Step One: Brainstorming
It is important to reflect upon your experiences, personality and goals as you prepare to write your personal statement. When brainstorming, remember there are no wrong ideas and that you will be most successful if you are honest with yourself. Consider the following questions to help you think about your essay content:
- What makes you unique, unusual or different? Think about all of your experiences, no matter how unrelated to your field of study they may seem. Remember, what is common to you may be completely unique and different to someone else.
- Where were you and what were you doing when you first realized your passion for your field of study? How have your interests evolved since then? Can you identify specific turning points?
- Who or what are your intellectual influences? What writers, researchers, professors or professionals have inspired you? What articles, books, plays, performances, films or lectures have influenced you?
- Do you have volunteer, travel, internship or work experience that has contributed to your interest in your field of study?
- What kind of positive feedback have you received from others about your work?
- What are your career goals? What do you hope to gain from this career? What do you hope to contribute to this field? How will graduate school help you attain your professional goals?
- How has your academic background prepared you to succeed in graduate or professional school? What body of relevant knowledge will you take with you to graduate or professional school? What particular attributes or characteristics make you likely to succeed in this field/career?
- What are your biggest accomplishments or proudest moments?
- Do you have research experience? Consider publications, working titles and/or faculty research with which you assisted. Can you spell out the purposes, goals, findings, implications of the research? What did you learn (techniques, concepts, other skills)? What professors at target schools have similar research interests?
- What do you know about the city, state and/or region of your target schools? Do you have a connection to the area? Is the geographic area important to your research interests or field of study?
- How does this graduate program or professional school fit your personality and goals? Why are you attracted to this program over others?
- What classes or projects will you complete between the time of your application and beginning graduate or professional school? What are your plans for the months or year(s) before you enroll?
Once you have spent some time writing responses to these questions, evaluate your answers and notes. Do any of them fit together? Some individuals will find their answers naturally flow together in essay format while others will pick one or a few topics to highlight.
Step Two: First Draft
Before you begin writing, know the questions you need to answer for each program to which you are applying and any word or page limits extended by that program. You should plan on re-writing your essay several times and tailoring each one to the program to which you are applying.
Concentrate on writing openly, honestly, and in your own voice. Keep language straightforward and simple. Write how you speak in order to capture your personality within your essay. Graduate and professional schools not only want to know about your academic preparation and if you are ready for graduate level work, but also who you are as a person. It may help to imagine you are writing to a friend.
As you write, try to maintain focus on content, not on style or grammar. Do not go back and edit your essay until you finish getting your ideas on paper. Try not to over-think your first draft or second guess your reader.
When writing your opening paragraph or sentence, concentrate on grabbing the reader’s attention and making your opening line unique. Tell a story, give an example, use vivid detail and avoid clichés or generic sentences. As your essay progresses, be sure to assess whether or not you are answering the question(s) provided by the program. Remember that you do not need to discuss in great detail everything you have ever done. In most cases, your résumé, CV, transcript or other documentation will also be available for admissions personnel to consider. Refer to these documents if necessary and remember to provide a qualitative analysis of a few things you have done or experienced rather than a long list of experiences forced within the limitations of page or word requirements.
Step Three: Revise
Once you have a working first draft, read through your essay as if you were an admissions representative or faculty member of the program to which you are applying. Ask yourself: Are the examples you give the most relevant examples you can provide? Are there any areas that reveal character weaknesses, such as laziness, dishonesty or egocentricity? Do you provide a sense of maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork, leadership ability and/or likeability without addressing these issues directly? (Instead of saying, “I am intelligent… compassionate…etc.” describe situations where you demonstrated those qualities.) Watch for arrogance or overconfidence. For example, instead of stating, “Scientists would be better off if…” write, “I believe scientists would be better off if…” Remember, your words will be reviewed by experts in your field. Be careful not to alienate your reader(s).
Next, look for areas and ways you can spice up your essay. Add vivid details where you can. Consider the following example:
Before: “I worked as a teacher’s aide at a daycare.”
After: “Last summer I was a teacher’s aide at a daycare espousing principles of Rheikofkian development theory, using only positive interaction. I was commended by the head teacher for devising new games that exemplified this theory in practice and for reaching a particular student who had been diagnosed as borderline emotionally disturbed.”
If your essay is too long, reduce the number of topics you address and focus instead on a few key points. Trust that your reader will look over your other application materials, especially if you refer to them in your essay.
After you finalize your essay content, read it several times to correct any grammatical errors. Now is the time to seek input from other reviewers, including your peers, professors, Career Center staff and other trusted individuals. Accept their feedback, but make your own decisions about essay content and style.
