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In my previous post<\/a>, I discussed the importance of maintaining an appropriate tone in your admissions essay, and provided tips for checking your tone, specifically for finding a confident tone and avoiding arrogance.<\/p>\n Once again, \u201ctone\u201d refers to a writer\u2019s attitude toward their subject (and their reader). Your tone comes across in your choice of vocabulary, whether you choose formal or informal language, and so on. It can be subtle, but it is very important.<\/p>\n A strong personal statement or SOP<\/a> communicates confidence, as we explain, but also professionalism and positivity. How can you ensure your writing conveys the right attitude?<\/p>\n Here are five pointers for writing with a professional tone:<\/p>\n Think about whom you\u2019re writing for: admissions professionals, and possibly professors (depending on your field). In other words: a.<\/strong> educated professionals; and b.<\/strong> members of the field you\u2019re hoping to enter. This means that you should address them as you would someone you respect. No need for stilted formality \u2013 but this isn\u2019t an email or text message to a friend, either. Grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation all count.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n This means several things: answering the questions as they are asked; keeping to the requested length; not submitting additional materials they haven\u2019t asked for; etc.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n There is, for example, both a content and a tonal difference between saying you want to study a particular language because it will give you the skills to work in international development in country X, and saying you want to study that language because you just always liked the way it sounds.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n When you describe work you did with a team<\/a>, use language that reflects that cooperation (\u201cwe\u201d), and take a positive tone (for example, show what you gained\/learned from your collaboration and how it prepared you for graduate school).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Each email, phone call, visit, interview \u2013 every interaction with every person you meet at your target school must contribute to their overall picture of you as a courteous, professional, positive candidate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n To summarize:<\/em><\/p>\n Here are three tips for staying positive and avoiding negativity:<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve written elsewhere about how it\u2019s more compelling to read statements that are phrased positively than negatively. In other words, if one experience didn\u2019t work out, don\u2019t say that you decided to do something new because it was not great or a negative experience; say that you chose to move on to a new opportunity in order to develop your skills or explore an area you were excited about or assume greater responsibility. This is important both for the energy and strength of your writing, and also for your tone: if you phrase statements in a negative way, you risk coming across as negative. It\u2019s much better to be moving towards something attractive than fleeing something ugly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n I taught undergraduate composition \u2013 I know that writers sometimes use adverbs to pad their writing! And I\u2019m not saying that all adverbs are bad. Deployed carefully, they can help you pinpoint exactly the description you\u2019re looking for. But sometimes, qualifiers can pull your sentence into territory you should probably avoid. Take these sentences as an example:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cIn the end, I found the experience genuinely enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cI actually enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n These words can have the effect \u2013 not always intended by the writer \u2013 of making the experience sound not truly enjoyable or impressive. (To say you \u201cactually\u201d enjoyed something makes it sound like you didn\u2019t expect to \u2013 and why risk raising the adcom\u2019s doubts about your attitude?) A more positive phrasing would simply be: \u201cI enjoyed the experience.\u201d<\/li>\n If you\u2019re trying to explain a low GPA or other academic challenge, straightforwardly take responsibility for it and do not attribute your struggles to anyone else.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n To summarize:<\/em><\/p>\n [For more advice, check out my previous post, Writing Tip: Understanding the Fine Line Between Confidence and Arrogance<\/a>.]<\/p>\n The expert advisors at Accepted can help you ensure that you are projecting a professional, positive voice in your application essays. Learn more about our Admissions Consulting & Editing Services here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0From Example to Exemplary<\/a>, a free guide <\/p>\n This article<\/a> originally appeared on blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/em><\/p>\nProfessionalism<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Rebecca](\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Rebecca-Blustein.jpg\" "\\"Rebecca")
By\u00a0Dr. Rebecca Blustein, Fellowship Advisor at UCLA and former Accepted admissions consultant.\u00a0Want one of our admissions experts to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u2022 How to Edit Your Application Essays<\/a>, a podcast episode
\n\u2022 Writing About Resilience in the Face of Failure<\/a><\/p>\n