research program personal statement

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How to Develop a Personal Statement for Research

To share your interest and enthusiasm for the specific work you are applying to do
To demonstrate what you can contribute to the program to which you are applying
To state the specific lab you want to work in and why
To state your professional goals and what or how you hope to contribute to this program

First Steps

Read the personal statement question carefully and analyze what it is asking for
Visualize your audience: will this be read by a scientist? A physician? An administrator?
Make yourself as desirable to the selector as possible while being honest about yourself
Your research interests as they relate to the work you are applying for
Year of study and current major, related academic and career goals, impressive academic credentials

Experience in the Field

Any special connection to this work such as prior experience or family background
Something unique about your research interests or an idea that fuels your own research interests.

Your Proposed Contributions to the Program and Benefits of the Program to You

Personal qualities that would benefit the program, demonstrated through examples
What you can do for them; what you seek to gain from the opportunity
How this specific work fits into your academic and research goals

Writing and Mechanics

Correct usage conveys your attention to detail

Use strong word choices, particularly verbs and adjectives
Use the more powerful "I am," rather than "I have always been"
Make positive statements: "I have experience in…" not "I don't have experience in x, but do have…”
Craft clear, engaging opening and closing sentences
Check that the opening statement is supported in the body and consistent with the closing statement
Organize the statement so it flows from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph
Proofread for grammar, spelling, paragraph breaks, and correct punctuation

Ask Yourself

Does this statement show my interest in this specific program , or could it be sent to any program?
Does this statement describe me specifically, or could any good student in my field use this?

Additional Suggestions:

Reread the personal statement multiple times out loud for clarity, logic, and flow
Have someone else read the statement. Ask someone at the Center for Career Opportunities .
Share your finished personal statement with the faculty member writing your recommendations
Limit the statement to one and a half to two pages with at least one and a half spacing
Include a header with your name on each page, which will be numbered as well
Restating the question/topic
Rewriting your transcript or resume
Clichés such as "to make the world a better place"; instead, explain exactly how such a lofty goal will be achieved
Providing unrelated information, e.g., explaining when you learned you were not interested in computers
Using phrases like "this opportunity will be fun and interesting for me"; focus on what you can contribute
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How to Draft Personal Statement for Research

Table of Contents

When applying for a research program, having an effective personal statement can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. Writing your statement is important, so it’s essential to ensure that you get it right. To help you out, we’ve compiled some examples of personal statement for research program from successful applicants.

These examples will give you a better understanding of what makes a compelling personal statement. Learn how to craft one that stands out from other applicants.

What Is a Personal Statement for Research Program?

A personal statement is a written summary of your background, experience, and qualifications . These are used to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for a research program.

It should be concise, and straightforward and focus on pertinent information such as your academic results, study abroad experiences, or even previous research projects. Your personal statement should be to the research program you’re applying for and highlight why you are the ideal candidate.

What to Include in Personal Statement Examples for Research Program

When writing your statement, it’s important to remember that the primary focus should be on what you can bring to the research program. Include information about any relevant courses or research experiences and any awards or honors you have received.

Additionally, mention any skills you possess that may be useful for the role such as analytical and problem-solving abilities.

It’s also a good idea to discuss your motivation and enthusiasm for the research program in question. This will show that you are truly passionate about pursuing the project. Giving examples of potential ideas or directions of inquiry is another excellent way to demonstrate your interest and knowledge in the field.

Importance of Personal Statement for a Research Program

Your statement is a significant opportunity to showcase your skills and make a good impression on the admissions’ committee. An effective statement will demonstrate that you are qualified, enthusiastic, and driven to succeed in the research program. It should be to the research program, highlighting why you are the ideal candidate.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Research Program

When writing your personal statement for a research program, it’s essential to keep the focus on you and what makes you an ideal candidate. Remember to be concise and provide clear examples of experiences demonstrating your passion for the subject. Additionally, use specific language to showcase your field knowledge and emphasize any awards or honors you have received. Finally, proofread your statement for any mistakes before submitting it.

Tips for Writing a Successful Personal Statement

Personal statement examples for a research program.

This student demonstrated her commitment to pursuing a career in research through her focus on academics and passionate interest in the subject area.

She wrote about her past experiences working with faculty members and how she developed a strong work ethic. She also included her academic achievements and demonstrated how they can contribute to success in a research program.

This student wrote about his past experiences with the university’s research center. He said how this gave him invaluable insight into the importance of rigorous research.

He also highlighted his leadership skills, demonstrating through examples such as organizing an interdisciplinary team to tackle a complex project. This proves he can take on responsibility and manage tasks successfully.

This student wrote about his passion for research and his drive to contribute to the field. He highlighted his academic achievements and demonstrated how they could help him succeed in a research program.

He also discussed his experience working on independent projects, which gave him the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the world of research.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Statement

1. don’t be generic.

Make sure your statement is tailored to the specific research program you are applying for and highlight why you are the best candidate.

2. Don’t Make Exaggerated Claims

Be honest in your statement, as any exaggerations or false claims can lead to disqualification from the program.

3. Don’t Focus on Irrelevant Information

Keep your statement focused on relevant academic and professional experiences that have prepared you for success in the research program.

4. Remember to Proofread

Make sure your statement is free of spelling and grammar errors, as this could hurt your chances of being accepted into the program.

By looking at personal statement examples from successful applicants, you can get an idea of what it takes to create a personal statement. Remember to tailor your statement specifically for the program you’re applying for. Use examples from your past experiences to illustrate why you’re the ideal candidate for the role . Good luck!

How to Draft Personal Statement for Research

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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The personal statement.

The Personal Statement is at the heart of most scholarship and fellowship applications and it remains one of the most challenging but rewarding written efforts that you will encounter in the scholarship process. It is, strictly speaking, your story. It asks you to find a way to articulate who you are because of the what, why, and where. In other words, the personal statement asks you critically reflect on how you define yourself based on your sense of self, what you value, what you are passionate about, where those passions come from and how they are both manifesting in your current experience and will likely take further shape in your future. It compels you to drop the pretense, break through any and all previous assumptions of what defined you coming into your undergraduate experience (GPA, test scores, captain of team, etc.) and really begin to dive deep into your own authenticity.

A strong personal statement not only tells your story, it does so in a way that is both captivating and sincere. It is focused, clear, concise, and compelling. In actual fact, it is probably the most difficult writing you will do as a national scholarship applicant, maybe even as an undergraduate. It is challenging for a variety of reasons:

A Personal Statement forces you to write in way that conflates your ‘academic voice’ with your ‘personal voice’. After years of having your ‘personal voice’ trained out of your writing style, a Personal Statement asks you to put it back in given that you are making an effort to tell your particular story;
A Personal Statement should reflect the level of critical reflection that has both shaped your sense of self and your sense of purpose. Meaning, you’ve given some time and thought to the effort;
In addition to telling at least a small part of your larger story, a Personal Statement should reflect your trajectory, detailing where you have come from and how that is shaping the next steps you plan to take;
It requires you to think about your strengths, achievements and accomplishments and maybe even write about them. This is perhaps one of the strangest, if not most difficult things for any ‘high-achieving’ individual who also tends to be quite humble when describing themselves;
It requires a certain level of commitment to your future plans, even though those sitting on a review committee recognize that what you put forward as your future plans (certainly while still an undergraduate) amounts to your best, well-educated guess;
It is short. Most Personal Statements are a maximum of 1000 words in length or less. That means you have to reduce (in the best sense of the word) your story to fit those requirements, hence the necessity of very clear and concise writing. A Personal Statement does not afford you the opportunity to pad your essay with a long introduction and grand, summative conclusion. There simply isn’t word-count enough. So, find a way in your first two sentences to capture your readers’ attention and proceed from there.

But, all that to say, if done well and with adequate time to reflect, write long, edit, revise and refine, your Personal Statement could also be one of the most rewarding pieces of writing you engage in while a student. It will help you not only develop a strong portfolio for your national scholarship applications; it will also guide you in your efforts toward graduate school, further professional pursuits, even job interviews. Why? Because you have given yourself a moment to stop, think, and write about what is at the very core of you and how that has and will continue to shape who you are becoming. If done well, your Personal Statement will be an authentic representation of yourself and will serve you in the best of ways, providing you with a kind of bell-weather as you pursue your next best thing. In fact, with minor adjustments apropos to your developing life-story, you may find your Personal Statement remains relatively unchanged at its core. Why? Because, chances are fairly good that your own core sense of self will remain relatively the same. So, rise to the challenge of the Personal Statement, overcome it, and benefit from the process of thinking and writing about your most authentic self.

And, of course, remember that you have the support of the CCSA staff, who recognize the difficulty of starting to write a Personal Statement. We all have our own ways of brainstorming and ‘priming the pump’; sometimes one of the best ways to start, is to have a good long chat with someone about what you really (really) care about, why, and where and what you hope to see all those cares move you toward. That’s precisely what we are available to do with you – chat, listen, draw story-boards, idea webs, you name it – so, contact us to make an appointment. There is absolutely no reason you should feel you have to tackle the Personal Statement process on your own.

Suggestions and Tips:

Do your homework and make sure you understand the purpose of the scholarship, fellowship, or nationally competitive experiential learning opportunity for which you are applying. This will offer some shape to the tone of your writing efforts. It will also help you identify what is important to those who will be assessing your application and making a determination as to its outcome;
Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, reflect, and really dig deep into your core. Use whatever method best suits you to keep track of important ideas, quotes, contacts, plans, connections, dreams, and opportunities so as to have a kind of personal reference collection that will be useful in both planning for your future and crafting a Personal Statement;
Ask yourself certain key questions, like:
What hurts you about the world and how do hope to help alleviate that hurt?
What do you want to be remembered for?
What gets you about of bed in the morning?
What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What challenges have your overcome and how have you come understand them as opportunities?
When have you lost all sense of yourself when involved in a particular activity or experience because it came so naturally to you?
What do you really care about and why?
Who do you really care about and why?
Who has inspired you? Who has helped to shape your academic experience and why?
Why are your studying your particular subject and how have you come understand the challenges and unique opportunities within your discipline(s)
Where have you been in the world that has shaped your sense of self and your place in the world?
What are your greatest dreams and how do you to intend to build/have you built the foundation from which to launch those dreams?
What do you hope to contribute to your personal circle, to your local community, to your nation, to the world? And, how do you imagine beginning to do so.

4. Even though your final draft will likely only be 1000 words or less, write long. You can always edit down and make your drafts tighter as your thinking and writing becomes more focused.

5. Expect to write a number of drafts, hence the necessity of giving yourself plenty of time to think, reflect, write, and edit. Once you have a draft you are comfortable with, start to peddle it out to friends, family, peers, colleagues, and faculty mentors and advisors for further guidance and suggestions on refining your statement. Of course, share any and all drafts with CCSA staff as they are happy to help with conceptual challenges right on down to red-lining;

6. Use other parts of your developing application portfolio – like your Curriculum Vita/CV , your project or research proposal, writing samples, research you’ve done on your programs of interest, etc. to help guide your Personal Statement (but, don’t regurgitate your CV);

7. Give examples. There is tendency when writing about oneself to keep it in the abstract realm of ‘passions’ and ‘dreams’ but your reader needs something concrete to tack down those abstract ideas and understand them in the context of your real-life experience. So, be specific and identify relevant antidotes that help paint a better picture of the story you are telling;

8. Give yourself plenty of time to edit, revise, spell-check, edit, revise, edit, send out for review by others, read aloud, edit, revise, set the document aside for 24-48 hours, and then edit one last time. Remember this is the core of your application and it is your chance to articulate your core self and what care about in an authentic way. It deserves all the time you can give.

You’ve got the ‘Do’s’, now some ‘Don’ts’

Don’t include anything in your Personal Statement that you would not be comfortable speaking about in an interview situation. Remember, every last bit of your application is fair game and if you don’t want to be pressed on an experience, an opinion, or anything else that may find too personal to attend to in actual conversation, don’t put it in your statement;
Don’t use your Personal Statement as a piece of opinion writing, a journal entry, a position statement, or even a faith statement. Remember, this a nuanced assessment of who you are as it relates to what you are proposing to pursue on a national scholarship, in graduate school or as a professional;
Don’t apologize for yourself or your experiences. This includes undervaluing your undergraduate institution, your personal background, even what state you’ve come from. Find a way to describe in writing the way you have turned challenges into opportunities;
Don’t re-hash your CV. You’ve provided all of the specific details of your actual experiences in your CV. There is no point in re-telling it; you don’t have space in your word-count and you will surely lose the interest of your readers from the get-go;
Don’t go hunting for samples of Personal Statements from CCSA staff, other advisors or the internet. There is a reason they aren’t readily available and it is largely due to the fact that if you are trying to write something that is authentically ‘you’, using someone else’s formula won’t get you very far in that effort toward sincerity. So, don’t bother hunting anything down. Talk with CCSA staff on how to get started and then dive in;
DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! A Personal Statement written the day before the deadline will not be as successful as one that has received a good deal of time and attention. And, in fact, a poorly written statement may prove a detriment to your success. So, plan ahead, set a schedule, and then, get to it.

Additional resources to help with writing your Personal Statement:

CCSA Information Sessions and Personal Statement Workshops – see our current CCSA Calendar for details about current offerings.
UChicago Writing Center
Writing Personal Statements online manual by Joe Schall

Food for Thought: Good writing takes time and practice. Consider adding Strunk and White’s iconic text, ‘The Elements of Style,’ to your collection: ‘Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell’.

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What is the personal statement?

Many applications for research opportunities require a personal statement. This is an opportunity for you to show your critical thinking skills in a creative format. It is where you get to add your voice to the mix of materials that reviewers see when you apply for fellowships. Use the personal statement to highlight positive aspects about yourself that may not be apparent in other parts of your application.

The personal statement is your place to ask and answer questions about your past, present and future, including:

What has brought you to this point in your life?
What have you learned from your past experiences?
What do you want to do with your studies?
How will this fellowship help you pursue you goals?
Why should this fellowship want to invest in you?

The personal statement should not be a simple list of your activities and accomplishments. Instead, try to craft a narrative that shows the review committee reader that you have the qualities the fellowship is looking for.

How to write a personal statement

You can approach the personal statement in many different ways. Some students like to start with an outline, while others start by brainstorming. The main points are: What are a few things you want people to know about you? Why is this fellowship right for you?

Writing improves with successive drafts. It is not unusual to write several drafts of the personal statement. As long as the fellowship rules allow it (and most do), you should bring your writing to the URF advisers. We can discuss your ideas at any stage and talk in-depth with you about your statement. We don't try to fit you into a mold. Instead, our goal is to help you write a statement that you feel best represents you!

Keep these ideas in mind as you write:

Use specific examples from your life to highlight your positive qualities--the more concrete the better.
Include stories from your life, your favorite quotes, or anecdotes that reveal how you define yourself and see the world
Show your reader that the issues that move you are important. Get them to want to "fight the fight" with you.
Describe the ways you want to make an impact in the world.

Once you have written your personal statement, invite friends and family to read it. Do they think it portrays the person they know? Selection committees value authenticity above all other qualities. Make sure your statement reflects your true values and aspirations.

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How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD Program Application

Personal statement guidelines, general guidelines to keep in mind:.

One size does not fit all : Tailor your personal statement to each program and department you are applying to. Do your research to learn what is unique about each of your choices and highlight how this particular program stands out.
Yes, it’s personal : Showcase your unique strengths and accomplishments. Explain what influenced your personal decisions to pursue the program. Ask yourself, could this be applied to your friend or neighbor? If so, you need to be more specific and provide examples. Saying that you are a “good scientist” isn’t enough. Provide examples of your previous research experience, projects you’ve completed, and what technical skills you learned. Explain how you overcame any challenges along the way.
Set aside enough time : Although personal statements are generally short in length (approx. 700 words; 1-2 pages), give yourself ample time to write a strong, well-written statement. It takes more time than you think to develop a final draft for submission.
Focus on your spelling, grammar, and vocabulary : It’s important to present a well-written statement with good grammar and vocabulary. Write concrete, succinct sentences that flow well. Avoid flowery language. Visit the Writing Center for additional review and feedback.
Proofread one more time: Check your grammar and spelling again before submitting your final draft. Ask a friend, professor, or advisor to proofread your final draft one more time before sending it in.

YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT SHOULD ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

Why do you want to complete further research in this field? Write down a list of reasons as to why you are interested in pursuing further study in the field. When did you become interested in the field and what knowledge have you gained so far? Describe how your previous work provided the foundation and for further study.
Why have you chosen to apply to this particular university ? Does the institution have a particular curriculum, special research facilities/equipment, or interesting research that appeal to you?
What are your strengths ? Demonstrate how you stand out from other candidates. Highlight relevant projects, dissertations thesis or essays that demonstrate your academic skills and creativity. Include IT skills, research techniques, awards, or relevant traveling/ study abroad experience.
What are your transferable skills? Be sure to emphasize transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management skills. Give examples of how you have demonstrated each of these with specific examples.
How does this program align with your career goals? It’s okay if you don’t know the exact career path you plan to take after completing your PhD. Provide an idea of the direction you would like to take. This demonstrates commitment and dedication to the program.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For examples of successful personal statements, visit the Online Writing Lab (OWL) .

Writing Your Personal Statements

Your personal statement must demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have considered graduate school and their specific program seriously. It’s your opportunity to summarize your academic and research experiences. You must also communicate how your experiences are relevant to preparing you for the graduate degree that you will be pursuing and explain why a given program is the right one for you.

The personal statement is where you highlight your strengths. Make your strengths absolutely clear to the reviewers, because they will often be reading many other statements. Your self-assessments and honest conversations with peers and advisors should have also revealed your strengths. But you must also address (not blame others for) weaknesses or unusual aspects of your application or academic background.

Your personal statement should focus on two main aspects: your competence and commitment.

1. Identify your strengths in terms of competence that indicate that you will succeed in the grad program and provide examples to support your claims. Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many statements, it’s important to start off with your strengths and not “bury your lede.” Consider traits of successful graduate students from your informational interviews, and identify which of these traits you have. These traits could involve research skills and experiences, expertise in working with techniques or instruments, familiarity with professional networks and resources in your field, etc.

Check your responses from the exercises in the self-assessment section. You may wish to consult notes from your informational interviews and your Seven Stories . Write concise summaries and stories that demonstrate your strengths, e.g. how your strengths helped you to achieve certain goals or overcome obstacles.
Summarize your research experience(s). What were the main project goals and the “big picture” questions? What was your role in this project? What did you accomplish? What did you learn, and how did you grow as a result of the experience(s)?

My research examines the interplay between U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy during the Cold War. As a native New Yorker, I saw firsthand how dramatically my city changed after 9/11, which prompted my early interest in U.S. policy at home and abroad. As an undergraduate at the City College of New York, I planned to study international relations with a focus on U.S. foreign affairs. I also quickly became involved in student activist groups that focused on raising awareness about a wide range of human rights issues, from the Syrian refugee crisis to asylum seekers from Central America.

The more I learned about the crises in the present, the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of the past to fully grasp them. I decided to pursue a PhD in history in order to gain a clearer understanding of human rights issues in the present and to empower young student-activists like myself.

— Vannessa Velez, PhD candidate in History

Addressing weaknesses or unusual aspects

Identify weaknesses or unusual aspects in your application—e.g., a significant drop in your GPA during a term; weak GRE scores; changes in your academic trajectory, etc. Don’t ignore them, because ignoring them might be interpreted as blind spots for you. If you’re unsure if a particular issue is significant enough to address, seek advice from faculty mentors.
Explain how you’ll improve and strengthen those areas or work around your weakness. Determine how you will address them in a positive light, e.g., by discussing how you overcame obstacles through persistence, what you learned from challenges, and how you grew from failures. Focusing on a growth mindset or grit and this blog on weaknesses might also help.
Deal with any significant unusual aspects later in the statement to allow a positive impression to develop first.
Explain, rather than provide excuses—i.e., address the issue directly and don’t blame others (even if you believe someone else is responsible). Draft it and get feedback from others to see if the explanation is working as you want it to.
Provide supporting empirical evidence if possible. For example, “Adjusting to college was a major step for me, coming from a small high school and as a first-generation college student. My freshman GPA was not up to par with my typical achievements, as demonstrated by my improved GPA of 3.8 during my second and third years in college."
Be concise (don’t dwell on the issues), but also be complete (don’t lead to other potentially unanswered questions). For example, if a drop in grades during a term was due to a health issue, explain whether the health issue is recurring, managed now with medication, resolved, etc.

2. Explain your commitment to research and their graduate program, including your motivation for why you are applying to this graduate program at this university. Be as specific as possible. Identify several faculty members with whom you are interested in working, and explain why their research interests you.

Descriptions of your commitment should explain why you’re passionate about this particular academic field and provide demonstrations of your commitment with stories (e.g., working long hours to solve a problem, overcoming challenges in research, resilience in pursuing problems). Don’t merely assert your commitment.
Explain why you are applying to graduate school, as opposed to seeking a professional degree or a job. Discuss your interest and motivation for grad school, along with your future career aspirations.

I am definitely not your traditional graduate student. As a biracial (Native American and white), first-generation PhD student from a military family, I had very limited guidance on how best to pursue my education, especially when I decided that graduate school was a good idea. I ended up coming to this PhD in a very circuitous manner, stopping first to get a JD and, later, an MFA in Young Adult Literature. With each degree, I took time to work and apply what I’d learned, as a lawyer and as an educator. Each time, I realized that I was circling around questions that I couldn’t let go of—not just because I found them to be fascinating, but because I did (and still do!) feel that my research could help to bridge a gap that desperately needs bridging. Because my work is quite interdisciplinary, I strongly feel that I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this line of research without the degrees and life experience I gained before coming to this program.

— Jamie Fine, PhD candidate in Modern Thought and Literature

Statement of Purpose: subtle aspects

Think in terms of engaging faculty in a conversation rather than pleading with them that you should be admitted. Ask reviewers to read drafts with this concern in mind.
With later drafts, try developing an overall narrative theme. See if one emerges as you work.
Write at least 10 drafts and expect your thinking and the essay to change quite a bit over time.
Read drafts out loud to help you catch errors.
Expect the "you' that emerges in your essay to be incomplete. . . that’s OK.
You’re sharing a professional/scholarly slice of "you."
Avoid humor (do you really know what senior academics find funny?) and flashy openings and closings. Think of pitching the essay to an educated person in the field, but not necessarily in your specialty. Avoid emotionally laden words (such as "love" or "passion"). Remember, your audience is a group of professors! Overly emotional appeals might make them uncomfortable. They are looking for scholarly colleagues.

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Personal Statement

General advice.

Think of the personal statement as a chance for you to introduce yourself – your background, experiences, knowledge of the field, goals and personality – to the selection committee. It also affords you the opportunity to explain any irregularities or shortcomings of your candidacy. The personal statement can mean the difference between rejection and acceptance. A well-crafted statement can tip the admission scale in your favor; a poorly written one can leave you out of the running.

Some programs will ask you to write one statement covering a number of areas. Others require a brief response to a series of essay questions. Your best writing comes when you have an actual audience in mind and specific questions.

Advice for writing the personal statement:

It might be tempting to write a generic statement, but it actually creates more work for you as each school will have different requirements for their statement
On the other hand, once you have some major sections written for one program, they can be borrowed for other programs that ask the same question.
Take care to answer each question in the prompt
Show your strengths by telling stories of your life that are appropriate to the prompt
Be sure to include some sense of why that particular program will be a good place for you to be, whether that is because they have a research focus that matches yours, a particular member of the faculty that you would want to work with, or because of resources available at the institution or nearby.

WRITING THE STATEMENT

by Carla Trujillo, Ph.D., Director, Graduate Opportunity Program, University of California Berkeley

Remember that they read between the lines: motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student, knowledge of the field or subfield and fit with the department should all be apparent.
Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive, voice.
Tailor your response to the particular question being asked, the specific department and program. Avoid sending generic statements.
Demonstrate everything by example. Don’t say directly, for example, that you’re a persistent person; you must demonstrate it.
You don’t want to make excuses, but you can talk about the mistakes you’ve made as a learning experience.
If there is something important that happened which affected your grades (poverty, illness, excessive work, etc.) go ahead and state it, but write it affirmatively, that is, in a way that shows your perseverance.
Write with authority like a fellow colleague.
Stick to the word limit guidelines.
Single space statement, unless told otherwise.
Understand that writing an effective, flawless statement takes considerable time and several sets of eyes.

GENERAL OUTLINE

How you arrange your statement and what you include ultimately will be up to you. The following outline, based on one written by Carla Trujilo, provides a clear sense of the kinds of things to cover and a logical means of organizing that information.

Part 1: Introduction

This is where you tell them what you want to study. For example, “I wish to pursue an MS degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in controls”. Some applicants begin with a personal story. Make your opening sufficiently interesting, enticing the committee to read on. One Augsburg student applying to grad school in physics started his statement, “When I first enrolled in college I wanted to study Asian religions.” This path is probably atypical for doctoral candidates in physics and thus draws the reader in. Another began, “I was eighteen years old when I saw my first computer. Five years later I am applying to the doctoral program in Computer Science at….” These lines astound the reader while opening the door for the student to talk about being an immigrant, how his interest and aptitude in computer science developed and what goals he has for the future.

Part 2: Summarize what you did as an undergraduate

Important class or classes you took which stimulated your desire for graduate study, such as a specific project for a class. Maybe conversations with a professor or a study abroad experience piqued your interest for graduate study.
Research you might have done. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, the outcome and any poster or oral presentations you might have given. Again, it’s important not to simply list what you did but the impact it had on you: what you learned about the field, yourself or the research process, how the experience shaped your decision to pursue graduate work in this particular field, etc. Write technically; professors are the people who read these statements.
Work experience if it relates to your field of study or more generally, demonstrates preparation for graduate school. Tutoring or classroom teaching experience, for example, is often relevant, since it shows a more firm grasp of subject matter, and that you might be a good candidate for a teaching assistantship. Similarly, describe any kind of responsibility you’ve had for testing, designing, researching, extensive writing, etc.

If you graduated and worked for a while and are returning to grad school, indicate what you’ve been doing while working: company, work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your intent to do graduate studies.

Here you indicate what you want to study in graduate school in greater detail. This is a greater elaboration of your opening paragraph.

Indicate area of interest, then state questions you might have which are associated with the topic, i.e., what you might be interested in studying or researching. You should have an area of emphasis selected before you write the statement. If you have no idea, talk to a professor about possible areas of interest or current questions in the field.
Look on the web for information about the professors and their research. Are there professors whose interests match yours? If so, indicate this, as it shows that you have done your homework and are highly motivated. (Be sincere, however; don’t make up something bogus just to impress people.) Ideally you have read some of the professors’ work and have been in contact with them prior to making application and can make reference to that exchange. Having a faculty member pulling for you from the inside is a winning strategy.
Talk about what draws you to this particular program. Show that you are familiar with the unique features, focus, field experiences, or faculty, etc. of this program.
End your statement in a positive and confident manner with a readiness for the challenges of graduate study.

HOW TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT

by Dal Liddle, Augsburg University English Department

Everything that follows is an elaboration of this one main issue: graduate school is specific career training and apprenticeship for the the profession of academic teaching and scholarship. If you are the sort of person who should be a professional academic. and can say honestly and clearly how you know that your essay will probably succeed. If you aren’t your essay will probably reveal that-saving you and your readers much wasted time and needless sorrow. either way, everybody wins.

Although the application process seems cold and impersonal, the human readers who pick up your essay and read it will probably feel hopeful, not hostile, as they start to read. Their goal is to build a good graduate class out of the stack of apps before them, and to bring in students who will enrich their own intellectual lives and lives of their classmates. Despite its high-stakes nature, the, the personal statements should be written sincerely and openly, not defensively.
While a personal statement is written to an admissions committee-a group of future colleagues who ideally will like you and want to meet you-it is not really written for the committee. The committee should never have the sense that you are saying what you think they want to hear. The writing should therefore start with the most specified information that you can nail down about yourself, your reason to believe that your vocation and fitness lie in this area, and your choice of this particular school.
Qualifications (of intellect, will, and intestinal fortitude)
Commitment (motivation and sense of vocation-this is really what you want to do)
Personality and Backstory (those part relevant to this choice of career)
Comprehension (of what grad school is and does; what the life and duties of a grad student are; what this particular school-teachers, library-offers you.)
The statements need not do any of these four things exhaustively-it can suggest some while developing others. It need not separate them in the arbitrary way I have, or invoke them in my arbitrary order. But none of them can e obviously missing of inadequate.
“Should this person be in grad school at all (or has he/she perhaps been placed on this earth for some other good and noble purpose)?”
“Has this person chosen the right grad school for the right reasons? Do we have what he she wants-not just reputation, but resources? A bad fit to our program will drop out,transfer,or be miserable and spread misery.”
“Will this person be an asset to our program-will he/she add diversity, collegiality, and intelligent ideas to our classes? Will he/she finish course work on time, write a good dissertation, get a good job, and ass to our reputation in the profession and among our peer colleges?”
“Will this person be interesting and enjoyable to work with and even mentor?”
Lack of basic necessary skill to succeed in the field (to write coherently, to do research)
Lack of sophistication in the specialty field
Mainly negative rather than positive motives for choosing grad school (e.g., wanting to escape the “real world” or an unpleasant job, wanting to stay in college)
Emotional instability and/or security

OTHER RESOURCES FOR WRITING THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) for general writing guidelines and advice

MIT Communication Lab for statement of purpose guidelines

Writing the Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose by Dixie Shafer, Director of URGO

How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School

by Richard J. Stelzer

Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice

by Donald Asher

University of Missouri

Bias Hotline: Report bias incidents

Undergraduate Research

How to write personal statements, what is the purpose of the personal statement.

Admissions committees review a lot of applications. The personal statement (like a cover letter for a job application) is your time to take your experience and personality and draw a direct line from their program to you! Use the personal statement to fill in any gaps in your resume or other information and pull disconnected pieces of your story together. You do not want to make your application reviewers do more work than necessary. It is not always as easy to connect the dots about someone else as we think it is. Present your story in your own words and reference other things in your application packet (for example: “as you will see on my resume I…”). Be careful, however, to not simply rehash your resume. A personal statement should provide a new and interesting take on what you have in your resume. This is your first (and possibly only) chance to show reviewers who you are and why they should care about you.

What will an admissions committee care about?

Leadership, People skills
Clubs and activities, Volunteer work, and Hobbies
Teaching experience
Research experience and application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom or through firsthand experience
Communication skills — no typos or grammatical errors
How you became interested in the field
Genuine interest in the field, and your career plans/ideas
Brevity — if you can be straightforward and to the point, you will impress the reader more than if you take 10 pages to get around to the same idea.
That you answered any questions that were asked of you
Unique and interesting individuals who will be a pleasure to work with

Before you begin, you must determine what any given committee is looking for and tailor your statement — and entire application — to that particular school, program, or job’s needs. Review the application requirements and any other information available to you and put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes. Then, ask yourself these questions:

What are you applying for?
How will the personal statement be used?
What are you trying to accomplish with the essay?
How competitive is the process?

Once you know what reviewers are looking for, take some time to think about your story. What makes you unique, what are your interests and influences, etc.

Take some time to think about what makes you unique. Make a list of ten things that someone else may find interesting — get help from family, friends, professors, or your mentor if needed.

Do you have any interesting experiences or talents?
Was there anything special or unusual about where/how you grew up or where you went to college?
Did you take an unusual journey to where you are now? (Did you start college as a theater major and change to biochemistry? Why? What happened?)
Does your family history give you a different perspective than the average applicant?

Brainstorm about what excites you and what motivates you to continue on your educational or professional journey. Admissions officials want to know that you will be a good investment for their institution. Think about times you showed grit or tenacity.

Make a list of your intellectual influences.

What scientists and articles have influenced your thinking?
Who were your favorite professors/mentors? Why?
What is the best paper/exam you have had and what made it good?
What do you think is the most important “work” in your field?
What is the most important concept you have learned in college?
Other educational milestones or guideposts.

Make a list of your “light bulb moments”.

Where were you/what were you doing when it crystallized in your mind that you wanted to pursue this particular field at a graduate/professional level?
How has your interest evolved? What were the turning points?
What experiences have led you to believe you would LIKE to do “this”?
What experiences have led you to believe you would be GOOD at doing “this”?

Clearly define your career goal or path. List what attracts you to this path and why you think you would be successful in this career.

Explore your educational and research background.

How have you prepared yourself for success in graduate school?
What body of relevant knowledge will you take with you?
What skills are you proficient in? What skills are developing?
What personal attributes make you likely to succeed in your field of choice?
List your major projects (when, what) and what your role was What did you really learn?
Who did you work with? Where?
Was your research published or presented? (or will in the future?)
Ramifications of your project…’who cares? so what?’ (important to put your work in the bigger context!)
What has been your biggest accomplishment/ what are you most proud of? Don’t limit this to just research
What encouraging words others have said to you? Write down the “actual words” and when they were said to you (and by whom).

Opening Paragraph/Lines

This is your first (and potentially only) chance to grab the reader and excite them about your application.

Interesting info about you
Unusual experiences
Epiphany experience
Be vivid in your description
Career statement
Phrases such as “ever since I was a little girl/boy” and “my grandfather/grandmother taught me” tend to be over used. You can tell a story from your childhood, but find a more interesting way to introduce it.

This is the time to sine and show the reviewers that you are mature, experienced, and dedicated but not without personality.

The body should answer these questions:

Why are you here?
How did you get here? What was your journey?
What is inside of you that makes you want to do this?
What comes next?
What will you spend your time doing between now and graduate school, starting the program, or beginning the job in question?

Successful Essays Offer :

Specific academic preparation and knowledge
Demonstration of an understanding of what the student is “getting into”
Sense of maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork skills, leadership (indirectly)
Names of specific potential mentors and aspects about the program that show a good fit
How the applicant will use the advance degree in a career
Demonstration of an understanding of the student’s role in the “big picture”

Tell the reviewers what conclusions they should make about you based on your experience, uniqueness, and personality. Politely let them know that you look forward to working with them.

Please remember that you can seek assistance with any of your writing needs at the MU Writing Center . Their tutors work with students from all disciplines on a wide variety of documents.

Undergraduate Research & Prestigious Scholarships

Developing a personal statement for summer research.

Before apply for summer research position, there are a few items that you should be reviewed.

To share your interest and enthusiasm for the specific work you are applying to do
To demonstrate what you can contribute to the program to which you are applying
To state the specific lab you want to work in and why
To state your professional goals and what or how you hope to contribute to this program

First Steps:

Read the personal statement question carefully and analyze what it is asking for
Visualize your audience: will this be read by a scientist? A physician? An administrator?
Make yourself as desirable to the selector as possible while being honest about yourself

The Basics:

Your research interests as they relate to the work you are applying for
Year of study and current major, related academic and career goals, impressive academic credentials

Experience in the Field:

Any special connection to this work such as prior experience or family background
Something unique about your research interests or an idea that fuels your own research interests.

Your Proposed Contributions to the Program and Benefits of the Program to You:

Personal qualities that would benefit the program, demonstrated through examples
What you can do for them; what you seek to gain from the opportunity
How this specific work fits into your academic and research goals

Writing and Mechanics: ~ The correct usage conveys your attention to detail

Use strong word choices, particularly verbs and adjectives
Use the more powerful “I am,” rather than “I have always been”
Make positive statements: “I have experience in…” not “I don’t have experience in x, but do have…”
Craft clear, engaging opening and closing sentences
Check that the opening statement is supported in the body and consistent with the closing statement
Organize the statement so it flows from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph
Proofread for grammar, spelling, paragraph breaks, and correct punctuation

Ask Yourself:

Does this statement show my interest in this specific program, or could it be sent to any program?
Does this statement describe me specifically, or could any good student in my field use this?

Additional Suggestions:

Reread the personal statement multiple times out loud for clarity, logic, and flow
Have someone else read the statement. Visit the UMBC Writing Center .
Share your finished personal statement with the faculty member writing your recommendations
Limit the statement to one and a half to two pages with at least one and a half spacing
Include a header with your name on each page, which will be numbered as well
Restating the question / topic, Rewriting your transcript or resume
Clichés such as “to make the world a better place”; instead, explain exactly how such a lofty goal will be achieved
Providing unrelated information, e.g., explaining when you learned you were not interested in computers
Using phrases like “this opportunity will be fun and interesting for me”; focus on what you can contribute
Any background earlier than high school

How to write a Personal Statement

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Writing an Effective Personal Statement for PhD Graduate Programs

Personal statements should be a reflection of your academic skills, success, and goals.

By Kaela Singleton Doctoral Candidate in Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience

A personal statement is one of the most important components of any doctoral graduate school application. This post will guide you with some general steps to get you started with generating a personal statement that is concise, reflects your academic success, and emphasizes your goals for graduate school. The individual graduate programs will provide writing prompts that detail exactly what you should address in your statement, so be sure you touch on everything that they want you to cover!

Before you start writing

Update your CV: Having a complete list of your accomplishments will make it easier to include and exclude information from your personal statement. Your CV can be used as a timeline of your achievements, and therefore an outline to how your past experiences have prepared you for graduate school. For guidance on CV writing, see 7 Tips for Writing a Successful CV.
Research Graduate Schools of Interest: Gain insight into the coursework, faculty, and student life for each program you are considering. Using the program website, generate a list of qualities that appeal to you about each school you’re applying to. Emphasize how and why these qualities contribute to your decision to apply to this program. This list should include research and faculty members that interest you as well as any other pros (i.e. location, cohort size, post-graduate jobs etc.)
Create a team of editors: Your personal statement will be read by faculty members and graduate students studying different topics within the program. Therefore, your personal statement should be compelling to a broad audience. Ask peers, mentors and advisors from various disciplines well in advance to edit and provide feedback on your statement.

Now start writing

Introduction.

The goal is to engage your reader with a quick synopsis of who you are, what you want out of graduate school, and your qualifications to join this specific program.

Introduce yourself and identify your academic interests: Provide a brief introduction of yourself and your academic interests. If you have a personal anecdote that explains how you became interested in science and research, start there. These “narrative hook” anecdotes engage the reader and set up a great platform to describe the motivation behind your experiences. Then go into your academic interests, which can be a couple of sentences broadly stating your research interests.
Emphasize your skills and overall goals: Use both your research on the program and CV to highlight how your skill set will complement and grow from participation in this program. Speak in broad terms, showcasing how your goals align with the overall mission of the program.

THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

The goal is to expand on the points you mentioned within the introduction. Provide concrete examples of how past and present experiences led you to writing this application.

Explain how you became interested in your particular scientific field: Highlight key moments that encouraged you to apply to graduate school. This can be the very start of your interests in the field or from skills and knowledge that you gained from internships, research experiences, or coursework and class discussions.
Describe your prior research experiences and importantly what you learned from each experience: Provide a past experience where you used and developed a new skill that is pertinent to your ability to conduct research. Be sure to explain how this skill will be useful for your future in graduate school. It is critical to discuss what you learned from experience and to be as specific and concise as possible. For example: I worked with Dr. A at institution B. My work focused on C. The project entailed D, E and F techniques. From this experience, I learned G. This taught me F about my decision to attend graduate school.

In the conclusion paragraph, you should discuss what you learned about the graduate school program that you are applying for. Highlight specific faculty members or courses listed that excite you, and re-emphasize your goals.

Summarize your qualifications and experiences: Bring everything together here. Emphasize the skills you currently have and how joining this program will aide in continuing your success.
Personalize: In this final paragraph, include specific faculty and program qualities that appeal to you as an applicant. Show that you have researched specific faculty or courses that will aide in your future training. Also be sure to discuss your career goals.
Edit: Proofread and edit. Send your statement out to friends, faculty advisors, and people outside of your discipline.

Personal statements should tell your story and be compelling across fields. Remember that a PhD program trains you to build and utilize scientific skills to advance research. You won’t want to try to convince the reader that you’ll cure cancer or discover the flu vaccine. Instead, focus on persuading readers that graduate training is right for you, and that the accompanying enrichment of your research skillset will help you reach your academic and professional goals.

More Career Advice

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CAREER FEATURE
23 April 2021

Sell yourself and your science in a compelling personal statement

Andy Tay is a science writer in Singapore.

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Personal statements — essays highlighting personal circumstances, qualities and achievements — are used extensively in science to evaluate candidates for jobs, awards and promotions. Five researchers offer tips for making yours stand out in a crowded and competitive market.

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Welcome to myUMBC

How to Write a Personal Statement for Summer Research

Susanna campbell, career peer liaison to cnms, the purpose of a personal statement .

Share your interests and enthusiasm for the specific work you are applying to do.
Demonstrate what you can contribute to the program to which you are applying
To state the specific lab/program you want to work in and why
To state your professional goals and what or how you hope to contribute to the program

First Steps

Read the personal statement question carefully and analyze what it is asking for.
Visualize your audience: will this be read by a scientist? An administrator? A physician?
Recite your research interests as they relate to the work you are applying for
Write your year of study, major, related academic and career goals, and impressive academic credentials

Experience in the Field

Mention any special connections to the work such as prior experience or family background (i.e. Name drop)
Write something unique about your research interests or an idea that fuels your own research interests

Your Proposed Contributions to the Program

List personal qualities and demonstrate these through examples
State what you can do for them and what you seek to gain from the opportunity
Explain how the work fits into your academic and research goals.
Saying “I am” is more powerful than saying “I have always been.”
Make positive statements. “I have experience in…” not “I don’t have experience in x, but do have…”
Craft clear, engaging opening and closing sentences.
Check that your opening statement is supported in the body and is consistent with your closing.
Organize the statement so it flows from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph.
Proofread for grammar, spelling, paragraph breaks, and correct punctuation.

When you have finished drafting your statement, ask yourself:

Does this statement show my interests in the specific program or is it generic?
Does this statement describe me specifically or could any good student in my field use this?

Some common mistakes to avoid:

Restating the question/topic or rewriting your resume or transcript
Clichés such as “to make the world a better place” instead, explain how such a lofty goal will be achieved
Providing unrelated information
Any background earlier than high school.

PrepScholar GRE Prep

Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program. You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

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What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important. However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

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This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

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However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
Specific examples to support that narrative.
Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

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Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Academic Personal Statement Guide + Examples for 2024

You have a bright future ahead of you in academia and you’ve already found the program of your dreams.

The only problem?

You have to write an impressive academic personal statement that sets you apart from a sea of applicants.

We know that writing about yourself might not come naturally. And when the academic program you have your sights set on is on the line, it doesn’t make it any easier.

But there’s no need to worry!

We’ve prepared this guide to help you write your academic personal statement and secure your spot in your program of choice.

In this article, we’re going to cover:

What Is An Academic Personal Statement?
7 Steps to Writing the Best Academic Personal Statement
An Example of a Stellar Academic Personal Statement

Let’s dive in.

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What Is an Academic Personal Statement?

A personal statement is an essential part of the academic application process.

Much like a motivation letter , your academic personal statement serves to demonstrate why you’re the right candidate for the course and sell yourself as a capable student.

Your goal is to show the admissions committee that they’ll benefit from having you in their university as much as you’ll benefit from joining the program.

Academic Vs CV Personal Statement

The term ‘personal statement’ can mean different things depending on your field.

In the world of job hunting, a personal statement usually refers to a few sentences that go at the top of your CV . This paragraph is meant to convey your top skills, relevant experiences, and professional goals to a hiring manager from the get-go and increase your chances of getting an interview.

However, in the world of academia, a personal statement refers to a more in-depth description of you as a candidate.

In a nutshell, an academic personal statement shows the admissions committee your academic achievements so far, as well as what motivated you to apply and pursue this position.

Personal statements are also often required when applying for certain jobs, much like writing a cover letter . If you’re looking at a position as a faculty member in a university or other academic institution, for example, you might be asked to provide an academic personal statement.

7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement

Preparation is the key to success and this is exactly where our guide comes in handy.

So just follow these steps and you’re sure to secure your spot:

#1. Read the Brief (Carefully!)

Academic personal statements aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all piece of writing.

Typically, every institution has its specific requirements on what candidates should include in their academic personal statement.

To make sure you’re on the right track with your academic personal statement, read the brief carefully. Consider taking notes and highlighting important points from your program’s brief as you go through it.

Pay attention to any specific question the university wants you to answer. If you don’t address everything the admissions board expects, your personal statement will look sloppy and you’ll be considered an inattentive candidate.

Be sure to re-read the brief after you’ve finished writing your academic personal statement, too. This way you can make sure you’ve answered everything adequately and you’ll have the opportunity to correct any slips.

#2. Research the Program

Make sure you do your homework on the academic program you’re applying to.

You can’t write a good academic personal statement without research, let alone a great one. Much like researching your employer , taking the time to learn more about your desired school and personalizing your application can make a huge difference.

For example, you can dive into how your values align with that of the school you’re applying to, and how your experience and interests relate to specific things about the program. The more you focus on how you’re the right fit for this specific position, in this specific program – the better.

Carefully read through the school and program’s official pages since everything you would need to know is probably on the school’s official website. You can also ask current and former students for help but remember that whatever they say should never replace official information when crafting your academic personal statement.

#3. Plan Your Statement

An academic personal statement is meant to explain your academic interests and shouldn’t contain irrelevant details about your personal life.

Focus on why you want to study the course you’ve chosen and provide any information about your achievements so far.

Ask yourself the following questions to get the ball rolling on what to write:

Why do you want to study (or work) in this program? How will it benefit you?
How do your skills match the position?
What makes you stand out from other applicants?
What are your exact career aspirations?
How can you and your work benefit the institution you’re applying to?
If you changed fields, how did you decide to apply in this direction?
What insight can you bring thanks to your different experiences?
How will this change of field help your future career?

Write down your answer to these questions in the first draft of your academic personal statement.

#4. Look at Example Statements

Don’t hesitate to read other people’s academic personal statements online. They’re a great source of inspiration and can help get rid of any remaining writer’s block.

If you’re struggling to understand how to meet the language and formatting requirements for your academic personal statement, seeing actual examples is the best way to learn.

But be careful – don’t copy any lines you read, no matter how impressive you think they are.

Most universities run every academic personal statement through intensive plagiarism checking, and even a paraphrased sentence could lead to your application being rejected for plagiarism.

So pay more attention to the overall structure of the academic personal statements you read, rather than copying the exact wording.

#5. Structure the Contents

There should be a cohesive argument that your entire essay follows. Each sentence and paragraph should complement and build on the one that comes before it.

The structure of your personal statement should include:

An intriguing introduction to you as a candidate

The introductory paragraph should grab the admission committee’s attention and keep them engaged.

Here you should be sure to avoid cliches like saying how you’ve “always dreamt” of graduating from this university or of studying this exact program. Instead, give an example of what really influenced you to pursue this dream.

Here’s an example:

I’ve always loved reading and since I was a child, it’s been my dream to graduate from Oxford University and contribute to the world of literary analysis. That’s why I spent the past year volunteering at my local writers’ society and giving constructive feedback during workshops and book discussions.
It wasn’t until I failed my first essay assignment in secondary school that I realized the depth that lies beneath each sentence in a given text. I began to delve into the rich layers of literary texts and the intricacies of literary analysis became my passion. Although initially challenging, the depth of understanding that this field offers about human emotions, cultural contexts, and narrative structures enthralled me. I found myself questioning the narrative structures and character motivations that I had previously taken for granted, and I was eager to understand how the subtle and often overlooked elements within a text could have a profound impact on its overall interpretation. This need to fundamentally understand a given author’s work has stayed with me since and led me to pursue literary analysis as a postgraduate student.

An engaging body

The main part of your academic personal statement should detail your interests, experience, and knowledge, and how they make you suitable for the position.

This is where you should expand on your motivation and use the following tips:

Why this university? Provide strong reasons for your choice, related to your future career or the institution’s reputation.
Mention your relevant studies and experience. This includes projects, dissertations, essays, or work experience.
Give evidence of key skills you have, such as research, critical thinking, communication, and time management, and explain how you can contribute to the department with them.
Say what makes you unique as a candidate and provide an example.
Explain who have been the main influences who put you on this path and why they’ve influenced you.
Mention other relevant experiences, such as memberships in clubs related to the subject, awards you might have won, or impressive papers you’ve written.
Talk about your career aspirations and how the program ties into your goal of achieving them.

Depending on the guidelines of the specific university, you could also divide your academic personal statement’s body with subheadings, such as:

Academic background
Research interests
Methodological approaches
Research experience
Personal experience
Extracurricular activities
Relevant skills
Career aspirations

A logical conclusion

Your academic personal statement needs a conclusion that ends on an enthusiastic note.

Make sure the conclusion reiterates the main points from the body of your text.

Your relevant accomplishments and desire to attend this specific program should be clear to any reader.

#6. Pay Attention to the Language

When writing the first draft of your academic personal statement, pay attention to the language and tone you’re using.

An academic personal statement is also a formal text, so your writing should reflect that. Colloquialisms aren’t appropriate, as they would take away from the well-mannered impression you want to give the admissions committee.

However, you also want your personal statement to be straightforward and avoid any complex jargon from your field of study.

For example, your opening sentence shouldn’t be overly complicated. You should communicate everything as clearly as possible, and be inclusive to those outside of your field of study since they might be on the admissions board that’s reading your academic personal statement.

Make sure that the tone throughout your text is positive and conveys your enthusiasm for the program. Your academic personal statement should show the admissions committee that you really want to be there, and why that’s beneficial to everyone involved.

#7. Proofread Your Statement

This step probably isn’t surprising to you but it’s worth paying attention to.

Your academic personal statement is a very formal document and it should be spotless.

So, make sure it adheres to academic writing conventions . For example, contractions like “I’m” instead of “I am” are informal, and should be avoided.

Mistakes like these are very common when writing about yourself, particularly when you’re used to describing yourself in informal environments.

Carefully proofread your academic personal statement, then run it through a grammar checker like Grammarly or Quillbot, then proofread it again.

The tiniest grammar mistake or typo could make the admissions board reject your application.

Academic Personal Statement Example

Ever since my first encounter with the enchanting worlds spun by Flaubert, Balzac, and Proust, my intellectual pursuits have gravitated toward French literature. With an undergraduate degree focused on French Language and Literature, I have been fortunate to explore my passions both theoretically and empirically, embedding them within broader themes of cultural theory and comparative literature. It is with great excitement that I apply for the postgraduate research position in the French Literature program at Kent University, with the aim of contributing novel scholarly perspectives to this captivating field.

Academic Background and Research Interests

During my undergraduate studies, I delved deeply into the realms of 19th-century Realism and Naturalism. My senior thesis, which examined the dialectics of morality and social structures in Balzac's "La Comédie Humaine," was not merely an academic exercise; it served as a crucible where my theoretical understandings were rigorously tested. This research experience intensified my interest in the complex interplay between literature and societal norms, a theme I am eager to further explore in my postgraduate work.

Methodological Approaches

My academic approach is fundamentally interdisciplinary. I strongly believe that literature should not be studied in a vacuum; rather, it should be contextualized within historical, sociological, and psychological paradigms. During a semester abroad in Paris, I took courses in cultural anthropology and French history, an enriching experience that complemented my literature-focused studies. This holistic approach will enable me to contribute a multifaceted perspective to the research endeavors at Kent University.

Previous Research and Scholarly Engagements

My scholarly activities have also extended beyond the classroom. Last summer, I participated in an international conference on French Literature and Post-Colonial Theory, presenting a paper on the depictions of colonial landscapes in Dumas' adventure novels. The opportunity to engage with academics from various disciplines provided me with fresh insights and underscored the importance of collaborative research. Further, I've had the honor of having a review article published in the Sheffield Journal of Contemporary Literary Explorations, where I critiqued a groundbreaking new translation of Verne's works.

Extracurricular Contributions and Skills

In addition to my academic achievements, I have sought to enrich my department’s intellectual community. I served as the editor of our departmental journal and organized a series of seminars featuring guest speakers from the worlds of academia and publishing. My strong organizational skills, combined with proficiency in both written and spoken French and English, make me a versatile candidate capable of adding value to the French Literature program’s broader objectives.

To summarize, my deep-rooted passion for French literature, fortified by rigorous academic training and interdisciplinary methodologies, makes me an ideal candidate for the postgraduate research position in your esteemed program. The prospect of contributing to academic discourse at Kent University is an opportunity I find deeply compelling. I am especially excited about the potential for collaborative research and interdisciplinary inquiries, which aligns perfectly with my academic philosophy. I am fully committed to leveraging my skills, experiences, and enthusiasm to make a substantive scholarly contribution to the study of French Literature. Thank you for considering my application; I am keenly looking forward to the possibility of furthering my academic journey in this vibrant intellectual community.

FAQs on Academic Personal Statements

If you’re wondering anything else about academic personal statements, check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions related to them here:

#1. How do you start a personal statement for an academic job?

Applying for an academic job is different from applying for a position as a student. First, you need to establish your qualifications and enthusiasm for the role immediately.

Start by explaining your current status, for example, as a postdoctoral researcher or an experienced member of the faculty, and specify the position you are applying for. Then follow up with your research interests or personal philosophy towards teaching.

You can add a personal anecdote or compelling fact that summarizes your academic journey so far, or your passion for the field. After that, your academic personal statement can go deeper into the qualifications from your academic CV and how you’re a great fit for the position.

#2. How do I introduce myself in an academic personal statement?

The introduction of your academic personal statement is the key to grabbing the attention of the admissions committee.

Start by stating the field or subject that interests you, and why. You can share a specific personal anecdote or observation that led you to this academic pursuit and set the stage for the detailed explanation in your main body.

The goal of your introduction is to give the reader a sense of who you are, what drives you, and why you would be a valuable addition to their department.

#3. Is an academic personal statement like an essay?

Yes, an academic personal statement can be considered a type of essay.

Both essays and academic personal statements are structured forms of writing that are meant to deliver a coherent argument and are divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. They provide supporting evidence to prove the point and maintain a logical flow to guide the reader to the final conclusion.

However, essays tend to be objective and explore a specific topic or question in depth. Academic personal statements use similar techniques but they present the candidate’s qualifications, experiences, and aspirations in a way that’s meant to persuade the admissions committee.

#4. How long is an academic personal statement?

Typically, an academic personal statement is between 500 and 1000 words long.

The exact length of the text varies depending on the university and program you’re applying to. You should always check the specific requirements for your desired program, and stick to the guidelines you find.

However, if the university you’re applying to doesn’t specify a word count, you should aim for one to two pages.

#5. What do I avoid in an academic personal statement?

Since your personal statement is a crucial part of your academic application, it’s important to avoid any common mistakes.

Make sure the content of your academic personal statement isn’t too generic. Its goal is to give insight into you as an individual, beyond what can be read in your CV .

You should also avoid cramming too many points in your text. Your academic personal statement should follow a logical flow, and focus on the relevance of what you’re sharing about yourself and how it relates to the academic program you’re pursuing.

Key Takeaways

And that concludes our guide to writing an academic personal statement!

We hope you feel more confident when crafting your application for that academic program or faculty position you have your sights set on.

Now let’s recap what we talked about so far:

Academic personal statements are very different from CV personal statements. While CV personal statements are brief paragraphs at the top of the page, an academic personal statement is an in-depth text that details why you’re interested in a given position, and what makes you a good candidate.
The guidelines on academic personal statements vary according to the institution you’re applying to. Read the brief very carefully, and pay attention to what it says about word count and questions your personal statement should answer. Any mistakes here could result in rejection.
There are differences between applying for a postgraduate program and applying for a faculty position. But in both cases, you should research the exact place you want to apply to and adjust your application accordingly to match the institution’s values.
Always proofread your academic personal statement before sending it, even if you’re sure there are no errors.

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Graduate School Applications: Writing a Research Statement

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What is a Research Statement?

A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.

The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate’s application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate’s interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

What Should It Look Like?

Research statements are generally one to two single-spaced pages. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application.

Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contributes to, complicates, or counters other work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.

What Should It Include?

Your statement should start by articulating the broader field that you are working within and the larger question or questions that you are interested in answering. It should then move to articulate your specific interest.

The body of your statement should include a brief history of your past research . What questions did you initially set out to answer in your research project? What did you find? How did it contribute to your field? (i.e. did it lead to academic publications, conferences, or collaborations?). How did your past research propel you forward?

It should also address your present research . What questions are you actively trying to solve? What have you found so far? How are you connecting your research to the larger academic conversation? (i.e. do you have any publications under review, upcoming conferences, or other professional engagements?) What are the larger implications of your work?

Finally, it should describe the future trajectory on which you intend to take your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? How can the institution to which you are applying help you in that process? What are the broader implications of your potential results?

Note: Make sure that the research project that you propose can be completed at the institution to which you are applying.

Other Considerations:

What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
Include a few specific examples that show your success. What tangible solutions have you found to the question that you were trying to answer? How have your solutions impacted the larger field? Examples can include references to published findings, conference presentations, or other professional involvement.
Be confident about your skills and abilities. The research statement is your opportunity to sell yourself to an institution. Show that you are self-motivated and passionate about your project.

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How to Write a Strong Personal Statement

Ruth Gotian
Ushma S. Neill

A few adjustments can get your application noticed.

Whether applying for a summer internship, a professional development opportunity, such as a Fulbright, an executive MBA program, or a senior leadership development course, a personal statement threads the ideas of your CV, and is longer and has a different tone and purpose than a traditional cover letter. A few adjustments to your personal statement can get your application noticed by the reviewer.

Make sure you’re writing what they want to hear. Most organizations that offer a fellowship or internship are using the experience as a pipeline: It’s smart to spend 10 weeks and $15,000 on someone before committing five years and $300,000. Rarely are the organizations being charitable or altruistic, so align your stated goals with theirs
Know when to bury the lead, and when to get to the point. It’s hard to paint a picture and explain your motivations in 200 words, but if you have two pages, give the reader a story arc or ease into your point by setting the scene.
Recognize that the reviewer will be reading your statement subjectively, meaning you’re being assessed on unknowable criteria. Most people on evaluation committees are reading for whether or not you’re interesting. Stated differently, do they want to go out to dinner with you to hear more? Write it so that the person reading it wants to hear more.
Address the elephant in the room (if there is one). Maybe your grades weren’t great in core courses, or perhaps you’ve never worked in the field you’re applying to. Make sure to address the deficiency rather than hoping the reader ignores it because they won’t. A few sentences suffice. Deficiencies do not need to be the cornerstone of the application.

At multiple points in your life, you will need to take action to transition from where you are to where you want to be. This process is layered and time-consuming, and getting yourself to stand out among the masses is an arduous but not impossible task. Having a polished resume that explains what you’ve done is the common first step. But, when an application asks for it, a personal statement can add color and depth to your list of accomplishments. It moves you from a one-dimensional indistinguishable candidate to someone with drive, interest, and nuance.

Ruth Gotian is the chief learning officer and associate professor of education in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and the author of The Success Factor and Financial Times Guide to Mentoring . She was named the #1 emerging management thinker by Thinkers50. You can access her free list of conversation starters and test your mentoring impact . RuthGotian
Ushma S. Neill is the Vice President, Scientific Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She runs several summer internships and is involved with the NYC Marshall Scholar Selection Committee. ushmaneill

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COMMENTS

How to Write Your Personal Statement
The personal statement isn't a research proposal, so don't go overboard on detail—but it's a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking. Example of demonstrating your knowledge. In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have ...
How to Develop a Personal Statement for Research
Share your finished personal statement with the faculty member writing your recommendations. Limit the statement to one and a half to two pages with at least one and a half spacing. Include a header with your name on each page, which will be numbered as well. Avoid: Restating the question/topic. Rewriting your transcript or resume.
How to Draft Personal Statement for Research
1. Don't Be Generic. Make sure your statement is tailored to the specific research program you are applying for and highlight why you are the best candidate. 2. Don't Make Exaggerated Claims. Be honest in your statement, as any exaggerations or false claims can lead to disqualification from the program. 3.
PDF How to Develop a Personal Statement for Summer Research
The Basics. • Your research interests as they relate to the work you are applying for. • Year of study and current major, related academic and career goals, impressive academic credentials. Experience in the Field. • Any special connection to this work such as prior experience or family background. • Something unique about your research ...
The Personal Statement
The Personal Statement. The Personal Statement is at the heart of most scholarship and fellowship applications and it remains one of the most challenging but rewarding written efforts that you will encounter in the scholarship process. It is, strictly speaking, your story. It asks you to find a way to articulate who you are because of the what ...
Personal Statement
Many applications for research opportunities require a personal statement. This is an opportunity for you to show your critical thinking skills in a creative format. It is where you get to add your voice to the mix of materials that reviewers see when you apply for fellowships. Use the personal statement to highlight positive aspects about ...
How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD Program Application
Provide examples of your previous research experience, projects you've completed, and what technical skills you learned. Explain how you overcame any challenges along the way. Set aside enough time: Although personal statements are generally short in length (approx. 700 words; 1-2 pages), give yourself ample time to write a strong, well ...
Writing Your Personal Statements
Your personal statement should focus on two main aspects: your competence and commitment. 1. Identify your strengths in terms of competence that indicate that you will succeed in the grad program and provide examples to support your claims. Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many ...
Writing a Personal Statement for Summer Research
A strong personal statement could be the deciding factor in whether you are accepted for a research opportunity, which is why it is important to create drafts and plan ahead. If you need more advice on writing a personal statement or any other part of the research program application process, feel free to make an appointment with our PHN ...
Personal Statement
General Advice. Think of the personal statement as a chance for you to introduce yourself - your background, experiences, knowledge of the field, goals and personality - to the selection committee. It also affords you the opportunity to explain any irregularities or shortcomings of your candidacy. The personal statement can mean the ...
How to Write Personal Statements
Present your story in your own words and reference other things in your application packet (for example: "as you will see on my resume I…"). Be careful, however, to not simply rehash your resume. A personal statement should provide a new and interesting take on what you have in your resume. This is your first (and possibly only) chance to ...
Developing a Personal Statement for Summer Research
Reread the personal statement multiple times out loud for clarity, logic, and flow; Have someone else read the statement. Visit the UMBC Writing Center. Share your finished personal statement with the faculty member writing your recommendations; Limit the statement to one and a half to two pages with at least one and a half spacing
Writing an Effective Personal Statement for PhD Graduate Programs
Create a team of editors: Your personal statement will be read by faculty members and graduate students studying different topics within the program. Therefore, your personal statement should be compelling to a broad audience. Ask peers, mentors and advisors from various disciplines well in advance to edit and provide feedback on your statement.
Ten Steps for Writing an Exceptional Personal Statement
Data show that 74% to 78% of residency programs use personal statements in their interview selection process, and 48% to 54% use them in the final rank. 6, 7 With our combined 50 years of experience as clerkship and residency program directors (PDs) we value the personal statement and strongly encourage our trainees to seize the opportunity to ...
How to Write a Personal Statement
Watch out for cliches like "making a difference," "broadening my horizons," or "the best thing that ever happened to me." 3. Stay focused. Try to avoid getting off-track or including tangents in your personal statement. Stay focused by writing a first draft and then re-reading what you've written.
Sell yourself and your science in a compelling personal statement
In a personal statement, I can demonstrate my ambition in greater detail. A good personal statement should avoid exaggerating your contribution. This is especially true for a multi-author paper on ...
PDF Personal Statement Examples
Personal Statement Examples ... Research Dr. Lorraine W. Wolf, Ph.D. Director of Undergraduate Research 201 Cater Hall Auburn, AL 36849 Phone: 334-844-5772 [email protected]. Personal Statement Example #1 This personal statement was written by an Auburn student applying for the prestigious
How to Write a Personal Statement for Summer Research
Here are some tips on writing and mechanics to make your personal statement strong. Saying "I am" is more powerful than saying "I have always been.". Make positive statements. "I have experience in…" not "I don't have experience in x, but do have…". Craft clear, engaging opening and closing sentences.
3 Successful Graduate School Personal Statement Examples
Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3. PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 - Public Health. This is my successful personal statement for Columbia's Master's program in Public Health. We'll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I'll highlight a couple of things that ...
PDF Sample Statement of Research Proposal and Personal Statement for the
Microsoft Word - Gates.rtf. #1. Molecular staging of colon cancer, or the correlation between phenotype and the discrete genetic mutations present at a particular pre-malignant stage, will lead to more accurate prognosis, therapeutic intervention, and treatment targeted for a precise genetic profile. With these theories in mind, I plan to ...
Academic Personal Statement Guide + Examples for 2024
Academic Vs CV Personal Statement 7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement #1. Read the Brief (Carefully!) #2. Research the Program #3. Plan Your Statement #4. Look at Example Statements #5. Structure the Contents #6. Pay Attention to the Language #7.
Writing a Research Statement
The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate's application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate's interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.
PDF Examples of Personal Statement
Personal Statement Obtaining a PhD in clinical psychology will not only provide me with more specific knowledge and research opportunities at the graduate level, but it will serve as a foundation for a career in the field of psychology. An academic career would allow me to continue life long
How to Write a Strong Personal Statement
Address the elephant in the room (if there is one). Maybe your grades weren't great in core courses, or perhaps you've never worked in the field you're applying to. Make sure to address the ...

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WRITING THE STATEMENT

GENERAL OUTLINE

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Summarize what you did as an undergraduate

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