Early Notification applications for September, as well as applications for January enrollment,  serve as a warm-up for us.  Although there’s very rapid turnaround for both groups, the volume of applications is manageable, and the staff has a chance to get back in the swing of things.

We always tweak the application between cycles — not just the questions we ask, but also how they appear on paper once the application is printed.  (Yes, we still work with paper.)  Once I’m reading under more time pressure, I count on quickly being able to find all the information I need on the form.

This year, we also reworked the application essays.  We expanded the word limits and created supplemental essay topics out of some of the material that applicants frequently included in the personal statement.  So, in theory, the personal statement now gives us a clear picture of what the applicant wants to do in the future, while the applicant can also tell us (in the supplemental essay) about the roots of his or her interest in international affairs, or preparation for a post-Fletcher career.  I feel like I’m reading some nice supplemental essays.  Peter commented to me that the personal statements, stripped to the basics, are a little drier than in past years.  I haven’t felt that yet, but I may agree after a few hundred more applications.  Either way, we’ll carry on reading this year and reevaluate in the spring.

I assume that everyone who checks the blog periodically is pretty well plugged in to the admissions process.  And that means that providing application tips is, as they say, preaching to the choir.  Nonetheless, the majority of our applicants for September enrollment are still working on their applications.  If you are one of those people, please check and re-check your application to ensure you are answering our questions.  Even the limited collection of applications I have read this fall included several that were so poorly filled out that the application itself (rather than academic preparation or professional experience) became a liability for the applicant.  Don’t let that happen to you, dear blog reader!

I have a small batch to read today, which might be all I’ll get to during the Early Notification process.  The warm-up has me ready to go on, looking forward to January applications!

In the summer, our attention is pulled in many different directions.  Each of us is working on some special projects — the type that require a little more time and a little more focus than we have at other points in the year — but we are also starting up the day-to-day nitty-gritty admissions work for the next cycle, even as we conclude our work with September’s incoming students.  That workplace schizophrenia will show through in the blog, too.

Today’s post is the first of the 2009-2010 admissions cycle.  While Roxana finalizes changes to our application for 2010 admission, I thought future applicants might want to take a peek at the application essays.  Before you peek, note that now is NOT a good time to start your application.  What you’ll find on the Admissions web site today is the past year’s application.  We’ll switch over to the new application in August.

The changes to the Personal Statement aren’t major, though we’ve increased the word limit a bit.  But we made significant changes to the Supplemental Essays.  Every few years, we need to shake things up — there are only so many hundred essays on the same topic we can enjoy reading.  So here you go:

Personal Statement (600 to 800 words. Times New Roman, 12 point font)

Fletcher’s Committee on Admissions seeks to ensure that there is a good match between each admitted student and the School.  Please tell us your goals for graduate study at Fletcher and for your career.  Why is The Fletcher School the right place to pursue your academic objectives and to prepare you to meet your professional goals?  Why have you selected the degree program to which you’re applying?  If you are planning to pursue a joint degree, please be sure to address this interest in your personal statement.

Supplemental Essay — Choose one of the following essay topics to tell the Admissions Committee something about you that does not fit elsewhere in the application. (500 words (maximum) Times New Roman, 12 point font)

-Share something about yourself to help the Admissions Committee develop a more complete picture of who you are.

-Tell us more about how you first became interested in international affairs, or in pursuing an international career.

-Describe the elements of your personal, professional, and/or academic background that have prepared you for your chosen career path.

As you think about the questions, here are some tips to keep in mind.

1.  Make sure you answer the question.  Might seem obvious, but every year there are applicants who miss the mark.

2.  Keep to the word limit, and use the type size/font we request.  Really, this is a very small techno-task for you, but it is a huge help in saving our eyes and paper.

3.  Don’t waste space in the Personal Statement with information that would fit nicely into one of the Supplemental Essays.

4.  Remember that these essays are about YOU.  Don’t waste space with details about your university professors, famous world leaders, or anyone else.  Everything you write should point straight at you.  When we ask why Fletcher is “the right place,” we want to know what makes it best for you — there’s not much value in quoting our own marketing language back at us.

We’ll have more tips for you during the year, but these should help you get started.  Go ahead and write a draft of the essays.  I’ll try to post a note when the new application is up and ready for you to upload what you have written.