Question: What Are Common Graduate School Admissions Essay Questions?
Answer: Some graduate school applications don't specify the topic of the admissions essay; they simply request an autobiographical statement. Others provide more firm guidelines on what topics applicants are to compose their personal statements. Most programs as general questions, like the following:
- Career Plans:What are your long-term career goals? Where do you see yourself, career wise, 10 years from now?
- Academic Interests:What would you like to study? Describe your academic interests. Which professors in the department would you like to work with?
- Research Experiences: Discuss your research experiences. What areas would you like to research?
- Academic Objectives: Why do you plan to attend graduate school? Explain how graduate school will contribute to your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree?
- Clinical and Field Experience: Discuss your clinical and other applied experiences. How have these experiences shaped your career goals?
- Academic Achievements: Discuss your academic background and achievements.
- Personal Experience: Write an autobiographical essay. Is there anything in your background that you think would be relevant to your application for admission to graduate school? Describe your life up to now: family, friends, home, school, work, and particularly those experiences most relevant to your interests in psychology. What is your approach to life?
