{"id":3405,"date":"2021-02-02T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/?post_type=advice&#038;p=3405"},"modified":"2021-02-02T09:19:54","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:19:54","slug":"how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school","status":"publish","type":"advice","link":"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is a personal statement?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A personal statement is an essential component of most graduate school applications. This short essay allows applicants to tell their unique stories. Most, if not all graduate school applicants are intelligent, successful, and ambitious, and they might even have nearly identical r\u00e9sum\u00e9s! So how does the admissions committee choose between qualified applicants? In many cases, a well-written, compelling personal statement can make a candidate stand out as the ideal choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why is it important?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, it\u2019s important to know that it\u2019s different from a statement of purpose (but if you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">are<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> looking for insight on a statement of purpose, check <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/how-to-write-a-statement-of-purpose-for-grad-school\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">this<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> out!). As similar as they sound, they are actually quite different. Simply put, a statement of purpose is about what you want to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">do,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> while a personal statement is about who <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">you are. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A personal statement is your opportunity to let the admissions officers really get to know the person behind the r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Personal statements tend to be more informal since they are, well, personal. Admissions officers typically don\u2019t offer rigid prompts since they want to know about your unique experiences. However, there are some components that every statement should have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which topics should I write about?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since a personal statement affords more flexibility than a statement of purpose, there aren\u2019t specific topics that you have to write about. While this offers you greater freedom with what you write, there are a few questions you should ask yourself to help guide your writing:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What&#8217;s special, unique, and\/or impressive about you or your life story?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people, or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did you become interested in this field, and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained? Avoid clich\u00e9s like wanting to be a doctor because of a desire to help others. While the sentiment is nice, it doesn\u2019t make you unique.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How have you learned about this field\u2014through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field? This is a wonderful opportunity to relate your experiences to specific components of the graduate program. It will demonstrate the sincerity of your interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are your career goals?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are there any discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain? This is not the time to tout off excuses or try and make admissions officers feel bad for you. Make sure you are contextualizing your shortcomings honestly and demonstrate what you\u2019ve learned from them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and\/or resilience) do you possess that would improve success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate that you have these characteristics? Think of events from your internship or research experiences where you have implemented these qualities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess? How will you use these skills as a student at this particular institution?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brainstorm ideas for some of the common personal statement topics.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You don\u2019t have to answer every single question in your letter. In fact, you shouldn\u2019t. Rather than addressing every topic you can think of, put more energy to developing a few topics more fully. Weave them together to create an interesting narrative that will captivate the admissions committee. It will read like an authentic story instead of a transcribed interview.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Draft your personal statement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you begin to write your personal statement, remember that you\u2019re telling a story. Every story needs structure to keep an audience interested and invested. Make sure your personal statement is focused, relevant, and original.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>FOCUS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Did you know that the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kalle_P%C3%A4%C3%A4talo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">world record for longest autobiography<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is likely held by Finnish author Kalle P\u00e4\u00e4talo? His not-so-brief, 26-volume series is considered the longest published autobiographical narrative in the world. Don\u2019t be like Kalle P\u00e4\u00e4talo. As tempting as it is to include everything in your life from your birth to college graduation, admissions officers don\u2019t have the time or, frankly, the patience to read through every milestone in your life. They understand you are a nuanced individual whose many experiences have shaped ideals, values, relationships, and goals. However, for the sake of efficiency and clarity, prioritize a clear direction in your writing. It\u2019s also important to demonstrate your ability to follow directions. Be mindful of word or page limits and adhere to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>RELEVANCE: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you find your focus, make sure the examples and experiences you are discussing are relevant to your goals. Although this is more personal, admissions officers still want to know about your goals as they relate to the program. Draw connections between your experiences, aspirations, and inspiration to specific parts of the program. How do your goals and values align with those of the institution or specific professors?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ORIGINALITY: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, a personal statement is more flexible than most grad school application requirements, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should submit the same one over and over again. First, there might be different requirements for each one. No matter how compelling your statement is, failure to address a component of the prompt is a great way to get your entire application tossed. Make sure you\u2019re addressing the prompt fully and originally. Second, an admissions committee wants a sincere statement, not one that you\u2019ve recycled. It demonstrates a lack of sincerity and motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ask trusted confidantes to review your work.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have written your statement, carefully check it for relevance, tone, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Ask a trusted colleague or professor to read over it and give you suggestions. These confidantes can provide feedback on your writing and also suggest new or different directions. After all, they have witnessed firsthand your abilities and work ethic. Their insight can redirect and enrich your statement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Press submit.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is the easiest part, but can also be the most nerve-wracking. You\u2019ve put your heart and soul into this statement, and it can feel personal if you\u2019re not accepted. Take a deep breath and trust that you\u2019ve done everything to prove that you are the ideal candidate. A personal statement is a great way to give an admissions committee a holistic look into who you are. You are more than your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, and they want to know what makes you special. With proper planning and execution, a personal statement can make all the difference in your chances of admission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to write a personal statement in a genuine tone that will help you stand out in the eyes of the admissions committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3406,"template":"","class_list":["post-3405","advice","type-advice","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","abound_advice_topics-application-process","abound_advice_topics-thinking-about-grad-school","abound_advice_topics-getting-into-a-grad-program"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School - Abound: Grad School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to write a personal statement in a genuine tone that will help you stand out in the eyes of the admissions committee.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to write a personal statement in a genuine tone that will help you stand out in the eyes of the admissions committee.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Abound: Grad School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-02-02T15:19:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-472097889-58d346c75f9b5846836c242b.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/gradschool\\\/advice\\\/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/gradschool\\\/advice\\\/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-graduate-school\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School - 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