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36 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing Your Personal Statement

April 25, 2017

Phase I of Writing Your Personal Statement: 36 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin

In less than 650 words, you have to persuade a stranger to care about you and your application. That’s why the Common App personal statement is one of the most discussed aspects of the college application. Think about how much time you spend on homework, standardized testing, and extracurriculars. This single essay will influence admissions officers as much as these other factors. You could be the perfect applicant, but if your reader doesn’t get to know you and CARE about YOU, you won’t be admitted.

There is no formula for creating the perfect personal statement. The best personal statement topic for your friend might not work well as a topic for you. The topic that might inspire your friend to show his most unique thoughts, the challenges he’s overcome, and the maturity he has gained, might not help you reveal what’s most interesting and compelling about you.

So, how can you write the best possible personal statement for you and your application? Here are the first steps in the process.

1. Start early!

The worst thing you can do is rush the creation of your personal statement. The next two steps below might take weeks...and these occur before you even have a good first draft and can start multiple rounds of edits. You should edit your personal statement multiple times. You should get feedback from as many family members, friends, and teachers as you can.

But, before you get to this stage, you need to choose the perfect topic (and the best Common App essay prompt )  for you .

So, when is the right time to start the process of writing your personal statement ? You should start brainstorming for your personal statement as early as the spring of your junior year and as late as the summer between junior and senior year.

Why shouldn’t I start earlier? A successful personal statement relies on having a strong and mature sense of yourself. It can also rely on your understanding of what you’d like to do in college, what type of college community you’d like to be a part of, and why you care about your education. Starting too soon might mean you need to start over (see step 3) after you really do some soul-searching about college.

There is a lot of thinking and planning that happens before you start writing, so that’s why you should start early. You will complete your best work when you’re not up against a deadline and you’ll be able to start over (again, see step 3) if this is in your best interests.

2. Brainstorm

If you complete this stage of the process with care and attention, you won’t be faced with Step 3. This step in the process helps you pinpoint that perfect topic for you... which won’t be the same perfect topic for someone else.

To start the process of writing your personal statement , ask yourself the series of 36 questions below. These will help generate topics that will be important and meaningful to you. Keep a written list of possible topics you could choose.

• What’s your main academic area of interest?
• Why does this matter to you?
• When did this interest first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?
• How did your interest evolve over time?
• Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to learn about or study this topic?
• Was this challenge the result of your gender, race, or religion?
• Was this challenge the result of your family’s socio-economic background or the result of the culture of the place you lived?
• Would you still pursue this academic interest if you earned a very small income with your future job in this area?

Activities:

• What’s an extracurricular activity you do that’s incredibly rare?
• What’s an extracurricular activity that has shaped your personality and character?
• Why does this activity matter so much to you?
• When did this activity first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?
• How did your interest in and commitment to this activity evolve over time?
• Have you done something with this activity that no one else you know has done?
• Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to pursue this activity?
• Was this challenge the result of your family’s socio-economic background?
• Was this challenge the result of the culture of the place you lived?

Life-events:

• Is there something you’ve done or experienced that changed you forever in a positive way?
• How did this event make you more mature, compassionate, self-aware, determined, or strong?
• Is there a day from your life that you reflect on often? Why is this day so memorable to you?
• Are you similar to or different from your parents / siblings? What made you this way?
• When did you feel like you didn’t fit in with a group of people? What made you different than others?
• Is there something (non-academic / extracurricular) that you devote A LOT of time to? Why do you do this?
• What have you done that didn’t earn you praise, attention, or success?
• What makes you feel like your life is meaningful and important to you?
• What is one thing that you would never change about yourself or your life experiences?

Once you’ve created your list of topics, you’ll need to start narrowing them down. For each topic, ask yourself:

• Is this a topic I care about?
• Is this a topic that I’ve cared about for more than 1-2 years?
• Is this a topic I think shows something about my character and personality?
• Is this a topic that shows something impressive and / or unique about my achievements or activities?
• Is this topic memorable to me? Do I think about this fairly often in my life?
• Am I the only student in my high school class who would write about this topic?
• Does this topic show only positive things about my character, maturity, and perspective on life?
• Would I be interested in reading about this topic if someone else wrote about it?
• Could I write 10 pages about this topic (far more than you’ll need to write, of course)?

If the answer to most or all these questions is “yes!” you’ve probably landed on an ideal topic for you! And get started with writing your personal statement ! 

I talk more about choosing your personal statement topic, as well as some of the best topics and worst topics here:

3. Start over?

Have you already written your 650 words? Ask yourself: is this best possible story I could tell about myself to admissions officers? What does this story show about me? Is there anything that’s negative in this essay? Is there anything that would make me appear privileged, immature, irresponsible, unfriendly, boring, or unmotivated?

One of the best skills you can develop while writing your personal statement is not to be too attached to your writing. Good editors make BIG changes. And sometimes “big change” means starting over from scratch.

I’ll share my story as a cautionary tale. After careful planning, I wrote the first draft of my personal statement during the summer before my senior year of high school. I was really proud of it. I’d developed a (I thought) complicated and literary metaphor throughout the personal statement. I printed it off. I gave it to my dad to read. He read it through once and said, “you should start over from scratch.”

I was shocked and horrified. What about the more than 5 hours I’d spent planning and writing this essay? My dad pointed out to me the ways in which my personal statement didn’t show the most impressive things about me. It was fine. But it wasn’t unique. It wasn’t personal.

Writing your personal statement is a very strategic part of your college application. There are many "bad" topics you should avoid , there are many “good” topics you could choose, but there are a few that are “outstanding” because they bring a new, personal, thoughtful, and insightful angle to your application and your personal story. This is the personal statement you want to write! Your personal statement needs to engage your readers in less than 650 words in a way that convinces them to believe in you. Your admissions officer will need to advocate for you in order for you to be admitted. You want this person on your side.

Ask your family, friends, and teachers to read your personal statement or consider the topic you’ve selected. Do they feel like this piece of writing or this topic shows the person they know and love? Could this topic make a stranger care about you in the way that your family, friends, teachers care about and support you? This is your personal statement topic selection goal!

Tags : writing your personal statement , college application , applying to college , college application essay , common app personal statement , Personal Statement , common app , common app essay prompts , personal statement for college

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Personal Statement Guide: 10 Questions Universities Ask

This personal statement guide focuses on the kinds of questions that universities and colleges ask and how to answer them exceptionally well.

Most of the time, when you’re asked questions in personal statements, it can be difficult to know exactly what the college or university wants you to write… this post aims to demystify those questions and give you the tools you need to ace your answers!

But what exactly will this personal statement guide cover?

This personal statement guide outlines the types of common questions that universities ask of their applicants, along with strategies for answering them. These include questions relating to academic qualifications, suitability for higher education, personal skills, ethos and broader ambitions.

I’ve outlined the top 10 questions universities and colleges ask below, along with suggestions for what they really mean and examples of ideal answers.

If you read and apply this exclusive content, your next application will be incredibly compelling…

1 Why Do You Want To Study Your Subject?

This is probably the most common and obvious question asked in personal statements, but you’d be surprised just how many applicants don’t recognise its importance or answer it as fully as they could.

Getting this one right can often be the deciding factor in a successful application…

What is This Question Actually Asking?

You’ll want to think about the following elements as part of your answer:

• What is it about your current studies that you enjoy?
• What specialisms do you most engage with within your discipline?
• What has inspired or motivated your engagement with this subject?
• What do you hope to achieve in this field?
• What aspects of the subject do you want to discover more about?
• How informed are you about the depth and range of this subject?
• What opportunities does this subject offer you at university and beyond?
• What do you hope to contribute to the faculty?
• What extra research/experience have you pursued that supports your application?
• Who do you admire in this field, and why?

Here’s an example answer…

2 What Are The Challenges Of Higher Education?

Understanding the challenges that you’re likely to face when you arrive at college or university is important.

After all, the higher your awareness of the expectations of the institution you are planning to join, the better your chance of successfully completing the course…

• Can you demonstrate that you are aware of the academic demands of higher education?
• Can you show that you have prepared effectively for undertaking the course content?
• Can you demonstrate the motivation needed to study independently?
• Can you show that you can manage in new locations away from home?
• Are you ready to interact with new and diverse communities and living arrangements?
• Can you manage your budgets effectively?
• Are you able to show that you can manage your time and meet deadlines?
• Is your organisation at a good enough standard for university?
• Can you engage effectively with the research and study demands of the course?
• Have you gained a strong understanding of the use of relevant IT systems and cloud learning?

I believe that higher education will challenge any assumptions I may have made about the importance of Mathematics in Structural Engineering, whilst giving me the opportunity to extend my academic understanding of materials and environmental policy. The MOOCs I have completed, in addition to my current school timetable, have challenged me to develop the skills to be an effective independent learner.

3 How Have You Overcome Specific Challenges?

Explaining how you have overcome challenges in the past is an important aspect of self-review.

Universities, colleges and employers need to be able to identify which applicants have shown determination and resilience in the past, especially if those qualities play a key role in their own ethos…

• Can you give examples of how you recognise challenges and difficulties?
• Can you identify specific strategies to meet and prepare for challenges?
• When faced with challenges, what is your emotional response?
• Can you give examples of challenges overcome in academic work?
• Can you give examples of challenges overcome in teamwork and practical work?
• When and how have you overcome personal challenges?
• Are you aware of how to transfer these strategies or approaches to higher education?
• How can you mitigate against unnecessary challenges?
• What is the value of challenge in the learning process?
• How can you support peers with the things that challenge them?

4 When Did You Work Well In A Team Environment?

Working successfully in a team is considered a key skill in higher education.

Although time is spent focusing on independent study, many disciplines require students to collaborate on research and practical projects.

Sharing findings and contributing to publications is common academic practice…

• What is the value of working collaboratively in education?
• Do you understand contemporary theories around teamwork and collaboration?
• What kind of role do you play in a team?
• What makes a team effective, and how does that relate to your strengths and experiences?
• Can you give specific, tangible examples of successful teamwork?
• Can successful teamwork have unsuccessful outcomes?
• What specific approaches do you bring to working in a team?
• What does working well/effectively/sustainably in a team actually look like?
• How can teamwork be applied to academic study?
• Can you suggest examples of teamwork that you might encounter in higher education?

During a Physics summer camp, I was part of a team assigned to develop coding for a robotics project. To ensure success, I shared my academic and experiential resources with the rest of the team, and made sure that I listened to their questions. I helped generate a workflow that enabled the team to prioritise tasks, and motivated those around me to complete the project to the deadline.

5 Why Do You Want To Study At This University?

This is unlikely to arise in the UK undergraduate system , as candidates apply to a maximum of 5 different organisations, none of whom can see where else you’ve applied.

However, US undergraduate applications and global postgraduate personal statements are far more likely to ask this question…

• What research have you undertaken into the course’s academic offer?
• What do you know about the ways in which the course is structured?
• Which optional modules or units are you most interested in working on and why?
• What research opportunities most interest you and why?
• Which faculty leaders’ work do you most admire? Can you justify and offer your opinion of their research or publications?
• Which of the university’s physical resources is of the most importance to your academic career?
• Have you attended the campus on an open day? What were your impressions, and how do they compel you to study at that institution?
• What co-curricular opportunities attract you?
• How do the support services, accommodation, grants or networking opportunities fulfil your needs as a student?
• Can you give examples of inspirational alumni and relate their achievements to your ambitions?

6 How Will The Course Help You Achieve Your Goals?

Universities want you to succeed. It’s great for their reputation, their place in the league tables and for developing effective alumni programmes.

Most of all, they want you to remain on the course because they need your funding. Knowing that your goals connect with theirs is key to retention…

• What are your academic goals, and how do they relate to the course offer?
• What does achievement look like to you?
• What are your subsequent professional ambitions, and how will that specific university help you to achieve them?
• How well do you know the industry or sector that you are interested in entering?
• Have you fully understood the course components and understood their relevance to your goals?
• What steps have you already taken to achieve your goals, and how will the course allow you to extend them?
• Can you explain the scope of your ambitions in an informed and realistic manner?
• What research have you undertaken into relevant alumni networks or achievements?

Being a dynamic student with a sound understanding of the business world, I have set myself the goal of completing your course on Business Analysis and Management, which will allow me to develop my skills in diagnostic accounting to a high level. This will form the foundation of my first step on the career ladder, where I intend to work as a financial consultant in the social media sector.

7 What Lessons Have You Learned From Your Studies?

Institutions want students who are academically and personally reflective because reflective and self-aware students are better equipped to manage the academic and personal rigours of college life.

Asking you to reflect on the value of your previous learning is a great way to judge that…

• Can you outline the value and relevance of prior learning in your subject specialism?
• How has your academic journey so far prepared you for your course?
• What specific study skills have you developed that will be of value in higher education?
• What advanced knowledge of your subject do you have, setting you apart from other applicants?
• Do you understand the ways in which you learn best , and how will you apply these in a university setting?
• How will the knowledge gained from the study of other subjects be of value to you on the course?
• What research and academic writing skills have you developed?
• What opportunities have you taken to stretch your learning beyond the formal, taught curriculum?
• How have you applied theoretical learning in a practical context?
• Are you aware of the weaknesses in your academic skillset, and how you intend to manage this at university?

8 What Will You Contribute To University Life?

Universities and colleges aren’t just about formal learning.

They’re complex, living communities comprising people from diverse cultural, geographical and ethnic backgrounds.

Learners with an ability to contribute to those communities in a positive way help make the organisation a better place…

• How will your academic work be of value to the university?
• How will your research add to the collective knowledge of the subject?
• How do your ambitions align with the goals of the university or college?
• What have you contributed to your school community in the past, outside of the classroom?
• In which ways will you support your peers academically?
• How will you add value to the life of the university through co-curricular activities such as sporting or social organisations?
• Do you have skills or experience that will enable you to contribute to the pastoral or student support services?
• Can you provide volunteering or organisational examples to illustrate that you are community-minded?
• Can you give examples of ways in which you have engaged with issues of diversity and inclusion?
• Can you show your awareness of the value of community to both the individual and the community itself?

Having established and facilitated the inclusivity forum at my school, I am positive about contributing to the emotional and physical wellbeing of all members of the communities in which I live and work. A keen sportswoman, I intend to join the cross-fit club and am looking forward to inspiring my peers with my positive and motivational approach.

9 What Are Your Greatest Skills And Talents?

This type of question asks you to reflect on your capabilities inside and outside of the classroom.

Colleges and employers ask this kind of question when they are looking for evidence of interpersonal skills and for candidates to have developed interests and commitments outside of academia…

• Can you reflect on your capabilities and give context for their use?
• Are you able to identify your skills and talents and give a rationale as to why these are your strengths?
• Can you show how you have used these skills positively?
• Can you identify a range of transferable skills and show how you have used them in the past?
• Can you illustrate ways in which transferable skills might be of value in higher education?
• Have you identified the skills required to successfully complete the course and referenced these in your personal statement answer?
• What strategies did you use to attain these skills and abilities?
• How are your skills of value to others?
• How do your skills relate directly to your choice of course or discipline?
• By comparison, what are your greatest weaknesses and vulnerabilities? How are you improving these, and how will university help in this process?

10 When Have You Shown Leadership Qualities?

Universities and employers are looking for applicants that will work harmoniously within their community.

But they also need candidates with the potential to be dynamic, to show leadership and with the vision and confidence to take opportunities and motivate others…

• Have you voluntarily placed yourself in leadership situations in the past? Why were these successful?
• Have you inadvertently found yourself in leadership roles, and if so, what was the challenge?
• How confident are you when given responsibility for leadership? Why is this?
• What is your leadership style ? Why?
• What lessons have you learned from the leadership of others? Good and bad examples?
• Can you offer specific examples where you have taken the lead on a project or initiative?
• How do you motivate and guide a team?
• Can you explain how to use active listening and mediation as a team leader?
• How do you know when to take the lead?
• Why is the capacity for leadership important in group settings such as those at university?

I stepped into a leadership role during a project I undertook as part of my extra-curricular Psychology studies. When other members of the group expressed doubt in their ability to complete the task, I organised their workflow, identified their areas of expertise and through active listening and discussion, reassigned key roles that allowed each member to contribute positively.

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support. You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet .

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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Academic Personal Statement Guide + Examples for 2024

You have a bright future ahead of you in academia and you’ve already found the program of your dreams.

The only problem? 

You have to write an impressive academic personal statement that sets you apart from a sea of applicants.

We know that writing about yourself might not come naturally. And when the academic program you have your sights set on is on the line, it doesn’t make it any easier.

But there’s no need to worry!

We’ve prepared this guide to help you write your academic personal statement and secure your spot in your program of choice.

In this article, we’re going to cover:

• What Is An Academic Personal Statement?
• 7 Steps to Writing the Best Academic Personal Statement
• An Example of a Stellar Academic Personal Statement

Let’s dive in.

You’ll need an academic CV alongside your personal statement. Create one with ease with Novorésumé !

What Is an Academic Personal Statement?

A personal statement is an essential part of the academic application process.

Much like a motivation letter , your academic personal statement serves to demonstrate why you’re the right candidate for the course and sell yourself as a capable student.

Your goal is to show the admissions committee that they’ll benefit from having you in their university as much as you’ll benefit from joining the program.

Academic Vs CV Personal Statement

The term ‘personal statement’ can mean different things depending on your field.

In the world of job hunting, a personal statement usually refers to a few sentences that go at the top of your CV . This paragraph is meant to convey your top skills, relevant experiences, and professional goals to a hiring manager from the get-go and increase your chances of getting an interview.

However, in the world of academia, a personal statement refers to a more in-depth description of you as a candidate. 

In a nutshell, an academic personal statement shows the admissions committee your academic achievements so far, as well as what motivated you to apply and pursue this position.

Personal statements are also often required when applying for certain jobs, much like writing a cover letter . If you’re looking at a position as a faculty member in a university or other academic institution, for example, you might be asked to provide an academic personal statement.

7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement

Preparation is the key to success and this is exactly where our guide comes in handy.

So just follow these steps and you’re sure to secure your spot:

#1. Read the Brief (Carefully!)

Academic personal statements aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all piece of writing. 

Typically, every institution has its specific requirements on what candidates should include in their academic personal statement.

To make sure you’re on the right track with your academic personal statement, read the brief carefully. Consider taking notes and highlighting important points from your program’s brief as you go through it.

Pay attention to any specific question the university wants you to answer. If you don’t address everything the admissions board expects, your personal statement will look sloppy and you’ll be considered an inattentive candidate.

Be sure to re-read the brief after you’ve finished writing your academic personal statement, too. This way you can make sure you’ve answered everything adequately and you’ll have the opportunity to correct any slips.

#2. Research the Program

Make sure you do your homework on the academic program you’re applying to.

You can’t write a good academic personal statement without research, let alone a great one. Much like researching your employer , taking the time to learn more about your desired school and personalizing your application can make a huge difference.

For example, you can dive into how your values align with that of the school you’re applying to, and how your experience and interests relate to specific things about the program. The more you focus on how you’re the right fit for this specific position, in this specific program – the better.

Carefully read through the school and program’s official pages since everything you would need to know is probably on the school’s official website. You can also ask current and former students for help but remember that whatever they say should never replace official information when crafting your academic personal statement.

#3. Plan Your Statement

An academic personal statement is meant to explain your academic interests and shouldn’t contain irrelevant details about your personal life.

Focus on why you want to study the course you’ve chosen and provide any information about your achievements so far.

Ask yourself the following questions to get the ball rolling on what to write:

• Why do you want to study (or work) in this program? How will it benefit you?
• How do your skills match the position?
• What makes you stand out from other applicants?
• What are your exact career aspirations?
• How can you and your work benefit the institution you’re applying to?
• If you changed fields, how did you decide to apply in this direction?
• What insight can you bring thanks to your different experiences?
• How will this change of field help your future career?

Write down your answer to these questions in the first draft of your academic personal statement.

#4. Look at Example Statements

Don’t hesitate to read other people’s academic personal statements online. They’re a great source of inspiration and can help get rid of any remaining writer’s block.

If you’re struggling to understand how to meet the language and formatting requirements for your academic personal statement, seeing actual examples is the best way to learn.

But be careful – don’t copy any lines you read, no matter how impressive you think they are. 

Most universities run every academic personal statement through intensive plagiarism checking, and even a paraphrased sentence could lead to your application being rejected for plagiarism.

So pay more attention to the overall structure of the academic personal statements you read, rather than copying the exact wording.

#5. Structure the Contents

There should be a cohesive argument that your entire essay follows. Each sentence and paragraph should complement and build on the one that comes before it.

The structure of your personal statement should include:

An intriguing introduction to you as a candidate

The introductory paragraph should grab the admission committee’s attention and keep them engaged.

Here you should be sure to avoid cliches like saying how you’ve “always dreamt” of graduating from this university or of studying this exact program. Instead, give an example of what really influenced you to pursue this dream.

Here’s an example:

• I’ve always loved reading and since I was a child, it’s been my dream to graduate from Oxford University and contribute to the world of literary analysis. That’s why I spent the past year volunteering at my local writers’ society and giving constructive feedback during workshops and book discussions.
• It wasn’t until I failed my first essay assignment in secondary school that I realized the depth that lies beneath each sentence in a given text. I began to delve into the rich layers of literary texts and the intricacies of literary analysis became my passion. Although initially challenging, the depth of understanding that this field offers about human emotions, cultural contexts, and narrative structures enthralled me. I found myself questioning the narrative structures and character motivations that I had previously taken for granted, and I was eager to understand how the subtle and often overlooked elements within a text could have a profound impact on its overall interpretation. This need to fundamentally understand a given author’s work has stayed with me since and led me to pursue literary analysis as a postgraduate student.

An engaging body

The main part of your academic personal statement should detail your interests, experience, and knowledge, and how they make you suitable for the position.

This is where you should expand on your motivation and use the following tips:

• Why this university? Provide strong reasons for your choice, related to your future career or the institution’s reputation.
• Mention your relevant studies and experience. This includes projects, dissertations, essays, or work experience.
• Give evidence of key skills you have, such as research, critical thinking, communication, and time management, and explain how you can contribute to the department with them.
• Say what makes you unique as a candidate and provide an example.
• Explain who have been the main influences who put you on this path and why they’ve influenced you.
• Mention other relevant experiences, such as memberships in clubs related to the subject, awards you might have won, or impressive papers you’ve written.
• Talk about your career aspirations and how the program ties into your goal of achieving them.

Depending on the guidelines of the specific university, you could also divide your academic personal statement’s body with subheadings, such as:

• Academic background
• Research interests
• Methodological approaches
• Research experience
• Personal experience
• Extracurricular activities 
• Relevant skills
• Career aspirations

A logical conclusion

Your academic personal statement needs a conclusion that ends on an enthusiastic note.

Make sure the conclusion reiterates the main points from the body of your text.

Your relevant accomplishments and desire to attend this specific program should be clear to any reader.

#6. Pay Attention to the Language

When writing the first draft of your academic personal statement, pay attention to the language and tone you’re using.

An academic personal statement is also a formal text, so your writing should reflect that. Colloquialisms aren’t appropriate, as they would take away from the well-mannered impression you want to give the admissions committee.

However, you also want your personal statement to be straightforward and avoid any complex jargon from your field of study.

For example, your opening sentence shouldn’t be overly complicated. You should communicate everything as clearly as possible, and be inclusive to those outside of your field of study since they might be on the admissions board that’s reading your academic personal statement.

Make sure that the tone throughout your text is positive and conveys your enthusiasm for the program. Your academic personal statement should show the admissions committee that you really want to be there, and why that’s beneficial to everyone involved.

#7. Proofread Your Statement

This step probably isn’t surprising to you but it’s worth paying attention to.

Your academic personal statement is a very formal document and it should be spotless. 

So, make sure it adheres to academic writing conventions . For example, contractions like “I’m” instead of “I am” are informal, and should be avoided.

Mistakes like these are very common when writing about yourself, particularly when you’re used to describing yourself in informal environments.

Carefully proofread your academic personal statement, then run it through a grammar checker like Grammarly or Quillbot, then proofread it again.

The tiniest grammar mistake or typo could make the admissions board reject your application.

Academic Personal Statement Example

Ever since my first encounter with the enchanting worlds spun by Flaubert, Balzac, and Proust, my intellectual pursuits have gravitated toward French literature. With an undergraduate degree focused on French Language and Literature, I have been fortunate to explore my passions both theoretically and empirically, embedding them within broader themes of cultural theory and comparative literature. It is with great excitement that I apply for the postgraduate research position in the French Literature program at Kent University, with the aim of contributing novel scholarly perspectives to this captivating field.

Academic Background and Research Interests

During my undergraduate studies, I delved deeply into the realms of 19th-century Realism and Naturalism. My senior thesis, which examined the dialectics of morality and social structures in Balzac's "La Comédie Humaine," was not merely an academic exercise; it served as a crucible where my theoretical understandings were rigorously tested. This research experience intensified my interest in the complex interplay between literature and societal norms, a theme I am eager to further explore in my postgraduate work.

Methodological Approaches

My academic approach is fundamentally interdisciplinary. I strongly believe that literature should not be studied in a vacuum; rather, it should be contextualized within historical, sociological, and psychological paradigms. During a semester abroad in Paris, I took courses in cultural anthropology and French history, an enriching experience that complemented my literature-focused studies. This holistic approach will enable me to contribute a multifaceted perspective to the research endeavors at Kent University.

Previous Research and Scholarly Engagements

My scholarly activities have also extended beyond the classroom. Last summer, I participated in an international conference on French Literature and Post-Colonial Theory, presenting a paper on the depictions of colonial landscapes in Dumas' adventure novels. The opportunity to engage with academics from various disciplines provided me with fresh insights and underscored the importance of collaborative research. Further, I've had the honor of having a review article published in the Sheffield Journal of Contemporary Literary Explorations, where I critiqued a groundbreaking new translation of Verne's works.

Extracurricular Contributions and Skills

In addition to my academic achievements, I have sought to enrich my department’s intellectual community. I served as the editor of our departmental journal and organized a series of seminars featuring guest speakers from the worlds of academia and publishing. My strong organizational skills, combined with proficiency in both written and spoken French and English, make me a versatile candidate capable of adding value to the French Literature program’s broader objectives.

To summarize, my deep-rooted passion for French literature, fortified by rigorous academic training and interdisciplinary methodologies, makes me an ideal candidate for the postgraduate research position in your esteemed program. The prospect of contributing to academic discourse at Kent University is an opportunity I find deeply compelling. I am especially excited about the potential for collaborative research and interdisciplinary inquiries, which aligns perfectly with my academic philosophy. I am fully committed to leveraging my skills, experiences, and enthusiasm to make a substantive scholarly contribution to the study of French Literature. Thank you for considering my application; I am keenly looking forward to the possibility of furthering my academic journey in this vibrant intellectual community.

FAQs on Academic Personal Statements

If you’re wondering anything else about academic personal statements, check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions related to them here:

#1. How do you start a personal statement for an academic job?

Applying for an academic job is different from applying for a position as a student. First, you need to establish your qualifications and enthusiasm for the role immediately.

Start by explaining your current status, for example, as a postdoctoral researcher or an experienced member of the faculty, and specify the position you are applying for. Then follow up with your research interests or personal philosophy towards teaching.

You can add a personal anecdote or compelling fact that summarizes your academic journey so far, or your passion for the field. After that, your academic personal statement can go deeper into the qualifications from your academic CV and how you’re a great fit for the position.

#2. How do I introduce myself in an academic personal statement?

The introduction of your academic personal statement is the key to grabbing the attention of the admissions committee.

Start by stating the field or subject that interests you, and why. You can share a specific personal anecdote or observation that led you to this academic pursuit and set the stage for the detailed explanation in your main body.

The goal of your introduction is to give the reader a sense of who you are, what drives you, and why you would be a valuable addition to their department.

#3. Is an academic personal statement like an essay?

Yes, an academic personal statement can be considered a type of essay.

Both essays and academic personal statements are structured forms of writing that are meant to deliver a coherent argument and are divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. They provide supporting evidence to prove the point and maintain a logical flow to guide the reader to the final conclusion.

However, essays tend to be objective and explore a specific topic or question in depth. Academic personal statements use similar techniques but they present the candidate’s qualifications, experiences, and aspirations in a way that’s meant to persuade the admissions committee.

#4. How long is an academic personal statement?

Typically, an academic personal statement is between 500 and 1000 words long.

The exact length of the text varies depending on the university and program you’re applying to. You should always check the specific requirements for your desired program, and stick to the guidelines you find.

However, if the university you’re applying to doesn’t specify a word count, you should aim for one to two pages.

#5. What do I avoid in an academic personal statement?

Since your personal statement is a crucial part of your academic application, it’s important to avoid any common mistakes.

Make sure the content of your academic personal statement isn’t too generic. Its goal is to give insight into you as an individual, beyond what can be read in your CV . 

You should also avoid cramming too many points in your text. Your academic personal statement should follow a logical flow, and focus on the relevance of what you’re sharing about yourself and how it relates to the academic program you’re pursuing.

Key Takeaways

And that concludes our guide to writing an academic personal statement!

We hope you feel more confident when crafting your application for that academic program or faculty position you have your sights set on.

Now let’s recap what we talked about so far:

• Academic personal statements are very different from CV personal statements. While CV personal statements are brief paragraphs at the top of the page, an academic personal statement is an in-depth text that details why you’re interested in a given position, and what makes you a good candidate.
• The guidelines on academic personal statements vary according to the institution you’re applying to. Read the brief very carefully, and pay attention to what it says about word count and questions your personal statement should answer. Any mistakes here could result in rejection.
• There are differences between applying for a postgraduate program and applying for a faculty position. But in both cases, you should research the exact place you want to apply to and adjust your application accordingly to match the institution’s values.
• Always proofread your academic personal statement before sending it, even if you’re sure there are no errors.

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How to Write a Personal Statement (with Tips and Examples)

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

What is a personal statement, 6 tips on how to write a personal statement, personal statement examples (for college and university), faqs about writing personal statements, conclusion on how to write a personal statement.

How do you tell someone who you are in just a few hundred words?

It’s certainly no easy task, but it’s one almost every college applicant must do. The personal statement is a crucial part of any college or university application.

So, how do you write a compelling personal statement?

In this article, we’ll give you all the tools, tips, and examples you need to write an effective personal statement.

A personal statement is a short essay that reveals something important about who you are. It can talk about your background, your interests, your values, your goals in life, or all of the above.

Personal statements are required by many college admission offices and scholarship selection committees. They’re a key part of your application, alongside your academic transcript, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities.

The reason application committees ask you to write a personal statement is so they can get to know who you are. 

Some personal statements have specific prompts, such as “Discuss a period of personal growth in your life” or “Tell us about a challenge or failure you’ve faced.” Others are more open-ended with prompts that essentially boil down to “Tell us about yourself.”

No matter what the prompt is, your goal is the same: to make yourself stand out to the selection committee as a strong candidate for their program.

Here are some things a personal statement can be:

It can be funny. If you have a great sense of humor, your personal statement is a great place to let that shine.  

It can be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to open up about hardships in your life or failures you’ve experienced. Showing vulnerability can make you sound more like a real person rather than just a collection of application materials.  

It can be creative. Candidates have got into top schools with personal statements that take the form of “a day in the life” descriptions, third-person short stories, and even cooking recipes.

Now we’ve talked about what a personal statement is, let’s quickly look at what a personal statement isn’t:

It isn’t a formal academic paper. You should write the personal statement in your natural voice, using first-person pronouns like “I” and “me,” not in the formal, objective language you would use to write an academic paper.

It isn’t a five-paragraph essay. You should use as many paragraphs as you need to tell your story instead of sticking to the essay structure you learned in school.

It isn’t a resumé. You should try to describe yourself by telling a clear and cohesive story rather than providing a jumbled list of all of your accomplishments and ambitions.

Here are our top six tips for writing a strong personal statement.

Tip 1: Do Some Serious Self-Reflection

The hardest part of writing a personal statement isn’t the actual process of writing it.

Before you start typing, you have to figure out what to write about. And that means taking some time to reflect on who you are and what’s important in your life.

Here are some useful questions you can use to start your self-reflection. You can either answer these on your own by writing down your answers, or you can ask a trusted friend to listen as you talk about them together.

What were the key moments that shaped your life? (e.g. an important friendship, a travel experience, an illness or injury)

What are you proud of? (e.g. you’re a good listener, you always keep your promises, you’re a talented musician)

How do you choose to spend your time? (e.g. reading, practicing soccer, spending time with your friends)

What inspires you? (e.g. your grandmother, a celebrity, your favorite song)

Doing this self-reflection is crucial for figuring out the perfect topics and anecdotes you can use to describe who you are.

Tip 2: Try to Avoid Cliché Topics

College application committees read thousands of personal statements a year. That means there are some personal statement topics they see over and over again.

Here are a few examples of common personal statement topics that have become cliché:

Winning a tournament or sports game

Volunteering in a foreign country

Moving to a new home

Becoming an older sibling

Being an immigrant or having immigrant parents

If you want to make a strong impression in the application process, you need to make your personal statement stand out from the crowd.

But if your chosen personal statement topic falls into one of these categories, that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use it. Just make sure to put a unique spin on it so it still delivers something the committee hasn’t seen before.

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Tip 3: Show, Don’t Tell

One common mistake you might make in your personal statement is to simply tell the reader what you want them to know about you, such as by stating “I have a fear of public speaking” or “I love to cook.”

Instead of simply stating these facts, you should show the committee what you’re talking about through a story or scene, which will make your essay much more immersive and memorable.

For example, let’s say you want the committee to know you overcame your fear of public speaking. Instead of writing “I overcame my fear of public speaking,” show them what it was like to be onstage in front of a microphone. Did your palms get clammy? Did you feel light-headed? Did you forget your words?

Or let’s say you want the committee to know you love to cook. Instead of writing “I love to cook,” show them why you love to cook. What’s your favorite dish to cook? What does the air smell like when you’re cooking it? What kitchen appliances do you use to make it?

Tip 4: Connect the Story to Why You’re Applying

Don’t forget that the purpose of your personal statement isn’t simply to tell the admissions committee who you are. That’s an important part of it, of course, but your ultimate goal is to convince them to choose you as a candidate.

That means it’s important to tie your personal story to your reasons for applying to this specific school or scholarship. Finish your essay with a strong thesis.

For example, if your story is about overcoming your fear of public speaking, you might connect that story to your ambition of becoming a politician. You can then tie that to your application by saying, “I want to apply to this school because of its fantastic politics program, which will give me a perfect opportunity to use my voice.”

Tip 5: Write in Your Own Voice

The personal statement isn’t supposed to be written in a formal tone. That’s why they’re called “personal” statements because you have to shape it to fit your own voice and style.

Don’t use complicated or overwrought language. You don’t need to fill your essay with semicolons and big words, unless that’s how you sound in real life.

One way to write in your own voice is by speaking your personal statement out loud. If it doesn’t feel natural, it may need changing. 

Tip 6: Edit, Edit, Edit!

It’s important to revise your personal statement multiple times in order to make sure it’s as close to perfect as possible.

A single typo won’t kill your application, but if your personal statement contains multiple spelling errors or egregious grammar mistakes, you won’t be putting your best foot forward.

ProWritingAid can help you make sure your personal statement is as clean as possible. In addition to catching your grammar errors, typos, and punctuation mistakes, it will also help you improve weaknesses in your writing, such as passive voice, unnecessary repetition, and more.

Let’s look at some of the best personal statements that have worked for successful candidates in the real world. 

Harvard Personal Statement Example

Love. For a word describing such a powerful emotion, it is always in the air. The word “love” has become so pervasive in everyday conversation that it hardly retains its roots in blazing passion and deep adoration. In fact, the word is thrown about so much that it becomes difficult to believe society isn’t just one huge, smitten party, with everyone holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.” In films, it’s the teenage boy’s grudging response to a doting mother. At school, it’s a habitual farewell between friends. But in my Chinese home, it’s never uttered. Watching my grandmother lie unconscious on the hospital bed, waiting for her body to shut down, was excruciatingly painful. Her final quavering breaths formed a discordant rhythm with the steady beep of hospital equipment and the unsympathetic tapping hands of the clock. That evening, I whispered—into unhearing ears—the first, and only, “I love you” I ever said to her, my rankling guilt haunting me relentlessly for weeks after her passing. My warm confession seemed anticlimactic, met with only the coldness of my surroundings—the blank room, impassive doctors, and empty silence. I struggled to understand why the “love” that so easily rolled off my tongue when bantering with friends dissipated from my vocabulary when I spoke to my family. Do Chinese people simply love less than Americans do?

This is an excerpt from a personal statement that got the applicant admitted to Harvard University. The applicant discusses her background as a Chinese-American by musing on the word “love” and what that means within her family.

The writer uses vulnerable details about her relationship with her grandmother to give the reader an understanding of where she comes from and how her family has shaped her.  

You can read the full personal statement on the Harvard Crimson website.

Tufts Personal Statement Example

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry’s “Cars and Trucks and Things That Go,” and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon. Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration. Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear. I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

This is the beginning of a personal statement by Renner Kwittken, who was admitted into Tufts University as a pre-medical student.

Renner uses a humorous anecdote about being a pickle truck driver to describe his love for nanomedicine and how he got involved in his field. You can feel his passion for medicine throughout his personal statement.

You can find Renner’s full essay on the Tufts Admissions page.

Law School Personal Statement Essay Example

For most people, the slap on the face that turns their life around is figurative. Mine was literal. Actually, it was a punch delivered by a drill sergeant at Fort Dix, New Jersey, while I was in basic training. That day’s activity, just a few weeks into the program, included instruction in “low-crawling,” a sensible method of moving from one place to another on a battlefield. I felt rather clever for having discovered that, by looking right rather than down, I eliminated my helmet’s unfortunate tendency to dig into the ground and slow my progress. I could thus advance more easily, but I also exposed my unprotected face to hostile fire. Drill sergeants are typically very good at detecting this type of laziness, and mine was an excellent drill sergeant. So, after his repeated suggestions that I correct my performance went unheeded, he drove home his point with a fist to my face. We were both stunned. This was, after all, the New Army, and striking a trainee was a career-ending move for a drill sergeant, as we were both aware. I could have reported him; arguably, I should have. I didn’t. It didn’t seem right for this good sergeant, who had not slept for almost four days, to lose his career for losing his temper with my laziness. Choosing not to report him was the first decision I remember making that made me proud.

These are the first three paragraphs of an anonymous personal statement by a Wheaton College graduate, who used this personal statement to get into a top-25 law school.

This statement describes a time the applicant faced a challenging decision while in the army. He ended up making a decision he was proud of, and as a result, the personal statement gives us a sense of his character.

You can find the full essay on the Wheaton Academics website.

Here are some common questions about how to write a personal statement.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

The length of your personal statement depends on the specific program you’re applying to. The application guidelines usually specify a maximum word count or an ideal word count.  

Most personal statements are between 500–800 words. That’s a good general range to aim for if you don’t have more specific guidelines.  

Should Personal Statements Be Different for Scholarships?

Many scholarship applications will ask for personal statements with similar prompts to those of college applications.

However, the purpose of a personal statement you’d write for a scholarship application is different from the purpose of one you’d write for a college application.

For a scholarship application, your goal is to showcase why you deserve the scholarship. To do that, you need to understand the mission of the organization offering that scholarship.

For example, some scholarships are meant to help first-generation college students get their degree, while others are meant to help women break into STEM.

Consider the following questions:

Why is this organization offering scholarships?

What would their ideal scholarship candidate look like?

How do your experiences and goals overlap with those of their ideal scholarship candidate?

You can use the same personal anecdotes you’d use for any other personal statement, but you’ll have a better chance of winning the scholarship if you tailor your essay to match their specific mission.

How to Start a Personal Statement

You should start your personal statement with a “hook” that pulls the reader in. The sooner you catch the reader’s attention, the more likely they’ll want to read the entire essay.

Here are some examples of hooks you can use:

A story (e.g. When the spotlight hit my face, I tried to remind myself to breathe. )

A setting description (e.g. My bedroom floor is covered with dirty laundry, candy wrappers, and crumpled sheet music. )

A funny anecdote (e.g. When I was a little kid, my friends nicknamed me Mowgli because of my haircut. )

A surprising fact (e.g. I've lived in 37 countries .)

There you have it—our complete guide to writing a personal statement that will make you stand out to the application committee.

Here’s a quick recap: 

A personal statement is a short essay that shows an application committee who you are

Start with a strong hook that pulls the reader in

Tell a story to engage the reader 

Write in your own voice, not in a formal tone

Good luck, and happy writing!

Hannah is a speculative fiction writer who loves all things strange and surreal. She holds a BA from Yale University and lives in Colorado. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her painting watercolors, playing her ukulele, or hiking in the Rockies. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang.

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How To Write A Personal Statement (With Examples)

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Whether you want to apply to colleges, graduate programs, or competitive jobs, writing a persuasive personal statement will give you a leg up over the other applicants. A personal statement gives you a chance to express your qualifications, motivations, and long-term objectives in a way that gets hiring managers and admissions boards excited to meet you.

No matter why you’re writing a personal statement, we’re here to help you stand out from the crowd.

Key Takeaways:

To write a personal statement, first brainstorm, then narrow down your ideas, and start with an intro that leads into your qualifications.

Make sure to proofread your personal statement before submitting.

Personal statements describe your interests, skills, and goals, with a particular focus on your passion.

Personal statements are typically found in academia, however some professional organizations may also request one.

What Is a Personal Statement?

How to write a personal statement, tips for writing a strong personal statement, questions to ask yourself when writing a personal statement, when do i need a personal statement, academic personal statement examples, professional personal statement example, personal statement faq.

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A personal statement is a written work that describes your skills, areas of interest, accomplishments, and goals. It is typically included with a college or scholarship application, and sometimes used as part of job applications as well.

Personal statements are a chance for you to show an admissions board or a hiring committee what makes you special outside of your resume . Think of it as an in-depth cover letter where you get to detail not only your skills, but why you’re so passionate about the subject.

Short of an interview, it’s the best way to show your personality in a way that (hopefully) convinces someone to hire or admit you.

When you’re ready to write your statement, there are a few ways you can approach it. We’re going to go over a seven-step process so you can keep your thoughts organized and work through a process. Feel free to switch up the method, so it works for you.

Understand the prompt. Before you put pen to paper, make sure you understand the prompt and what is being asked of you. If there’s a specific set of questions you need to respond to, make sure you frame your thinking that way instead of just choosing a topic.

Brainstorm. Think of some ideas and an outline before you start writing. Consider how you can answer the prompt you’re given and what unique experiences you can bring to the table. The more options you have, the better off you’ll be.

Narrow it down. An excellent way to pick your final approach to draft a statement would be to jot down a few sentences for each idea you had. This helps you tell what topic is easiest to write about or what you feel most confident. No matter how you narrow down your ideas, you need to settle on the strongest one to convey your qualifications.

Start with an intro. Once you’re ready to write, you’ll want to write your opening paragraph first. This is a chance for you to introduce yourself and let people know who you are. Try to keep this paragraph short since it’s just an intro, and you’ll have more space to get into your qualifications in the next paragraph.

Write about your qualifications. When you write about your skills, make sure you align them with the job description or the program’s goals or university.

You can expand this section to a few paragraphs (if word count allows) and be sure to cover your achievements, qualifications, skills, talents, goals, and what you can bring to the program or organization.

One to three body paragraphs should suffice, with scholarship and graduate school personal statements being the longest of the bunch, and job personal statements being the shortest.

Sum up your argument. Your statement is a persuasive argument for why the committee should pick you. It should be a compelling summary of your qualifications, and it should show that you have a clear desire to work for the company.

Proofread. Look for any spelling or grammar errors and check to make sure your writing is clear and concise. Cut out anything that doesn’t fit or help paint a good picture of what kind of student or employee you are. You might want to show your draft to a few people to ensure everything sounds right.

No matter what approach you take to writing your statement, a few things hold. We’ll give you some tips to make your statement stand out from the rest.

Write to your audience. Chances are you have a good idea of who will be reading your application and personal statement, so try to gear your writing toward them. Think of what will persuade or impress them and incorporate that into your writing.

Stay truthful. It might be tempting to exaggerate the truth or smudge a little bit, but make sure you stay truthful. If you claim to have skills or experience that you don’t have and land the job, it might be pretty easy to tell that your writing doesn’t exactly align with your experience.

Tell a story. If you can, try to weave your narrative into a story. Not only will it be more engaging for your reader, but it will also show if you can use your skill to create a story. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but tying everything together into a narrative will impress your readers.

Use your voice. To make your statement more personal and unique, you should write in your voice. Don’t try to copy examples of statements you find or let your editor drown out what makes you unique. Make sure you keep your personality and qualifications front and center since it’s a personal statement.

Get specific. Instead of generally talking about skills you have, find ways to show your reader when you used those skills. Being specific and giving examples will make your argument more compelling and show your reader that you’re a master.

Use simple language. Since personal statements are so short, it’s not the time for long and complex sentences. Keep it concise and easy to read. You don’t want to risk confusing your reader since committees usually have a few minutes to consider your candidacy, and you don’t want to lose their attention.

Sometimes, especially during the brainstorm process, it can help to ask yourself questions to get your mind focused. These questions can help realize what you want to write in your personal statement.

Some questions you can ask yourself include:

“Why am I interested in this application? What about it makes me want to apply?”

“What are my strengths and weaknesses?”

“What type of work gets me excited and deeply engaged?”

“What is my life story and how does it relate to this application?”

“Where do I want to go?”

“Who do I want to be?”

“What have I learned from my past?”

“How can I explain my past experiences?”

“How would my friends and family describe me to a stranger?”

“What obstacles have I overcome and how does it make me who I am today?”

Asking yourself questions like these will open up your mind to new ideas on how to write your personal statement.

You may need to write a personal statement for a university, scholarship, or job application.

University application. When you’re writing a personal statement for a school application, you’ll usually have a few paragraphs to get your point across. These prompts tend to be more open-ended and give you a chance to explain why you want to attend that school, how you align with their program, and why you are an excellent fit for the school’s culture.

A personal statement for a graduate program needs to be much sharper and more focused. At this point in your education, you’re expected to know precisely where you’d like to turn your academic focus and be able to communicate that efficiently.

Scholarship application. When you need to write a personal statement for a grant or scholarship application, you want to make sure you align your values and purpose with the providers. These can be tricky to write, but they’re like a careful balance between personal statements for school and work.

Job application. For work-related personal statements, you’ll want to focus on your skills and qualifications more than your personality. Employers are more concerned with how you can meet their skill requirements. Professional personal statements tend to be shorter, so there’s less space to talk about anything but your qualifications.

Here are two examples of shorts personal statement for graduate program applications:

From the moment I stepped into the lab, smelled the clean scent of fresh lab coats, and saw the beakers glistening under the light, I felt an excitement to learn that hasn’t left me since. Each time I enter the lab, I feel the same flutter of my heart and a sense of purpose. I want to continue to chase this feeling while contributing to a broader scientific knowledge catalog, which I know the Graduate Biology Program at City University will allow me to do. I want to continue the research I started in college on communicable diseases while gaining a critical education. City University’s program emphasizes in-class and hands-on learning, a perfect combination for my learning style.

As a graduate of State University with a B.S. in Biology, I have the foundation to build my knowledge and experience. While at State University, I worked in a lab researching the efficacy of a new flu vaccine. There, I managed other student researchers, worked as a liaison between the professor running the lab and students and managed the data reports. I am ready to bring my extensive experience to City University classrooms while learning from my peers. I am eager to begin the coursework at City University, and I believe I am uniquely prepared to contribute to the campus culture and research efforts. I look forward to stepping into City University’s lab in the fall and feeling the familiar excitement that drives me to pursue a graduate program and learn more about public health.

If you need to write a professional personal statement, here’s a sample you can model yours after:

As a recent graduate of State University with a B.A. in Communications, I am prepared to take what I have learned in the classroom and bring my work ethic and go-getter attitude to ABC Company. I believe that I have the skills and experience to excel as a Marketing Coordinator from my first day. My classes in Digital Communication, Social Media Marketing, and Business Management and my work as Outreach Chair of the university newspaper have prepared me to take on responsibilities as I learn more about the field. I also believe that my dedication to animal welfare aligns with the ABC Company’s goal of finding loving homes for all of their foster pets and makes me especially interested in this position.

What do I write in a personal statement?

A personal statement should include an introduction, your relevant skills/experiences, and your goals. You want to keep your personal statement relevant for the program or job in question. Make sure to show your passion and indicate what you’d like to do with the degree or opportunity.

How do you start off a personal statement?

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself. Give a brief snapshot of your background that also describes why you’re passionate about this field or area of study in particular. Another powerful way to start off a personal statement is with a significant accomplishment that immediately speaks to your relevant skill set and experience.

What exactly is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a brief statement that sums up your qualifications. A personal statement is a brief written document that university admissions boards, scholarship programs, and sometimes hiring managers require from applicants. A personal statement’s purpose is to show the reader that you are qualified, fully invested in the aims of the program, and have plans for what you would do if granted the opportunity.

How do you write a 500-word personal statement?

To write a 500-word personal statement, start by writing without worrying about the word count. If your personal statement is too long, look for sentences that include skills, experiences, or qualifications that aren’t strictly related to the requirements or aims of the program/job you’re applying for and remove them.

If your personal statement is too short, go back to the program, scholarship, or job description. Make note of the preferred experiences and required skills. For example, if you’ve included a skill in your personal statement without experience to back it up, consider adding a brief story that shows you putting that skill into action.

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The Personal Statement: Questions to Ask Before Writing

Written by Lisa Bleich.

As we meet with our clients to brainstorm for their personal statements (or college essays), it reminds us how much we enjoy delving into the depths of our clients and helping them think about how best to tell their story.  We are always amazed by their unique experiences and how they approach their lives differently depending on their interests or background.

However, it is also the most challenging part of the application process for most students.  Up until now the bulk of their writing has been in the form of a non-fiction, analytical essay about a book they read or a history paper.  Many struggle with what they should write about because they don’t know exactly what they want to communicate.  And for those 17 year olds who know what they want to write about, very few know how to tell it in a compelling, interesting way.  The personal statement must not only be compelling and interesting, but it should also convey the writer’s voice and personality in approximately 650 words.

I was reading a Forbes interview with Ryan Blair about how he became such a successful entrepreneur and it made me think how his story had all of the elements of a great personal statement. 

So what are some keys questions to ask yourself before you sit down to write to get at your own unique story?

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? Most people have something to overcome, something that makes them different from their peers.  How did you grapple with a weakness or accommodate for a weakness with your strengths?  The specifics of a story are what make for an interesting essay. Blair shows how he identified his strengths and weaknesses and used them to his advantage. He describes how what he learned in jail made him a successful businessman.  After reading this description, we care less about the fact that he was in jail and more about his business acumen.

What Are Your Key Themes?   Everyone has certain themes that run through his or her life.  Whether it’s that you enjoy working with kids, that you never quite fit in with your peers, or that you seek and enjoy challenge in academics and athletics.  Think about themes that cross over into various parts of your life and find a way to illustrate that theme through a particular story or series of events.  In Blair’s instance it was his ability to take risks and own his past mistakes.

What Is Your Inciting Incident?   In the literary world, every story has an inciting incident.  This is the incident that sets the story in motion.  So think about your own life and identify if there is one event that caused you to think about yourself or the world differently.  It could be suffering an injury that prevented you from playing sports, almost losing your first job because you forgot to tell your boss you wouldn’t be in, or something as seemingly mundane as watching a program on television that sparked your interest.  The key is to show the reader how and why this event impacted you.  In the Blair example, he had two inciting incidents, the first was a guidance counselor who told him had no real future and the second was his time in jail.  Each one impacted him to take risks and prove that he could be successful.

What Do You Want to Communicate? Once you determine your topic, think about what you want the admissions person to say about you after he or she has read your application.  It should tie back to your strengths and weaknesses.  The personal statement is the opportunity to go beyond what is listed in your application and learn more about you.  What drives you?  What makes you tick?  Why do you think the way to do?  What anecdote will best communicate how you approach the world?  Blair believes passionately in fighting instincts and the willingness and ability to change and adapt to any environment as the key to success.  He illustrates this by describing anecdotes about playing Connect Four before hiring employees and (not) writing a business plan.

Good luck writing your story.  We welcome suggestions for writing the personal statement from those in the trenches!

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Writing the Personal Statement

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The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

• What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
• What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
• When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
• How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
• If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
• What are your career goals?
• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
• Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
• What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
• What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
• Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
• What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

• If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.
• Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

• Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

• Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

• If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

• The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

• The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

• There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

• If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

• Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

• A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast .

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How to Write a Personal Statement: Tell Your Story for Success

What is a personal statement, the purpose of having a personal statement, structure of a personal statement, how to write a personal statement, tips for having an effective personal statement, personal statement example, personal clarity cultivates long-term vision.

It’s not uncommon during the application process to come across a section asking you to write a personal statement. This can happen whenever you fill out an application, whether it’s for college admissions, a new job, or anything else. If you’ve ever stared at the question, wondering what exactly they mean by “personal statement,” that’s understandable. They’re essentially asking you to distill who you are, where you excel, and what you stand for in the space of only a few paragraphs. That’s a lot of pressure, especially if you haven’t exactly thought about those key questions before. It will likely be the first time you’ve ever needed to know how to write a personal statement.

You shouldn’t let the intimidation of the moment overwhelm you. Don’t look at writing a personal statement as a chore but rather as an opportunity . This is your chance to truly express yourself and explain what makes you tick. It’s also an opportunity to show how you stand out over everyone else.

In this article, learn what a personal statement is, the purpose behind it, how to write one, and some additional tips for crafting the strongest personal statement you can.

“A personal statement should summarize what the candidate has done in the past, what they want to do next, and the skills/knowledge/experience that bridges the two.” Zena Everett, director and career coach at Second Careers

A personal statement is a detailed look at who you are, including your skills, values, achievements, goals, hobbies, passions, and any other information relevant to the position you are applying for. The main focus of a personal statement will largely depend on if the application is for a job or if it’s intended for a college admissions committee.

For example, a personal statement to get into college will likely talk about high school achievements and awards as well as what the individual hopes to study. 

A personal statement written for a job, on the other hand, will usually refer to accomplishments in past jobs as well as what you want to achieve as you advance in your career. 

In general, a personal statement for a job will be shorter, but both types should focus on what unique aspects you bring to the table along with the purpose that drives you to succeed. While not exactly a mission statement , it should reference what you hope to accomplish in life.

You shouldn’t wait to write a personal statement until the moment you see the question on an application. Preparing one beforehand will get you ready to answer what is a pretty important question. If you haven’t made one yet, write it ahead of time so you can refer to it when applying for a job, college, or graduate school. 

Essentially, a personal statement represents your personality, goals, and achievements in a succinct way for those in decision-making roles. They should get a good sense of who you are and what kind of person you want to become. You may also choose to include what career coach Donna Shannon calls a “passion statement,” which is a quick summary of why you love your job.

The following are some of the insights a personal statement can reveal to someone about you:

• Crucial events in your life that shaped you into the person you are today
• The core values that inform the most important decisions you make
• The ethical values that you strive to live by when no one is watching
• Times when you’ve needed to learn and grow
• A vision for your life that you hope to fulfill

Personal statements should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. That much is pretty straightforward. However, the way in which you tackle the content of your personal statement usually follows one of two main structures: narrative or montage.

Narrative Structure

A narrative structure follows a story, only this time, you’re the main character who follows a hero’s journey. As part of the story, you can talk about the challenges you encountered in your life and how you overcame them . Then you can recount how you changed during that time, becoming the person that you are now. This structure is appropriate when you have faced big challenges and come out stronger on the other side.

Montage Structure

Not everyone faces a monumental challenge in their life. In such cases, a montage structure might be the best choice. This structure strings together a series of events and experiences you’ve had that all are tied into a similar theme . The experiences should represent different facets of your life that give helpful insight into your character and skills.

1. Create an Outline

While an outline won’t be seen by your intended audience, it is an indispensable step in creating the best personal statement you can. With an outline, you can organize your thoughts and properly plan out what your personal statement will include . This is the stage where you decide on your structure and what you’ll cover in the limited space you have. Creating an outline first will make writing your personal statement that much easier.

2. Begin With a Personality-Driven Introduction

Your introduction should serve more than just to ease the reader into your personal statement. Take the opportunity to show your personality from the very start . Indicate the type of person you are, and hook the reader with your unique qualities. Part of the introduction should discuss why the position or school interests you and why you would be the perfect fit there. The introduction should compel the reader to continue with the rest of the personal statement.

3. Detail Your Experiences, Skills, and Passions

Most of your personal statement should focus on the experiences, skills, and interests that make you different from everyone else. Use the body paragraphs to talk about what unique achievements you’ve accomplished. Go into detail about the skills you have that would be a huge benefit to the university or organization you want to join. Write about your goals and how much they mean to you.

You may find that all of these subjects lead to a personal statement that is far too long. While you want to be detailed, brevity is beneficial. One survey from the UK found that admissions officers spent on average only two minutes reading a personal statement. So pick and choose what you feel is the most relevant and unique information. Remember that you’re trying to sell them on the idea of having you join them. If it doesn’t contribute toward that end, there’s no need to include it. Harvard Business Review calls this “an elevator pitch to impress the recruiters.”

4. End With a Strong Conclusion

Your personal statement should conclude by summarizing many of the earlier points you made about why you want to be there and how you can help them. Make sure your conclusion is clear and strong. This is the final impression you’ll be able to give the reader, so you want it to be a positive one that makes them want to see more of you. Doing all this in a couple of sentences is an effective way to wrap up your personal statement.

5. Review and Refine

No personal statement will be perfect the first time you write it. Go back over what you wrote to proofread it. Check to make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Review it to see that you’re getting your main points across. If possible, after writing your statement, let it sit for a day and come back later with some fresh eyes . In that way, you’ll be able to identify anything you might have missed.

Now that you know the basics of how to format a personal statement, review the following additional tips so that you produce the strongest, most dynamic statement possible.

• Get feedback from friends, family, and colleagues.
• Use active voice as much as possible.
• Be clear and concise.
• Avoid over-explaining.
• Use a positive tone throughout.
• Stay away from cliches.
• Name your most recent achievements, not things from many years ago.
• Choose specific examples instead of generalities.

An additional thing to note is to actually answer the questions given in the prompt. A general personal statement can still be effective, but the prompt usually tells you what exactly people will be looking for in your answer. Copying and pasting your personal statement for every application will lead to a statement that misses the mark, no matter how well-written it is. As recruiter and business manager Laura Ross writes , “If you don’t take the time to ensure your personal statement is relevant to each job application, it will appear that you’ve been a bit sloppy, or even lazy.”

Ultimately, you should never overlook the personal statement section of an application. “Take it seriously!” is the advice given by Darren Weeks, a senior recruitment partner at the Office for National Statistics. “A few lines isn’t good for a personal statement, and won’t provide the evidence needed to allow your application to be assessed fully.” Think about what you write, and give an honest, insightful response.

Note that the following is merely a personal statement example and not one you should follow word for word. This example also uses the montage structure mentioned above.

“From the moment I stepped through the doors of the first marketing agency I worked for, I’ve always believed in creating a deep connection with customers and clients. This has led to numerous successful projects over the course of my 10-year career in marketing, a pattern of success I know I can carry over to your organization.

One particular project that proved highly influential was a client-outreach program I spearheaded. Thanks to my bilingual background, I designed two different programs, thereby increasing the potential customer base and reaching more people than ever before. I was also part of a marketing team that doubled our company’s revenue while under a strict deadline with a limited budget. My planning skills were instrumental in getting that project off the ground. I also helped launch a new e-commerce branch, creating multiple opportunities to reach customers and solve their needs.

My track record as a successful marketer is one of solving problems for the companies I’ve worked for as well as the customers we have. As I continue to grow in my career, I will bring the same levels of success to your company while further refining my skills.”

Writing a personal statement helps you to gain perspective by facilitating greater long-term vision and self-understanding. In much the same way a vision statement can help an organization, having your own personal statement leads to better decision-making, clearer goals, and an overall stronger sense of self. All of these elements are necessary for success.

Establishing that vision can be a challenge, though. The following are some tips that will help you create a vision for your life.

• Ask yourself deep questions, such as what your ideal future looks like or what problems in the world truly bother you.
• Think about what purpose you hope to carry out in your life.
• Focus on the details of your vision.
• Communicate your vision to others.
• Keep distractions away from you.
• Gain an understanding that your vision can change and mature over time.

Creating a vision board can also help define your vision in life. For more on how to do that, read the following article:

How to Create a Vision Board That Works

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• Adams, R. (2023, June 15). UK university staff only read students’ personal statements for two minutes. The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/15/uk-university-staff-only-read-students-personal-statements-for-two-minutes
• Laker, B. (2022, July 26). Switching Careers? Here’s How to Write a Strong Resume. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/07/switching-careers-heres-how-to-write-a-strong-resume
• Ross, Laura. “A Recruiter’s Guide To Writing A Powerful Personal Statement.” TMM Recruitment. https://www.tmmrecruitment.com/downloads/tmm_personal_statement_advice.pdf
• Shannon, D. (n.d.). The Passion Statement: Keystone of your job search. www.linkedin.com . https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/passion-statement-keystone-your-job-search-donna-shannon/
• Weeks, D. (n.d.). Personal Statements in recruitment – Why and How? www.linkedin.com . https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/personal-statements-recruitment-why-how-darren-weeks/
• Whitmell, C. (2014, April 8). What makes a recruiter hate your CV? The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/recruiter-hate-cv-new-job-application

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What to include in a Personal Statement

Personal Statement Tips

What you need to include in your personal statement.

Ready to start your personal statement, but unsure where to begin? Crafting a compelling personal statement is crucial when applying for admission to your desired course.

Your personal statement is the opportunity to show universities who you are, your ambitions and why you’re passionate about the course you’re applying for. Before you dive into writing, it’s good to understand what you should include in your personal statement to make the most of the 4000-character count.

The purpose of your personal statement

Your personal statement is there to show admissions tutors why you’d be a good student for the course you’re applying for and what sets you apart from other candidates.

University admissions tutors tend to look for similar things in your personal statement: a bit about yourself, information about your aspirations and how they link to your chosen course, why you’re interested in the course, and specific skills you already have that will support you in your studies.

What to include in your personal statement

Before diving into writing your personal statement, create a plan of what you want to include and a breakdown of the topics you want to cover. This will help you write more concisely and confidently.

A bit about you, your hobbies and interests

This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself – share information about yourself, your background and any life experiences that have shaped your interest in your course. It’s great to include information that isn’t just education-related too! Tell them a bit about your hobbies and interests beyond your studies.

This is also a great way to flex more of your skills! Many of these could relate back to your subject. For example, keen readers, you could discuss your love for a book you enjoyed recently – a great way for prospective English Literature students to show that they look at the subject beyond the classroom.

Express your passion for the subject

Of course, they want to understand why you want to apply to the specific subject and also see that you are passionate about it too. If there are any areas of the subject that sparked your interest, and you’re looking forward to exploring more, this is the perfect chance to share!

Show off your key skills

Admissions tutors aren’t only interested in your academic achievements, but also other skills you have gained that could be applied to your studies. Give examples of where you’ve used organisational skills, solved a problem or effectively communicated with someone. This will help admissions tutors see how you’d fit in among the other students on campus.

This is also a subtle way of showing your hobbies and interests. If your key skills have been best communicated in a football match, a swimming meet or in a debating society, then show how your passion for these hobbies has manifested in the use of key skills.

Share your achievements

The admissions tutor will receive your predicted grades and recommendation letters alongside your application, so don’t feel you need to share this with them in your personal statement too. Instead, focus on expanding on specific areas of your studies that you have excelled in and the different skills they’ve given you and can be applied to your chosen course.

You can also talk about any achievements. This could be educational awards you’ve won, as well as achievements outside of school.

Writing your personal statement

Now you have all the ingredients, it’s time to get writing! The structure of your statement is just like any essay. Start with a compelling introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and gives an overview of what you’ll be talking about. The majority of your personal statement with then be made up of paragraphs that discuss the specific topics outlined in your plan. To finish, round off your statement with a conclusion. Summarise the key points and show, again, your enthusiasm for applying to the subject.

Some students find that it's easier to write the introduction last. This is a better way of summarising information you already know will pop up later.

With careful thought and planning of what to include and making sure the essential areas are included will be the start of you crafting a fantastic personal statement. If you’re looking for a helping hand, our personal statement examples can help you visualise what your personal statement can look like.

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Personal Statement Writing

Personal Statement Prompts

Common App Personal Statement Prompts - 2024

14 min read

People also read

How to Write a Personal Statement - Easy Tips & Examples

A Complete Guide to a Perfect Personal Statement Format

10+ Personal Statement Examples to Elevate Your Application

Are you a student on a mission to secure your dream college or snag a life-changing scholarship? 

Well, hold onto your hats because we're about to take you on a journey that could make all the difference. 

In this guide, we'll look into the personal statement prompts. These prompts hold the keys to unlock doors to your dream schools, jobs, and opportunities. We will also discuss the examples and tips that will help you craft a personal statement that stands out from the crowd. 

So, let’s dive in!

• 1. What is a Personal Statement
• 2. Personal Statement Prompts 2023-2024
• 3. Top-Ranked Personal Statement Prompts
• 4. Personal Essay Prompts High School
• 5. Personal Statement Prompts For College
• 6. Personal Statement Prompts Graduate School
• 7. Personal Statement Prompts UC
• 8. Personal Statement Prompts Law School
• 9. Past Personal Statement Prompts
• 10. Common App Essay Examples 

What is a Personal Statement

A personal statement is a written essay or statement of purpose that applicants submit as part of a college or job application. It typically highlights one's background, experiences, goals, and reasons for applying to a particular program or position.

What is a Personal Statement Prompt

A personal statement prompt is a question or topic provided by the institution or employer, which serves as a guide for applicants to address in their personal statement. It helps the applicant focus their essay on specific aspects of their background and aspirations relevant to the application.

Common Types of Personal Statement Prompts

Personal Statement Prompts come in various forms, tailored to different application scenarios. Here are some common types:

• Educational Prompts: These prompts are often used in college and university applications. They may ask you to discuss your academic achievements, career goals, or the reasons for choosing a particular course of study.
• Career or Job Application Prompts: When applying for a job, you may encounter prompts that ask about your professional experience or skills.
• Scholarship Application Prompts: They typically focus on your achievements, aspirations, and the impact of financial support on your educational journey.
• Personal Growth Prompts: Some prompts dive into your personal growth, asking about challenges you've overcome or lessons learned.
• Diversity and Inclusion Prompts: These prompts may inquire about your experiences with diversity, equity, and inclusion. They encourage you to share your unique perspective on these topics.

Personal Statement Prompts 2023-2024

Here are the Common App essay prompts for 2023-2024 application cycle.

• Share a significant aspect of your background, identity, interest, or talent that you believe is indispensable to your application. Explain why it's essential.
• Describe a time when you confronted a challenge, setback, or failure and elaborate on how it influenced your personal growth and learning.
• Recall a moment when you questioned or contested a long-held belief or idea. What prompted this introspection, and what resulted from it?
• Reflect on an instance when someone's unexpected act of kindness brought happiness and gratitude into your life. How did this experience impact you and your motivation?
• Narrate an achievement, event, or realization that ignited a period of self-discovery and a deeper understanding of either yourself or those around you.
• Share a topic, idea, or concept that captivates you to the extent that time seems to stand still. Explain what draws you to it and who or what serves as your source of knowledge in this area.
• Compose an essay on a topic of your choice. This can be a piece you've previously written, a response to a different prompt, or an entirely self-generated concept.

Top-Ranked Personal Statement Prompts

Here are prompts that are often considered effective and may be applicable to a wide range of personal statements:

• Share a personal story that demonstrates your resilience in the face of adversity and how it has shaped your character.
• Describe a time when you challenged a belief or idea, and explain how it transformed your perspective.
• Reflect on a significant accomplishment or achievement and discuss the lessons you learned from the experience.
• Discuss a person, book, or experience that has had a profound influence on your life and explain how it has impacted your goals and values.
• Explore a time when you collaborated with others to achieve a common goal and discuss what you learned about teamwork and leadership.
• Describe a problem or challenge you've encountered and how you used critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address it.
• Reflect on a personal passion or hobby and explain how it has contributed to your personal growth and development.
• Share a moment of personal growth or self-discovery and discuss how it has shaped your aspirations and future plans.
• Discuss your long-term goals and explain how the institution or program you're applying to aligns with your academic and career objectives.
• Reflect on your cultural background or identity and discuss how it has influenced your perspective and your contributions to a diverse community.

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Personal Essay Prompts High School

• Describe a moment in your life that significantly changed your perspective or shaped who you are today.
• Reflect on a challenge you faced and discuss how you overcame it, what you learned, and how it influenced your growth.
• Write about someone who has had a profound impact on your life and explain the lessons you've learned from them.
• Share a personal project or hobby that you are passionate about and explain its significance in your life.
• Discuss an experience that opened your eyes to the importance of diversity and inclusion in your community or school.
• Narrate a memorable trip or journey and how it influenced your perspective on the world.
• Explore the differences or similarities between your generation and that of your parents or grandparents, and how these have shaped your values.
• Reflect on the values that are most important to you and discuss how they guide your decisions and actions.
• Analyze a book, movie, or song that has had a profound impact on your life and explain why it resonated with you.
• Share your dreams and aspirations for the future, and discuss how your high school experiences are shaping your path forward.

Personal Statement Prompts For College

• Reflect on a time when you had to navigate a complex ethical dilemma. How did you approach the situation, and what did you learn from it?
• Share an experience that showcases your creativity and innovation. What inspired your idea, and how did you bring it to life?
• Discuss an extracurricular activity or community service involvement that has been particularly meaningful to you and explain why it's important in your life.
• Describe a moment when you had to step out of your comfort zone, whether academically, socially, or personally. What motivated you to do so, and what were the outcomes?
• Reflect on a failure or setback you've experienced. How did you respond to the challenge, and what did you gain from the experience?
• Share a cultural tradition or event that is significant to your background. How has this influenced your identity and perspective?
• Discuss a book, film, or piece of art that has had a profound impact on your thinking. How did it shape your worldview and your interests?
• Consider a time when you collaborated with individuals from diverse backgrounds. What did you learn about cross-cultural communication and cooperation?
• Describe a future problem or challenge you're passionate about addressing and explain why. How do you envision making a positive impact in this area?
• Reflect on a specific moment when you made a mistake and then took steps to rectify it. What did you learn about accountability and personal growth from this experience?

Personal Statement Prompts Graduate School

• Describe your specific research interests and how they align with the faculty and research opportunities at our graduate program.
• Reflect on a time when you encountered a significant academic or professional challenge and explain how you overcame it, highlighting the skills you developed.
• Discuss a recent development or breakthrough in your field of study and its implications. How do you see yourself contributing to this area of research?
• Share a significant professional achievement that demonstrates your qualifications for the program. What impact did this achievement have on your career goals?
• Explain your motivation for pursuing this graduate program and your long-term career objectives. How does this program fit into your overall plan?
• Describe a mentor or influential figure who has played a pivotal role in your academic or professional journey. What lessons did you learn from them?
• Discuss any relevant volunteer or community service work you've undertaken and how it connects to your graduate studies and your personal development.
• Reflect on a current issue or challenge in your field and propose a solution or research direction. How do you plan to contribute to addressing this issue?
• Discuss any interdisciplinary experiences you've had and how they have influenced your approach to research or your professional aspirations.
• Explain how your personal background, experiences, or cultural identity have shaped your perspective and your potential contributions to the diversity of the graduate community.

Personal Statement Prompts UC

The University of California (UC) system typically has its own set of personal statement prompts for undergraduate admissions. Here is a list of uc essay prompts that have been used in the past:

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

Things to Consider: When responding to this prompt, think about specific instances where you demonstrated leadership, such as in a club, sports team, or community group. Consider how you influenced and inspired others, resolved conflicts, and contributed to the group's success. Highlight the qualities and skills that make you an effective leader.

• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

Things to Consider: Discuss your creative talents and how they've been expressed. This could be through writing, art, music, problem-solving, or any other creative avenue. Reflect on how your creativity has influenced your personal growth and your contribution to your community.

• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

Things to Consider: Identify your greatest talent or skill and provide examples of how you've developed and demonstrated it over time. What challenges have you faced in honing this skill, and how have you overcome them? Show how this talent sets you apart.

• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Things to Consider: Share an instance where you've encountered educational barriers and explain how you've tackled them. Discuss the impact these challenges had on your academic journey and what you've learned from overcoming them. Emphasize your resilience and determination.

• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to Consider: Reflect on the most significant challenge you've faced and the steps you took to conquer it. Explain how this challenge affected your academic performance and personal growth. Focus on the lessons you've learned and how they've shaped you.

• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Things to Consider: Discuss how you've made a positive impact on your school or community. Highlight specific actions, initiatives, or projects you've been involved in and explain why they were meaningful. Consider how your contributions have improved the lives of others.

• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admission to the University of California?

Things to Consider: Beyond what's already included in your application, think about what makes you unique and valuable to the UC system. What qualities, experiences, or skills make you stand out as a strong candidate? Focus on your individuality and potential contributions.

• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

Things to Consider: Explore an academic subject that truly inspires you and has had a significant impact on your educational journey. Describe how you've pursued this interest both inside and outside the classroom. Discuss how it's shaped your intellectual growth.

Things to Consider: Share how you've worked to make a positive change in your school or community. Explain the specific actions you've taken, the goals you've achieved, and the lasting effects of your efforts. Reflect on your commitment to service and leadership.

• An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who you are today?

Things to Consider: Think about significant educational challenges you've faced and how you've surmounted them. Discuss the personal qualities, skills, and experiences that have helped you overcome these barriers. Emphasize how these experiences have shaped your identity and prepared you for college.

Personal Statement Prompts Law School

Here are some law school personal statement prompts that may help you prepare an effective statement:

• Describe a specific event or experience that sparked your interest in the law and influenced your decision to pursue a legal education.
• Reflect on a legal issue or case that you feel passionately about and explain how it has motivated you to study law and advocate for change.
• Discuss a personal or professional challenge you've faced that has prepared you for the demands of law school and a legal career.
• Share a unique perspective, background, or life experience that you believe will contribute to the diversity and richness of the law school community.
• Explain how you have demonstrated your commitment to social justice, advocacy, or public service and how this aligns with your pursuit of a legal education.
• Discuss a legal or ethical dilemma you've encountered and how you resolved it, demonstrating your ethical reasoning and decision-making abilities.
• Describe a significant achievement, project, or initiative that highlights your leadership and problem-solving skills, and discuss how these skills will benefit you in law school and beyond.
• Reflect on your long-term career goals in law and how the law school you're applying to can help you achieve them.
• Discuss your dedication to a particular area of law, such as criminal law, environmental law, or international law, and explain why this field is important to you.
• Explain why you believe the law school you're applying to is the ideal place for you to pursue your legal education, taking into account its programs, faculty, and resources.

Past Personal Statement Prompts

Here are some past personal statement prompts:

• Share an essay about a talent that is so meaningful to you, it sounds like you. How has this talent been fundamental to your personal growth and later success?
• Recount a time when you faced a challenge or setback that was fundamental to your later success. How did you respond to this obstacle and what did you learn from it?
• Respond to a different prompt, and tell us about an encounter that can be fundamental to your college essay. Share your story of personal growth and how this experience has shaped you.
• Recount a period of personal growth when you faced a challenge that you initially thought would cause you to lose all track. How did you overcome it and why was it meaningful to your application?
• Share an essay about a talent that is so meaningful to you, it sounds like you. Explain how this talent has been fundamental to your success, whether in academics, extracurricular activities, or personal pursuits.
• Recount a time when you faced a challenge or setback that was fundamental to your personal growth and development. How did you respond to this obstacle and what did you learn from it?
• Respond to a different prompt, and tell us about an encounter that can be fundamental to your college essay. Share your story of personal growth, and explain how this experience has shaped your goals and aspirations.
• Recount a period of personal growth when you faced a challenge that you initially thought would cause you to lose all track. Discuss how this challenge became meaningful to your application and how you emerged stronger.
• Share an essay about a talent that is so meaningful to you, it sounds like you. Describe how this talent has been fundamental to your success and how it has contributed to your unique identity.
• Recount a time when you faced a challenge or setback that was fundamental to your personal growth and later success. Reflect on the lessons learned and how this experience has shaped your path to college.

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Common App Essay Examples 

The best way to learn how to address different prompts is to read a range of good personal statement prompt examples and get an idea for the overall writing and structure. For your help, below we have provided a great example for you to not go wrong when writing your own personal statement. 

Personal Statement Prompts Examples

For more examples check out our “ personal statement examples ” blog. 

Wrapping Up! These prompts for 2023-2024 represent a vital opportunity for applicants to present their unique qualities and aspirations. Hopefully, the above list will help you in deciding on the idea on which your personal statement should be written. 

Regardless of which prompt you choose, it is important to answer all the questions. If you have written your personal statement on a topic of your choice, ensure your essay represents a broader picture.

If you're having trouble getting started on your personal statement, don't hesitate to reach out to professionals.

We are the best essay writing service online that can help you out with any personal statement prompt. Our team will not only help you in deciding on the prompt but also craft a personal statement from scratch. 

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So, buy personal statement now and get top results!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the common app essay.

The Common App essay word limit is 650 words,  which means that your essay should be no longer than 650 words in total. It's important to adhere to this limit to ensure your essay is within the application requirements. 

Can I Use the Same Personal Statement For Multiple Colleges?

Yes, you can use the same personal statement for multiple colleges if the prompts align. However, it's often best to tailor your essay to each institution's specific requirements.

Is it Okay to Write About a Sensitive Or Controversial Topic in my Personal Statement?

Yes, it's acceptable to write about sensitive or controversial topics, but do so thoughtfully and with respect. Ensure your essay reflects your maturity and ability to handle such subjects.

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12 Personal Statement FAQs and answers!

There is often a large amount of confusion surrounding how to write personal statements, especially when it comes to oxford and cambridge and other top research universities., every year, we have thousands of students ask us what qualities go into making a successful personal statement., to help, we have broken down this question into 12 of the most frequently asked questions our prospective students ask when they are trying to draft their personal statements., 1. how do i write the introduction.

Introductions are often disappointingly generic. To help you achieve more specificity and concision, the best way to write a good personal statement introduction is to complete the rest of it first. When you are getting started on the first draft, it can be overwhelming to begin at a blank page, but discussing your achievements and interests – relevant to the courses and universities you are applying to – can help you clarify what your motivation to study the subject really is. Then you can come back and explain the reasons behind your passion for Mathematics, Anglo Saxon literature or your subject of choice.

2. How many books should I talk about?

This question can be answered in various ways depending on the subject you intend to study. Clinical scientific subjects will not require many book mentions, however, Arts and Humanities personal statements for Oxbridge see a great benefit from discussing at least two books in detail, with further reading mentioned.

It’s also important to remember that academic sources shouldn’t be only limited to books. A well-rounded personal statement discusses specific theories, touches on lectures you have attended or essays and articles you have read to gain a better understanding of specific academic points rather than a general discussion. One of the biggest pitfalls students fall into when drafting Oxbridge personal statements is getting stuck waffling about general points around a subject of interest. To avoid getting stuck in general chatter, try to use only specific examples in your personal statement.

Centrally, admissions tutors want to see that you know you are getting yourself in for. Only reading a couple of books from their introductory list will therefore not tantalise them; try to follow your interests in a bit more depth and look at readings and ideas which are representative of degree level material.

3. What do I do if I have no work experience?

Referencing work experience in your personal statement is dependent on the subject you intend to study. A rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you think an academic in the faculty you are applying to will think your work experience was relevant for the course. If you are applying to study History, for example, your two-weeks at an accounting or law firm organising files will be of little interest.

For Medicine, work experience is integral not only to the application process but will help build a strong personal statement. When applying to a vocational subject such as Medicine, where possible you should always ensure you are able to reference at least one work experience placement held. If you don’t have any work experience and your personal statement is due, make sure to arrange some and refer to this in the future tense in your personal statement when talking about your upcoming placement.

Work experience can also be useful for other more vocation-leaning subjects, such as architecture and engineering. More widely, doing work experience is extremely useful to help you begin thinking about what you might want to do with your career, and can build highly useful skills, but, unless it is relevant to the course content, it is unlikely to proffer you any credit for university admission.

4. How long should I talk about extra-curricular activities?

Leading research universities are looking for your potential to succeed on the course you are applying for. Nevertheless, two applicants who seem academically matched might be distinguished from each other by their ability to balance their time with several other things. Do include what you do outside of academia, then, but keep non-relevant activities mentioned to a minimum rather than an exhaustive list. This might mean sacrificing some of the things you do outside of your course and focus on those few things you do most often, or to the highest level. (N.B. Your reference might be able to discuss some of your extra-curricular activities too, and you don’t want to overlap this material).

What you do mention, try to link to your subject. This might be easy, as with an English literature student who has directed lots of theatre, or less easy, such as a maths applicant who plays the violin to a high level. Nevertheless, making these links convincingly can bring originality and creativity to your statement.

5. How can I tailor it for different courses?

Subjects like HSPS at Cambridge or Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at Oxford might make it tricky to tailor your statement for different courses. Oxford and Cambridge are very understanding of this, and specific guidance can usually be found on faculty websites about their expectations.

However, as a rule of thumb, focus on the areas of convergence between the courses you are applying for. If these differ in title, then avoid stating the title of the course in your statement and instead refer to the disciplinary area or focus instead. This involves: a) making sure the courses you are applying for are sufficiently similar to give you a chance of doing this, and b) doing your research on the course content and options so that you are covering the appropriate material.

This research stands even if you are applying for the same titled course everywhere. English, for example, is taught very differently at Oxford to Bristol, and focusing on an interest which does not feature in either course will result in your application being put aside.

Doing this research early can also help you to direct your reading and research to build material for your personal statement which speaks to all your choices.

6. How should I talk about my other A-level subjects?

Lots of students are told to discuss the skills they have gathered from their A Level subjects, but we caution around this; your UCAS application includes a full list of A-Level subjects studied, and your school reference will discuss your A-Level abilities. Talking about the time management or analytical skills you gained from studying history, and the logical skills you gained from physics, can therefore come across as ‘fodder’ which could have already been inferred.

You can, however, talk about how other subjects provide further insight into the course or subject you’d like to study. For example, students who have taken Classics that intend to study English Literature at university can talk about translating texts, such as the Aeneid, and how this helped gain a greater understanding of classical influence in modern English Literature. As with the whole statement, the more specific you can make this, the better.

7. How long should it be?

This is an easy one. Your personal statement should be at most, 4,000 characters or 47 lines, whichever you meet first. Although it can be shorter, we strongly recommend taking full advantage of the available space. Ideally, you want your first draft to be much longer so you can cut down and edit your personal statement to be shorter, rather than using general waffle or struggling to fill the space.

Cutting it down is usually relatively easy, but it might take an outside eye to see the ‘wood from the trees’. Any non-relevant, generic material, anything which is likely to be in many other statements, and frilly, decorative language or repetition can all be chopped down.

If you find you are struggling to reach 4,000 characters or 47 lines, you probably need to revisit the body of your personal statement and discuss more subject-specific content. You may, alternatively, need to go back to the research and reading phase of writing.

8. What formatting should I use?

The final version of your personal statement will be submitted in a digital form with no formatting options, so there is no need to worry about formatting. That means you won’t have to decide what font or colour to use and there is no need for styles such as bold or italics. If you do include these, they won’t appear in the submitted version.

Your school should already have discussed best practice for writing your personal statement but as a reminder – do not write your statement draft in the real form! As with any content that is going to be submitted digitally, you should write it in a word document first (Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Pages, etc) where you can save a copy locally to your computer (and back-up regularly). This way, you can avoid the devastating loss of your best statement draft due to an accidental refresh or the internet dropping out.

9. How many paragraphs should it be?

There is no set-in-stone rule for the number of paragraphs but generally, a well-structured personal statement will be broken up into five or six paragraphs and be easy to read. Admissions tutors will need to comprehend your statement very quickly, so structure with this in mind.

A frequently-successful structure follows this pattern: an introduction, two to three course/subject-specific main paragraphs, a penultimate paragraph detailing your extracurricular activities, and then a final summary paragraph. The final two paragraphs are sometimes pushed together to form one.

10. Will they find out if I slightly…exaggerate my talents?

Yes! Your personal statement for Oxford and Cambridge should be considered a springboard for your interview and you could and should expect to be questioned about any single detail of it. At Oxbridge Applications, every year, we have students that approach us in January who are upset that their Admissions Tutor spent 20 minutes focused on a certain author when “I only mentioned that book briefly as a side note”.

However, you DON’T need to be an expert, or even particularly knowledgeable, about a particular idea or author to mention it in your statement. If you are questioned about an aspect of an author’s work you have mentioned which you are unsure about, then be intellectually honest and say so, but try your best to have a go given what you already know about them or similar authors/ideas.

This is not only the case for authors/books mentioned, but also if you put forward a highly ambitious or critical view in your statement. If you want to argue that Marx was totally wrong, then you better be ready to defend your view in a nuanced way. The bottom line is: stay intellectually honest and err on the side of modesty; academics tend to become less rather than more sure about the ‘truth’ the further they delve into their subject matter.

11. How many teachers should check my personal statement?

Preferably, you will get your drafted personal statement checked by at last two of your teachers or guidance advisers. One should be subject-specific who can check over the content of your paragraphs and the other can be from a different department to provide feedback on grammatical accuracy and quality of the statement.

Getting guidance from second and third parties can be useful ensure you retain editorial control, and that your voice and taste runs through the statement. If you try to include everyone’s different opinion, you can quickly end up with a jumbled statement that no longer reflects on you and your communication style and strengths.

Make sure you leave plenty of time between completing your first draft and the Oxbridge personal statement deadline ensuring you have time for others to check it over and you can make changes as necessary.

12. Should I start my personal statement with a quote?

‘Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.’ Oscar Wilde.

How much have you learned about me from reading Wilde’s words?

Quotes are used each year by applicants who end up getting offers from top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. It’s not necessarily going to bring your application to an end. Quotes are also awarded marks in certain A Level subjects, if you have taken the time to remember them and give them a bit of context.

However, your personal statement gives admissions tutors the chance to hear your voice, and to get a sense of what you might be like as a student on their course. By definition , using a quote – i.e. someone else’s words – is not personal. It is therefore preferable to avoid using a quote unless it’s absolutely essential. Using a quote doesn’t make YOU sound more interesting.

Before you decide to use a quote, think long and hard. If you would really like to use a quote, try to make it as pithy and concise as possible, and make sure it elevates and builds on what you are saying; that it expresses something you couldn’t have otherwise expressed on your own. (Also, by ‘quote’, we are not talking about specific concepts or theories – these are absolutely fine to include.)

Driven by 20 years of research and first-hand experience in guiding thousands of applicants, our consultations provide an honest and detailed assessment with guidance on individual personal statements.

If you would like to speak to one of our oxbridge-graduate advisors about your own personal statement, contact our oxbridge advising team on  +44 (0)207499 2394 , email at [email protected] , or request a callback  to discuss your situation., explore oxbridge applications, request a callback, application resources, related content, arts personal statement, how to become a lateral thinker, key trends for successful university applications: spring edition.

Our Oxbridge-graduate consultants are available between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday, with additional evening availability when requested.

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The Personal Statement’s Two Main Questions

When I work with admissions essay coaching clients for graduate school admissions essays, we often talk about the two “Main Questions” a personal statement must address. These questions get at the heart of every different statement a school requires. In fact, I like to think of your answers to these two main questions as the “thesis” of your personal statement. Everything your statement says should point back to these questions in some way.

These are the two Main Questions a personal statement should address:

The two main questions your personal statement should address include: 

• Why am I interested in this field or program? 
• Why am I a perfect fit for this school and program? 

These may sound like they’re the same question! And although they’re very similar, they’re not quite the same. Let’s unpack each question a little bit more.

Question 1: Why am I interested in this field or program?

This question places the emphasis on you and your story. What is your background? Why do you want to go into this field or career? What personal, professional, or educational events, experiences, or ideas are pushing you to take the challenging and exciting step of applying to graduate school? 

In your essays, you need to make sure that the admissions readers know why this school is a perfect fit for your background and your interests. You also need to show them what you hope to do after you finish the program. Question 1 looks at your interests and background. A clearly written essay begins with your background to your interest in a field of study. Then, the essay shows your readers why this particular school is the best fit. Finally, the essay focuses on how attending that program will help your particular career goals and further the mission of the program. (I’ll have more to say about structuring your essay in my next blog post!).

Question 2: Why am I a perfect fit for this school and program?

The second question shifts the emphasis from  you  to the  school and the program you’re interested in. 

In the personal statement, your job is to show the admissions readers, whoever they are, that you’ve done your homework about their school and their program. Find out what sets their program apart from all the others in your intended field. You can talk about particular faculty, specific courses, or special programs, internships, or opportunities the school offers. Do the faculty’s interests or courses match with yours? Perhaps the school has a particular certification, internship opportunities, or other special programs. Maybe it’s their approach to cultural diversity, online or hybrid learning, or how they value the whole person. Talk about as much of this as you can within the length!

The answer to Question 2 will show, rather than just tell, an admissions committee that their school is the place for you to be. Yes, you could write, “I strongly believe that I am a perfect fit for your graduate program in communications” (or whatever it happens to be), but there’s another way. Instead, dovetail your background and interests with theirs. For example, you could say: “My research interest in the intersection of race and gender in the women’s rights movement would benefit from studying with Professor Firstname Lastname.” Then say a bit more about what interests you about the professor’s work, courses, or research interests. This approach shows the admissions committee that you’re familiar with the program’s offerings and faculty.

Still have questions about the personal statement’s two Main Questions?

Not studying race or gender? Or you’re applying to a more practice-based degree, like physical therapy or divinity school? The same two questions still apply: why is your background and interests the perfect fit for this school, program, or field? What makes that particular school or program a perfect fit for you? 

If you are applying to more than one school, you can tweak your answers. You’ll have the same general reasons for being interested in occupational therapy, psychology, or history (etc., etc.!) no matter the school. Your personal, educational, and professional  backstory applies across essays, with a few tweaks, of course. 

Sometimes, it’s not always clear how your graduate school personal statement’s two Main Questions apply to your essays. It can help to have a writing coach talk through your background, goals, and fit with a school. I offer a 1/2 hour free consultation to see if personal statement coaching and editing would meet your needs. Send me a note to be in touch, and I look forward to talking with you! 

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The Most Important Questions Your Essays Should Answer

• Application Essays , For Students

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT SHOULD ANSWER

The purpose of your essay is to breathe some life into your application..

It adds color and interest to an otherwise lifeless document. You are writing the story that only you can tell. If you had a 10-minute interview with the admissions team, what would you want them to know about you that is not in other parts of your application? Your Personal Statement should make you come to life for the selection committee because it answers the following questions:

“Who am I?” (Your background, personality, identity. What makes you YOU?)

“Why am I here?” (Your purpose, your journey, how you will make a difference)

“What is unique about me?” (Your values, interests, motivations, and skills)

“What matters to me?” (Your passions, goals, and inspirations)

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wild

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10 prompting questions to get you started with your UCAS personal statement

Most people would agree that the hardest part of constructing a UCAS personal statement is getting started. And the longer your leave it, inevitably, the harder it gets. Much of this is due to the pressures we put on ourselves to produce something perfect and yet aiming for perfection on a first draft is unrealistic.

My solution to this is simple - start putting pen to paper as soon as you can. Having something to work with, no matter how unpolished it is, will allow you to see just how and where you need to improve. Keeping things in our heads, on the other hand, are likely to cause anxiety and further procrastination.

If you find yourself in this position, honest written answers to the following questions will start the journey of allowing your personal statement to take shape.

How did your interest in this subject develop?

Everyone’s story here is different, so what is yours? Was your interest ignited through something you read, something you heard or something you experienced? Be honest. If you’re not honest it will sound disingenuous.

How can you prove you have gone out of your way to research the subject further?

To want to take this subject to degree level you need to show how this interest has developed. So what exactly have you done - further reading, research, open days?

Looking forwards, what particular elements of the subject are most appealing?

Can you show that you understand some of the breadth of what you will be expected to study during your time at university? Are there particular specialisms or module topics that appeal and can you say why this is?

Why is it important that people study this subject?

Are you able to see the ‘bigger picture relevance’ of this subject? What impact does it have on society and on how we live our lives? Can you give any newsworthy examples of this?

In terms of your recent education, can you talk about a piece of work or research that you found particularly interesting?

University staff want to teach interesting, and interested, students. Giving them evidence of a time when you have enthusiastically approached academic challenges in the past will help to do this.

What particular study skills have you gained from your recent subjects?

Remember, not every subject has to be relevant to your future studies. But you should be able to identify the transferable benefits that have come from your studies to date, whether that is critical thinking, structuring arguments or using creativity, to name but a few examples.

Have you gained any work experience (relevant or otherwise to your degree) and what has this taught you about yourself?

It is important to be reflective here. A personal statement showing a list of what you did will be much less impressive than one that shows how the experiences have shaped or challenged your perceptions about the world of work, and how you may fit within it.

What are your current career ideas?

If you are applying to a strongly vocational course then this is definitely something you will need to be able to show that you have thought about. What research have you done? What particular careers or working environments interest you? (NB - don’t over worry this if your course is purely academic - remember that this is a course application and not a job interview).

What additional responsibilities have you taken on, either in or outside of school?

Everyone likes a proactive student who goes out of their way to acquire more skills. But again, this question is about being reflective about your experiences rather than simply listing what you did. Extra-curricular interests can also help to add individuality to a personal statement.

What aspects of university life are you most looking forward to?

University is about personal development as well as academic development so think broadly here. Answering this question honestly should help to reveal positivity and a ‘can do, will do’ attitude.

I’m not suggesting that your answers to these questions will, or should, form your complete and finished statement. Rather this is an exercise in brainstorming ideas and getting the ball rolling. From these answers you should then be able to identify exactly which information is most relevant to your application (it won’t all be) and identify the areas that can be taken to a greater depth. There may also be further work that needs to be done on ordering your statement in a way that flows and makes sense. So, it won’t be perfect and it won’t give you the finished article, but the important thing is that by tackling these relevant questions head on, you are making a start.

Don’t forget that Momentum Careers Advice offers a personal statement review service for just £60. Email [email protected] if interested or read my blog post ‘ What is involved in a UCAS personal statement review? ’

If you want to browse through the other blog posts that I’ve written on the subject of UCAS applications then please click on this link .

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• The Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide

Last Updated: 31st May 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

• Getting started

Table of Contents

When it comes to completing your UCAS application, the Personal Statement is one of the most important parts to consider.

While your grades show your academic ability and Admissions Tests assess your knowledge and capabilities, a Personal Statement is all about you. Tutors want to see the person behind the application and understand why you’re a suitable candidate for your chosen course. 

Although each university will have its own unique way of shortlisting applicants, your Personal Statement is your opportunity to demonstrate your strengths and let your personality shine through.

However, over 20,000 students apply for Oxbridge every year which is a lot to compete with. As such, you need to stand out from the crowd and really get across your reasons for wanting to study your topic, which can make the prospect of writing one and including all the right things pressurising. To help you, we have written this ultimate Personal Statement guide. Let’s get started.

How to write a Personal Statement

Your Personal Statement isn’t a long monologue of your life so far, nor a gigantic list of all your achievements. Think of yourself as a storyteller. Start at the beginning with how you developed an interest for your chosen subject and end with where you see yourself after university.

Before You Start

How to get started.

Before you sit down to write your UCAS Personal Statement, the first thing we recommend is to research the courses you want to apply for. This will help you prepare your statement as courses vary from university to university, and your content should reflect these. Bear in mind, you are only able to send one Personal Statement to all your chosen universities, so you can’t overly cater to one. Look at all of the details, including the structure, modules and examination methods, as well as what they’re looking for from a student. This will support your first draft, though bear in mind you’ll redraft a few times before it’s perfect.

For example, Oxford lists the personal characteristics that they look for in applicants to their Medicine degree:

How many words should a Personal Statement be?

Personal Statements can be up to 4,000 characters long (615-800), and no more. This might sound like a lot, but it’s just one side of A4 paper. There’s plenty of information to include, so make sure it’s concise, clear and easy to read.

When to start writing it

It’s never too early to start thinking about your Personal Statement and what you’re going to write about. But there is a deadline : October 15th for all Oxbridge courses including Medicine and Dentistry, and January 25th for other undergraduate subjects. We suggest you begin preparing at the start of the year, as this gives you plenty of time to plan, draft and rewrite until it’s perfect for submission.

Your Personal Statement is the first thing Oxbridge Admissions Tutors will see about you. It’s imperative you get it right.

Our Oxbridge Premium Programmes help you write a successful Personal Statment that ticks all the Admission Tutor’s boxes. Our proven support is implemented through various mediums including Personal Statment Intensive Courses, Personal Statment Marking and Personalised Reading Lists.

Discover our Oxbridge Premium Programmes  by clicking the button below to  enrol and triple your chances of success.

What To Include

Your Personal Statement is a glimpse into your passion, how keen you are to learn and what you already know about your chosen subject. Express your interest by commenting on the areas that fascinate you most. For example, is it helping people that draws you into Medicine, or is it the fascinating human anatomy? 

Another great way to show your enthusiasm is through your previous experience in the subject. Demonstrate why you’re suitable for the course by providing evidence of any relevant skills and qualities that relate to this. What are you good at? What have you done that proves it? 

• Answering Your Personal Statement Questions

Mention any additional projects, work experience or extra-curricular activities you’ve got involved with that further demonstrate you’re an ideal candidate. Reflect on the skills you’ve gained from these (as long as they’re transferable to your studies). Admissions Tutors will be looking for such information, as well as your unique selling points — give examples of things you’ve done that show you have a wider interest in learning. 

You should also try to link your interests, skills and qualities to your university research. However, Oxbridge are not interested in sports, hobbies or if you play any musical instruments — keep it academic.

Show you’re an interesting person and have a true passion for your subject, and your Personal Statement should be a winning one. Your enthusiasm is what will make your statement stand out, so don’t shy away from expressing your love for your chosen subject, though you don’t need to say you’ve dreamed about doing the course your entire life.

Aim to include things like:

• Personal attributes, such as adaptability, problem-solving and organisation
• Employment experience and volunteering work
• Personal interests in your subject
• Relevant extracurricular activities, like any clubs or societies you belong to
• Your future after university

The Structure

The key to writing a good UCAS Personal Statement is getting the structure right, as this can have a huge effect on the message it delivers. Often, students get caught up in the content and forget that presenting information effectively is just as important as the words included.

Each section of your statement needs to be crafted correctly so that Admissions Tutors can digest the information easily. While there are no strict rules on how to structure it — since it’s personal to you — there are a few rules of thumb to use to find the right balance. In general, though, remember to consider the format, structure and content equally, and you’ll write a great Personal Statement.

• Personal Statement Cheat Sheet

Here is a breakdown of how we recommend students to split up their essay:

• Introduction - About six lines
• Academic abilities - 22 - 27 lines
• Extra-curricular information - 10 - 12 lines
• Conclusion - No more than four lines

Personal Statement Introduction

Rightly or wrongly, it is highly likely that your UCAS Personal Statement will be remembered by its opening sentence. It must be something short, sharp, insightful, and catch the reader’s attention. It sets the precedent for the rest of your statement and unfortunately, decides whether your statement is paid particular attention to when read.

• Avoid using overused words like “passionate”, “deeply fascinating”, and “devotion”.
• Avoid using clichéd quotes like the infamous Coco Chanel’s “fashion is not something that exists in dresses only”.
• If you are going to use a quote, then put some effort into researching an obscure yet particularly powerful one – don’t forget to include a reference.
• Draw on your own personal experiences to produce something both original and eye-catching.

Once that’s out of the way, you need to answer the most important question:

The introduction does not need to be very long. It is generally a good idea to open the statement with something that sets the context of your application. For example, someone who is applying to study History may open: ‘History is all around us’, rather than ‘I have always been interested in History because…”

By the end of the introduction the reader should clearly know:

• What subject you are applying for
• What motivated you to apply for this subject

Make sure you keep it personal and honest! The exact phrase: “from a young age, I have always been interested in” was recently used more than 300 times in Personal Statements in a single year, and substituting “young” for “early” gave an additional 292 statements – these phrases can quickly become boring for Admissions Tutors to read!

Personal Statement Main Body

In the rest of your text, your aim should be to demonstrate your suitability for the course by exemplifying your knowledge of the course structure and its requirements through personal experience. Again, there are no rigorous guidelines on how to do this and it is very much down to your own writing style. Whereas some prefer a strict structure, others go for a more synoptic approach, but always remember to be consistent to achieve a flowing, easy to read Personal Statement.

Here’s the structure we recommend:

Paragraph #1: This should cover why you are suited for your subject. This will include your main academic interests, future ambitions (related to the chosen degree), and what makes the course right for you. This should be the academic side of why you want to study this subject.

Paragraph #2: This should still cover why you are suited for your subject. However, it can be less focused on academic topics. If you’ve had to overcome any significant challenges in life and wish to include these in your Personal Statement, this is normally the best place to do so. Similarly, any work experience or relevant prizes & competitions should be included here.

Paragraph #3: This is the smallest part of the main body and is all about extra-curricular activities. It is easy to get carried away in this section and make outrageous claims, e.g. claim to be a mountain climber if all you have ever climbed is a hill at the end of your street etc. Lying is not worth the risk, given that your interviewer may share the same hobby that you claim to be an expert in. So, don’t be caught out!

What you should include in your Personal Statement main body:

• Sports and other hobbies
• Musical instruments
• Work experience
• Personal interests in the field of study
• Personal attributes

What you shouldn’t include in your Personal Statement main body (or anywhere!):

• Negative connotations – always put a positive spin on everything
• Lack of reflection
• Controversy in whatever form it may come
• Generic/stereotypical statements
• Listing things

Personal Statement Conclusion

The conclusion of your Personal Statement should be more about leaving a good final impression rather than conferring any actual information. If you have something useful to say about your interest and desire to study your subject, you shouldn’t be waiting until the very end to say it!

A good conclusion should not include any new information, as this should be in the main body. However, you also need to avoid repeating what you have said earlier in your Personal Statement. This would be both a waste of characters and frustration for the tutor. Instead, it is better to put into context what you have already written and, therefore, make an effort to keep your conclusion relatively short – no more than four lines.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychology at oxford, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement for cambridge mathematics and physics, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for oxford english language and literature, successful personal statement for medicine at oxford university, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for law at cambridge, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge, our personal statement do’s.

1. Show passion for your subject

Admissions Tutors aren’t going to pick a candidate who doesn’t seem particularly interested in their field. Show your passion and eagerness to learn and succeed. Why do you love your subject? Why have you chosen it? What do you find most interesting and why?

2. Talk about you

This is your chance to talk about you, your interests and skills. It’s no good saying you’re passionate if you don’t prove that you are. Write in a natural style to show off your personality, making sure it’s genuine, relevant and specific.

3. Use appropriate language

Re-read your Personal Statement multiple times and check that the content is academic, engaging and clear.

4. Provide evidence to back up your claims

It’s all well and good saying you love medical science, but this is going to fall flat if you can’t back it up. Talk about your school subjects and results, any wider reading and relevant work experience. Perhaps you attended a lecture on your subject — this would be good evidence.

5. Link your activities outside of education to your course

Tell tutors why these activities are relevant and what you have learned as a result. Focus on transferable skills gained too, such as time management or organisational abilities.

6. Spell check and look for grammatical mistakes

Poor spelling and grammar makes for a terrible first impression, so ensure you triple-check it’s written to the highest standard before submitting it.

Our Personal Statement dont’s

1. Write a clichéd beginning

Don’t waste time thinking of a catchy opening. The best Personal Statements get to the point quickly, so avoid starting with phrases like “From a young age”, “I am applying for this course because”, and “Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…”. Go straight into why you are interested in your course subject.

2. Use cringe-worthy language and cheap gags

This is not impressive and can indicate that you’re not a serious student. It’s essential you don’t come across as verbose or pretentious too, as Admissions Tutors will spot this immediately. They are well-versed in the ramblings of students who think this tone makes them seem more intellectual.

3. Overcomplicate things

Say what you need to, be specific and don’t waffle too much — you’ll run out of characters fast.

4. Go overboard with extra-curricular activities

Talking about these is good, but the truth is, Admissions Tutors have very little interest in what you do outside of education unless you can find a way to directly link them to your subject.

5. Plagiarise content

You can read Personal Statement examples online for inspiration but avoid copying and pasting them. During your interview, you’re likely to be asked about specific parts of your statement, and if you’re caught off-guard, you’re going to look silly. This could ruin your chances of being accepted. Use a plagiarism detector to ensure your essay is unique.

6. Mention universities or specific courses by name

You can only write one Personal Statement, so it’s the same for each course you apply for. Avoid mentioning specific unis by name or detailing exact specifics of a module, for example. Keep it general.

Now you know what to include in your Personal Statement and the best practices for doing so, we hope you feel more confident writing it. We have plenty of guides and successful personal statement examples to go through in our Free Personal Statement Resources page. Good luck submitting your UCAS application!

First impressions count. Learn how to craft the perfect Personal Statement that demonstrates your suitability to Oxbridge Admissions Tutors.

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