Happy Friday, Reader, you made it! I hope you’re enjoying the back-to-school vibes of late August.
Last week I covered “fit” and how to show application reviewers you’re aligned with what they value.
Today, we’re talking about the next step: turning your experiences into evidence.
A few strategic lines can be the difference between graduate school acceptance and a waitlist.
Admit it: It feels like your work experience should speak for itself.
And it often does!
… to the people who know those contexts.
The organizations, the responsibilities, and the titles likely prepared you for graduate school.
Depending on your work history and the type of programs you’re applying to, reviewers might even recognize where you’ve been.
But here’s what no one tells you.
Listed experiences and accolades are not evidence.
Your job is to make the case for why you are uniquely prepared to apply to this program at this moment in time.
Quick story.
As a first-generation college student, I missed that detail the first time I applied to a master’s program - which is why I was rejected.
The feedback?
I was “more of a do-er than a scholar” - a direct reflection on me not translating my work experiences to show how I used research-informed practices, something that the program really valued.
Fast forward.
When I went on to read applications for over a decade, those that caught my attention weren’t the most “impressive” lists of activities and accomplishments. (And there were a lot.)
They were the ones where I could see how the experience developed and prepared them for my program.
So, how do you do this?
Here are a few action steps to start:
Action Step 1: List the three experiences you're most proud of that relate to your future career. For each one, finish this sentence: "This proves I can ___."
The reflection it takes to finish each sentence is why you’re ready for graduate school.
The experience itself on your resume is just the receipt.
If writing it is a challenge, try talking it out with someone you trust first.
Action Step 2: Pull up last week’s “fit” keywords and hold them next to these three experiences.
(Skim the “fit” newsletter again here.)
You’re looking for direct alignment between your proudest experiences and each program’s values.
This prepares you to go from “here’s everything I’ve done” to “here’s what I’ve done that shows I’m ready for this program now.”
Quick resume description example:
- Instead of: “Coordinated a summer literacy program for 60 students.”
- Try something like: “Coordinated a summer literacy program for 60 students; redesigned intake process to provide access to 42% more families in an under-resourced school district.”
For a master’s program focused on preparing graduate students to design and implement systems rooted in equity, the second description does heavy lifting and lays the groundwork for elaboration in your personal statement.
Action Step 3: Use these to write your personal statement as a persuasion, not a life recap.
Admissions committees can tell when personal statements are a regurgitation of someone’s resume.
(It's a disappointing experience for reviewers, to be honest.)
When you do this pre-work of translating listed experiences into concrete evidence, you’re in a solid spot to describe how and why you’re going to maximize the graduate school experience.
What I'm working on ✍
This week I caught up with someone I worked with years ago who’s considering applying to graduate school next fall.
(Yes, thinking a year in advance is a solid plan - especially if you’ll need to take the GRE or another test.)
She is a rockstar prospective applicant surrounded by coworkers and friends with Ivy League graduate degrees.
It’s easy to feel like there’s only one path in that situation.
We talked through what she truly wants from this degree and how she’d leverage it in her career path - which differs slightly from her peers.
It became clear that it’s worth expanding the potential program list to include options that align directly with her career interests, location preferences, and possibly more reasonable costs.
Moral of the story: “Fit” can sometimes feel influenced by your circle versus your specific needs, talking it out with someone beyond this circle can help you find the best options for you.
So why is all of this important?
At a minimum, it could save you a year and a reapplication.
(Although my "delayed" year provided incredible experience that made me a better graduate student and professional. No regrets.)
And in the best case scenario, you’ll be able to speak directly to the reviewers of your own best-fit programs.
Remember, your experience is what brought you here.
Your evidence is what gets you accepted.
You can do this.
Thanks for being here, make it a great weekend!
Dr. Jena
P.S. The “talk it out with someone outside of your circle” advice? It’s because we’re often too close to our own experiences to see them like a reviewer does. That’s exactly what a strategy session is for. I can hear your story, identify the most compelling pieces for your decision-making or applications, and provide a clear roadmap for what to do next.