In addition to applying to Rutgers and some other regional places, I’ve also decided to apply to Columbia University, which is currently ranked #1 in the country for Social Work. I have no idea what my odds are of gaining acceptance, but their MSW program in Social Enterprise Administration/Services for Immigrants and Refugees has me drooling all over myself, so I have to give it my best shot.
I am currently attempting to compose a winning Statement of Purpose that addresses all appropriate bullet points required under admissions guidelines, and that brings me to a question.
Exactly how much ass am I supposed to kiss in these things? I know it is customary in most academic fields, particularly with doctoral study, to name specific professors you would like to work with and why, and to give at least a cursory paragraph detailing why University X is the ideal place. But Social Work applications seem to break all kinds of standard academic rules, and I’m not applying for a doctorate yet – just a Master’s degree, in their largest program (900 students I think.) My instructions for admission don’t even request so much as a ‘‘Why do you want to attend Columbia?’’ and I am trying to figure out if I should include that information in my statement.
The reason I ask is because I already have to cut a lot of good stuff out, and I feel like including this statement will be incredibly redundant and a waste of essay space. I would imagine that every application includes this paragraph, and it’s the same paragraph for each applicant.
These are my closing paragraphs which deal with the work I’d like to do and respond (partly) to the prompt, ‘‘Describe a social problem of significance to you & possible ways of addressing it.’’ Do you think it will be sufficient, or should I name specific professors too?
note: the penultimate sentence is a reference to a quote I extrapolated on at the beginning of the statement: ‘‘What is to give light must endure burning.’’ (Viktor Frankl)
also, earlier in the statement I provided a lot of concrete examples of things I’ve done and achieved, so I figured it would be okay to close on a more general note – is that correct?
Second, the grad essay is a sales sheet for you, that you are presenting to a potential buyer. Sell yourself, your ideas, your culture, your beliefs…use good succinct references to past work or school, and the ending paras are fine. You have to separate yourself from everyone else applying to Columbia.
You say you have a lot of cutting to do…wordy essays are not looked upon very kindly, so cut away. You’ve got to be razor sharp in your points and opinions. How good are you at reducing something that would take your 5 minutes to explain normally, and explain it in 30 seconds?
You are well on the right track. Nice career choice as well I might add
Look, have you even been reading my posts all this time?
Seriously though, yes, I tend to be very wordy. This is because I’m a fiction writer, where attention to detail matters. I am capable of being succinct, it just takes effort.
I really appreciate your input. I think I have my rough draft down. Now all I have to do is chop, chop, chop!
It’s good, but I think you could improve it a lot by restructuring it. One thing I don’t like is that the prompt is asking you to describe a social problem, but your first paragraph is talking about you. My advice is to go for a five paragraph structure: one to describe the problem, one to describe possible solutions, one to describe how your getting a master’s degree will fit in with those solutions, one to describe why you want to study at Columbia, and one to briefly summarize your qualifications. I think that if you keep the essay at about the same length and use that structure, you’ll have a winner on your hands.
It’s good, but I think you could improve it a lot by restructuring it. One thing I don’t like is that the prompt is asking you to describe a social problem, but your first paragraph is talking about you. My advice is to go for a five paragraph structure: one to describe the problem, one to describe possible solutions, one to describe how your getting a master’s degree will fit in with those solutions, one to describe why you want to study at Columbia, and one to briefly summarize your qualifications. I think that if you keep the essay at about the same length and use that structure, you’ll have a winner on your hands.
Thank you for the input. The essay is actually a response to three different prompts, which I have addressed at various points throughout, and I think structure may be its greatest weakness at this point in time.
I would chime in with a me-too on **ultrafilter’s **advice. Also, alluding to something **Philosphr **said, they ask why you want to go to Columbia, but the real question is always why should the school accept you. With that in mind…
In identifying a social problem, highlight the insight you have into that problem, from specific, relevant accomplishments.
Solutions, again, draw on something you were at least part of implementing.
Don’t cut discussion of your specific accomplishments to include anything fluffier.
Every school and field is different, but IME the “specific professors” thing is more at the doctoral than master’s level. Especially, I would think, in an applied field like social work.
I’d be a little concerned that you come across as “neither fish nor fowl” with an interest in both research and practice. It would probably be easier to write a strong application with one focus or the other. Not that you should lie, but if upon reflection you can pick one, that might help you. And if you get in based on practitioner ambitions, I bet no one will prevent you from pursuing research interests later.
If you have three different prompts, you need three different essays. Reuse as much as you can, but make sure that each essay is as strong a response as you can offer to the specific prompt.
Also, am I right in thinking that you speak fluent Spanish? If so, that definitely needs to go in your essay.
I’m the director of the masters program in my discipline at my university, which means I chair the admissions committee. I read about 100 of these things a year, so I’ll give some general advice. (I also sat on admissions committees at my alma mater for the masters program - Ivy League school, so I’ll add those pieces of advice as well.)
I would want evidence that you’ve researched our department - read the website, know who’s on the faculty, and so forth. You’re right, it matters less that a masters candidate would want to research with Prof. X, unless of course it is true. But you should mention any classes that Prof. X teaches.
You should absolutely explain why Columbia is the match for you. Often times I will have an application and everything is fine - good GREs, GPA, work experience, etc. - but I don’t see how and why our program is a good fit for the program. No director wants to admit a student who will be in their office complaining week in, week out. Second, it’s important that you tell a little about how you will contribute to the community. Do you have any unique skills? Can you lead workshops on a topic of interest? Have you worked in challenging environments, etc.? This is hard to pull off in a few words and without sounding like a know-it-all, but I always wonder who in the incoming cohort will be the “glue” socially, and I worry about those who I think are so overcommitted or in a hurry they’ll miss out on the experience.
You’d be amazed how many essays I read that don’t mention the university or anything unique that we do here. I then assume the applicant is applying to multiple schools but didn’t bother to write an essay for each one. (I know most people don’t, but I like to think that we’re so special, you wrote your essay solely with us in mind. I’ve even read essays that refer to another school, or a degree that we don’t offer!)
Sure. Don’t be redundant. I imagine you submit an application and a CV/resume, so if you mention it there, you don’t need to mention it again. Unless you want us to really, really, remember that you were in the Peace Corps. You can certainly reference experiences or accolades in multiple places but responsible programs that you will want to be a part of will have admission committee members that take their jobs seriously.
Okay, speaking as someone who actually was in the Peace Corps (and there’s no freaking way on earth I’d have gotten into the grad schools I did if I hadn’t been a volunteer), I just want to say that you can use your essay to not just list off the things that you did, a la a resume, but to talk about the stuff you learned, and how it fits into your career goals. Yeah, my resume said I was a PCV, but I used my essay to talk about the things I had learned while volunteering and how they had focused my plans. So, olives, IIRC, you studied in Mexico for awhile, and if things you learned there specifically helped you make your career goals, I think it would be okay to mention them, even if you already mentioned that you studied in Mexico on your resume.
I’m not an admissions director, but I did get into all five of the grad schools I applied to. So it worked for me.
Oh, and olives, several of my classmates are dual degree students with the School of Social Work here at UM (I’m in Public Policy); if you like, I can ask them if they have any advice for you.
