Designing an appropriate graduate school admission objective can help you gain acceptance to further your education.
Graduate programs are much more holistic and subjective than undergraduate programs. More than test scores, undergraduate GPA and references, graduate school representatives place substantial weight on candidates' objective statements that detail their interests, qualifications and career goals. Prospective candidates should carefully craft an objective statement that clearly conveys what you plan to accomplish during your graduate school experience.
Theme
Graduate program candidates should remember that objective statements are meant to display their career interests and goals they plan to achieve in college. Making an objective stand out involves crafting one that is thoughtful, interesting and attention-getting. One effective way to accomplish this is to create an objective that revolves around a theme. A theme should be personally meaningful and relevant to the graduate program of interest. For example, an application for a library and information science graduate program may contain an objective that includes a candidate's inspirational works.
Career Goals
Perhaps one of the most important parts of an objective statement is your career goals, according to Berkely University of California. Graduate school officers want students that have well-developed career interests. Not only do students have to portray knowledge of personal career goals, but they must convince school representatives that they have sufficient experience. For instance, a dental school candidate must have many hours of volunteer work and shadowing in the dental field. An effective objective portrays both the depth and breadth of career experience in the chosen career field and a specific understanding of personal career goals.
Qualifications
The second most important part of the content of an objective statement is addressing qualifications for the program. Graduate school admissions counselors seek candidates with a high undergraduate GPA, relevant undergraduate courses, experience and volunteer or leadership involvement. A statement should incorporate some of these key qualifications without sounding like a narrative resume.
Writing
Finally, an objective's writing style conveys a candidate's intellect and ability to handle graduate work. Most graduate programs require a thesis or other academic writing, so a statement should be written in a formal, academic style to demonstrate writing ability. No graduate school statement should be submitted without numerous reviews to ensure that it is an error-free, well-written piece reflective of a candidate's abilities.
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