Sample Essays for Graduate School Applications

Focus: Chronological development of interest in environmental law, highlighting college studies and a research internship.

It was not until my senior year at Haverford College that I decided to apply to law school. Once I made this decision, I became excited about the possibilities it opened up.

Pursuing a career in law allows me to follow a lifelong interest in the environment. At Haverford, as a history major with an environmental studies minor, I took courses ranging from local environmental issues to international environmental policy. These classes deepened my understanding of the environment and what I could do to protect it. I was particularly drawn to courses on domestic and international policy and law formation.

During a term off, I worked as a research intern at the Environmental Institute, a nonprofit in Washington, DC. There, I saw how a law degree could lead to impactful roles in environmental protection and policy. I worked under lawyers who collaborated with global groups to address specific environmental challenges and helped create environmental laws for Eastern European governments. Others worked with U.S. environmental groups to preserve ecosystems through legislation. This is the work I want to do, leveraging my social science background to tackle complex environmental issues, which often lack quick or easy solutions.

I want to pursue law because it provides a framework for resolving disputes through reason, fairness, and predictability, rather than force or deception, and because it will enable me to advocate for the environment.

1. Paragraph 1: Introduces the decision to apply to law school in senior year and the excitement about its possibilities.
2. Paragraph 2: Discusses a lifelong interest in the environment, developed through college courses. Note: Mentions boyhood interest but does not elaborate, raising reader expectations for more details.
3. Paragraph 3: Describes internship at the Environmental Institute, highlighting the role of a law degree in environmental work. Note: Could elaborate more on how the social science background strengthens candidacy.
4. Paragraph 4: States motivation for law school, emphasizing reason-based dispute resolution and environmental advocacy. Note: Lacks mention of the specific law school program applied to.

Focus: Chronological narrative of experiences leading to interest in urban planning. Note: Consider leading each paragraph with points about urban planning to clarify focus, rather than narrating successive life stages.

I graduated from Wellesley College five years ago with a B.A. cum laude in sociology. After graduation, I worked as an assistant to an executive at a publishing firm. The role involved problem-solving but felt like a glorified secretarial position, prompting me to seek a more fulfilling career. Last year, I visited Perth, Australia, where the clear air and open spaces inspired me.

For some time, I have wanted a new career and decided to apply to the urban and regional planning program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My computer skills, along with statistics and demography from my sociology studies, will support my work in urban planning.

I see urban planning as a discipline that creates beautiful, functional communities. Planners balance the interests of diverse groups while serving the community and preserving the land.

I’ve traveled to the western states several times. During a year off between my sophomore and junior years, I worked in Los Angeles as a photo shop sales clerk and volunteered at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Walking the city, I reflected on the lives of its residents. This experience motivated me to return to Wellesley, where I worked harder, as reflected in my improved grades. I also spent several months in France before college, living with a French family and learning French.

Through travel, I’ve observed environmental degradation—smog, strip malls, and desert towns that harm the landscape. I believe our unsustainable practices don’t bring happiness, and commuters stuck in traffic reflect this.

Inertia and poor planning perpetuate these issues. I see urban planning as a way to foster change, using knowledge to build better relationships with each other and the environment.

My goal is to work in urban and community planning, either in the public sector or private consulting, to create sustainable urban environments. The University of Illinois appeals to me due to its program, regional involvement, and faculty engagement in research and public service. I’m eager to take courses in environmental studies, community development, and transportation and preservation planning. As a Midwesterner, I value the region’s mix of sprawling cities like Chicago and small towns in fertile landscapes. I want to study where I will work. Please consider me as a candidate.

1. Paragraph 1: Describes college graduation, work experience, and a trip to Australia. Note: Could more directly state the focus on urban planning to orient readers early.
2. Paragraph 2: States decision to pursue urban planning and relevant skills. Note: This paragraph introduces the unifying focus but could integrate it more strongly throughout.
3. Paragraph 3: Highlights urban planning’s role in community improvement and land preservation.
4. Paragraph 4: Details travel and work experiences, including a year off in Los Angeles. Note: Risks losing connection to urban planning; also explains grade improvements.
5. Paragraph 5: Reflects on environmental issues observed during travel, emphasizing unsustainable urban practices.
6. Paragraph 6: Frames urban planning as a solution to inertia and poor planning.
7. Paragraph 7: Outlines career goals and reasons for choosing the University of Illinois program, citing regional relevance and faculty engagement.