Include first and last names when mentioning alumni in your essay

Include first and last names when mentioning alumni in your essay

Tip: Always refer to current students or alumni by their full name and year of graduation. 

Reason: Sometimes, admissions office readers only know someone's first name.

IN ESSAYS

• Student names: Always refer to current students or alumni by their full name. Sometimes, adcom readers only know someone's first name, especially at schools like Kellogg and Tuck. Write like this: Vince Ricci (MBA '15)
• School name: similarly, in your goals essay, the first time you write a school's name, spell it out officially as the school does e.g. The Kellogg School of Management. Afterward, you can just call it Kellogg.

IN LETTERS of RECOMMENDATION

• The first time your recommender mentions you, he should write your full name, like this: "I first met Mr. Vince Ricci in 2002." Afterward, he can refer to you as just Mr. Ricci (or Vince if a peer / casual recommender)
• I am writing to you with regard to [Mr./Ms. Full Name], who has requested that I write a letter of recommendation on [his/her] behalf.

Mr vs Mr.

• In British English, abbreviated titles that end with the same letter as the word being abbreviated do not take a full stop (period): “Mr” but “Prof.”
• On the other hand, in American English, all titles take a period: “Mr.” and “Prof.”
• Either way, be sure to add a space after Mr or Mr.

Too many clients write Mr.Smith, which is always incorrect in both US and UK English.