A personal statement is similar to a short essay, but its purpose is to share about yourself and share what makes you UNIQUE. Many of you might be in the process of writing a personal statement for graduate schools. Therefore, I plan to share some tips and ways to get started with writing the first draft of your personal statement.
Let’s first build an understanding of personal statement. It is an opportunity for the admission’s committee to understand your life experience and passion outside the academic and professional experience (demonstrated in resume). However, you may draw the link of your passion with your academic and professional journey in the personal statement. Throughout my short life (so far!), I have written several personal statements -9 for graduate school and many more for the undergrad schools prior to that. One thing I always focused on was to share WHO I AM besides being a student and what I VALUE. This helped me in writing about WHAT MY PRESENCE IN THEIR CAMPUS CAN OFFER THEM. I believe that going to graduate school or any school or even workplace is a two-way relationship. Since you already know what they are offering (as you research the institution and programs before applying), a personal statement is an opportunity for us (students) to share what WE can bring to the table. How to get started? First step would be to brainstorm. You may use pen and paper or your electronic devices to write down your ideas. Here are some tips to get started with brainstorming.
Helpful checklist for the drafts
I can go on and on with the list. However, I think these are the most important things to consider when getting started with your first draft and revising it. Remember that it is a long process or writing several drafts so you will need to be patient with yourself. Make a goal to achieve from each draft so you can ensure that there is an improvement. Not to forget, you can get it reviewed by consultants at the writing center and get a more detailed and objective feedback on your drafts. You can also get it reviewed by the career center for an additional objective feedback. Good luck writing!
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January 2024
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