A graduate school personal statement should showcase relevant skills and accomplishments, avoid irrelevant details, and include educational and career goals. It should be tailored to the program and meticulously proofread. Seek feedback from family and instructors before submission.
Your graduate school personal statement is your opportunity to express your interests, goals, and accomplishments to the graduate schools of your choice. This document is an introduction to the faculty and staff who will review the application materials, so it should not read like a resume or extensive autobiography. Your writing should be clear, concise, and meticulously proofread. The writing style you use reflects both your skills as a student and the content you include.
The first step in writing a graduate school personal statement is to catalog your skills and accomplishments relevant to your future educational endeavors. You must mention all papers you have published or presentations from prestigious conferences. Graduate directors look for experiences that may have helped you build character and grow as a person, such as meaningful employment, honors, and volunteer work.
Avoid irrelevant details of your life and education in your graduate school personal statement. Most graduate programs aren’t interested in your family life, popularity level, or irrelevant hobbies. If your work experience is in an unrelated field such as retail or the fast food industry, you should mention that you have worked to help fund your education thus far. Most application packages also include reference letters from former instructors and employers that will confirm your experience.
You should also include your educational and career goals in your graduate school personal statement. Graduate schools are looking for students who can clearly state their purpose in pursuing higher levels of education. Let reviewers know that you are motivated to achieve academic and professional success.
Each application package must include a specially tailored statement that indicates that you have researched the program you are applying to. Most programs offer guidelines that will help you focus on your graduate personal statement. Some schools ask for a letter of intent, while others ask for a personal narrative or statement of purpose. Let reviewers know how you fit in with existing teachers and students. This will help reviewers determine if you are right for their program.
The writing style you choose should be appropriate for the intended discipline and represent your best possible effort. Use “I” statements and active voice to keep the reader engaged. Clever use of adjectives and adverbs can make your personal school statement shine above the competition. When describing yourself, you must strike a balance between being arrogant and being humble. Focus on your strengths when writing your graduate personal statement. Make sure the claims you make about your talents and background are true.
When you’ve finished a good draft of your personal statement, ask your family and instructors to edit your work. They should look beyond simple grammar and structure, to style and content, and help you ensure your writing is expressive and accurate. Take their comments and criticisms seriously as you rework your draft. Before submitting your personal graduation statement with your application package, please read it aloud to ensure it flows smoothly.
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