6 Steps to a Remarkable Reapplication by: Linda Abraham
OK. You didn't get accepted at any of the schools you applied to. What should you do now?
Deal. Get over it. And consider what you’re going to do next year. If you decide to re-apply, you need to assess what went wrong and resolve to improve it.
1. Determine what you need to change. You definitely need to do something different, because your previous approach didn't work. Don’t turn in the same essays.
2. Analyze your qualifications versus your target schools' average stats and requirements. If you are applying with below average stats at more than two schools and are not from an under-represented minority, you are relying on miracles and not applying effectively. You either need to improve your profile or apply to less-competitive schools.
3. Seek feedback. Some programs, particularly MBA programs, give constructive feedback to re-applicants. If your school provides that service, take advantage of it ASAP. You want to hear the criticism as early as possible so that you have as much time as possible to deal with any defects or weaknesses. Furthermore, some schools only provide feedback during a small window of time. So don’t delay.
4. Evaluate your application. Do your essays and letters of rec (if you have access to them) add to the reader’s knowledge of you? What could you do to improve them? Consider using Accepted.com's application evaluation service to help you with this step.
5. Work on weaknesses. For example, if you applied to medical school with limited or no clinical experience, start volunteering at a local free clinic or hospital. If you applied to business school with a low GMAT, study for and retake the test.
6. Prepare to highlight valuable recent experiences. When you reapply, you want to show that you are "new and improved." For example, if you are pre-law and worked for the last six months at the DA's office, you will highlight that experience, related achievements, and lessons learned in your resume and/or essay when you reapply. For a comprehensive guide on presenting a compelling reapplication, read
Create a Better Sequel: Reapplying Right to Business School.
About The Author
Linda Abraham, Accepted.com's founder and president, has helped thousands of applicants develop successful admissions strategies and craft distinctive essays. In addition to advising clients and managing Accepted.com, she has written and lectured extensively on admissions. The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, and BusinessWeek are among the publications that have sought Linda's expertise.
Reprint of this article is only permitted when reprinted in its entirety with the above bio.
The most common mistake people tend to make while writing is in the use of Punctuation. Wrong punctuation can damage the flow of ideas and change meaning, but properly used punctuation not only helps readers understand your meaning but also makes them engrossed in your writing. The following discussion is about some of the frequently misused punctuation marks and what actually their correct application should be.
Use of Apostrophe - Use an apostrophe to show possession, but never put apostrophe in case of possessive pronouns. Always remember that when the word "it's" is used, it is actually for the contraction for the two words: "it has" or "it is". On the other hand, "its" is a possessive pronoun, and the word being already possessive should not contain an apostrophe in it.
Example
It's the same thing happening over and over again. (Contraction of It and is: It is the same thing happening over and over again).
Wrong: That car is your's.
Right: That car is yours.
Note: Rewriting is sometimes the solution for an awkward possessive.
Awkward: A friend of mine's cap.
Better: A friend's cap (or the cap of a friend of mine).
To show possession in the case of singular nouns, add 's, and for plural words that end in s, add only an apostrophe. Don't forget to put 's with plural words not ending in s.
Example
Singular: nurse's uniform
Plural: nurses' uniforms (plural word ending in s)
Plural: children's uniforms (plural word not ending in s)
Use of Comma - Use commas to separate three or more items in a list. Though journalists most of the times omit the final comma before the word "and", but retaining the final comma avoids confusion.
Example
Poor: In this website, you can read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats 45 eggs and Tom Cruise.
Better: In this website, you can read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats 45 eggs, and Tom Cruise.
Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions.
Example
Wrong: I am not good in writing but I love writing.
Wrong: I am not good in writing, but, I love writing.
Right: I am not good in writing, but I love writing.
Note: If the clauses are long and already contain commas, separate them with a semicolon rather than a comma.
Wrong: If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon
Right: If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon
Run-on sentences - Where Run-on sentences are concerned (in case you don't know what it is, a run-on occurs when two independent clauses are not separated by punctuation or conjunction), add a period, or a semi colon, or a comma in places of separation.
Example
Wrong: A good student can score full marks in Mathematics it's his analytical ability that will help him achieve that.
Right: A good student can score full marks in Mathematics. It's his analytical ability that will help him achieve that.
Use of Quotation Marks - Use quotation marks to indicate direct quotation.
Example
"That guy knows me," Mr. Wong said, "very well."
Note: Never use it for indirect quotation (a restatement of someone’s words).
According to Mr. Wong, that guy knows him very well.
Use single quotation marks to indicate a quote within a quote.
Example
Wrong: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley said, "esse est percipii", he meant that the existence of a thing consists in its being perceived."
Right: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley said, 'esse est percipii,' he meant that the existence of a thing consists in its being perceived."
Note: Always put the comma and final period inside the quotation marks, and put other punctuation marks outside unless they are part of the thing being quoted.
There are many other frequently used punctuation errors, but the above-discussed ones are those I have mostly encountered in several writings. Before putting punctuation marks in your sentences, always ask yourself what meaning you want to convey to the readers. Accordingly, put the marks. In case the sentence becomes difficult to punctuate, consider rewriting it, because when a sentence is well written, it almost punctuates itself.
About The Author
Rumki Sen is the founder of Perfect Editing Solutions (www.perfectediting.com), a professional firm providing a Proofreading and Copyediting service to websites and online documents. She corrects and edits English grammar, punctuation, spelling, links and a lot more for mainly websites, letters, applications, CVs / resumes, advertisements, manuals, brochures, e-newsletters, articles and e-mail messages. Her company also offers resume-writing services. Whether you're a student, webmaster, or business owner, your written work will be improved immediately after you get her company's service. Contact Rumki Sen at rumki@perfectediting.com.
