Application Essay
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This is probably required by every school. For most schools, this is one of the most core factors used to decide your admission.

The purpose of the essay is to give the school a way to distinguish applicants in a process that is highly competitive. Universities receive thousands of applications from students who have similar educational backgrounds, and the personal statement gives them a better insight into the applicant's overall qualifications. Your personal statement gives you an opportunity to expand beyond the information given in the application. Take advantage of this mean to express and "sell" yourself. Highlight your personal accomplishments, intellectual maturity, leadership skills, future goals, and your interest in the school and department.

Remember, schools are not only looking for students with a 4.0 grade average, but are also looking for well-rounded students with a wide range of talents with the potential to become successful at the school.

You can go to some Internet sites to look at writing tips and sample admission essays. www.EssayEdge.com is the best I've ever seen. They've even got sample of some bad admission essays, and how they edited those.

Write the essay and revise it many many times. Send it to people you think that can help you make the essay better. Try to make your writing style "flow", try to make it natural, since that's the weakness English non-native speakers usually have. Instead of saying "the academic environment, which requires everyone to work hard, will certainly help me a lot," you can say "I will certainly benfit from such environment of much academic rigor."

What admission officers often look for in a personal essay are:

+ Your own ORIGINAL voice or opinions. Like what Mr. Dao Thien Khai, former Head Master of Hanoi- Amsterdam High School said: "They permit you to write without any observation. They know you can copy it from somewhere or have it edited by somebody. But what they look for is exactly what you are, therefore, it's no use trying to fake the writing. They know which is an essay written by a student, which is not."

+ A professional writing style: if you read lots of books, you will know there're only a few rules in writing papers. For example, for writing personal essays, there're just a few rules we have to follow in order to make our essays seem professional. You can find these books easily in bookstores, or on the Internet (which I prefer.) For example: if you quote a statement properly in your essay, it will certainly amaze the readers a bit of your rounded knowledge.

Try NOT to make grammar, verbal or spelling errors ;-)

+ Good ideas: If they raise a question, they want to hear different, personal, better-if-unique, and worthy ideas. Don't just repeat what the others have said publicly, don't just follow the traditional trends for that kind of problem. Do something different, but worthy. Take lots of your time investing in finding new, unique and interesting ideas that may attract the readers. If the ideas are professional and thoroughly investigated, they're good enough. If the ideas are interesting and unique, they are excellent. Just a small hint from Doan Phuong Minh, former Hanoi- Amsterdam student studying in US: "Only personal experience is unique." Therefore, if you have a choice, choose to write about your own experience, thoughts, write about Vietnam, your city, your school, etc. Don't try to imitate the others' thoughts 'cause it'll destroy all your efforts.

+ Persuasive: Just to make them believe you're capable of taking the challenges, you're the one who can "make it." Just another small hint: "Actions speak louder than words."

These were not written by VIETNAMERICAN.

Formula of a good essay. (by Peter Leykam, TIME Magazine, i.23, Oct. 2000)

The formula for an essay is simple:
1. What led me to become interested in jubject X.
2. how I worked hard to get into Y university.
3. How I have excelled as a student and gained research skills.
4. A list of the research projects I carried out.
5. how fluent I am in English.
6. Why I've chosen your fine institution.

Tips to Write Good Personal Essay

Questions to Get You Started
Getting started can be a daunting task. A good way to begin is to brainstorm by writing down answers to some of the questions below. This process will give you ideas and will help you focus on possible subjects for your essay.

What makes you different , special from the other applicants?

What are your qualities and accomplishments?

What are your intellectual achievements? How did you get started or interested in them, and what do they mean to you?

Have you encountered any extraordinary obstacles in your life? If so, how did you overcome them, and how has the experience enriched you as a person?

When and why did you become interested in the department for which you are applying? How has your undergraduate work prepared you for this field?

Who are the people who have been a positive influence in your life, and why? Are they family, writers, professors, or friends, and how has the influence shaped you?

Do you plan to continue your education after you graduate?

What are your career goals, and how are they related to the school?
Your First Draft
Once you have gathered all the necessary research, and done some soul searching by answering the questions above, you will be ready to start your first draft. Keep in mind that your target audience, the admission officers, read thousand of essays , and are expert in reading between the lines. To make sure your statement presents you in the best possible light be sure to follow these steps:

Do's
Read carefully and follow any specific instructions for the personal statement given in the application packet.

Use your personal statement as a personal introduction stating the most important things the admissions committee should know about you.

Make your first paragraph powerful and engaging.

Develop your paragraphs clearly, make them cohesive. and carry them throughout.

Focus on two to four main qualifications for your essay. Don't give a complete account of your life.

Be honest, stick to the facts.

Be creative: Write an interesting essay.

Take your time: It usually takes many drafts to produce a good essay.

Make sure your essay is well written: Check for grammatical and spelling errors.

Have an instructor or counselor read your essay and give you feedback.

Don'ts
Write based on what you think the admission officers will want to read.

Use clinches in your writing.

Exaggerate or be dishonest in your essay.

Dwell on negative issues, or overly portray yourself as a victim.

Focus on religious, political or other subjects that are controversial.

Editing your First Draft
Have you expressed your goals clearly?

Have you explained why you have selected the department/school, and what you hope to achieve?

Have you left out anything that is pertinent to your essay?

Does the essay present you in the best possible light? Remember, this is your opportunity to shine.

Were you persuasive about your strengths?

Is your essay well written and interesting? Is it distinctive?
Finally
If you are applying to more than one school, you might have to write a different essay based on the expectations, requirements and culture of the school. Once again, your research will guide you in tailoring each essay.

The application process is a time-and-energy consuming process. Allow yourself enough time for the research, planning and writing of your personal statement. Don't overlook the impact and importance of this document as it can very well be what will set you apart from thousands of other applicants.