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September 27, 2023

Word and Character Limits in College Essays

Previously Published on September 2, 2011:

With every college essay comes a word limit. Some essays are 35 words, others 650 words. Some are 100 characters, others two pages. But for each of these essays, irrespective of the word count, there is one guiding principle that college applicants should follow: stick to the word count — don’t write more, don’t write less.

Essays Are Real Estate for Applicants to Make Their Case

Each essay — no matter its length — offers applicants real estate to make their case for admission. Some schools, of course, offer more real estate than others. For the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle, for example, Harvard University has five 250-word essays . Meanwhile, Brown University has three essays and four short answers: 200-250 words for the three essays, three words for the first short answer, 100 words for two short answers, and 50 words for the final short answer.

Applicants Should Write to the Maximum Word Count in Essays

So, when a school asks applicants to write a 200-250-word essay, how many words should they write? That’s an  easy  one: 250. When a school offers students the chance to write optional essays, should they write them?  You bet ! No  optional  essay in highly selective college admissions should ever be considered optional. Instead, it’s a chance for students to make their case. And applicants should always write to the maximum word count in all college essays .

A Word Count Test

To conclude, we’ve got a test for this year’s applicants. Applicants to Duke University ‘s Class of 2028 are required to answer one 250-word essay, and they’re given five optional essay options of which they can write up to two. So, how many essays should this year’s Duke applicants write? You guessed it — three! And how long should each of their essays be? You guessed it again — 250 words! Not more, not less.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the best college essay length: how long should it be.

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

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Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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2024 TMDSAS Ultimate Guide (Essay Examples Included)

Learn everything about the texas medical school application, plus an example tmdsas personal statement, personal characteristics essay, and optional essay.

The TMdsas Application is used by medical schools in texas

(Note: We recommend using this resource alongside our free, 102-page comprehensive guide to medical school applications,  Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat .)

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: tmdsas overview, part 3: tmdsas application details, part 4: tmdsas essays.

If you’re gearing up to apply to U.S. medical schools , you’re probably familiar with AMCAS , the centralized application system that you can use to apply to nearly any med school in the country. But, if you’re planning to apply to medical schools in Texas, you’ll also need to get to know another system: TMDSAS.

TMDSAS (Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service) provides a centralized application that you can use to apply to all public medical, dental, and veterinary schools in Texas. In February 2021, Baylor College of Medicine became the first private medical school to join the TMDSAS network , further simplifying applications for those hoping to earn their MD in Texas.

Given that Texas is the second-most populous state in the nation and that its med schools carry strong reputations and relatively low tuition costs, in-state and out-of-state applicants alike are often on the hunt for more details about the TMDSAS application process. Yet, there is relatively little information available covering this.

For that reason, we’ve created this guide in order to help you better understand the TMDSAS application. We’ll answer the most common questions that we routinely receive about TMDSAS and Texas medical school admissions, plus we’ll provide guidance that will help you successfully tackle the required TMDSAS essays, with example essays included.

Which medical schools use TMDSAS?

Below is a list of the 14 medical schools in Texas that participate in TMDSAS:

Baylor College of Medicine

(Related reading: How to Get Into Baylor College of Medicine )

Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio

McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston

Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Texas A&M College of Medicine

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at El Paso

Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine at Lubbock

University of Houston College of Medicine

University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine

Which Texas medical schools don’t use TMDSAS?

There are currently two Texas med schools that don’t use TMDSAS: TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine is part of the AMCAS system, and University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine requires you to apply through AACOMAS .

In addition, students applying to Baylor’s MD/PhD program will still apply through AMCAS.

How much does TMDSAS cost?

TMDSAS requires a flat fee of $215, regardless of the number of schools you apply to. Compared to AMCAS , which charges $175 for your first application and $45 for each additional application you submit, TMDSAS is relatively economical, especially if you take advantage of the flat fee structure and apply to several Texas med schools.

How hard is it to get into Texas medical schools?

The most recent TMDSAS admissions statistics show that, among the 2023 applicants, out-of-state applicants comprised 26% of the TMDSAS applicant pool but only 7% of matriculants. On the other hand, Texas residents accounted for 74% of applicants and 93% of matriculants.

There are a couple of reasons why the vast majority of students at Texas medical schools are coming from in-state. Non-Texas residents tend to apply mostly to non-Texas schools through AMCAS and just a small handful of TMDSAS schools, and then enroll in whichever school they believe is strongest and the best fit for them. On the other hand, Texas residents are more likely than out-of-state applicants to apply to many TMDSAS schools and, in turn, enroll in one for personal (e.g., to be close to family) or financial reasons (e.g., reduced in-state tuition).

On top of this, public medical schools in Texas are legally required to cap their out-of-state enrollment at 10%.

So, how does this translate to acceptance rates for in-state and out-of-state applicants? 49% of applicants from Texas were accepted to at least one TMDSAS school in 2023, whereas only 18% of out-of-state applicants received an acceptance. Therefore, it’s clear that in-state applicants are at a substantial advantage when it comes to getting into Texas medical schools.

For the entering class of 2023, the average undergraduate GPA and MCAT score of successful TMDSAS applicants were 3.84 and 506.7. We encourage you to look up the  average GPA and MCAT scores of all Texas medical schools to better understand your odds of getting into each program.

(Suggested reading: What MCAT Score Do You Need to Get Into Medical School? )

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What is the ideal TMDSAS timeline that I should follow?

Our general  medical school application timeline applies to Texas medical schools as well, but it’s important to note a few TMDSAS-specific dates :

May 1: Application becomes available

May 15: Application submission opens

August 1: Early decision application deadline

August 15: All supporting documents for early decision must be received by this date

October 1: Early Decision Program decisions announced

October 15: Medical schools begin extending offers of acceptance

November 1: Regular decision submission deadline

November 15: Letters of evaluation should be uploaded or post-marked by this date

February 2: Match preference submission deadline

February 16: Match results released and rolling admissions period begins

April 30: Applicants with multiple offers must decide which program to attend and withdraw from other schools

May 15: Medical schools can no longer make offers to Texas resident applicants holding another seat

How long does it take TMDSAS to process applications?

TMDSAS typically takes 2–4 weeks to process your application after submission. However, processing can take up to 6 weeks during the busiest part of the applicant season. You’ll receive an email once your application is processed.

What are TMDSAS pre-match offers?

Medical schools may extend pre-match offers (i.e., offers of acceptance) to Texas residents between October 15 and January 29.

You may receive  and accept multiple pre-match offers to reserve your spot at those schools. However, it’s courteous to decline pre-match offers at medical schools you don’t intend to enroll at so that other students can be notified of interview invitations and pre-match offers in a timely manner. Offers of acceptance should only be considered valid if an acceptance letter is received.

How does the TMDSAS Match work?

The TMDSAS Match is a process through which pre-match offers are finalized and remaining med school seats are filled. Only Texas residents who apply to medical school through TMDSAS are eligible for the TMDSAS Match. 

Assuming you meet these criteria, here’s how the TMDSAS Match works. You’ll rank all the med schools you interviewed at in your order of preference. Medical schools in turn rank the candidates they’ve interviewed. Then, the Match system, accounting for both lists, attempts to pair you with the school you most prefer, assuming that the school in question has also ranked you highly.

To better understand the nuances and complexities of the Match process, we recommend watching the helpful Match video tutorial offered by TMDSAS.

There are a few important things to note about the TMDSAS Match:

Participation in the Match does not guarantee you an admission offer.

You must participate in the TMDSAS Match even if you received a pre-match offer.

If you have a pre-match offer(s), you may still get into a school that you prefer more highly than the one(s) you were already admitted to.

If you entered the Match holding multiple pre-match offers, you’ll come out with only one acceptance.

What happens if you don’t match? The standard rolling admissions process will begin after the Match period ends, so medical schools with remaining open slots will continue to accept students throughout the spring and summer.

Do TMDSAS schools require secondary applications?

The majority of TMDSAS schools require you to submit school-specific secondary applications. You can view all of their prompts through our medical school secondary essay prompts database .

TMDSAS vs. AMCAS: What are the biggest differences?

TMDSAS and AMCAS ask for similar information, so if you’re also submitting AMCAS applications this cycle, you should be able to adapt your answers from one application to the other without too much struggle. Nevertheless, they do differ in certain ways, so you’ll want to ensure that you put in the time to craft high-quality, tailored responses to each.

The most noteworthy differences between AMCAS and TMDSAS include:

Character limit to describe extracurricular activities : The AMCAS Work and Activities section offers a 700-character limit to describe each of your 15 entries (plus an additional 1,325 characters for your three ‘most meaningful’ activities). Meanwhile, the TMDSAS Personal Biography and Activities section does not limit the number of extracurricular activities you may enter—offering a 500-character limit for each entry, with an additional 500 characters for your three most meaningful experiences, across the following categories:

Research Activities

Healthcare Activities

Community Engagement

Planned Activities

(Note: Academic Recognition, Non-Academic Recognition, and Employment entries allow a 300-character limit.)

Age of MCAT scores:  Schools that use AMCAS typically require that you take the MCAT sometime in the two to three years before applying, whereas your MCAT scores for TMDSAS can be up to nearly five years old. For example, students applying to enter med school in 2024 can submit MCAT scores earned between January 2019 and September 2023.

Recommendation letter limits:  TMDSAS requires you to submit three individual “letters of evaluation”   or  one health professions committee packet , and they also allow you to submit one optional letter. Schools that use AMCAS may allow you to submit more  medical school letters of recommendation .

Number of essays:  Beyond their respective activities sections, you’re required to submit the following essays for AMCAS and TMDSAS (all character limits below include spaces):

AMCAS: Personal statement (5300-character limit)

Medical applicant personal statement (5000-character limit)

Personal characteristics essay (2500-character limit)

Optional essay (2500-character limit)

Which TMDSAS schools require CASPer?

As of February 2023, the following TMDSAS schools require the CASPer test :

Texas A&M University College of Medicine

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Prepare for the CASPer Test to Get Into Medical School and Casper, Snapshot, and Duet: Everything You Need to Know )

TMDSAS personal statement guidance and example

Just like the AMCAS personal statement, the TMDSAS personal statement is where you’ll write about why you want to enter medicine and describe the experiences that have led you to your present path. As discussed earlier, the difference between the two is that TMDSAS gives you a slightly shorter character count to work with—5,000 characters including spaces.

Because your personal statement is one of the most important factors in determining your admissions success , you should plan to spend a considerable amount of time crafting a unique, well-written essay that gives adcoms a sense of who you are and what makes you different from other candidates. Our  guide to medical school personal statements provides in-depth advice on how to write a standout personal statement, plus numerous full-length examples.

Many applicants wonder if they can use the same personal statement for both their AMCAS and TMDSAS applications. Since the prompts are extremely similar, so long as you adapt your essay to fit within each application’s character limits, you should be able to use it for both applications.

Let’s take a look at the TMDSAS personal statement prompt and an example essay.

Prompt: Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician (5,000 characters, including spaces).

I could only focus on how hard it was to breathe. The surgical mask felt like a damp cloth over my face from my own sweat. Ten minutes into the C-section, I stepped away to stand under a vent and avoid passing out. When the haze cleared, I focused on the surgeon cutting into each layer of skin and the uterus until, finally, the baby’s piercing cries filled the room. While I had turned 5 shades lighter while struggling to stay conscious, I was filled with curiosity about what I had just seen. That night, I pestered my mother with questions and she made fun of me for almost passing out. I was drawn to how dedicated and knowledgeable she was and wanted to learn more. 

That experience was one of my first encounters with medicine and came during my sophomore year of high school while observing my mother, an OB/GYN. My family was based in Dallas, but my mother had to live and work in Houston for over 5 years to have her Hungarian M.D. transferred to an American one. Due to grueling hours during this second residency, I could only see her a few weekends a month when I made the trip south. The more time I spent shadowing her during these weekends, the more I appreciated her sacrifices to pursue medicine and developed my own affinity for it. I was intrigued by the impact and diversity of the medical field, and through my various extracurricular experiences have come to view medicine as resting upon several pillars: a desire to help others and the roles of educator, teammate, leader, and problem solver.

To challenge myself in the role of educator, I took a position as a teaching assistant for the introductory life sciences lab at Emory. During my second quarter teaching, one student struggled to understand the mechanism behind the Lac Operon in E. Coli. In my previous interactions with the student I had learned he loved cars, so I likened lactose and glucose to gas and electricity in a hybrid vehicle. I remember how his face lit up when he finally grasped that concept; it left me with a sense of accomplishment that I was able to use his interests to guide his understanding. Success as a teaching assistant has given me confidence in my ability to educate others and strengthened my motivation to pursue medicine. As a physician I look forward to the opportunity to educate and inspire both patients and colleagues. The sense of fulfillment I feel when a student successfully grasps a concept will be central to my career.

I’ve explored the importance of being a team player in medicine through my research in exercise physiology. A large portion of my lab focuses on using exercise interventions in clinical trials to treat chronic illnesses, such as Friedreich’s Ataxia or COPD. Brian, a patient with whom I have worked frequently, comes to mind. Brian often comes in with his father, a bodybuilder. As we talk, giving each other advice on lifting and diet while motivating Brian during the exercise intervention, we all play a role in working toward the same goal: improving Brian’s maximal exercise tolerance. Having seen the effectiveness of this team-based approach to patient interventions, it has become one of my favorite components of medicine.

Perhaps the most beautiful and rewarding pillar of medicine is interpersonal interaction. Ironically, entering college, my biggest fear was public speaking. During sophomore year, however, I took charge of that fear as a campus tour guide. Two years of giving tours to 5,000 visitors has not only made me a more effective and comfortable orator, but also unearthed a hidden passion. As a tour guide I share a part of my life with a diverse group of strangers in an effort to guide them along their college application path. In turn, visitors sometimes share with me their life story and unique perspectives. I find that meaningfully connecting with others in this way excites me about the prospect of cultivating relationships with my patients throughout my career.

My years as a student have led me to develop a deeper appreciation and love for medicine. I could not have predicted eight years ago that I would be applying to medical school after barely staying conscious during a C-section. Yet, this past summer I found myself observing that very procedure again. This time, I wasn’t woozy—instead, I could see the various pillars in action and the roles I will play in the future.

Why is this personal statement successful?

The applicant does a great job of engaging the reader from the get-go with a memorable hook and keeps it up throughout the essay with vivid details and in-depth anecdotes that clearly illustrate why she’s decided to enter medicine.

This essay also illustrates qualities in the applicant that will be desirable as a physician, such as her desires to learn and help others, her capacity for teamwork, and her persistence through challenges.

She also touches on her connection to Texas. While it’s not strictly necessary to do so, and you certainly don’t want to force these kinds of details, they’re a nice touch for your TMDSAS personal statement if you can fit them in naturally.

TMDSAS personal characteristics essay guidance and example

This prompt essentially asks for a “diversity essay”—a type of essay frequently found on medical school secondary applications. Because they are so common, our guide to medical school secondary essays offers detailed advice on how to tackle diversity essays effectively.

What’s crucial to remember about diversity essays is that “diversity” can mean anything that makes you different or interesting; it isn’t strictly limited to factors like race, gender, sexuality, and so forth. So, to write a great response to the TMDSAS personal characteristics prompt, highlight what you have to offer that is unique, making sure to tie that characteristic to how it would enhance the med school experience of your future peers.

Let’s go over the prompt and a sample response.

Prompt: Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others. (2,500 characters, including spaces)

Music had never been a large part of my life until two years ago when I went to Coachella on a whim. Before this, I would only ever listen to music on the radio in the car or at the gym. But that festival showed me music’s universal ability to facilitate a bond between anyone, anywhere. Ever since then, music has become a haven from life’s stressors and one of my favorite ways to connect with others. As an only child, an immigrant from Hungary, and the son of two busy professionals, my childhood was very lonely. I had to adapt to a new culture and felt like an outsider for most of my life. Even though I had a vibrant social life throughout college, it wasn’t until my first music festival that I became truly comfortable in my own skin and in my ability to connect with strangers.

One of my favorite memories is meeting Michelle and her friends. While in a crowd watching Moby, I accidentally bumped into her. I quickly apologized, but instead of just going our separate ways, we started talking about the musical set and spent the remainder of that day learning about each other’s lives with our friends. That seemingly minor interaction marks the moment I finally stopped feeling like an “outsider” in new settings because it highlighted my ability to connect with complete strangers and also to bring groups together and facilitate new friendships. As I think about entering medical school with a group of colleagues that I have yet to meet, I am certain that many future classmates are likely feeling as scared as I am about the challenges ahead. Yet, despite those fears, I’m confident that working together as a class will make the journey much easier. I look forward to helping foster a supportive, comfortable environment to help us all succeed.

What’s working in this essay?

For this personal characteristics essay, the applicant has chosen her ability to forge bonds with strangers and bring groups of people together. While she chooses to discuss this skill within a non-medical context, music festivals, it’s easy to see how she’ll also make use of it as a future medical student, and, by extension, as a doctor.

An interesting aspect of this essay is that the applicant touches on another part of her background that makes her unique—her status as an immigrant. Yet, this isn’t the focus here. Instead, being an immigrant serves to underpin the loneliness and outsider feelings she’s familiar with. Through this, she’s able to demonstrate another characteristic that will enhance the experiences of her future classmates and patients: empathy.

TMDSAS optional essay guidance and example

In their application instructions, TMDSAS notes that the “optional essay” isn’t a space to continue your other essays or reiterate what you’ve stated elsewhere. Instead, you should use it to offer details or address any issues which have not been previously mentioned.

The first question many students ask is, “Is the TMDSAS optional essay really optional?” Here’s what TMDSAS says: “The optional essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. This essay is optional; however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.” We advise you to interpret “strongly encouraged” as “required.”

If you’re unsure of how to handle this open-ended prompt, there are a few different directions you might choose to take in your response:

You can adapt one of your other secondary essays, such as an adversity essay.

You could write a new essay that highlights an experience or achievement that hasn’t yet gotten the spotlight.

If your candidacy has any issues or red flags that you haven’t yet explained—such as low grades or a disciplinary incident, for example—this would be an excellent place to tackle them.

Our aforementioned secondary essay guide also covers this kind of essay in detail, which we refer to as an “Anything else you’d like us to know?” essay.

Here’s the prompt and a well-executed sample response.

Prompt: Briefly state any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application, which have not been previously presented. (2,500 characters)

My two parents are successful professionals who have a healthy relationship with each other. However, for the majority of my childhood I felt more like an extension of them than like an individual. My parents grew up in Hungary during communist rule and I was born there a few years after the Revolution. When I was 4, we were able to immigrate to America, due to my father’s expertise in software engineering, with just the clothes on our backs. Because my parents lived and breathed school in an attempt to improve our family’s circumstance, success was only defined academically. I understood the stipulations of my father’s job-sponsored visa and my mother’s need to redo her residency through the only program that accepted her four hours away. I also greatly appreciate the sacrifices they made to shield me from hardships and to pull our family out of poverty. Still, when I was younger, I could not identify any personal passions because I led a life focused strictly on academics, set by my parent’s expectations and reinforced by their praises. 

The turning point was deciding to go to an out-of-state university so that I could learn to navigate the world on my own. It was quite a shock my freshman year when I realized that all of the things my parents did for me, from cleaning to cooking, would now be on my shoulders. Having always tried to live up to my parents’ expectations, I felt directionless and didn’t know how to channel my new freedom. I turned to people I considered strong, authoritative leaders as role models for how I wanted to shape my life. I wished to adopt the charisma and humility that Derek Shepard carries himself with, and the compassion and wisdom that Steve Jobs displayed in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech. Exploring these qualities gave me the confidence to pursue incredibly rewarding opportunities, like studying abroad in Ecuador and approaching physicians to shadow them. I’ve also learned that I’m passionate about educating others, working in teams, and creating meaningful, lasting relationships. Taking charge of my own life and participating in activities like Campus Tours, coaching, and teaching also allowed me to break out of my shell and learn more about myself.

I’m still young and have a lot left to explore, but I’m glad to now look in the mirror and see myself as someone with a unique personality and the confidence to pursue my own ambitions.

What makes this essay successful?

For this prompt, this applicant chose to adapt her adversity essay, which highlights her background as an immigrant and the high-pressure environment that accompanied it. However, the challenge she focuses on isn’t related to this high-stakes upbringing, as you might expect, but rather to the lack of personal direction she felt upon entering college.

Through this essay, the applicant demonstrates a few personal qualities that reflect positively upon her candidacy: introspection, independent thinking, the desire to find personal meaning in her life, and the ability to meet a challenge. Not only are these desirable traits in med students and physicians, but they also go a long way toward convincing adcoms that her decision to enter medicine is well-thought-out and entirely her own.

TMDSAS MD/PhD & DO/PhD dual degree program essays

If you’re applying to dual degree programs, you’ll also encounter the additional essays below.

Be aware that MD/PhD applications to public Texas medical schools must be submitted through AMCAS. So, if you want to be considered for MD/PhD  and MD programs at Texas public medical schools, you’ll need to submit both AMCAS  and TMDSAS.

DO/PhD applications to Texas public med schools, on the other hand, are submitted through TMDSAS.

We advise you to read  our comprehensive MD-PhD guide for advice on how to approach the following two types of essays asked for below, and to view samples of each.

Prompt 1: Explain your motivation to seek a MD/PhD or DO/PhD dual degree.  Discuss your research interests and career goals as an applicant to a dual degree program.

Prompt 2: Describe your significant research experiences.  Include the name and title of your research mentor as well as your contributions to the project.  List any publications which have resulted from your work.

Final thoughts

The affordability and strength of Texas medical schools make them popular choices for many prospective medical students, particularly the many Texas residents who can apply as in-state candidates. For the best chances of admission, take the time to understand TMDSAS’s unique matching system, and plan to invest considerable energy into your TMDSAS application—particularly the three required essays—in order to stand out from the crowd.

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.

Struggling to write your TMDSAS essays?

Previously Published on September 2, 2011: With every college essay comes a word limit. Some essays are 35 words, others 650 words. Some are 100 characters, others two pages. But for each of these essays, irrespective of the word count, there is one guiding principle that college applicants should follow: stick to the word count — don’t ...

Number of essays: Beyond their respective activities sections, you’re required to submit the following essays for AMCAS and TMDSAS (all character limits below include spaces): AMCAS: Personal statement (5300-character limit) TMDSAS: Medical applicant personal statement (5000-character limit) Personal characteristics essay (2500-character limit)

MY OSH COURSE

Tuesday 21 march 2017, case study 2 - hirarc.

Hazard Identification , Risk Assessment and Risk Control ( HIRARC )

• It is a requirement under the law (OSHA and its Regulations);
• We need to make provisions for securing the safety, health and welfare of our colleagues;
• We need to make provisions for protecting our clients against risks to safety or health in connection with our trade and activities.
• We need to know about HIRARC because:
• it is the core business of all OSH personnel, safety committee members, supervisors…etc.
• it is a DIRECTIVE from the Chief Secretary of the government service to all government departments and agencies through its letter of directive: UPTM 159/267/50 Klt.4 dated 20th of August 2004.
• Before the proccess of identifying any hazards begin, it is necessary to know how to classify what is hazard, risk and danger.
• Hazard – anything that can cause harm.
• Risk – a probability of harm actually being done.
• Danger – the relative exposure to a hazard.

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CHAPTER 6 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION, RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK CONTROL (HIRARC

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