marine biology personal statement

• Personal Statements

Marine Biology Personal Statement

Sample statement.

The statement that we have “explored more of outer space than we have of the ocean” is one of the reasons that I am fascinated by marine life. The sea is the world’s oldest and most complex ecosystem which in my mind is reason enough to want to learn more about it.

My fascination with the ocean has led me to become a scuba diver and volunteer for various marine organisations. I am a qualified rescue diver and also a qualified commercial diver – something that is an unusual qualification for a woman. In fact, there are currently only three female commercial divers in the world.

From an early age I knew I wanted a career that involved marine biology and ecology and this was reflected in my academic choices. At A Level I studied Geography, Biology, Maths, and Chemistry.

This selection of subjects equipped me with the foundation skills I need to be a successful marine biologist. I have developed strong analytical skills and enjoyed the opportunity that studying Chemistry gave me to apply my theories to practical experiments.

As I mentioned before, outside of school I have volunteered for a number of marine organisations. One placement that I particularly enjoyed was with the National Seal Sanctuary, an experience that I have taken part in for two consecutive years.

Having the chance to care for these incredible marine mammals gave me an insight into the adaptations that aquatic animals have made to survive in their environment. I look forward to returning this summer to see how last year’s rescued seals are progressing.

I am also planning a trip to Scotland to explore the cold-water coral reefs and to study the effects that issues such as marine pollution and bottom trawling have on the ecosystem.

I hope that my passion and enthusiasm will help me to do well during my degree and I feel I am more than ready for the challenges that further academic study will bring. After graduation I am open to any of the fieldwork, research, or education opportunities that may be available.

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Marine Biology: Future Students

Applying to program     .

Students can only apply to one track (M.S. non-thesis, M.S. thesis-option, or Ph.D.) per admissions semester. Please note that non-thesis option M.S. students cannot switch to the thesis option after admission. Applicants for the M.S. thesis-option or Ph.D. must have an advisor agreement with a single TAMUG faculty member to complete their application.

For information regarding the graduate program in Marine Biology in general and applying to Texas A&M University at Galveston contact Andrew Reitberger ( [email protected] ) in the Graduate Studies Office or visit  Frequently Asked Questions .

Identify a Graduate Mentor*     

*for m.s. thesis-option and doctoral applicants only..

Before applying to M.S. Thesis-Option or the Ph.D. program in the Marine Biology, you must identify a TAMUG faculty mentor who will guide you along your career path.  M.S. non-thesis option students will be assigned a faculty advisor upon acceptance and will not be allowed to change to the thesis option.

Start contacting potential mentors 9-12 months before your anticipated entry semester. For students seeking the M.S. thesis-option or Ph.D. degree, this allows the potential faculty mentor to determine if your research interests match their own and if proper funding and space are available. The research interests and contact information for faculty members in the graduate program in Marine Biology can be found below.

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Application     

Please fill out the GraduateCAS Application form online. Please remember that you are limited to one program application per admissions semester. Applications are not accepted for summer entry.

Procedure Details     

• M.S. Thesis Option and Ph.D. applicants must enter their TAMUG faculty mentor’s name in the box indicated in the Program Materials Section of the GraduateCAS application to be considered for admission.
• Please do not enter a TAMUG faculty member’s name without their express agreement to consider you for admission. You will also need to request a letter of support from your prospective mentor in the Recommendations tab (see below).

A personal statement presents a narrative explaining your reasons for applying to the Graduate Program in Marine Biology and your professional goals.* To complete the application process, you must upload your personal statement to the Program Materials section of the GraduateCAS application.

*Please note that the M.S. non-thesis option program does not include research and is not intended for students whose career goals include research.

A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) demonstrates your involvement in academia and/or the workplace. It complements the statement of purpose. Please upload your resume/CV to your GraduateCAS application. 

Please upload unofficial transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts will only be required upon acceptance into the program.

All applicants must enter the names and email addresses of three recommenders in the Program Materials section of the application.* Recommendations help the admissions committee learn more about you and your experiences from the perspective of others. Recommenders are typically former professors from whom you have taken courses or conducted a research project or internship and/or former employers. Academic recommendations are preferred. * All recommenders must complete their recommendations in the application portal by the application deadline for your application to be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to send reminders to recommenders.

Applicants to the M.S. thesis-option and Ph.D. programs must also request a support letter from their prospective faculty mentor by entering the mentor’s name and email address in the Recommendations tab. Requests will be automatically sent to the faculty mentor when this information is saved in GraduateCAS. Please do not request a letter from a faculty mentor with whom you do not already have an express agreement to be considered for admission. Applications without a support letter from a TAMUG faculty member will be denied.

To complete the application process in GraduateCAS, you must pay the application fee of $89 for U.S. students or $114 for international students. The application site accepts credit card payments only. Please note refunds are not issued for any reason.

GRE tests are no longer required, if you have scores you would like to submit use 6835 for the University code.

International applicants should visit the Graduate Studies website for additional requirements.

Admissions decisions can take 6-8 weeks to complete. Once a decision has been made, you will be informed via email. All decision letters will be sent to the address you provided on your GraduateCAS application.

Application Dates     

Fall entrance.

July 1 –  Application Available January 15 – Application Deadline for M.S. thesis-option and Ph.D. programs April 15 – Application Deadline for M.S. non-thesis option program

Spring Entrance

June 1 – Application Available October 1 – Application Deadline for all programs

Summer Entrance

Not Available

Additional Resources     

Not seeing what you’re looking for? Take a look at the links for Galveston Applicants and Students below.

Writing Personal Statements

The personal statement is the key component of your application for a research internship or graduate school. It should be written well, so you must leave yourself plenty of time to write, edit, and re-write it. Remember to use your University resources, including the  Writing Center  or  Career Center , peer editors, and advice from your mentors.

A particularly good resource for advice on writing personal statements for applications to science internships and graduate school can be found in the following article from ScienceCareers:

Sell Yourself–Refining the Personal Statement

Here are a few pieces of advice, from my experience with reading and writing applications for scientific positions:

• The statement is the chance to show your personality, but it should still be concise. Don’t bore the reader with too much detail and remember to remain professional.
• Before you begin, do your homework. Be sure you know the strengths of the program or institution to which you are applying. Does this program have any values or research priorities that align with your interests? If you are applying to a scholarship that honors an individual, it does not hurt to understand what that individual’s legacy is.
• Be sure to address ALL PARTS of the application question. Don’t be afraid to divide your statement into sections, if that helps you.
• State your career goals. If you are still unsure of your exact career goals, it is okay to say so while explaining what you  think  you might be interested in.
• Be sure to address how the SPECIFIC program to which you are applying will help you reach your goals.  Want to be a research oceanographer?  Tell Super-Awesome Oceanographic Institute that you are eager to learn about fluid dynamics their world-class oceanographers.  Not sure what your career goals are?  Tell Introductory Marine Biology Program that you are excited for the marine science short courses and career development workshops they offer.
• You may wish to tell the reviewers why you are qualified. Even if you do not have prior research experience, it is ok to list skills you have learned in class or leadership skills you gained through jobs or extracurriculars.
• Be specific throughout your essay; cite specific examples whenever you can.

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Biological sciences personal statement example 9.

From a micro-scale to the global population, the disciplines of biology have endless applications that I have familiarised myself with during my time in academia.

The emerging field of quantum biology is something that has piqued my interest greatly and unified aspects of maths and chemistry to an astounding level, how ATP-consuming kinesins rely on Brownian motion to move, and how light can function as both a particle and a wave in biological systems. For any confounding phenomenon there is a yet undiscovered tenet to the life science.

Having been brought up in Romania and moving to the UK at an early age gave me an appreciation for the universality of science, with some terminology being identical. It also led to me enjoy languages as a pastime, alongside fluent Romanian I have continued to learn French to a conversational level. Acquiring languages not only enhances cognitive abilities and allows us to learn jargon faster, but also allows us to connect with people from various cultures and nationalities.

I spent a week volunteering at a local care home learning about the most prevalent diseases affecting the elderly such as Alzheimers, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and subdural haematomas, as well as the medications used to treat common ails. Most beneficially, I was shown how to measure blood glucose levels, replace and fit gastrostomy tubes and monitor residents’ co-morbidities.

The whole experience shone a very compassionate light on the biomedical aspect of studying biology. Also present as a “runner” during a day-long flu-jab session at a family practice, guiding people around, asking about any allergies and making them feel at ease. I was grateful to speak to a GP, who gave insight on the daily duties and responsibilities of a medic.

Afterwards I took on an online medical shadowing course from Brighton university with numerous modules ranging from paediatrics to geriatrics, I learnt about the methods used in diagnosing patients and managing a healthcare system, as well as the hands-on approach when looking at an illness, to consolidate what I had learnt so far from my previous work experiences.

I wrote my Pre-U global perspectives essay on the ethics of pre-natal genome editing, and the implications of using CRISPR technology in the future to treat inherited disorders screened in the womb. I went on to read more into different subject matters of biology, such as Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene and Living on the Edge by Al-Khalili and McFadden.

I also read numerous scholastic articles on course-related topics such as G-protein activity in cancer cells to delve deeper into oncological applications, as well the Evolutionary Stable Strategy concept mentioned by Dawkins, which is multipurpose in game-theory and biological maths.

I recently began an online coding course from HarvardEdx, amassing an interest in its many uses regarding bioinformatics, how it can compile and simplify large data sets such as population genomes, critical in the time of a global pandemic. I am looking forward to starting bio-oriented languages such as BioPerl or BioPython.

Tutoring a small class of 15 students in GCSE Chemistry fine-tuned my public speaking skills and ability to explain tricky concepts, I also led a group of 4 during a GCSE maths revision day on trigonometry.

Outside of school I regularly jog and swim, having played for the school football team and a local basketball team developed great teamwork and motivation skills, I’m also very fond of both fiction and non-fiction literature, expanding my knowledge and making me more adept at debating and consolidating ideas.

With every passing day bringing flight to new charged theories on biological mechanisms and population genomics, it’s heartening to revere the planetary magnum opus made 4 billion years ago from colliding amino acids. I look forward to contributing arduous work in a field that has amazed me perpetually, ever since I peered through a microscope.

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