Duke University Parents Committee

A Guide to Graduate School: “Dressing” (Your Application) for Success

February 14, 2014

J. Alan Kendrick, Ph.D.Assistant Dean for Graduate Student

DevelopmentDuke University

OBJECTIVES this afternoon

To learn:

●Some benefits of a graduate degree;

●General knowledge about graduate school;

●How to prepare for graduate school (with a focus on the application and personal statement);

●Strategies for completing a successful application by example – CASE STUDIES!

In general, a graduate degree…

• Is a leadership degree;• Is an expert degree;• Is a tool toward advancement;• Can improve marketability and earning potential;• “Is for people who love research, scholarship,

and teaching for their own sake and for the difference they can make in the world”

(copyright 2001 by Philip E. Agre – http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/grad-school.html

The Graduate SchoolApplication: What is Evaluated?

• Undergraduate grades/GPA/academic record

• GRE scores

• Letters of recommendation (typically 3)

• *Statement of Purpose

• Résumé/skills/patterns of academic study/experience, research experience

The Personal Statement:Goals

• To state why you are interested in graduate study in a particular field;

• To share your motivation, research goals and career goals;

• To share why you have chosen to apply to a particular school/program of study;

• To articulate your academic skills and abilities within the context of the graduate program to which you are applying.

Questions to Get Started Writing the Personal Statement

• What is unique/impressive about your personal history/academic background?

• When did you become interested in this field?

• What details about your life might help the committee better understand you?

• People or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals

• Challenges that you have faced and overcome

Questions to Get Started-Continued (Personal Statement)

• What are your academic and professional goals?

• What skills do you possess? (leadership, communicative, analytical)

• What are some of the most compelling reasons that you can give to the admissions committee to be interested in you?

• Do you think that you “fit” well in the program?• What makes you a strong or qualified candidate

for the program?

Questions to Get Started-Continued (Personal Statement)

• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in my academic record that are worth mentioning?

• What evidence do you have to demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills, abilities for success in your field? (internships, externships, summer research, for example)

Personal Statement – Do’s

• State your interest in the particular program/field;

• Share motivation and career goals;

• Share reasons for applying to a particular school or program;

• Research program faculty;

• Give yourself time to revise, revise, and revise;

• Type and proofread your essay carefully;

• Be concise in your writing.

Personal Statement – Don’ts

• Avoid form letters;• Avoid grandiose

statements;• Avoid form

statements/letter;• Avoid judgmental

statements;• Do not describe what you

have done in detail. Instead, state what you have learned and how it has prepared you for graduate school;

• Refrain from the use of references or accomplishments in high school or earlier. Use these references only if they are necessary and make a point;

• Do not purposely or needlessly mention controversial subjects (such as religious or political issues).

Personal Statement: Concluding Thoughts

• The purpose of the personal statement is to persuade the admissions committee that you are an applicant who should be chosen;

• Content must be presented in a manner that will give coherence to the whole statement;

• Keep the statement focused so that extraneous material is left out;• Pay attention to the audience (various admissions committees) to

whom you will be writing. Remember that your audience will most likely be made up of professionals in the field and you are not going to tell them much that they have not heard before. This is why it is important to use your own (truthful) experience as the basis for the personal statement because they have not met you before;

• Have individuals to critique your personal statement. Revise, revise, revise!

• You should tailor your statement to each graduate program to which you are applying.

References

• Graduate Admissions Essays — What Works, What Doesn't and Why. 2000. Donald Asher. Ten -Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.

• Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice. 3rd ed. 2008. Donald Asher. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.

• How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School. 3rd ed. 1997. Richard J. Stelzer. Peterson's, Princeton, NJ.

• Perfect Personal Statements. 3rd ed. 2004. Mark Alan Stewart. Peterson's, Princeton, NJ.

Questions?

Duke UniversityThe Graduate School

http://gradschool.duke.edu(919) 684-2056