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Crafting an Effective Personal Statement for Graduate School Applications

A personal statement is vital for graduate school admissions as it reveals your character and suitability for the program. To write a compelling personal statement, consider your audience, follow directions, tell the truth, and support your claims with specific examples. Highlight your unique experiences and qualities that set you apart. Personal statements should engage the reader by sharing meaningful anecdotes that reflect your journey. Revise and proofread your work to ensure clarity and correctness. For further assistance, visit the writing center at Texas A&M University.

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Crafting an Effective Personal Statement for Graduate School Applications

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  1. Write on target. We can even answer rhetorical questions. 458-1455 writingcenter.tamu.edu

  2. How Do I Write a Personal Statement?

  3. What Is a Personal Statement? Personal statements help graduate school admissions committees and potential employers learn about who you are to see if you are a good fit for their program.

  4. What To Consider • Follow directions. • Tell the truth. • Consider your audience. • Write, Rewrite, Revise. Then Proofread. • Support general statements with specific examples. • The burden of proof is on the writer, not the reader.

  5. Identify the Following Personal Statements

  6. Personal Statement #1 When the old knight asked me which cup was the Holy Grail, and knowing that in order to save my father I had to answer correctly, I knew that there were more important things than money and fame. I realized my courage and life experiences could be really valuable in the classroom, and that’s why I have decided to return to teaching.

  7. Highlights from #1 Tells a story Uses some general information, but not too much Is unique to the story teller

  8. Personal Statement #2 I have worked as the assistant manager at Strickland Propane for about fifteen years now. Working with propane and propane accessories has changed my life; I even taught my son, Bobby, all I know about propane.

  9. Highlights from #2 Gives personal experience relevant to the hiring Maintains a somewhat personal touch

  10. Personal Statement #3 When faced with the compromise of liberty, the best a human can do is to confront the oppressor and retain hope that happiness and justice will prevail. I possess, among all things, the power to hope that can be beneficial in any situation.

  11. Whoops! #3 is . . . Way too general Generic Forgettable And a little boastful

  12. Let’s Do an Exercise You don’t have to stand up. It’s not that type of exercise.

  13. Pick a quality that a future employer or scholarship committee would appreciate. Compassion Resourcefulness Friendliness Ingenuity Imagination Persistence Thriftiness Persuasiveness Now write a short anecdote showing thatquality. (Or another you think of.)

  14. What Do I Take Away From This? Whoever reads your personal statement needs to remember you. You want to stand out in a good way. Make hiring and admissions committee members relate to you as a person. Don’t leave the photo blank.

  15. Don’t Forget We are here to help with any of your writing concerns. Check us out on… 214 Evans Library | 205 West Campus Library writingcenter.tamu.edu | 979-458-1455

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