Rating: 
Summary: A well-conceived, easy-to-read, first-rate guide.
Review: After struggling many days to write some decent admission essays, I was very happy I found this book, a well-conceived, easy-to-read, first-rate guide whose usefulness explains its popularity. The author is apparently a consultant who works with graduate applicants, and he brings a very pragmatic, non-theoretical approach to his numerous on--the-mark suggestions for effectively composing these important essays. (As an MBA applicant, I was really glad Stelzer addressed some of the unique challenges of the B--school essays,) The many examples of successful essays are varied and terrific, showing us both ordinary stories interestingly told and more inherently interesting stories presented in a way that maximizes their impact. The applicants come across as very real and likab1c, rather than just clich6-sprouting, run-of-the-mill candidates. The exceptional interviews (presented cleverly in a non-Q-&-A format) with more than two dozen admissions officials --from every top school you can imagine --provide excellent insights, specifics on what these men and women are looking for and, quite wonderfully, some useful information I never saw anywhere else. The interviews also give the reader a clear sense of the intelligence of the individuals deciding who gets in. Reading their comments and the author's, and having a large batch of "winning personal statements" to examine and study, gave me the knowledge and confidence to do a good job for myself. This book really helped me understand the path I needed to follow and opened my eyes to options I otherwise wouldn't have considered.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource no graduate applicant should miss
Review: An excellent, broad based resource no graduate should miss. While clearly useful for individuals seeking admission to law, business and medical schools (Which attract the largest numbers), the book lives up to its title by also providing a wealth of valuable information for those of us applying to other types of graduate programs. Included among the excellent essays, for instance, are examples from candidates for public administration, English and American literature, science, dentistry and geology. The author's advice, and that of a multitude of admissions officials, obviously applies to all applicants and offers exceptional direction.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, broad-based resource for graduate applicants
Review: An excellent, broad-based resource no graduate applicant should miss. While clearly useful for individuals seeking admission to law, business and medical schools (which attract the largest numbers), the book lives up to its title by also providing a wealth of valuable information for those of us applying to other types of graduate programs. Included among the excellent essays, for instance, are examples from candidates for public administration, English and American literature, science, dentistry and geology. The author's advice, and that of a multitude of admissions officials, obviously applies to all applicants and offers exceptional direction.
Rating: 
Summary: Samples fill half of the book
Review: For people who didn't know how to write a personal statement,this book can provide you different statement samples for references. Also, you can see different opinions from Dean of Admission of many schools about their admission rules.It is a book of records, the writer didn't say much about it.
Rating:
Summary: Samples fill half of the book
Review: I agree with most of the other posters' comments. However I just want to add one more comment. While some of the sample Personal Statements are interesting to read, quite a few of them are by no means the best, and some should even be left out. It would be extremely helpful if an authority critiques each and every one of the essays so that we'll know what to write or what not to write. In addition the Inside Perspective section from the admission staff is not very helpful since most of the advice are vague, and even if they're specific they're only useful for a particular school, particular department, and a particular year (depending on who was on the admission staff).Despite my above comments I still have to say that this is by far one of the better books out there that really helped me get started on my Personal Statement.
Rating:
Summary: Personal Statement 101
Review: In "How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School", Mr. Stelzer concisely elucidates how one must bring out an original yet refreshing personal statement. 90% of the sample essays are geared towards the Big 3- Law, Medical, and Business. For students interested in other programs like myself, there are several takeaways one could get from this book. I would strongly suggest using the questionnaires in the Appendix. I learned several things from the pages on advice from admissions representatives. I would also suggest reading all the sample essays first and then the introductory chapter which would help one lay out the groundwork for an original personal statement. Real Essays for College and Grad School by Anne McKinney is another helpful book. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: Personal Statement 101
Review: In "How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School", Mr. Stelzer concisely elucidates how one must bring out an original yet refreshing personal statement. 90% of the sample essays are geared towards the Big 3- Law, Medical, and Business. For students interested in other programs like myself, there are several takeaways one could get from this book. I would strongly suggest using the questionnaires in the Appendix. I learned several things from the pages on advice from admissions representatives. I would also suggest reading all the sample essays first and then the introductory chapter which would help one lay out the groundwork for an original personal statement. Real Essays for College and Grad School by Anne McKinney is another helpful book. Good Luck!
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Magical, but serves its purpose
Review: Like just about everyone else that would purchase this book, I bought it to try to get a sense of what the 'personal statement' is supposed to be all about for a graduate school application. It accomplishes its goal. However, I found it very repetitive. The book is divided into three sections. Section one is simply and introduction, section two contains sample essays. Section three contains interviews of Directors of Admissions of (mainly) MBA, Law and Medical Schools, although there is also one or two from other professional graduate programs. Section Two's essays was probably the most helpful as they helped me overcome my writer's block. Section Three said the same thing over and over again - 1. Dont's send "And that's why I want to go to Harvard..." essays to Yale. 2. Spell-check and edit thoroughly for readability and grammar 3. Follow the page-limits stated 4. Personalize it, be natural, make it interesting, and don't write the same generic essay for all schools or try to give the admissions people what you think they are looking for. 5. The essays are important and are read by at least three people evaluating the applications. As noted above, I haven't given anything away - the most useful part of the book are the sample essays that illustrate these points. As I read them, I started the process of self-examination which is what the admissions people what to see you doing in this essay. In short, it helps get your creative 'juices' flowing to overcome the writer's block that inevitably accompanies the task of writing these things. I can't compare this to other books of the same variety, but I can say that I was satisfied with this book, and can't imagine that any other book could say something this one dosen't.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Magical, but serves its purpose
Review: Like just about everyone else that would purchase this book, I bought it to try to get a sense of what the 'personal statement' is supposed to be all about for a graduate school application. It accomplishes its goal. However, I found it very repetitive. The book is divided into three sections. Section one is simply and introduction, section two contains sample essays. Section three contains interviews of Directors of Admissions of (mainly) MBA, Law and Medical Schools, although there is also one or two from other professional graduate programs. Section Two's essays was probably the most helpful as they helped me overcome my writer's block. Section Three said the same thing over and over again - 1. Dont's send "And that's why I want to go to Harvard..." essays to Yale. 2. Spell-check and edit thoroughly for readability and grammar 3. Follow the page-limits stated 4. Personalize it, be natural, make it interesting, and don't write the same generic essay for all schools or try to give the admissions people what you think they are looking for. 5. The essays are important and are read by at least three people evaluating the applications. As noted above, I haven't given anything away - the most useful part of the book are the sample essays that illustrate these points. As I read them, I started the process of self-examination which is what the admissions people what to see you doing in this essay. In short, it helps get your creative 'juices' flowing to overcome the writer's block that inevitably accompanies the task of writing these things. I can't compare this to other books of the same variety, but I can say that I was satisfied with this book, and can't imagine that any other book could say something this one dosen't.
Rating: 
Summary: Emphasis on regular people by giving extreme examples.
Review: My big gripe, which someone has already wisely brought up is that this book emphasizes that one does not need incredible stories to write a great personal essay. However, the example essays are pretty incredible with the whole KGB scenario or a parent having AIDS just before taking the LSATS. Moreover, this book is best for law, business, or med school, and the book is probably more useful for those with a few years of post undergraduate professional work. If you're like me, and you're applying to a general/regular graduate school right after undergaduate school, you will have to really fight hard to extrapolate the concepts needed to write a good essay. My closest example in the book was for an international affairs graduate school with an applicant that had about 10 years of professional drug use.........
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