personal statement example

personal statement example

Crafting an Effective Personal Statement: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Introduction to Personal Statements

Personal statements are documents that offer brief, vivid illustrations of a person’s beliefs and experiences. With this kind of approach, personal statements are essential to a broad range of applications, generally working as a means through which applicants can introduce themselves to the relevant selection committee. In terms of acting as a sort of bridge between self and employer/college, personal statements are written largely for students (as part of the application process for both graduate and undergraduate schools), academic researchers (often as part of a grant proposal), and job-seekers (in resumes and at interviews). The simple fact of the matter is, there must be something more than mere numerical fact for an employer, college, or funding body to base their judgments upon; some concern for qualitative assessments, some pursuit for a more in-depth glimpse of the sort of person represented by the facts and figures on paper.

A personal statement is a means by which such assessments are made. Through qualifying those experiences and personal strengths that have differentially accrued to the person applying for the position, college, or grant in question, an effective personal statement will double as a chance for a reader to take measure of the applicant. In other words, it should serve as a kind of proxy interview, to offer the kind of informal decisions that are often necessary, and sometimes made, before an actual interview is conducted. In that light, to the extent that one is seeking not merely a place in some program (college, funding body, etc.), but also the resources that typically come with this placement, one must write a statement that is, indeed, personally and professionally appealing. So important is an effective personal statement that, ultimately, few people are allowed to leave those elements of their suitability for a position that it can address to mere chance.

2. Understanding the Purpose and Audience

An important and preliminary step of writing a quality statement is understanding the purpose of the personal statement and who will read it, so often it is necessary to write an individual statement for each university to which an application is made.

Purpose – What does the reader want to know, and why should they choose you? (audience) Goals, values, and academic mission of the program or the particular scholarship to which students are applying. See who will read the personal statement of the members. Readers will also be selected to interviews, and these readers need to ensure students continue to be impressive in person.

Understand the people and what they need – what do the people often do, what do the faculty look for in another period of their life? Many graduate students who represent a personal statement out of their enthusiasm for your program. Therefore, they will check the main points of Rangers – the point leading the elected on what something in common, in other words, or another’s. The readers are professionals in a variety of career services in educational research in the area of health services, trade guilds, the general management of the program, university, etc., all of which will be well-structured systems and programs. Repeatedly, the best way to measure the value of the “Universal” personal statement is a statement that, while “universal,” that is, the results of the planning and preparation. Plan the site and convey important and very personal messages too. In other words, make sure your message is respected by a photographer today. If students do not know where they enter values, ask the MDR ViPS may help them with this!

3. Structuring Your Personal Statement

Generally, personal statements have an introduction, main body, and a conclusion. The main body is the most important part where you can showcase your academics and extracurricular achievements, motivation and passion for the course, and how you stand out from other candidates. There is no single way of structuring a personal statement. However, the most effective personal statements are ones that combine interest-catching narrative with structured topics. In other words, make your personal statement more of a story that captivates the reader through vivid imagery and precise language.

Here are some tips to help you structure your personal statement.

Introduction: Start your personal statement with a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read on. Why are you interested in this subject? Make sure you avoid using clichéd openings (e.g., ‘From a young age, I have been interested in international development’ or ‘For as long as I can remember, I have always loved science’). Instead, open your personal statement with a question, an interesting fact, or even a story.

Main body: The bulk of your personal statement should contain what you have learned about the subject you are applying to in your academic studies, reading, and experiences. It is important that you demonstrate your knowledge of the subject and the relevant transferable skills that you are applying to the subject. You might want to include: what or who has influenced your decision to study the subject, any previous work experience or any shadowing, some particular modules that interest you, what you have learned from these modules and how they relate to your chosen course, and how you can relate the subject to current affairs. It is also important that you write about what you enjoy about your current studies as this is usually a good indicator of what you will enjoy about your chosen course.

4. Writing Techniques and Tips

Language and Tone. Your personal statement must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English with no slang. Use formal language without contractions. However, instead of using overly formal language, you should be direct and honest. You don’t want to overuse technical terminology. While applying psychological terminology may be appropriate, it is not necessary. The best research methods or thirteenth-century saints should be communicated in simple language.

Use stories. You should engage your reader by telling them. Remember what you have been doing for the last year. Tell what motivated you for assignments, positions, or awards instead of simply stating that you received good assignments. Your activities and achievements will be reduced to mere lists: on paper, they may seem less remarkable or impressive. Paint a picture for the audience, providing specific examples of when and how you achieved personal, academic, or professional goals that are relevant to your motivation for studying at the postgraduate level. A skilled writer can make almost any topic (including airplane restraints, needlework, or dog grooming) engaging and captivating. One of your goals is to captivate the reader’s enjoyment of reading. Judges also face a certain challenge: they read hundreds of these personal statements and they want to find a candidate who stands out and deserves an appointment. You don’t want to be the forgettable person they discuss after-hours. It is important to engage the judges through your personal approach.

5. Editing and Revising for Impact

Once you’ve written your first draft, you will have a solid start for writing your personal statement. Now it’s time to start editing and revising so that your interests, accomplishments, and skills stand out in the personal statement. For the most part, editing consists of determining whether what you’ve written will grab the reader’s attention and get across the message or themes you wish to convey. Don’t look at grammar until the last step, as it can impede the writing and revising process. Continue to focus on the “big picture.”

Look at the first draft of your personal statement and see if you have enough material to keep the attention of the reader in the opening section. If the passages controlling the structure and flow don’t illuminate your pertinent points of experiences, goals, and accomplishments, it might be helpful to brainstorm again. Work on refining the ideas you’ve identified as most central to your story or most central to your related academic/career interests. One way to revise your work is to stay true to the ideas you want to express but change the language. Often, “free writing” allows us to get down the ideas but the flow and grammar need cleaning. Go back and revise your grammar, structure and let someone else read it for feedback. A personal statement is an impact piece. What will grab the reader’s or committee’s attention? Always remember to revise. If your personal statement is about a character, what traits or characteristics can you convey to make your audience learn how that character exists? Make your audience long for you to be ideally what and who do you want to be known for? Will the telling reinforce the quality? Be honest and professional with your story. Remember what has been especially rewarding. Considering your controls, write up what process they might follow or undertake. Finally, make a highlight of notable sections, sections that might need extra attention, and sections that excel. Combine these rewrites to create a new version of your personal statement. Read it aloud purely for the sound and rhythm. Is the speech friendly? Do your “story” idea and your “quality” show through? Do you think your personal statement portrays you in a sensational way? Be explicit and reliable. Your personal statement should be an accurate reflection of you. Make sure the new version of your personal statement is a natural presentation of your best qualities. Do the documents you assembled accurately reflect who you are as a person and student? You are defined by what you want to become and do.