THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT!. #collegeapplication #collegeessay.


Write a short essay (no more than three pages, double-spaced) about a book, essay, story or article that has been important to you (fiction or nonfiction). Discuss the author’s primary theme or argument and how it is developed. Describe how the work has influenced you.


Submit a three-to-five-page essay (double-spaced) about your intellectual interests and life experiences and how you think these can be developed in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. Please discuss your personal or professional objectives and why you believe this degree is appropriate to help you reach them.

Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application, which have not previously been presented. Optional Essay is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.

With the Coalition Application, essays should be .

Most applicants should expect to write at least 500 words for their grad school admission essay. However, length varies by graduate program. Many application materials contain specific instructions on how to write the essay, including word limits.

There is one optional essay available for all applicants. This essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. The essay is optional; however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

Your personal statement for university admission is a chance for you to write about how your faith is integrated in your life, so pray on it before you put pen to paper.

But don’t let that intimidate you. Really good writing is hard, and takes lots of practice (and you will get plenty of that in college!). We do not expect perfection, but we do hope to get to know you a little bit better through your writing. Think of it as your chance to have a voice, and a seat at the table with the admission committee who is reading your application. What do you want them to know about you?


Your essay may be submitted with your application or separately.

Students should find individuals they trust to check their personal statement for clarity, errors, and other stylistic inconsistencies. Also, having others review the essay can give the applicant a sense of how others perceive its tone, organization, and potential to engage the reader.

Think of your application essay as an in-person interview.

At the University of Rochester, for example, we have a motto: Meliora, meaning “ever better.” So, it stands to reason that when we read an application essay, we want to know: How will you make yourself, your community, or the world better?

Transfer applicants must submit one essay responding to Topic A.

Ultimately, your college application essay is a chance to tell the admissions committee who you are and what is important to you. We want to know: What are your values?

Application Essay 1 (600-800 words):

Here are a few guidelines for crafting a college application essay that effectively conveys who you are while also helping you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.

Application Essay 1 (800-1200 words):

And above all: Don’t write an admissions essay about something you think sounds impressive or that you think the admissions officer wants to read. While it’s fine to look at college application essay examples, don’t simply mimic one. Write about something truly important to you.

Application Essay 1 (800 to 1200 words):

The traditional college application essay usually requires an open-ended personal statement in response to broad or general prompts that might have you share a story, reflect on an event, or discuss a topic. The Common Application, Coalition for College Application, and other online college application forms typically provide a set of options from which you can choose.

Application Essay 1 (no more than 2 double-spaced pages):

If an online application submission page includes a text box for the title, the applicant should follow the word or character limit and make the title relevant to their grad school personal statement. However, students do not need to add a title if the application does not require it.