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Personal Statements
Personal statements give you the opportunity to”sell yourself” in the application process. A strong personal statement is one that shows that you are well-versed in your field of choice, demonstrates who you are both academically and otherwise, and allows the reader to get a sense of your academic and/or career goals and how the program you are applying to fits into your plan.
Tips for writing your personal statement:
- Don’t just regurgitate the content in your CV or transcript. Use the space to show them something NEW about who you are as a person, academician, and/or independent researcher
- Write and re-write
- Get multiple people to read over your drafts
- Give yourself enough time to write a good statement
- Be unique and show how you stand out as an applicant
- Avoid platitudes, cliches, colloquialisms, and text speak unless it is strategic and purposeful
- Read examples of both good and bad personal statements
- EDIT. EDIT. EDIT.
Resources and Useful Websites
Your MUGSS Mentor!
Kaplan: Writing your Personal Statement
Purdue Owl Online Writing Lab: Writing the Personal Statement
