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Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice
Veteran higher-education consultant Donald Asher demystifies the graduate school application process and offers a detailed action plan that has proved successful for some of the most competitive programs in the country. The 50 sample essays-selected from thousands of candidates-showcase the best of the best, while the Essay Hall of Shame identifies common pitfalls to avoid. Sample letters of recommendation and essays for scholarships, residencies, fellowships, and postgraduate and postdoctoral applications cover all stages of the application process.
Teaches how to craft a winning essay with 50 state-of-the-art samples to inspire, instruct, and all but guarantee a top-of-the-pile application. Updated third edition includes an entirely new chapter dedicated to online applications and how they're managed, processed, and considered. Previous editions have sold 100,000 copies.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Teaches how to craft a winning essay with 50 state-of-the-art samples to inspire, instruct, and all but guarantee a top-of-the-pile application. Updated third edition includes an entirely new chapter dedicated to online applications and how they're managed, processed, and considered. Previous editions have sold 100,000 copies.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1991
124 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
colour-me-curious
October 20, 2018I've been reviewing statements of purpose for various people I know, and today, I learnt that there are books that give ...sample essays, I'm assuming? Which, I honestly don't begin to understand for a multitude of reasons. Mostly because a statement of purpose is a very personal, subjective essay, and I don't see how sample essays can help with that. Also because the most fun I had applying to colleges was the essay part. But hey, this seems like a lucrative market. I say I'm curious to read this, but literally, I only mean if I can get my hands on a copy I don't have to pay for.
August 14, 2020
This book is priceless. It gave me so much information, and made me see the whole graduate school admission process in a different way. The tips presented in the book are not found anywhere else and all of them are invaluable! (I know I sound repetitive but this is surely one of the most enlightening books I have ever read)
Read
October 15, 2007About the 3 star rating: I rate the books according to how much I enjoyed them, and to stay that "I liked it" is a pretty big deal for this kind of book. Especially given the facts that I had to bribe myself with many cups of hot chocolate as well as threaten myself with somber predictions of the future in order to get myself to read it. Besides, 3 stars isn't such a bad rating.
As I said above: I recommend this book to anyone and everyone that is applying to graduate school. Even if you've already written your personal statement and even if Yale Law school is banging on your door begging you to apply (I hate you.) and even if you've got several degrees in english: I still recommend you read this book.
I devoured my copy when I brought it home. I read it cover to cover- skimming through the final essays because, let's be honest, that's a lot of essays. I have already planned out what I want to write, and so I was using this book as a sort of reassurance that I was on the right track and took notes while reading it. This goes to show that there are many ways to use this book as a tool to guide you.
I would start reading this book at the very start of your application process, for Asher does not just give advice on the writing. He goes further back into the process of applying to graduate school by giving advice on how to decide if graduate school is good for you and, if so, which ones.
Then he helps you to organize yourself, advising on when applicants should plan on completing certain tasks.
In chapter 4 he gets to the writing. He asks questions to aid the reader/writer in starting a first draft. Then he moves into helping the reader/writer edit that draft.
The final section of the book, save for the small section on letters of recommendation, is a collection of application essays that Asher considered to be especially good- with his notes on the side.
The language Asher uses is accessible without being condescending and the book is useful if you're just starting out with the application process or if you're well into it.
As I said above: I recommend this book to anyone and everyone that is applying to graduate school. Even if you've already written your personal statement and even if Yale Law school is banging on your door begging you to apply (I hate you.) and even if you've got several degrees in english: I still recommend you read this book.
I devoured my copy when I brought it home. I read it cover to cover- skimming through the final essays because, let's be honest, that's a lot of essays. I have already planned out what I want to write, and so I was using this book as a sort of reassurance that I was on the right track and took notes while reading it. This goes to show that there are many ways to use this book as a tool to guide you.
I would start reading this book at the very start of your application process, for Asher does not just give advice on the writing. He goes further back into the process of applying to graduate school by giving advice on how to decide if graduate school is good for you and, if so, which ones.
Then he helps you to organize yourself, advising on when applicants should plan on completing certain tasks.
In chapter 4 he gets to the writing. He asks questions to aid the reader/writer in starting a first draft. Then he moves into helping the reader/writer edit that draft.
The final section of the book, save for the small section on letters of recommendation, is a collection of application essays that Asher considered to be especially good- with his notes on the side.
The language Asher uses is accessible without being condescending and the book is useful if you're just starting out with the application process or if you're well into it.
October 18, 2017
So, I was lurking on GradCafe a few weeks ago and saw this book being recommended to every prospective grad student. I am so happy that I found it when I found it. In this book, Asher walks you through the entire grad school process from selecting the right grad school for you to acquiring scholarships and writing your Statement of Purpose.
I admit I was kind of lost when it came to the essays, but the examples were brilliant (albeit a little exemplary) and they helped me so much in crafting my own. Would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about applying to grad schools.
I admit I was kind of lost when it came to the essays, but the examples were brilliant (albeit a little exemplary) and they helped me so much in crafting my own. Would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about applying to grad schools.
November 7, 2017
This book is really about every aspect of the admissions process, and it's amazing. I don't know what I would have done without it.
February 3, 2009
Enjoying a break from reading actual admissions essays this spring (during sabbatical), I couldn't resist reading up on what advice the students are getting about how to write them. Pretty solid stuff on essay writing, with numerous examples included and useful commentary in the margins re what makes them good essays.
Includes a chapter on securing letters of reference that I'm glad my students seem not to have read or at least not taken to heart -- interrogate the recommender regarding what s/he will say about you, and don't tell the deadline but do pester weekly till they get it done. Huh? Maybe it's just me, but I think this would backfire ("Student X is insecure yet pushy, vague but persistent......").
Includes a chapter on securing letters of reference that I'm glad my students seem not to have read or at least not taken to heart -- interrogate the recommender regarding what s/he will say about you, and don't tell the deadline but do pester weekly till they get it done. Huh? Maybe it's just me, but I think this would backfire ("Student X is insecure yet pushy, vague but persistent......").
August 5, 2011
Some of the speech was a little elitist, but if it's for grad school, then I guess it's fitting. The author provides very helpful tips. If once I was lost, this book got me found. I credit this book for giving me that extra push to get into a Master's Library Science program, and hopefully I'll be admitted to a couple more before the year is up.
September 17, 2019
Got Ph.D. offer five years ago with this book
October 6, 2025
The main title "Graduate Admissions Essays" was not what I was expecting the book to be, though the latter half of the book does follow through with providing sample essays. Instead of solely serving as an archive of essays, this book synthesizes a wealth of advice for prospective graduate students ranging from deciding whether or not graduate school is the next step, recommendations for selecting schools, insight into the recruitment process, suggestions for pre-writing and drafting, recommendations for letters of recommendations, financial resources, and, most valuable for me, examples of successful admissions essays. It was helpful to scan various essays and get a feel for the general structure and acceptable academic language use. Most of the information presented here were not necessarily groundbreaking, but there were new pieces of info that were insightful such as statements from admissions officers of what is too common and therefore should be avoided.
This book is 20 years years old, so naturally some of the specific advice might be outdated (e.g. sending snail mail), but the general principles I thought were in line with what I have heard from. All-in-all, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to put forth a strong graduate school application.
My takeaway quote
“Although you should never just follow a formula, you can draw from a set of key ingredients that many successful essays share. They have great opening lines or paragraphs. They convey at least a glimpse of the applicant’s personality, substantiate specific academic preparation and knowledge of subject matter, and demonstrate an understanding of the challenges as well as the rewards of a chosen career. They often give a sense of the candidate’s maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork skills, leadership potential, and general likability, usually without addressing these issues directly. They clearly catalogue the students’ technical skills and abilities; they prove that the student has the background and skills needed to excel at the graduate level. They name specific professors at the targeted program with whom the candidate is interested in working, and specific directions they expect to take with their studies. Then they go on to show how the applicant plans to use the graduate education in her planned career, and establish that the student has an understanding of her place in the “big picture.”
This book is 20 years years old, so naturally some of the specific advice might be outdated (e.g. sending snail mail), but the general principles I thought were in line with what I have heard from. All-in-all, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to put forth a strong graduate school application.
My takeaway quote
“Although you should never just follow a formula, you can draw from a set of key ingredients that many successful essays share. They have great opening lines or paragraphs. They convey at least a glimpse of the applicant’s personality, substantiate specific academic preparation and knowledge of subject matter, and demonstrate an understanding of the challenges as well as the rewards of a chosen career. They often give a sense of the candidate’s maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork skills, leadership potential, and general likability, usually without addressing these issues directly. They clearly catalogue the students’ technical skills and abilities; they prove that the student has the background and skills needed to excel at the graduate level. They name specific professors at the targeted program with whom the candidate is interested in working, and specific directions they expect to take with their studies. Then they go on to show how the applicant plans to use the graduate education in her planned career, and establish that the student has an understanding of her place in the “big picture.”
February 11, 2023
Now I am preparing for the most important exams of my life, and my favorite book for this stage in life is Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice. The book is all about writing essays, both admissions essays and essays in general - so it can come in handy even when you're already a student. So if you are going to prepare for or want to statement of purpose writers, this book will help you with that.
May 17, 2024
This book is a collection of some of the most useful advice for graduate admissions I've seen. The way he explains how to contact graduate programs for more information made a lot of sense to me as someone who is very afraid of sending emails and such. Especially useful are the concise brainstorming suggestions he makes. Topped off by awesome stories from students admitted to top programs, Asher's book would be my reference of choice for getting into grad school.
January 10, 2019
Good book. It needs updates
I liked the way the process of applying is demystified and explained in excruciating detail. The examples were also pretty good . However the author makes the book more general and tries to cover a large number of scenarios . This breaks continuity and makes parts of the book useless for most people.
I liked the way the process of applying is demystified and explained in excruciating detail. The examples were also pretty good . However the author makes the book more general and tries to cover a large number of scenarios . This breaks continuity and makes parts of the book useless for most people.
August 25, 2019
Very Insightful!
I'm currently still using this book for my essays. The exercise for writing have been helpful. Didn't know I had that much to write about myself. The recommendations chapter was helpful too. If I get accepted to my program of choice I will have to change this review
I'm currently still using this book for my essays. The exercise for writing have been helpful. Didn't know I had that much to write about myself. The recommendations chapter was helpful too. If I get accepted to my program of choice I will have to change this review
October 12, 2022
Very helpful, even at its latest update. Good starting point to jump off of, and a lot of good points to keep track of for applications and the planning process for applying to schools. Highly recommend to anyone thinking of grad school, this was more useful than the other materials I've taken a look at.
May 21, 2022
Much better than I expected. I thought it would be a dry and boring guide, but somehow it’s made me excited to write an application essay. I think this books insights will improve my writing generally and has also given me much more insight into the academic world.
September 28, 2025
Incredibly valuable book, especially for those pursuing graduate school with little to no experience with the admissions process. I leaned on the instructional portion of this book heavily while writing my Statement of Purpose and got into my top choice program!
April 17, 2018
Absolutely fantastic book! I recommend it to anyone thinking of applying to grad school. So helpful and made the beginning stages of applications less stressful.
November 19, 2022
Examples were super helpful! Advice was also super unassuming and to the point.
April 10, 2023
Great tool for anyone looking for examples of how to write admission essays.
June 14, 2024
Shoutout to the 4th edition for helping me get into grad school
July 29, 2024
I used this bool while writing my admission essays. Ended up getting into all my top choices.
June 28, 2016
This book was either a strong 3.5 or a low 4. Having previously worked in an MBA admissions office, I felt that much of the information was common sense. The book is a bit general as well, which is the danger of trying to appeal to a broad audience. As I am intending to apply to a school in the social sciences, I skimmed some of the highly technical science samples. Another drawback to the book has been noted by other reviewers, that many of the examples are those individuals from extremely unique backgrounds or who have overcome almost insurmountable obstacles. Reading this book is certainly an exercise in humility, for sure.
Where this book succeeds, however, is the insight it offers in applications, such as naming the location of the school, or which cliches to avoid (e.g. the childhood chemistry kit). As someone who would be the first in my family to go to graduate school, I feel that he offered many specific guidelines to follow that I would otherwise have been oblivious to. Having read through the 50 sample essays was invaluable, as I now have a concrete idea of how to format my own essay.
Where this book succeeds, however, is the insight it offers in applications, such as naming the location of the school, or which cliches to avoid (e.g. the childhood chemistry kit). As someone who would be the first in my family to go to graduate school, I feel that he offered many specific guidelines to follow that I would otherwise have been oblivious to. Having read through the 50 sample essays was invaluable, as I now have a concrete idea of how to format my own essay.
October 17, 2009
This book explains why it is important to go to grad school, who should go, how you should plan your application process, and of course it guides you through writing your essay.
I think one thing many may overlook is the fact the book covers a lot beyond just essays. It addresses issues like communications with the faculty and department before you apply, while the application is being reviewed, and discussions you should have with your recommendation writers. This book covers many, many useful topics outside of the essays, and was invaluable in my overall preparations.
I appreciated the 50 sample essays--selected from thousands of candidates--showcase the best of the best, while the Essay Hall of Shame identifies common pitfalls to avoid.
Book Details:
Title Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice
Author Donald Asher
Reviewed By Purplycookie
I think one thing many may overlook is the fact the book covers a lot beyond just essays. It addresses issues like communications with the faculty and department before you apply, while the application is being reviewed, and discussions you should have with your recommendation writers. This book covers many, many useful topics outside of the essays, and was invaluable in my overall preparations.
I appreciated the 50 sample essays--selected from thousands of candidates--showcase the best of the best, while the Essay Hall of Shame identifies common pitfalls to avoid.
Book Details:
Title Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice
Author Donald Asher
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Read
April 10, 2021Huge thumbs up. This was the single most helpful resource I had while applying to grad programs this year. I have severe ADHD and the act of sitting down to write is nigh impossible most of the time, particularly because my impulse is all or nothing. If I don’t write a whole draft in one sitting, what’s the point? This book helped me overcome that, at least in this one area. The writing exercises are the most valuable part of the book, by far.
I only skimmed the sample essays. None were related to even the field I want to work in (environmental), and there was a heavy lean towards PhD applications and longer essays. That’s fine, but many Master’s programs only allow for far shorter essays (a number I applied to asked for a maximum of 500 words) and I found this book lacking in that regard. It was difficult to cram all the information I needed to convey in such a short space, and I wish there had been strategies offered for dealing with this.
I only skimmed the sample essays. None were related to even the field I want to work in (environmental), and there was a heavy lean towards PhD applications and longer essays. That’s fine, but many Master’s programs only allow for far shorter essays (a number I applied to asked for a maximum of 500 words) and I found this book lacking in that regard. It was difficult to cram all the information I needed to convey in such a short space, and I wish there had been strategies offered for dealing with this.
April 15, 2016
This book was exactly what I thought was and more. I found it instrumental in writing my statement of purpose for UMass Boston. I will admit that the first few chapters are not directly about writing the essay. The first few chapters are about choosing your program, managing the application process and a few clever tips on how to pay for graduate school. But there were some very solid tips in the third chapter regarding the application in general. What I really loved about this book was that it had 50 samples of successful graduate admissions essays from a full range of programs. I found myself pouring over them night after night to get ideas for writing my own admissions essay. I borrowed this book from my local library but it is well worth the $21.99 that it is advertised for. Well done Mr. Asher.
Read
January 17, 2012I'm not rating this because I didn't actually sit down and read the whole thing, just perished mostly. I will say there seems to be the odd assumptions on recommender advice. I already had mine picked, but he seems to assume students go back to grad school right after undergrad which isn't always the case. Mostly I found the essays helpful in getting me in the write frame of writing style and also gave me some interesting ideas on how to open up the essay and avoid the more formulaic tendencies, which at least one reviewer was shocked by so I guess it worked.
March 15, 2013
This book was a good jumping off point for me to begin the application essay writing process. The samples that were provided were great, even though only one or two directly related to programs that I was applying for. I reread parts of the book several times while I was writing and rewriting my essays, and I think that it served me well. It was a good text to get the thought process moving. And I was accepted to top master's programs in my field, so I would say it helped!
February 19, 2013
This book gave some good ideas for writing strong admissions essays. The sections with different tips for applying to different types of programs were very helpful. A lot of the book focuses on how to research different programs and find ones that are right for you, so if you've already identified the schools you're applying to, those parts won't be relevant, but there's still a lot of good stuff in here.
January 28, 2023
A really helpful book if you are looking for something that will walk you through how to apply and even just think through higher education after getting a bachelors. It is a bit different as it gives more information and very detailed information than other books that are similar, but ultimately I think the others are shorter and just as good.
September 2, 2011
This is a great book! It has great writing exercises to help you start brainstorming for your personal statement. I recommend this to anyone when they ask for advice writing a personal statement for any program.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews