known and respected for her generosity. Even at that age, I recognized the value she placed on maximizing her resources and helping those around her.

The first example is vague and could have been written by anybody. But the second sentence evokes a vivid image of something that actually happened, placing the reader in the experience of the applicant.