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Writing
the Essay:
THE OBJECTIVE
Application essays to dental schools are intended to
satisfactorily convey to the admissions committee a crystalline view of
your personality, experiences, commitment and motivation for a dental
profession. Your essays should be designed to convince the
committee to provide you a seat in the class for which you are
applying. Remember, there are hundreds and in some cases thousands
of students with a similar academic profile as you. Your essay or
personal comments need to convey your distinctiveness  among your
peers. Essays are expected when you send your material to the
application process (AADSAS), and either a
primary or secondary application to various schools. The essay or personal comments should be modeled
after an autobiographical or application essay style of writing.
The following are some pertinent guidelines to facilitate you on your
journey in writing the essays.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
A properly written autobiography has characteristics
that:
Reveals an understanding of your personal traits (they should be able to
tell WHO you are. Use adjectives.)
Focuses
on a few events or persons that have influenced you and your decision to
pursue a dental profession.
Explains
the effects or results of that influence.
Maintains
reader interest.
THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS
A well-executed autobiography has been subject to a
defined process. The following are a lists of steps that will
enhance the essay or personal comments you have written.
I. PRE-WRITING: Prior
to writing, you should think about the essay by asking these and other
questions. The questions can refer to your thoughts, emotions and
behaviors.
How/why did I develop an interest in dentistry?
How
have I demonstrated my interests in dentistry?
How is
my personality suited for this profession?
How
can I display my knowledge about the profession?
Why
does my GPA/test scores not reflect my academic potential?
(Explain,
never apologize)
How do
I explain incomplete, withdrawals and repeated courses?
II. EXPLORE POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
Whatever you come up with make sure it truly answers the question, no
unfinished business.
III. SELECT AN ORGANIZATIONAL
PLAN: There are two types of organizational
plans: 1)chronological and 2) cause and effect.
A. Chronological: Here, you begin at the
beginning and present your information in a straightforward manner that
leads to a conclusion about your personality, and events that have led
to your application to professional school.
B. Cause and Effect: Here, you can begin your
essay with significant events related to your professional interest and
then explain the various causes and effects.
IV. WRITE A DRAFT OF YOUR
ESSAY: Write in response to the questions
you have asked. As you write, allow your readers to feel what you
felt, see what you saw, and think your thoughts. Be vivid and use
good description.
After you have written the draft ask yourself the
following questions:
 Does
the introduction grab attention?
Would
dialogue or conversation help?
Will
the reader understand why/how I have been influenced?
Were
any irregularities in my academic record explained?
Did I
conclude or just quit? (remember "bring
it all home".)
V. PROOFREAD: Check
your essay for...
Grammar-
parts of speech, grammatically correct sentences.
Punctuation
Mechanics-
capital letters, spelling, hyphen
Word
choice- appropriate, wordiness, sexism
Syntax-
good word order
Vocabulary-
the use of a thesaurus to vary your word choice
Make sure you get a qualified person to review
your essays. The essay may sound fine to you, however, two
important questions emerge:
Does
the essay encourage an admissions officer to schedule you an interview?
Does
the essay convey the level of maturity expected of a first year
professional student?
ADMISSIONS APPLICATION ESSAYS:
There are three types of admissions application
essays, and they are usually requested on the secondary application.
Essays
about yourself, interests and activities.
Essays
on why you want to attend that particular school.
Essays
responding to a thought provoking statement, a book, or a contemporary
problem.
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
Advice
for Re-Applicants - Rewrite the essay to highlight the following
information:
-
Progress made between applications.
-
Significant changes in grades, test scores,
experience, personal growth, etc.
-
Reasons you believe you are now a better
candidate than you were one year ago.
Follow
accurately any instructions concerning the essay.
The
length of the essay should be guided by the space provided for the
essay. A very short essay may suggest arrogance and over
confidence.
On the
secondary application do not repeat verbatim the essay on the primary
application.
Give
some life to your essay, don't be over colorful though.
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School of Dental Medicine
Last modified: August 09, 1999
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