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School Statement Strategies |
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How
Are You Unique?
You cannot rely on uniqueness to
outweigh a mediocre academic record, but it can often give you an edge. Admissions
officers are interested in assembling a diverse class of unique perspectives,
so you should highlight rather than downplay your differences. To an extent,
all types of diversity will help, but you should aim to focus on how unique
aspects of your background will enable you to contribute to the academic community.
The purpose of this lesson is to
show you examples of how other people capitalized on their unique qualities.
When it comes to your own essay, only you can identify the optimal strategy
for making yourself stand out. One way to start is to look over your answers
to the brainstorming questions and try to find aspects of your background that
separate you from your peers. Ultimately, however, what will make the difference
is your ability to assess yourself honestly and thoughtfully.
The examples that follow are not
meant to be exhaustive. Rather, they represent the efforts of particular individuals
to recognize the unique elements of their background and use them to their
advantage. You should notice that these unique elements are often directly
related to their academic interests, but can still be tied effectively to the
applicants' goals or integrated with their character and background.
This
applicant starts by noting the diversity of his ethnic and religious
background. When mentioning such points, you should not assume that such
diversity is an end in itself. Rather, you should show how your background
and culture have shaped your perspective and given you something unique to
offer. This applicant does a good job of noting how Zoroastrianism has given
him guiding principles, but he never follows through to discuss concrete
examples. This essay would have benefited from more details to show his diversity
in more tangible terms.
This
applicant's story is fascinating, at times harrowing, and ultimately
triumphant. From committed social activism to drug and alcohol addiction
to a reengagement with the world, the author pulls no punches in telling
his unique tale. While he does not whitewash his experience with drugs and
alcohol, notice how he situates it in a larger context, showing both how
it made him oblivious to the things he really cared about (Third World injustices)
and how his reintroduction to those things helped him pull himself out of
his downward spiral. In doing so, he demonstrates both a strong social conscience
and a dedication to his beliefs. Additionally, his story makes him very hard
for an admissions committee to forget. Just be careful that any discussion
of past mistakes or difficulties leads to an indubitably positive conclusion.
This
applicant shows that you do not need to be a true one-of-a-kind
to demonstrate uniqueness in the admissions process. In fact, what sets him
apart is a rather typical job in the computer industry. What makes his application
unique, however, is that he is applying to a geological sciences program.
His interest in mathematical modeling gives him a novel area of specialization
to offer to the intellectual diversity of the program.
Finally, this
applicant shows that a personal, revealing story can be enough
to set someone apart. By recounting a particular episode that sparked her
epiphany as a writer, she gives us an in-depth look at her unique approach
to her craft. Again, this essay does not discuss exotic experiences, but
instead succeeds by painting a detailed, deeply personal portrait that no
one else could have written.
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