Writing a Personal Statement

Presentation Outline committee expectations personal essay prompts getting started writing formats what to include editing

Committee expectations Getting a sense of you as a person: “...we want to get some sense of the inside of an applicant's head and in particular what it is that is prompting this person to pursue a graduate education” “We want to get a feel for the whole person” We are looking for “honesty, integrity, maturity, commitment to others, motivation...self awareness, self- esteem, empathy, willingness to take risks, willingness to deal with ambiguity”

Be Yourself “I want to see passion and sincerity...but I don't want applicants to be something they're not” C ommittees want a diverse class: Don't try to seem like a more "diverse" or "desirable" type of candidate, since your perspective may be the one they're looking f or.

Two Categories: Comprehensive Comprehensive statement: focuses on meaningful professional and personal experiences often tied together through a theme gives the writer some freedom common for medical school and law school (often personal) and sciences and humanities (often more professional)

Response to specific question(s) common for business school and humanities answer questions in the order they're asked for clarity statement may not have a single theme work in important details you want the committee to know Two Categories: Specific Questions

Example prompts Comprehensive Statement : Write a statement of your specific reasons for wanting to attend graduate school. Describe your experiences and qualifications for advanced study. (no word limit)

Comprehensive Example Paragraphs 1-4: Using the themes of books and culture, it describes a history of meaningful personal experiences preparing essayist for advanced study in humanities. Paragraph 5 -6: continuing with same theme, ties relevence of humanities with specific reasons to study it. Paragraphs 7-8: Discusses qualifications for graduate program directly, professional experience and career goals – why a good choice for this school.

Medical Programs Medical, dental, and pharmacy schools will want a similar personal statement with added emphasis on: Your medical experience Your unique reasons or philosophy for helping people

Medical example Theme: listening and giving hope First sentence: pulls the reader into the middle of a story Paragraphs 1-2: OR experience, watching organ donation Paragraph 3: interest in sports and body Paragraph 4: work in psychiatric unit Paragraph 5: Tying it all together: a doctor should listen and give patients hope

Specific Question Prompt Please prepare a personal statement addressing the following areas: Your academic preparation for the program Relevant professional experience Career goals Reasons for wanting to attend our program Specific strengths you would bring to our program

Specific Question Example Hook: I returned to school in 2009 and found I had to transition from typewriters and card catalogues to online papers and digital media labs… Paragraph 2: Professional Experiences Case manager Writing Center, recent experience in academia Parent of four, volunteer experience Paragraphs 3: Professional Goals Adjunct and online teaching Research and development of online curricula Paragraph 4: Reasons for attending program Specific courses Online program for online development Paragraph 5: Specific Skills Hard work, pursue new endeavors, International/diversity experiences

Getting Started Generate as much material as possible Write first, edit later Brainstorm ideas to the following questions, then develop the material with details and specific situations

Research Research specific field Research specific school Do I need more experience before applying?

Generating Personal Material Analyze yourself: What is distinctive or impressive about my life story? Have I had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (e.g. economic,familial, physical) in my life? What personal characteristics do I possess that would enhance my prospects for success in this field and how can I demonstrate these characteristics? What skills (leadership, communication, analytical, etc.) do I possess? What are the most compelling reasons I can give for the admissions committee to be interested in me?

When did I originally become interested in this field and what have I since learned about it or myself? How did I learn about this field- through classes, reading, personal experience, conversations? If work experience consumed significant periods of time during my college years, what have I learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example) and how has the work contributed to my personal growth? What are my career goals? Why might I be a stronger candidate for graduate school - and more effective in the profession or field- that other applicants? Generating Professional Material

Models for writing Overcoming adversity: analyze your personal adversity and show how it is relevant to future path Explicating qualifications: flesh out experiences that connect/relate to chosen field.

Common Formats General statement format: introduction 2-3 paragraphs detailing research or personal experience 1-2 paragraphs detailing educational or teaching experience brief conclusion thanking committee OR...

Common Formats Narrative format: opens with compelling scene from personal experience intersperses "thematic analysis" and professional insights with development of story, OR ties opening experience in with subsequent experiences and professional insights on the same theme

Give Specific Examples! Weak Example: I have a good work ethic and can work until the cows come home. This means I will do well in your school.

Strong Example: My strong work ethic drives me to exceed expectations set for me. During my time as team leader at ImagiTech, I focused on beating quarterly and yearly sales projections. Under my leadership, the sales of my team rose 21% during the first fiscal year. All this was accomplished while attending my first year of college and earning a 3.7 cumulative GPA.

Use Vivid Language Weak Example: I like snakes. As a kid I played with garden snakes all the time. I want to be a zoologist and specialize in reptiles. I want to go to your school because I am passionate about snakes and all sorts of reptiles.

Strong Example: I can still recall vividly the first time I saw a snake. I was in my backyard when a small green snake slithered quickly through the grass. I was intrigued by its sinuous movement, its speed, and beauty. I quickly ran and caught it, holding it gently in my hands. I knew then and there that I wanted to study snakes and other forms of reptilian life. I quickly exhausted the local library’s source of reptile books and begged my mother to take me to the local university, where I would sit for hours, studying the habits and physiology of all sorts of reptilian life. After graduating high school, I decided to pursue a career as a herpetologist. I have chosen your institution due to the reputation of its Zoology faculty and extensive opportunities for research.

Topics to avoid religion (unless a crucial aspect of one of your professional experiences) extreme or controversial political views personal critiques of employers, organizations, or professors anything that doesn't contribute to a positive professional image

Explaining Outliers Are there any discrepancies in my academic record that I should explain (for example improvement in GPA or poor LSAT scores)? Have you faced unusual situations or a period of turbulence that explains poor performance in an otherwise strong record (family illness, financial difficulties, etc.)?

Read the question carefully and be meticulous about responding to it completely- don't go over the word limit and spell everything correctly It should take you several weeks to write and rewrite your graduate school essay Ask several professors in your chosen field to read and comment on your response (very important) and take to the Writing Center. Final Draft

Editing Write several drafts before the final draft. Have your final draft proofread by several people and consider hiring a professional editor if you are struggling.