In an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Anthony B. Cashman, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, was called upon to offer advice on writing effective personal essays for graduate-school applications and for fellowships.
Sought out because of the high number of Fulbright scholarships awarded to Holy Cross students during his four-year tenure (30), Cashman warned against the tendency to write a personal essay that includes a laundry list of accomplishments. Cashman advised students to focus instead on only a few key details. "Think of the application from the selection committee's point of view,” he said. “[The] job of the writer is to focus the readers on those elements that best relate to the opportunity at hand."
Cashman provided several more pieces of advice on how to craft a successful statement, stressing that students should carefully “articulate a vision of their future.”
"In essence, the applicant needs to demonstrate that the school or fellowship will meet the individual's needs in the short and long term…[T]he selection committee will take the person or people whom they can best help with their opportunities," he continued.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by David Cotrone ’13.
