How to write a Personal Statement?

There can be many uses of a personal statement, but its main purpose is always based around selling yourself and your idea to the readers. You are not only allowed to summarize your skills and experience to the reader, but you have to also make sure that it stands relevant before what you’re applying for.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is considered as a brief summary that is given to prospective employers or students to help them stand apart from the competition. It is also sometimes required for university applications, but will usually be much more detailed in its format.

A personal statement holds an important place in the decision-making process when it comes to deciding whether the university or college should offer you a seat or not. It grants you the opportunity to sell your strengths and thoughts, and prove yourself beyond the expectations and grades. In some situations, writing a personal statement can be a difficult task if you do not have proper experience in writing one. To write an impactful personal statement, all you need to do is keep a check on your tone while avoiding the language errors and effectively structuring your content.

It is essential for you to note that a personal statement differs from a statement of purpose. This is because a statement of purpose simply tends to focus more on your academic and professional credentials and your future research plans. While a personal statement tends to focus on your goals and passions and what you plan to bring the table if you join a particular program, course, or university.

If you are looking to write a strong personal statement, follow the tips mentioned below-

Having a memorable Introduction

One of the hardest tasks in writing a personal statement is deciding how to begin with it. For writing a great personal statement, you are required to begin with an impressive introduction that seeks the attention of the readers. In such a case, you might want to use a personal incident or experience that puts forward your strengths and passion for the subject.

A clear narrative

Your statement needs to showcase your clarity of thoughts and ideas for achieving success in graduate school. Therefore, it becomes essential to ponder upon the key elements that you want to communicate and write it down in your statement. You also need to decide whether to include the gaps or setbacks in your academic career.

You might also want to justify why you had low grades in a particular semester. If there had been a switch in your academic or professional career, then you should mention about it in much more detail. The main purpose of writing a personal statement should remain to demonstrate your positive qualities like resilience and diligence rather than providing excuses for your past acts.

Give specific examples

If you are specific enough in your personal statement, it will help you illustrate the key message you intend to put forward before the audience. In such a case, you should add references adhering to certain scholars and experts that have inspired you in your academic as well professional career.

For instance, mentioning “I love animals” is vague. Instead, you should describe how you researched and worked in providing help to animals during your graduation years. Adding evidence to your statement helps in making your argument look much more authentic.

A good fit

If you write a strong and influential personal statement, it will later help you in describing why you are a perfect fit for the role. It becomes important for you to highlight specific things about the program or course you appeal and how you plan to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. You can even mention about some professors you aspire to work with.

Strong writing skills

If you want to leave a good impression in the minds of the reader, then your statement should highlight persuasive writing skills. You need to make sure that each point is communicated clearly, and your content is free from grammatical and spelling errors. You might also want to consult your peers, teachers, and colleagues for their valuable feedback.

Another important thing that you need to keep in mind is that while writing a personal statement is to stay away from gimmicks and clichéd notions. Stay away from deploying overuse of opening lines and phrases.

Appropriate boundaries

You need to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing for an impeccable personal statement. You need to know your limits and not to over-share your bodily functions, illegal activities, or relationships. Keep in mind that you do not share anything that leads you to a risky state and is built of out of control.

How can you make your personal statement stand out?

Witnessing competition among the universities, your personal statement should give you the perfect opportunity to stand out. So how can you do it? Well, here are a few tips for you-

Make it relevant– Don’t waste much space on details, rather focus on providing relevant information.

Show how you’re unique– explain it with the help of your own examples, personality, and independent research.

Present a good balance of academic and extra-curricular activities– don’t include hobbies if you don’t have any.

Make it quite engaging for the reader– avoid simple lines and generic clichés that might irritate the administrator.

Think outside the box– Make sure that you avoid the obvious and think laterally.