Personal Statements

Personal Statements are a written description of one’s achievements, experiences, skills, interests, and career goals. While most commonly required as part of a graduate program application, they may also be requested as part of the application for a professional position.

Overview

  • A memorable personal statement is one of your strongest tools in convincing the admissions committee that you are a qualified candidate and possess strong communication skills. 
  • Effective statements create a sense of who you are as an individual, a student, and a future professional.
  • A strong personal statement demonstrates that you understand specifically how the schools you apply to will help you accomplish your professional and academic goals.

Content

  • When organizing your personal statement, it is best to begin with an engaging opening, an effective theme carried throughout the essay, and a conclusive wrap up. 
  • All graduate schools require a personal statement, and while the length and topic will vary, they are mainly looking for the same elements: a cohesive, personal narrative with supporting evidence as to what you want to study; why you want to study this academic topic; and why you are applying to their school, including why you would be a good fit for their program. 

Drafting

  • Personal statements are typically written in essay format and are 2-4 pages in length, unless otherwise specified in the application instructions. 
  • When writing personal statements, it is best to have your draft edited by a minimum of five people. This will give you many varying opinions on what you should change, strengthen, remove, or expand upon.
  • Feedback can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if two people tell you conflicting advice, but it is helpful to view all feedback as suggestions for improvement. 
  • As you draft, you may need to correct small details, such as grammatical errors, or make big changes to your content such as tossing out paragraphs, or perhaps the entire statement! This is a healthy part of the writing process since sometimes you need to realize what you don’t want to say in order to land upon what you do want to say.

What to include

  • Establish what’s special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you and your life story.
  • Share what details of your life (personal history, people, events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) that might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants.
  • Specify how you became interested in this field; what has reinforced your conviction in pursuing this career.
  • Describe how you have gained relevant experience; this could be through volunteer organizations, related work experiences, specific courses taken, and related training or professional development.
  • Discuss the issues/problems in your field of study; show your passion and vision for the future by articulating a clear understanding of the current situation and the direction moving forward.

General Tips

  1. Answer all of the questions asked – If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar, however, do not use the same statement for all applications. Make sure you follow any specific instructions a school has for how they prefer a personal statement to be written. 
  1. Tell a story – Your statement must be fresh, lively, and different in order to stand out from other applicants. Use perfect grammar and avoid the passive voice.
  1. Be specific – Do not make broad sweeping statements that you cannot back up. A personal statement should portray a clear story with details and concrete examples from your life.
  1. Find an angle –  Finding an angle or a “hook” is vital. Write your statement with passion, but do not try to sound more scholarly by incorporating big words to sound impressive.
  1. Do some research – Research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs.