Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
How to Navigate Application Advice
Writing an essay for your school application can be a tiring process with a lot of pressure to create a unique piece that will reflect your personality as well as qualifications. After a few dozen revisions, you may think your essay is ready for submission. Think again.It is important to have another set of eyes review your work. They will help find any errors that you overlooked.Proactively Manage Outside AdviceGathering support from others who have been through the application process might do more harm than good. Those same reviewers may be under the impression that the way they were accepted into the program is the only way.Each application is unique. Your application should be geared towards your unique profile and your intended goal. Take the advice from friends and relatives with a grain of salt.Quality vs. QuantityIn the world of over-achievers, people are trained to provide feedback and add value. In fact, not providing feedback implies not adding value. Soliciting advice from 20 people will most likely translate to 20 different responses.Having a second pair of eyes should be a game of quality not quantity. Quality means objective perspective with applicable knowledge and experience. Try not to involve more than two individuals in the review process. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with too many opinions.Stick to Your StrategyWhile your friends and family mean well, it is important to stick with your original strategy. When engaging others consider the following:
- Keep in perspective why you decided to tell certain stories. If your reviewers challenge your choice, don’t immediately feel compelled to overhaul your work. Take a step back, understand your profile and re-evaluate your choice.
Ask your 11th hour reviewers to focus only on spelling, grammar, or other careless errors that may arise. At this point, there shouldn’t be any changes in direction.
- Recruit credible people to review your work. If you need technical review, ask someone who excels in writing skills. If you need strategic advice, ask for someone who has coached others in the past.
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