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College Admissions , College Essays

In addition to standardized test scores and transcripts, a personal statement or essay is a required part of many college applications. The personal statement can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process because it's the most open ended.

In this guide, I'll answer the question, "What is a personal statement?" I'll talk through common college essay topics and what makes for an effective personal statement.

College Essay Glossary

Even the terminology can be confusing if you aren't familiar with it, so let's start by defining some terms:

Personal statement —an essay you write to show a college admissions committee who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their school. It's worth noting that, unlike "college essay," this term is used for application essays for graduate school as well.

College essay —basically the same as a personal statement (I'll be using the terms interchangeably).

Essay prompt —a question or statement that your college essay is meant to respond to.

Supplemental essay —an extra school or program-specific essay beyond the basic personal statement.

Many colleges ask for only one essay. However, some schools do ask you to respond to multiple prompts or to provide supplemental essays in addition to a primary personal statement.

Either way, don't let it stress you out! This guide will cover everything you need to know about the different types of college essays and get you started thinking about how to write a great one:

• Why colleges ask for an essay
• What kinds of essay questions you'll see
• What sets great essays apart
• Tips for writing your own essay

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

There are a couple of reasons that colleges ask applicants to submit an essay, but the basic idea is that it gives them more information about you, especially who you are beyond grades and test scores.

#1: Insight Into Your Personality

The most important role of the essay is to give admissions committees a sense of your personality and what kind of addition you'd be to their school's community . Are you inquisitive? Ambitious? Caring? These kinds of qualities will have a profound impact on your college experience, but they're hard to determine based on a high school transcript.

Basically, the essay contextualizes your application and shows what kind of person you are outside of your grades and test scores . Imagine two students, Jane and Tim: they both have 3.5 GPAs and 1200s on the SAT. Jane lives in Colorado and is the captain of her track team; Tim lives in Vermont and regularly contributes to the school paper. They both want to be doctors, and they both volunteer at the local hospital.

As similar as Jane and Tim seem on paper, in reality, they're actually quite different, and their unique perspectives come through in their essays. Jane writes about how looking into her family history for a school project made her realize how the discovery of modern medical treatments like antibiotics and vaccines had changed the world and drove her to pursue a career as a medical researcher. Tim, meanwhile, recounts a story about how a kind doctor helped him overcome his fear of needles, an interaction that reminded him of the value of empathy and inspired him to become a family practitioner. These two students may seem outwardly similar but their motivations and personalities are very different.

Without an essay, your application is essentially a series of numbers: a GPA, SAT scores, the number of hours spent preparing for quiz bowl competitions. The personal statement is your chance to stand out as an individual.

#2: Evidence of Writing Skills

A secondary purpose of the essay is to serve as a writing sample and help colleges see that you have the skills needed to succeed in college classes. The personal statement is your best chance to show off your writing , so take the time to craft a piece you're really proud of.

That said, don't panic if you aren't a strong writer. Admissions officers aren't expecting you to write like Joan Didion; they just want to see that you can express your ideas clearly.

No matter what, your essay should absolutely not include any errors or typos .

#3: Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances

For some students, the essay is also a chance to explain factors affecting their high school record. Did your grades drop sophomore year because you were dealing with a family emergency? Did you miss out on extracurriculars junior year because of an extended medical absence? Colleges want to know if you struggled with a serious issue that affected your high school record , so make sure to indicate any relevant circumstances on your application.

Keep in mind that in some cases there will be a separate section for you to address these types of issues, as well as any black marks on your record like expulsions or criminal charges.

#4: Your Reasons for Applying to the School

Many colleges ask you to write an essay or paragraph about why you're applying to their school specifically . In asking these questions, admissions officers are trying to determine if you're genuinely excited about the school and whether you're likely to attend if accepted .

I'll talk more about this type of essay below.

What Kind of Questions Do Colleges Ask?

Thankfully, applications don't simply say, "Please include an essay about yourself"; they include a question or prompt that you're asked to respond to . These prompts are generally pretty open-ended and can be approached in a lot of different ways .

Nonetheless, most questions fall into a few main categories. Let's go through each common type of prompt, with examples from the Common Application, the University of California application, and a few individual schools.

Prompt Type 1: Your Personal History

This sort of question asks you to write about a formative experience, important event, or key relationship from your life . Admissions officers want to understand what is important to you and how your background has shaped you as a person.

These questions are both common and tricky. The most common pit students fall into is trying to tell their entire life stories. It's better to focus in on a very specific point in time and explain why it was meaningful to you.

Common App 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Common App 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

University of California 2

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.

University of California 6

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

Prompt Type 2: Facing a Problem

A lot of prompts deal with how you solve problems, how you cope with failure, and how you respond to conflict. College can be difficult, both personally and academically, and admissions committees want to see that you're equipped to face those challenges .

The key to these types of questions is to identify a real problem, failure, or conflict ( not a success in disguise) and show how you adapted and grew from addressing the issue.

Common App 2

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Harvard University 7

The Harvard College Honor Code declares that we “hold honesty as the foundation of our community.” As you consider entering this community that is committed to honesty, please reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.

Prompt Type 3: Diversity

Most colleges are pretty diverse, with students from a wide range of backgrounds. Essay questions about diversity are designed to help admissions committees understand how you interact with people who are different from you .

In addressing these prompts, you want to show that you're capable of engaging with new ideas and relating to people who may have different beliefs than you.

Common App 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Johns Hopkins University

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religion, community) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.  This can be a future goal or experience that is either [sic] academic, extracurricular, or social.

Duke University Optional 1

We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community. 

Prompt Type 4: Your Future Goals

This type of prompt asks about what you want to do in the future: sometimes simply what you'd like to study, sometimes longer-term career goals. Colleges want to understand what you're interested in and how you plan to work towards your goals.

You'll mostly see these prompts if you're applying for a specialized program (like pre-med or engineering) or applying as a transfer student. Some schools also ask for supplementary essays along these lines. 

University of Southern California (Architecture)

Princeton Supplement 1

Prompt Type 5: Why This School

The most common style of supplemental essay is the "why us?" essay, although a few schools with their own application use this type of question as their main prompt. In these essays, you're meant to address the specific reasons you want to go to the school you're applying to .

Whatever you do, don't ever recycle these essays for more than one school.

Chapman University

There are thousands of universities and colleges. Why are you interested in attending Chapman?

Columbia University

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.

Rice University

Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you?

Princeton University

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals?

Prompt Type 6: Creative Prompts

More selective schools often have supplemental essays with stranger or more unique questions. University of Chicago is notorious for its weird prompts, but it's not the only school that will ask you to think outside the box in addressing its questions.

University of Chicago

“Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match).

University of Vermont

Established in Burlington, VT, Ben & Jerry’s is synonymous with both ice cream and social change. The “Save Our Swirled” flavor raises awareness of climate change, and “I Dough, I Dough” celebrates marriage equality. If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?

What Makes a Strong Personal Statement?

OK , so you're clear on what a college essay is, but you're still not sure how to write a good one . To help you get started, I'm going to explain the main things admissions officers look for in students' essays: an engaging perspective, genuine moments, and lively writing .

I've touched on these ideas already, but here, I'll go into more depth about how the best essays stand out from the pack.

Showing Who You Are

A lot of students panic about finding a unique topic, and certainly writing about something unusual like a successful dating app you developed with your friends or your time working as a mall Santa can't hurt you. But what's really important isn't so much what you write about as how you write about it . You need to use your subject to show something deeper about yourself.

Look at the prompts above: you'll notice that they almost all ask you what you learned or how the experience affected you. Whatever topic you pick, you must be able to specifically address how or why it matters to you .

Say a student, Will, was writing about the mall Santa in response to Common App prompt number 2 (the one about failure): Will was a terrible mall Santa. He was way too skinny to be convincing and the kids would always step on his feet. He could easily write 600 very entertaining words describing this experience, but they wouldn't necessarily add up to an effective college essay.

To do that, he'll need to talk about his motivations and his feelings: why he took such a job in the first place and what he did (and didn't) get out of it. Maybe Will took the job because he needed to make some money to go on a school trip and it was the only one he could find. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for screaming children, he kept doing it because he knew if he persevered through the whole holiday season he would have enough money for his trip. Would you rather read "I failed at being a mall Santa" or "Failing as a mall Santa taught me how to persevere no matter what"? Admissions officers definitely prefer the latter.

Ultimately, the best topics are ones that allow you to explain something surprising about yourself .

Since the main point of the essay is to give schools a sense of who you are, you have to open up enough to let them see your personality . Writing a good college essay means being honest about your feelings and experiences even when they aren't entirely positive.

In this context, honesty doesn't mean going on at length about the time you broke into the local pool at night and nearly got arrested, but it does mean acknowledging when something was difficult or upsetting for you. Think about the mall Santa example above. The essay won't work unless the writer genuinely acknowledges that he was a bad Santa and explains why.

Eloquent Writing

As I mentioned above, colleges want to know that you are a strong enough writer to survive in college classes . Can you express your ideas clearly and concisely? Can you employ specific details appropriately and avoid clichés and generalizations? These kinds of skills will serve you well in college (and in life!).

Nonetheless, admissions officers recognize that different students have different strengths. They aren't looking for a poetic magnum opus from someone who wants to be a math major. (Honestly, they aren't expecting a masterwork from anyone , but the basic point stands.) Focus on making sure that your thoughts and personality come through, and don't worry about using fancy vocabulary or complex rhetorical devices.

Above all, make sure that you have zero grammar or spelling errors . Typos indicate carelessness, which will hurt your cause with admissions officers.

Top Five Essay-Writing Tips

Now that you have a sense of what colleges are looking for, let's talk about how you can put this new knowledge into practice as you approach your own essay. Below, I've collected my five best tips from years as a college essay counselor.

#1: Start Early!

No matter how much you want to avoid writing your essay, don't leave it until the last minute . One of the most important parts of the essay writing process is editing, and editing takes a lot of time. You want to be able to put your draft in a drawer for a week and come back to it with fresh eyes. You don't want to be stuck with an essay you don't really like because you have to submit your application tomorrow.

You need plenty of time to experiment and rewrite, so I would recommend starting your essays at least two months before the application deadline . For most students, that means starting around Halloween, but if you're applying early, you'll need to get going closer to Labor Day.

Of course, it's even better to get a head start and begin your planning earlier. Many students like to work on their essays over the summer, when they have more free time, but you should keep in mind that each year's application isn't usually released until August or September. Essay questions often stay the same from year to year, however. If you are looking to get a jump on writing, you can try to confirm with the school (or the Common App) whether the essay questions will be the same as the previous year's.

#2: Pick a Topic You're Genuinely Excited About

One of the biggest mistakes students make is trying to write what they think the committee wants to hear. The truth is that there's no "right answer" when it comes to college essays . T he best topics aren't limited to specific categories like volunteer experiences or winning a tournament. Instead, they're topics that actually matter to the writer .

"OK," you're thinking, "but what does she mean by 'a topic that matters to you'? Because to be perfectly honest, right now, what really matters to me is that fall TV starts up this week, and I have a feeling I shouldn't write about that."

You're not wrong (although some great essays have been written about television ). A great topic isn't just something that you're excited about or that you talk to your friends about; it's something that has had a real, describable effect on your perspective .

This doesn't mean that you should overemphasize how something absolutely changed your life , especially if it really didn't. Instead, try to be as specific and honest as you can about how the experience affected you, what it taught you, or what you got out of it.

Let's go back to the TV idea. Sure, writing an essay about how excited you are for the new season of Stranger Things  probably isn't the quickest way to get yourself into college, but you could write a solid essay (in response to the first type of prompt) about how SpongeBob SquarePants was an integral part of your childhood. However, it's not enough to just explain how much you loved SpongeBob—you must also explain why and how watching the show every day after school affected your life. For example, maybe it was a ritual you shared with your brother, which showed you how even seemingly silly pieces of pop culture can bring people together. Dig beneath the surface to show who you are and how you see the world.

When you write about something you don't really care about, your writing will come out clichéd and uninteresting, and you'll likely struggle to motivate yourself. When you instead write about something that is genuinely important to you, you can make even the most ordinary experiences—learning to swim, eating a meal, or watching TV—engaging .

#3: Focus on Specifics

But how do you write an interesting essay? Focus.

Don't try to tell your entire life story or even the story of an entire weekend; 500–650 words may seem like a lot, but you'll reach that limit quickly if you try to pack every single thing that has happened to you into your essay. If, however, you just touch on a wide range of topics, you'll end up with an essay that reads more like a résumé.

Instead, narrow in on one specific event or idea, and talk about it in more depth . The narrower your topic, the better. For example, writing about your role as Mercutio in your school's production of Romeo and Juliet is too general, but writing about opening night, when everything went wrong, could be a great topic.

Whatever your topic, use details to help draw the reader in and express your unique perspective. But keep in mind that you don't have to include every detail of what you did or thought; stick to the important and illustrative ones.

#4: Use Your Own Voice

College essays aren't academic assignments; you don't need to be super formal. Instead, try to be yourself. The best writing sounds like a more eloquent version of the way you talk .

Focus on using clear, simple language that effectively explains a point or evokes a feeling. To do so, avoid the urge to use fancy-sounding synonyms when you don't really know what they mean. Contractions are fine; slang, generally, is not. Don't hesitate to write in the first person.

A final note: you don't need to be relentlessly positive. It's OK to acknowledge that sometimes things don't go how you want—just show how you grew from that.

#5: Be Ruthless

Many students want to call it a day after writing a first draft, but editing is a key part of writing a truly great essay. To be clear, editing doesn't mean just making a few minor wording tweaks and cleaning up typos; it means reading your essay carefully and objectively and thinking about how you could improve it .

Ask yourself questions as you read: is the progression of the essay clear? Do you make a lot of vague, sweeping statements that could be replaced with more interesting specifics? Do your sentences flow together nicely? Do you show something about yourself beyond the surface level?

You will have to delete and rewrite (potentially large) parts of your essay, and no matter how attached you feel to something you wrote, you might have to let it go . If you've ever heard the phrase "kill your darlings," know that it is 100% applicable to college essay writing.

At some point, you might even need to rewrite the whole essay. Even though it's annoying, starting over is sometimes the best way to get an essay that you're really proud of.

What's Next?

Make sure to check out our other posts on college essays , including our step-by-step guide to how to write your college essay , our analysis of the Common App Prompts , and our collection of example essays .

If you're in need of guidance on other parts of the application process , take a look at our guides to choosing the right college for you , writing about extracurriculars , deciding to double major , and requesting teacher recommendations .

Last but not least, if you're planning on taking the SAT one last time , check out our ultimate guide to studying for the SAT and make sure you're as prepared as possible.

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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10 Tips for Writing a Strong Personal Statement

1. read the instructions carefully.

This is especially important when you are applying to multiple programs. Pay particular attention to length limits and content/questions you are supposed to address.

When you attend a Post Grad Application Support appointment, it can be very helpful to bring these instructions with your drafts (in hardcopy!)

2. Focus on yourself

Avoid getting into long explanations of the courses you took, or places you volunteered. The selection committee will be more interested in how these experiences influenced your perspective, your intellectual development and motivated you to pursue further education. YOU are the main focus of the personal statement.

3. Demonstrate your genuine interest and enthusiasm

Post graduate education can be very challenging and stressful. The committee will be looking for evidence that you are truly motivated and excited about what you want to study since such students make more positive peers and are more likely to successfully complete the program.

4. Start early

Although personal statements aren’t usually very long, you will need to write multiple drafts to get your statement to the level you want it to be.

This is a different kind of writing than you are used to, and it can take much longer than you expect to figure out what you are trying to say, and how to say it in the most effective way. Beginning 2-3 months before your deadline is a good rule of thumb.

5. Explain any discrepancies in your application in your personal statement

Be sure to address any grades on your transcripts that do not reflect your academic ability, especially if they occurred in the last two years of your degree, and are in courses related to the programs to which you are applying.

Your explanation should be concise, and focused on assuring the committee that whatever the problem was, it is in the past and will not impact your ability to do well in the future. You can discuss strategies for doing this in a Post Grad Application Support session.

6. Review good sentence and paragraph structure

A personal statement requires you to put a lot of information in very few words, so the structure of your sentences and paragraphs is key. The Purdue Online Writing Lab is an excellent resource to review these elements of good writing before you get started.

7. Use the active voice

This means put “I” in the subject position of your sentences and avoiding terms like ‘allowed’ and ‘gave'; with you as the receiver rather than the initiator of the action.

For example, instead of “This course gave me a new understanding of...” use “Through this course, I gained a new understanding of...”.

8. Give explicit reasons for selecting the program for which you are applying

The selection committee will select qualified candidates who can give rational, persuasive reasons why that program is a good fit for them.

Compelling reasons for selecting a program could include the fact that there are several professors who are experts in your particular area of interest in a particular program, or that the structure of the program will enable you to focus on a particular topic.

Maybe the location is near an important resource, or there are courses specifically focused in your area of interest. Make sure you clearly articulate why these aspects of the program appeal to you.

9. Indicate what your goals are once you’ve graduated from the program

Committees like to get a sense of how you see their program supporting your goals to make sure you have realistic expectations and to ensure you are not making erroneous assumptions as to the purpose of the program

10. Revise, revise, revise!

Check for problems with the structure and flow of your statement. Look for awkward phrases, jarring transitions, ambiguous statements and, of course, grammar and spelling errors. Get feedback from as many people as possible. The Personal Statement Peer Review is an excellent resource to help you do this.

Click here to go back to: Thinking about grad school or further education?

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A Guide to Writing a Personal Statement for Grad School Applications

Congratulations! You made it through undergrad, and you’ve decided to apply to graduate school. Grad school can be a great way to progress your career path, upgrade your earning potential, and get a whole new perspective on your subject area—making the application process all the more daunting. As part of the application process, you’ll likely be required to write and submit a personal statement. 

A personal statement is a short essay between two and three pages long explaining why you’re applying to the program and what makes you a strong applicant. A personal statement allows you to differentiate yourself by sharing a little bit about what makes you unique. Writing your personal statement for grad school is the best way to show off your personality, which doesn’t always come through in the other parts of the application process. 

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What is a personal statement? 

The point of a personal statement is for the admission committee to better understand who you are outside of your professional and academic experience. It’s also an opportunity to share information that they won’t find in your other application documents. 

A personal statement is different from a statement of purpose. A statement of purpose expands upon your career and academic goals, while a personal statement explains why you’re the right person for the program. You can still share your academic and career goals in a personal statement, but you should focus on explaining how you came to those goals and what accomplishing them would mean to you. 

A personal statement for grad school applications is also not the same as a personal statement that you would submit alongside a résumé . While a personal statement for your CV focuses on your professional accomplishments and gives a quick overview of who you are as a potential employee, a personal statement for grad school is a more in-depth look at who you are outside of being an employee or a student. It provides a deeper glance at what you bring to the table and why you’re a good prospect for the program.

Brainstorm before you write your personal statement

Sitting down and taking some time to reflect is the first step to writing an outstanding personal statement. Writing prompts can help you get into the right frame of mind and begin your brainstorming process. Here are some ideas: 

• What are my short-term and long-term goals? How will acceptance into this program help me achieve them?
• What are my strengths in terms of skills and characteristics? How can these benefit the program?
• What life experience or interest is so meaningful that I would devote years to exploring the topic or subject? Why does it captivate me? 
• Is there someone who has significantly impacted my life or character? Who is it, and in what ways have they impacted me?
• How has my life shaped my choice to apply for grad school?
• What do I want the people reviewing my application to know about me? 
• What makes me different from other students or prospective applicants? 

The answers to these questions will serve as the foundation of your personal statement.  You can also try other calming prompts to ease any nervousness you feel about beginning the writing process.

What makes a strong personal statement?

The best personal statements capture who you are as a person and give the reader a sense that they know you once they’re finished reading. You have a story to offer that no one else does, and the more authentic you are, the better your essay will flow. 

Your personal statement should have a sense of completeness. You don’t want to leave your readers wanting more. You want to provide your audience with all the information they might need to make a decision on your application. The beginning of your essay should be relevant until the end, with supporting body paragraphs in between. 

And finally, a personal statement should be mistake-free. Your grammar and spelling need to be perfect, and the diction and syntax in your essay need to be purposeful. 

7 dos and 3 don’ts for writing a personal statement

1 include examples.

If you’re spending your essay telling the admissions committee that you’re driven and compassionate, provide anecdotes that back up your claim. For example, you can prove that you’re driven by sharing that you balanced a job with school to pay down student loans, or you could talk about a time when you went above and beyond for a particular project. You can prove that you’re creative by giving an example of a time you offered an innovative solution to a problem that came up. You don’t want to say, “I’m smart and reliable.” You want to show that you are.  

2 Be yourself

It’s easy to tell when someone is exaggerating, hedging, or pretending to be someone they’re not. And this comes through especially in writing. Be authentic when crafting your personal statement. 

3 Do your research

Just as you would for a job interview, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Before writing your personal statement, you should have a concrete idea of what the university and program offers, what they value, and the kind of applicants they’re looking for. 

4 Grab their attention 

As the initial impression of your paper, your hook is everything—make it interesting! 

Stay away from rote phrases like “I’m writing to you today to . . . ” and throw them right into the action. Think of an instance that shaped you and jump right into the story. Keep it short, engaging, and illustrative of the qualities and motivations you will explore later in your statement.

5 Remember your audience

One of the biggest mistakes people make in personal statements is trying to be humorous or sarcastic. In writing, these tones often fail and fall flat. Remember who you’re writing for, and stay professional. 

6 Address the prompt

Though most schools will give you the freedom to make your personal statement about whatever you want (as long as it’s within the guidelines of the general answer they’re seeking), some will require you to answer a specific question. If that’s the case, remember to keep your personal statement tailored to the prompt and be direct with your answers. 

7 Revise and proofread

Make sure your statement is clear and flows smoothly between sentences and paragraphs. Read it out loud, and read it to a friend or family member to get feedback. Also, be sure your copy is clean—any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes can distract the reader and detract from the message you’re trying to deliver. 

1 Don’t be presumptuous

Of course you want to showcase what makes you a great applicant, but make sure you don’t overdo it. Just because you might think you’d be a good fit for the program doesn’t mean the admissions office will see it that way. 

Presumptuous: “I know my personal statement for grad school is the best, and I have no doubt that I’ll get in everywhere I apply.”

Confident: “I put a lot of effort into my personal statement for grad school, and I know it is well-written and authentic.” 

2 Don’t use platitudes or cliché s

You don’t want to oversimplify important life events by using a platitude, nor do you want to use clichés in place of opportunities for authenticity. Everyone uses them; that’s how they got to be cliché s! Avoid starting your essay with a quote, definition, or anything else that signals the obvious fact that time has passed and you’re now applying for graduate school. For example: “from a young age . . . ” or “I’ve always been interested in . . . ” 

3 Don’t overshare

This isn’t an autobiography or a session with a close confidant. Pick an example or two of life events that shaped you and your desire to apply to grad school, but don’t tell your whole life story. There’s also no need to get into the nitty-gritty with the admissions committee. Keep your personal statement inspiring, and remember what you’re trying to convey. 

Crafting your personal statement

You might want to begin your writing process with an outline detailing what you plan to include in your personal statement. Writing an outline might seem annoying, but it can be beneficial in the long run. 

Your paper should end up between two and three pages long, and should include:

• Introduction
• Body paragraphs

Your introduction should include a hook that captures your reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading. Admission committees read countless personal statements, so make yours stand out. 

Body paragraphs should include examples of characteristics you want to come through in your personal statement, whether that be an anecdote about a challenge you overcame or something broader. Let these paragraphs explain your motivations for applying, and provide examples of your ability to excel in the program.  

Your conclusion is an opportunity to discuss future plans and explain why acceptance into your desired program would benefit you. The conclusion is also a great time to summarize the key pieces of your previous paragraphs, weave them together, and complete your argument. For example, if you previously explained a challenging moment in your life, your conclusion should emphasize what you got out of that experience and how it has prepared you for this opportunity. 

The final sentence of your concluding paragraph should be just as good as your hook. You want the audience to remember your paper, so leave them with something to ponder. Perhaps your last sentence inspires the reader or evokes a strong emotion. Either way, your final statement needs to give a sense of completion. 

After you finish writing, don’t forget to proofread and revise until your final draft is polished and clear. 

Remember to bring something different to the table and provide the admissions committee with something new and valuable to know about you that they can’t access elsewhere. Stay authentic, be engaging, and prove that you’re exactly the kind of person grad schools want in their program. 

How to Write a Personal Statement

When you’re applying for a job or admission to an academic program, you may be asked to provide a personal statement. Written in your own voice, this essay is a departure from the other rigid, standardized information you’re required to submit during the application process. Learn how to write a personal statement that stands out and convinces the admissions or hiring committee that you’re worthy of the spot you want. 

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a short essay that tells the reader more about you, outlines your goals, highlights your skills and achievements, and summarizes why you’re a strong fit for the program or job you’re applying for.

Personal statements are commonly found during the application process for degree programs and scholarships, but some employers ask for them as part of the job application. A personal statement for academic purposes is about three to four paragraphs long, whereas a personal statement for professional purposes is shorter, usually about a paragraph. 

A personal statement differs from a cover letter in that it’s, well, personal. While a cover letter focuses on your accomplishments as they pertain to the job you want, a personal statement is more geared toward helping the reader get to know you as a person, including but not limited to your professional aspirations.

Why it’s important to send a personal statement

A personal statement helps catch the attention of the admission committee or hiring manager. They’re likely reviewing dozens or even hundreds of applications, so you need a way to show them your uniqueness. Your personal statement serves this purpose. 

A personal statement also provides context beyond your resume. While your resume is useful for conveying the facts, like your major and the jobs you’ve held, it doesn’t drill down to what drives you. A personal statement communicates your goals, interests, and passions: the things that make you uniquely you. 

When should you send a personal statement

When applying to a school.

Personal statements are standard fare in the academic admissions process. Use yours to explain why you were drawn to this program and what objective you hope to achieve.

When seeking a scholarship

Many scholarship-awarding organizations are looking for applicants whose values align with theirs. A personal statement is a valuable tool to demonstrate how those values play a part in your life and brag a bit about your accomplishments.

When applying for a job

When using a personal statement as part of a job application, focus on standing out from the rest of the pack. This essay is a chance to show what sets you apart since the skills on your resume may be pretty similar to those of other candidates.

What to include in a personal statement

Introduction.

Start off by stating who you are and giving the reader a bit of background information on yourself.

Achievements to date

Share achievements that are relevant to the position you’re applying for, like degrees you’ve attained, dean’s list placements, an impressive GPA, or related jobs you’ve held.

Relevant skills

State what makes you a good fit for this program or role. What skills do you have that will help you thrive?

Personal goals

Give your letter meaning by explaining where this program fits into your overall plan.

Finish strong with a powerful, concise statement that wraps up your essay.

What you should omit

Restating your resume.

Your personal statement should provide information that’s not readily available in your resume, or at least expand upon what’s there.

Sensitive topics

While a personal statement is meant to help share what defines you, it’s not the place to write a tell-all about traumatic life experiences. Stick with uplifting anecdotes.

Sample personal statement

Ms. Steinberg,

Dance has been an instrumental part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started ballet lessons at the age of two and have spent the best hours of my life in the studio since then. In 2022 I received my bachelor’s degree in dance from Montclair State University, and now it’s with great enthusiasm that I write to be considered for NYU’s master’s program for dance education. 

During my lengthy dance career, I have spent many years as a resident and guest instructor at studios around the tri-state area, where I honed my organization and communication skills. My patience and creativity have served me well working with children ranging in age from toddler to teenager. 

It’s my dream to help impressionable kids build self-esteem and avoid negative influences through their involvement with dance. I believe your program would be an invaluable stepping stone in making this dream a reality, and I look forward to your response. 

Sincerely, 

Trisha Harding

The best personal statements are just that–personal. So whether you’re looking to land a job, further your education, or secure academic funding, speak from the heart and write in your own voice to show the reader a piece of your personality they can’t get from your resume alone. 

Reviewed and verified by Pete Newsome

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• FRONT MATTER
• TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Fulbright Scholarship

The Fulbright Scholarship provides funds sufficient to complete a proposed research or study abroad project for one year. Applicants submit written documents detailing their research or study plans, which may include a year of graduate study, original dissertation research, a creative or performing arts project, or a teaching assistantship. Because the study is undertaken abroad, applicants must have sufficient maturity, character, and literacy to work within the host country.

The Fulbright Scholarship Selection Criteria

Criteria that selectors use to award Fulbright Scholarships include:

• likelihood of the candidate and project to help advance the program and promote mutual understanding among nations;
• sufficient written and spoken literacy in the host country’s language;
• feasibility and specificity of the proposed plan.

A final criterion is the ratio between the number of awards offered in the target country and the number of applications received—i.e., students applying to countries that receive fewer applications have a greater statistical chance of acceptance. Applicants can assess competition statistics and other details for a particular country by consulting the Fulbright website linked at the bottom of this page.

Composing a Personal Statement and Statement of Grant Purpose

The primary written portions of the Fulbright application are a one-page personal statement and two-page statement of grant purpose. As usual, the personal statement is your opportunity to discuss personal motivations, your experience and activities, and future goals. Though your examples should still be concrete, you have the room to reveal your personality—indeed many applicants view this as their chance to let the selectors know them as individually as possible, and they use lightly entertaining anecdotes to set themselves apart from other candidates. In plain terms, the goal is to write an essay that no other person could have written

In writing the statement of grant purpose, begin by making sure not to repeat material from other parts of the application unnecessarily, and present detail tailored as much as possible to the host country. If you can show that you have performed research on (or, better yet, in) the host country already and have made contacts with potential supervisors, you increase your odds of success dramatically.

The Fulbright website cautions writers against the use of discipline-specific jargon, and a good rule of thumb is to define any jargon that you do use in context, keeping the focus of your statement of grant purpose on addressing problems that will provide valuable contributions to society and within your field. Also, practicality and feasibility are principal concerns, so the best applicants provide a timeline, discuss their methodology and goals, and analyze such variables as the host country’s cultural and political climate and resources. Finally, of course, you must demonstrate as necessary your linguistic ability as it applies to the country and your proposed plan, especially if your primary goal is a teaching assistantship.

Evaluation of Written Materials from Two Sample Fulbright Applications

The first sample essays provided in the pdf link below do an excellent job of making the case for the writer’s personal and intellectual readiness for the proposed project. The personal statement focuses on the student’s experiences as inspired by his service-oriented grandparents—members of the Mennonite Church. These role models inspired the student to travel to Peru and contact the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). As we learn in the student’s statement of grant purpose, he wishes to work on a grassroots project in Peru related to rice farming, and he shows that he has earned the support of the MEDA Consulting Group, underscoring the feasibility of his plan.

The two essays in the second set of samples are also neatly intertwined, and the writer opens the personal statement with a delightful anecdote about her family puzzling over why a woman would be interested in geological research. The student uses the essay to detail her science background and educational travel, including a month in Thailand, where she plans to do her proposed seismic research. To underscore the urgency of such research, she opens her statement of grant purpose with a poignant narrative and statistics about the devastating effects of a 1999 earthquake in Central Taiwan. Some readers might have valid concerns over whether the statement of grant purpose is too technical at times, and whether its sources should be cited internally, yet these essays remain impressive overall. Indeed, the writer was named as a scholarship alternate.

The Fulbright Scholarship program website is extensive, including everything from statistics on the previous year’s competition to advice about how to prepare your personal essay.

Visit the Fulbright Scholarship website.

WTO / Business / Statements / 6 Great Teaching Personal Statement Examples (How to Write)

6 Great Teaching Personal Statement Examples (How to Write)

Personal statements are used for different purposes, but their primary function is to convey the story of who you are and why you are apt for a job position. This guide will help you create the best statement for a teaching job so you stand out from the others.

Personal Statement

A personal statement allows an academic institution, an organization, a workplace, or a potential client to know more about you. The statement will be slightly different, but each one should highlight why you are the right candidate for the program or the position. You should also use past experiences and accomplishments to support the statement.

There is a fundamental difference between a personal statement and a cover letter , as the former is written casually and informally, while the cover letter is a formal document. 

Perfect Examples

Writing it for Teaching Job

Begin the statement by researching the institution that will read it. Read the organization’s mission statement, history, and recent news or bulletins to determine their value in a student or potential employee.

Write for a specific job

Each institution and organization will seek content specific to its mission and objectives. Do not send the same statement to several institutions and personalize each one you write.

For example, if you apply to a college that emphasizes community service and involvement, you will need to highlight your service work in that statement. However, another school may value academics more for that school and your grades.

Describe the education and experience

While you should not include a complete list of accomplishments in your statement, some of the most important ones are worth mentioning. Writing a list of your actions will help you remember each one and determine which ones to include.

The following are some formal accomplishments you can consist of:

• Academic degrees and certificates
• Scholarships, internships, and grants
• Awards or distinctions from academic institutions (departmental distinctions and list of honors.)
• Promotions, reviews, and workplace evaluations
• Speak at a conference, convention, or workshop.
• Published works in the field of specialization.
• Official recognition for community service or contributions

Show your passion

Remember, you have to impress. Start by saying how excited you were about this position and how happy you would work for this institution. Your first sentence should emphasize your passion for this job, your interest in the institution, and perhaps emphasize why you want this job. Write a list of experiences and turning points in your life that led you to develop your current career or academic interests.

The following are some questions worth asking yourself:

• When did you start showing interest in the field of your choice?
• What do you like the most about teaching?
• Why do you think a teaching position is important?
• What experiences have you had that helped you develop expertise in teaching?
• Have you missed other dreams or expectations to focus on this position?

Some institutions may ask some questions. Write your text in a way that answers these questions. These are usually questions to know a little about you, your reasons for choosing the program, and what you can add if you teach at the institution.

Put emphasis on your value

When talking about you , talk about your projects, interests, and experiences that helped you grow as a human being. Remember to name even failures (if any) if you have added some exciting learning.

What can you add to the program? Think about what they might have from you: your skills on the subject, recognized research you have developed in the field, your experiences, and acquired knowledge to enrich the program. What is good offers the institution without extolling pride or excess vanity.

Typically, you will only have 1 or 2 pages to include all the information in return. Outlining it before writing it will ensure that you include the most salient points in the limited space. Try to pick 2 or 4 critical issues to have. Prioritize the purpose of the statement in the outline.

Address the job that the institution or organization has specifically mentioned. If there is a topic that the reader demands to see, please include it in the statement.

Show your personality

The opening paragraph should grab the recruiter’s attention. A strong introductory paragraph will present the thesis or the topic of the statement, and at the same time, create a narrative sense as if you were giving a story. Use an anecdote to hook recruiters with your personality. Avoid starting with common phrases or clichés like “The most important moment of my life was when.”

A better way to present that “important moment” would be to start simply by describing it in an informal and personal way. Provide as much detail as possible in the first paragraph. Present the main idea of ​​the statement and explain how it connects to the narrative. However, save any elaborate details or related notes and experiences for the body of your essay.

One of the best ways to avoid sounding like everyone else in your statement is to omit some of the most used phrases. For example, don’t say that you are a “hard worker” or that you “go above and beyond.” Try to find unique ways to explain who you are. One way to do this is to focus on particular examples: show them who you are, rather than tell them.

Use this Checklist

Before the final submission of the statement for the teaching job, it is necessary to polish the statement to maximize your chances of getting selected. Use this checklist to help you with the process:

Many individuals just spend a few minutes proofreading, trying to spot some obvious mistakes that surface on the page. But particularly after you’ve worked long, a simple and cursory reading typically misses a great deal. Acting with a definite strategy that encourages you to consistently look for forms of mistakes is easier.  The ideal is to wait some time after writing to do the review because if you do it right away, some errors under your nose may go unnoticed.

Edit and draft

As soon as you complete your first draft, editing is something you start doing. For starters, you reread your draft to see if the document is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are seamless, and the proof supports your point. It is possible to edit on many levels.

 Structure

Does each paragraph have a simple sentence about the topic? Does one key definition stick to each paragraph? Are there any sentences in any of the paragraphs that are irrelevant or missing? Don’t forget to use short sentences and short paragraphs. Large blocks of text impair the understanding of the message where a line of reasoning begins and ends.

Spelling and grammar

A text full of misspellings can wipe out all the authority that you have struggled so hard to build, so review all the content you produce, not just to find errors but to see if it fits the standards mentioned above.

Once you are satisfied with the content, review it once to correct necessary spelling and grammar errors. Then, put the statement aside for 3-4 days and look at it again with fresh eyes. You may come across some mistakes that you missed during the first reading. Once you have resolved these issues, your statement is ready for you to submit.

Prove your writing skills

In the personal statement, you will have the opportunity to express yourself more fluently and show the reader your writing skills and your commitment to describing yourself. Remember to use a captivating and persuasive style, use keywords related to the position and the sector, and communicate enthusiasm.

Keep a positive tone

Write in an optimistic and confident tone, even if you tackle difficult topics. The statement should show how you will address problems and create solutions, and the style should reflect this. Avoid vague or weak phrases like “I’m not sure, but I think I would be a good candidate for the show.” Even when discussing the challenges or difficulties you have faced, focus on the triumphs rather than the problems.

Expand the statement if it is too short

The first draft can be as long or as short as you need it to be, but many institutions or organizations have a word or page limit for statements. If yours is not long enough, then you have space to add more additional information. When expanding your statement, look for ways to detail the information you already have. Include more specific details to create a complete description. Alternatively, you can make another point that contributes to the overall purpose of the statement.

If your statement has a short, full-page paragraph but contains all the relevant information, you do not have to expand it.

Shorten the statement if it is too long

When narrowing down the statement, check it for any parts that do not directly address the point. You should also remove any points that only serve to provide background information. You can also consider reducing the number of main points if any do not seem especially significant. Unlike a short statement, a lengthy statement cannot stay that way. Many job programs will not allow you to press the submit button until the return is of the proper length. That means if it is too long, you will have to shorten it.

Read it aloud

Reading the document out loud will give you a more accurate idea of ​​how it sounds. As you read, listen for mistakes or unclear phrases. You should also notice if there are sentences that seem out of place or inappropriate. When you hear the statement, ask yourself if it sounds like your natural voice. If you were to describe these things in person, would the way you speak sound like what you have written?

Tips for a Strong Statement

That you will get the job will depend much more on you, but we can give you some tips that will help in your approval process in the selection:

• Do not be wordy; it is not the number of words that will guarantee your approval; on the contrary, the limit of words usually imposed is to avoid this.
• The clearer and more objective, even if you emphasize some detail, the better your text will be. Find that balance.
• If you have difficulties with this, train, ask for help. But do not make that mistake.
•  Never lie! Even if your resume is not extensive, trust and bet on your qualities and your talent; focus on that. Don’t you think your information will be verified for accuracy? Yes, they will be. So, be sincere and do not overdo it. Believe in your potential and bet on it.

The focus should be on you, your work, and what you will have to share with the institution.

• One of the best ways to avoid sounding like everyone else in your statement is to omit some of the most used phrases in cover letters. For example, don’t say that you are a “hard worker” or that you “go above and beyond”. Try to find unique ways to explain who you are. One way to do this is to focus on particular examples: show them who you are rather than tell them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, 500-550 words are allowed in a personal statement.

It is not necessary to include it on a CV unless it is required.

Yes, you can talk about hobbies if they complement the application.

A personal statement gives a chance to highlight your story, experiences, and struggles. If written properly, it can be a real difference in getting a teaching position.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for an MBA

Your personal statement is an opportunity to formally introduce yourself to an MBA admissions committee. Here's how to make your personality shine.

Your Master of Business Administration (MBA) application should tell the story of who you are as a student and professional teammate. Some materials, such as your GPA and GMAT or GRE score , are intended as data points that demonstrate gained knowledge. Other, more creative components can illuminate your personality and illustrate how you move within the business world. The MBA statement of purpose (SOP), also called a personal statement, serves the latter purpose.

In this article, we’ll offer tips on writing an effective MBA statement of purpose and provide an example that may help enhance your business school application.

What is an MBA statement of purpose?

An MBA statement of purpose is an academic essay included as part of the graduate application package. Often guided by broad prompts as determined by each school you’re applying to, these open-ended essays are your opportunity to directly tell the admissions committee why you want to join their program, how you’ll contribute to your cohort, and what you hope to gain from the experience of getting your MBA.

How to write an MBA statement of purpose

With your SOP, you are in complete control of your narrative. This is your chance to tell the aspects of your story that you think the admissions committee needs to know in order to make their most informed decision about your potential admissions offer.

This opportunity comes with a strong element of creative freedom. The only parameters you’re tied to are the ones set by the admissions committee in their essay prompts. Beyond the questions themselves, these often include total word or character count, and sometimes they include formatting preferences, such as double spacing.

How to plan your SOP

SOP prompts tend to be somewhat vague. You can react to questions like, “What matters most to you?” (from Stanford Graduate School of Business) and, “Tell us your story,” (from University of Illinois Gies College of Business) in a lot of different ways. Begin with what you know: the word count limit and the prompt.

Use the word limit to guide the way you tell your story. Some schools will separate prompts into a series of shorter responses, while others will expect one longer narrative. A maximum of 350 words will be a quicker version, whereas a maximum of 1,000 words will offer you space for more in-depth telling.

Next, turn to the prompt itself. Think about what’s at the heart of the question, and let that sink in. Pay attention to your initial reactions: your immediate answer, jogged memories, or any notable emotions that surface. 

Continue brainstorming around those initial reactions by asking yourself questions like:

Why did these reactions surface?

What values are behind them?

When have I incorporated those values into my career?

How does my goal of attending business school align with and enhance my expression of those values?

Specifically, how does this MBA program offer the further opportunity to pursue those values?

When you’re ready, begin writing your story at whatever point feels natural to you given the parameters. As long as your story follows a sensible flow and reaches your goal destination, there’s no right or wrong place to start. Remember: this is your narrative.

Tips for writing a successful MBA statement of purpose

As you write your SOP, here are a few things to keep in mind that can help your writing stand out:

Clearly state your goals: Openly communicate your short-term and long-term goals in earning your MBA. Clear statements around this crucial element of your SOP can help you avoid any potential confusion.

Express your interest: Be forthcoming about your interest in this particular MBA program. Show that you’ve researched their offerings and call out the aspects you are most excited about, and how those aspects align with your goals.

Demonstrate mutual fit: The institution plays a huge role in shaping the MBA experience, however it wouldn’t be complete without a student body. Show what you, and you alone, will bring to your MBA community.

Detail your action plan: How will you make your goals a reality? Use details from your past triumphs to show how you can be successful in the future.

Determining your strengths

Everyone has strengths. If you need help figuring out what yours are, the following questions may help:

What’s something you’ve done that you are proud of, and how did you do it? This question can help you narrow in on the skills you already possess and how you implement them in ways that align with your values.

What do people frequently ask you for? Whether it’s logical, emotional, or physical, this question may reveal the types of problems you’re often prepared to solve.

How do your friends, family, and colleagues describe you? Sometimes the quickest way to identify your positive attributes is to ask the people you trust. They may reveal an aspect of your personality that you wouldn’t have thought to highlight.

What are admissions officers looking for in an SOP?

Admissions officers use the SOP as a chance to learn about each prospective student from their own perspective. Some ways you can help them get to know you include:

Providing concrete examples: Rather than tell the admissions officer who you are, show them. If you are a problem solver, explain a difficult problem you solved; if you are compassionate, discuss a time your compassion led to a success.

Being honest: It can feel a little uncomfortable to tap into your vulnerability as you write, however your openness can have a huge impact on the reader. Honesty can help build connection and demonstrate self-confidence, and it can give you an opportunity to show how you’ve turned a perceived negative into an actionable positive.

Highlighting impact: Take your credentials one step further by expressing their potential impact. Staying impact-focused can be particularly useful for applicants with less traditional backgrounds. How is your unique background actually an asset?

Being concise: Say what you need to say—and nothing more. Admissions officers don’t always have time to savor prose. Often, they’ll appreciate a concise essay with proper grammar and an easy flow.

Writing tip: Read out loud

As you begin the editing process, reading your essay out loud may help you determine whether you are writing in a natural tone of voice and if the essay really sounds like you . It can also help you notice areas that might need additional clarification and catch typos that you may have missed during skimming. For added assurance, follow up your independent editing process by asking a trusted friend or advisor to review your SOP.

MBA statement of purpose example analysis

Reading examples of successful MBA SOPs can help you understand how to implement the above tips. However, keep in mind that you are telling your story, and so your final essay should look different from the samples you read.

US News & World Report published two examples of successful personal statements from accepted applicants to Temple University Fox School of Business and Yale School of Management. Read the full essays here .

What the Fox applicant does well: This applicant shares their unique path toward an MBA by recognizing that it’s atypical. Ultimately, they turn the narrative around by detailing how their background will be an asset to their career goals, and how Fox’s MBA program can help them succeed. This applicant remained open and honest about who they are, where they came from, and where they’re going.

What the Yale applicant does well: This applicant shows their proven ability to work toward their goals. They corroborate their vision of success with specific facts and details, and incorporate key business skills in their narrative, such as fundraising, long-term planning, and strategic thinking. This applicant expresses their values through their actions, while still maintaining an informative and authoritative tone.

Getting your MBA degree

Before you can start your MBA application process, you’ll need to narrow down the programs that meet your needs. Work on your degree from anywhere with an internet connection with the iMBA from University of Illinois Gies College of Business . If you’re looking for flexible learning at a breakthrough price, this could be one option for you.

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

• Start: Advice on how to get you through the hardest step: the beginning
• Guidelines: An efficient "paragraph by paragraph" guide to your final draft
• Top Tips: Everything you need to remember as you write your personal statement

Start Your Personal Statement

This is a set of helpful points which have been assembled from personal experience and a variety of professional sources. Feel free to follow anything that you might find useful and disregard what doesn't apply to you.

First of all, take a look at UCAS's site and familiarise yourself with the contents of the application form. Once you have explored the website, you will be ready to start writing your personal statement.

If you happen to find it difficult to begin, note down a list of facts that you would like the assessor to know about you and how these would help you be a better student on your course.

• Want to study Geology. Have built up a personal mineral collection.
• Considering a career in Engineering. Started the Engineering club at school and organised talks.
• Volunteering with kids. Was a leader and had to be organised.
• Work experience at Law firm. Gained invaluable experience and learned the structure of a working environment.
• Play in a band. Time-management and organising practice sessions.

At this point you should attempt to put together a rough first draft of your personal statement. Try to write using our Guidelines to help you. If you are still experiencing problems or "writer's block", you could just start writing, even if your first sentence may not sound very impressive. For instance, start this way: My name is George and I was born in London.

Obviously, this is not a great way to start your personal statement but at least it will mean that you won't be stuck on the first line, and you can get on to the more content-rich sections that we have suggested you include in the Guidelines .

We recommend that you draft your entire personal statement and then return to the beginning to modify and perfect it.

Your beginning should immediately capture the attention of the reader and be different from any other personal statement. The admissions officer has hundreds of personal statements to read through and he or she will pay less attention to those that sound weak, boring or repetitive.

Take a moment to look at our Personal Statement Examples as they will give you some good clues in terms of structure and ideas. Don' t forget to check out our Top Tips page before writing your first draft!

First Paragraph:

How was your interest in the course you are applying for stimulated and what truly motivates you to study this subject for three or four years at university?

Think about whether it was a book that you read, a life-experience that you had, or some other event that made you realise what you wanted to read at university. You could also mention that the course ties in with your future career path or ambitions.

By reading our Start page you will learn that it is vital that you capture the reader's attention right from the first sentence.

A strong start is often what makes a good personal statement stand out.

Second Paragraph:

Inform the reader about your existing knowledge of the subject you will be reading at university. If your course is highly specific, don't hesitate to explore areas which are related to and tie in with the course or one of the modules you will be studying. Remember to research your course fully to make sure that you express an interest in a module that is actually taught.

You should be able to return to the source of your information and refer to where it originated from: at school, in newspapers, from listening to the radio or watching TV programmes…

However, it is always better to demonstrate the depth of your interest by going into the specifics around a certain subject from a particular source rather than expressing a more general interest.

For instance: I enjoyed learning about and exploring the potential consequences of the Scottish independence referendum in a news article from the "Independent". This heightened my enthusiasm for national politics.

Third Paragraph:

Give details about your independent reading around the subject you will be studying, or how you have enquired further into a specific topic at school. Try to extend your reading list to university-level books and attempt to analyse what you have read as an undergraduate would. This will make you a much more knowledgeable and eligible candidate.

Explicitly mention an average of two texts (and their authors) which you have read and state what you have learned from them. Express how these have made you a better candidate for the university course you are applying for. How have you benefited from this wider reading and how does it distinguish you from others?

Again be as specific as possible about a topic or a passage in the book as this will impress the reader a lot more than giving a more general impression of knowledge. If you are writing in your personal statement about a book that you are planning on reading, set a reminder on your phone so you don't forget to do so in case you are called in for an interview. Otherwise indicate that you only read a chapter or passage of that book in your personal statement.

Fourth Paragraph:

This paragraph should be dedicated to mentioning anything that you believe is representative of your life outside of school and your studies. E.g.: hobbies, extra-curricular activities, school trips, activities, work experience, internships…

However, anything that you mention should be related back to your course and how this makes you a better candidate through the transferable skills that you have gained. E.g.: Time-management skills, organisational skills, communication skills, leadership skills, critical thinking…

This is your chance to express yourself as an individual and show that you are not a machine! You have outside interests and can manage your time well so be sure to represent yourself as a well-rounded individual.

If you have had some work experience or internships, mention them as well. You may want to make a separate paragraph but make sure you specify what you have learned from each of them.

Fifth Paragraph:

After reading this last paragraph, the assessor will be left with a final impression of you. Therefore, make it count. This paragraph is the one where you should say why (subtly) the university and course is made for you and what you will bring to them. It may help you to look at the university course websites in order to fit this final paragraph to the actual course you are interested in. Again take a look at our Personal Statement Examples for ideas if you are really stuck, but do not try to lift sentences or phrases, since the assessors use anti-plagiarism software and will detect any "cut and paste" behaviour. And remember, the important thing is to be original and different!

When writing your personal statement keep these Tips in the back of your mind so that you can write the most comprehensible and reader-friendly personal statement.

Use our Guidelines to structure your personal statement.

Read through all of these points as they will give you a good idea of what to remember while you're writing. They will also provide a better structure and wording to your work.

Spelling and wording:

• Try not to make any spelling or grammatical mistakes. This will cause the reader's interest to waver immediately as he will think that you were not serious enough about your personal statement to check through it. Use a spell check programme and ask someone you trust to thoroughly proof-read your statement.
• Make sure that your punctuation and paragraphing is perfect. This will help your structure and make the personal statement easier to read for the assessor.
• Numbers under 10 should be written out fully in letters.
• Never contract your words: use "I have not" rather than "I haven't". This is more professional and reads better.
• Do not make your sentences too long. A long sentence can be confusing to the reader or make them lose interest.
• Keep your paragraphs short.
• Anything that you have done and any skill that you have obtained through work experience or activities that can be directly related back to your course and what you will be studying.
• Do not repeat yourself. Repeating yourself is one of the most common errors in a personal statement. Unless you are doing so for emphasis, avoid mentioning the same things twice. For instance, two different activities both giving you invaluable team-working skills could either be placed in the same sentence or you could try finding a different skill to associate with one of these activities.
• Everything that you say should have an aim/an objective/a goal and explain why you are perfectly suited for the course. The aim is to make yourself look like the ideal candidate, so display yourself in a positive light. Remember to relate everything back to your course and how your activity will make you be a better student for the course.
• Never assume the assessor knows something or can infer something that you have not clearly stated (e.g. I did x,y,z activities so I have good time management skills which will allow me to be a very organised and self-disciplined student at university). The second part of this example is vital.
• Research your course. Simple enough, but if you veer off subject and say you are interested in something that is not included in the course, the university will be unsure about your interest in their course.
• Anything not directly related to your course should be kept within a single paragraph. If you can't link something to your course, then you should keep it as succinct as possible.

Proof Reading and Correcting:

• Proof read your personal statement by a few different people you trust and respect in order to reduce the chance of making a mistake. Mistakes immediately cause skepticism in the reader's eye.
• Ask your reviewers to imagine that they do not know you, and are forming an impression based solely on the personal statement. This will test the impact of your document.
• Only seek the advice of an average of three people. This will mean your personal statement is kept confidential. Some people believe it can be beneficial to get it read by as many people as possible in order to reduce mistakes and gather ideas. However, be wary of receiving too much input as this can destroy the original flow of your personal statement and make the document sound like a group project!
• Make sure you do not exceed the line and character limits that have been set by UCAS. Otherwise, parts of your final paragraph may be erased automatically, which would be a shame. (these are 47 and 4000 respectively)
• Don't be cheesy! Originality is what everyone should be aiming for.

Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any responsibility for the way in which personal statements are used.

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• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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• You will have 8 questions to choose from. You must respond to only 4 of the 8 questions.
• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
• Which questions you choose to answer is entirely up to you. However, you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

Keep in mind

• All questions are equal. All are given equal consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.
• There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. It’s about getting to know your personality, background, interests and achievements in your own unique voice.  
• Use the additional comments field if there are issues you'd like to address that you didn't have the opportunity to discuss elsewhere on the application. This shouldn't be an essay, but rather a place to note unusual circumstances or anything that might be unclear in other parts of the application. You may use the additional comments field to note extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, if necessary. 

Questions & guidance

Remember, the personal insight questions are just that—personal. Which means you should use our guidance for each question just as a suggestion in case you need help. The important thing is expressing who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC. 

1. 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: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities?

Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn't necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family? 2. 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: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem?

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career? 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Things to consider: If there is a talent or skill that you're proud of, this is the time to share it.You don't necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you?

Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that's geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you; just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you've faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who you are today? 5. 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: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family? 6. 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:  Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can't get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs and what you have gained from your involvement.

Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? Things to consider:  If there's anything you want us to know about you but didn't find a question or place in the application to tell us, now's your chance. What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better?

From your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for UC? Don't be afraid to brag a little.

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Give yourself plenty of time for preparation, careful composition and revisions.

Write persuasively.

Making a list of accomplishments, activities, awards or work will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make.

Use “I” statements.

Talk about yourself so that we can get to know your personality, talents, accomplishments and potential for success on a UC campus. Use “I” and “my” statements in your responses.

Proofread and edit.

Although you will not be evaluated on grammar, spelling or sentence structure, you should proofread your work and make sure your writing is clear. Grammatical and spelling errors can be distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate.

Solicit feedback.

Your answers should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone, but others — family, teachers and friends can offer valuable suggestions. Ask advice of whomever you like, but do not plagiarize from sources in print or online and do not use anyone's words, published or unpublished, but your own.

Copy and paste.

Once you are satisfied with your answers, save them in plain text (ASCII) and paste them into the space provided in the application. Proofread once more to make sure no odd characters or line breaks have appeared.

This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application. Your responses can only add value to the application. An admission decision will not be based on this section alone.

Need more help?

Download our worksheets:

• English [PDF]
• Spanish [PDF]

March 19, 2021

VA Statement in Support of Claim Example (4-Step Process)

Last updated on March 7, 2024

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.

If you want to learn how to implement these strategies to get the VA benefits you deserve, click here to speak with a VA claim expert for free.

In today’s high-value blog post, I’m going to share a real VA Statement in Support of Claim Example to include our 4-step process used by thousands of veterans so you can write powerful personal statements to support your VA disability claims.

What’s the bottom line?

A competent and credible personal statement in support of a claim can be the linchpin between winning and losing your VA disability claim and getting the appropriate VA rating for your disability.

Personal statements are immensely powerful and important for your VA claim strategy and should be written carefully.

You must be open, honest, and uncomfortably vulnerable when writing your VA statements in support of a claim.

Think LESS is MORE.

Keep it short and sweet.

And you do NOT need to describe every detail.

A VA Statement in Support of Claim should be 3-5 paragraphs max.

VA Raters are very busy and don’t have time to read a novel.

But first things first: You might be wondering what the heck is a Statement in Support of a Claim (VA Form 21-4138)?

What is a VA Statement in Support of a Claim?

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A VA Statement in Support of a Claim is a 3-5 paragraph written narrative that details the facts and circumstances of an individual VA disability condition.

Personal statements can be very powerful in filling in any gaps between your military service and present day, including things like service treatment records, doctor visits for treatment (or lack thereof), severity of your symptoms over time, and how your disability is negatively affecting your work, life, and social functioning.

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The best VA Statements in Support of a Claim include the following 4 sections with specific examples tailored to you:

#1. List the Name of the Disability You’re Claiming in the First Section of the VA Form 21-4138

#2. Explain the Approximate Timeframe Your Disability Began Along with Why It Should Be Service Connected (or Why Your VA Rating Should Be Increased for Conditions Already Service Connected)

#3. List the Current Symptoms of Your Disability in Terms of Frequency, Severity, and Duration Over Time

#4: Explain How the Disability Negatively Impacts your Work, Life, and Social Functioning (Use a Couple Examples).

The official VA Form 21-4138 is still the preferred document to use to write a personal statement or if you want to submit a VA “Buddy Statement” from someone with firsthand knowledge of the facts and circumstances to support your VA disability claims.

In our experience, you should write a detailed personal statement for each disability you’re claiming.

For example, let’s say you’re going to file one VA disability claim with three separate conditions: An increase for your service-connected PTSD, an increase for your service-connected GERD, and a new secondary condition for Migraines secondary to Tinnitus.

You should personally write three separate VA Statements in Support of a Claim for each disability condition.

Statement #1: Statement in Support of a Claim to Increase Service-Connected PTSD VA Rating , which should explain how your PTSD limits or affects your work, life, and social functioning, to include your current mental health symptoms, and why you should have a higher rating.

Statement#2: Statement in Support of a Claim to Increase Service-Connected GERD , which should explain how your GERD limits or affects your work, life, and social functioning, to include your current GERD and acid reflux symptoms, and why you should have a higher rating.

Statement #3: Statement in Support of a Claim for Migraines Secondary to Tinnitus , which should explain why you think your Migraines were caused or aggravated by your Tinnitus, how your Migraines limit or affect your work, life, and social functioning, to include your current Migraine symptoms.

How to Write a Powerful VA Statement in Support of Claim (4-Step Process)

Before we begin, make sure to download the official VA Form 21-4138 Statement in Support of a Claim and save it to your computer.

In part one, you’ll want to list the name of the VA disability condition you’re claiming.

I recommend that the name of the condition matches the actual medical diagnosis in your medical records.

For example, if you’re a first-time filer of PTSD, you would name the disability in the header as follows:

DC 9411, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Due to Combat Deployment to Iraq

Expert Tip: Insert the Diagnostic Code (DC) of the condition you’re claiming from CFR Title 38, Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities .

In part two of your Statement in Support of a Claim, you should explain the approximate timeframe (month and year) that your disability condition and symptoms began.

If you’re filing for an increase on a disability that’s already service connected, go ahead and explain how long you’ve been service connected and why you’re filing for an increase, paying close attention to the frequency, severity, and duration of your symptoms over time.

If you’re filing for direct service connection, explain to the VA Rater the in-service incident, injury, or disease that led to the development of your disability.

For example, if you’re claiming PTSD due to a combat deployment, be sure to explain this to include any PTSD Stressor Events (e.g., you feared for your life and safety) to the VA Rater in your personal statement, along with the location, month, and year.

If you’re filing for secondary service connection, explain to the VA Rater why you think a current service-connected disability caused or aggravated the new secondary disability condition.

Let’s say you’re filing for Migraines secondary to Tinnitus.

You could write something such as:

“I’ve had service-connected Tinnitus since 2006. The near-constant ringing in my ears has led me to develop severe Migraine Headaches roughly 2-4x per month. Because of this, I think my Migraines are secondary to Tinnitus. I’ve also included an Independent Medical Opinion from a private provider along with medical research to support this conclusion.”

Expert Tip: You want to explain the “Nexus” (e.g., why you think the condition should be service connected) to the VA Rater very clearly in two sentences or less. List the page numbers in your records where the VA Rater can find the condition quickly.

In part three, you should list the current symptoms of the disability you’re claiming.

Explaining your current disability symptoms in detail is critically important because VA disability ratings depend upon your frequency, severity, and duration of symptoms over time.

If you suffer from severe symptoms of PTSD that cause major impacts, be sure to write down all the symptoms with examples so the VA Rater gets an accurate picture of your approximate symptoms and level of impairment.

Here is an example of how to write this section:

I suffer from severe symptoms of PTSD and now have hyper-sensitivity to lights and loud noises, near-constant anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, near-constant panic attacks, sweating, heart racing, ringing in my ears, tingling in my arms, mouth, and lips, dry mouth, headaches, severe insomnia, significant impairment of my short-term and long-term memory, severe anger issues, and paranoia. These symptoms affect me constantly, and I have no control over them. I was referred to a VA Mental Health clinic and have begun regular therapy with a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist. I was formally diagnosed with PTSD in 2006 (see pages 22, 35, 47, and 68 of the attached VA Medical Records).

Expert Tip: Pay close attention to the symptoms based on the rating criteria of the condition you’re claiming from CFR Title 38, Part 4, Sched ule for Rating Disabilities . You should have a basic idea of what your eligible for by law by looking at the VA rating criteria for your disability.

In part four, you should explain how the disability negatively affects your work, life, and social functioning.

A best practice is to explain at least two specific examples of how your disabilty is limiting or affecting you in negative ways.

My PTSD has negatively affected my work and life in many ways. I’ve been divorced twice and don’t have relationships with my children anymore. I lost my job because I can’t get along with my co-workers and supervisors, could not concentrate on my work, took too many sick days for depression and anxiety, and I had angry outbursts at my boss, co-workers, and customers. I often forget people and places, suffer from severe memory loss, forget where I’m driving to and from, I have severe depression, chronic anxiety, constant panic attacks, and constantly check windows, doors, and locks out of OCD-like paranoia. I’ve tried vet centers, medications, mindfulness, etc., and receive little to no relief.

In this video, I show you “How to Write a Winning VA Statement in Support of Claim” using our simple 4-step process with examples.

I also share a real VA Statement in Support of Claim Example with on-screen tips, strategies, and lessons learned.

***VA Statement in Support of Claim – Video Timestamps & Resources***

⏩ 00:00 ​ Brian Reese VA Insider Welcome Message

⏩ 02:12 ​ VA Disability Benefits Basic Eligibility Explained!

⏩ 05:36 ​ Why Write a VA Statement in Support of Claim?

⏩ 07:44 ​ The 4 Essential Parts to a Winning VA Personal Statement

⏩ 16:20 ​ VA Ratings Depend on Frequency, Severity, and Duration of Symptoms

⏩ 22:08 ​ VA Statement in Support of Claim Example for PTSD

⏩ 24:00 ​ Statement in Support of Claim Example for Migraines (Headaches)

⏩ 25:20 ​ VA Claims Insider Elite Program Overview

⏩ 37:22 ​ Unlock FREE VA Disability Resources at: https://vaclaimsinsider.com/ ​

⏩ 42:17 ​ How Does VA Claims Insider Work?

VA Statement in Support of Claim Example

Here’s a real VA Statement in Support of Claim Example for Migraine (Headaches) with sections from the VA Form 21-4138.

This was a re-evaluation, and the Veteran was already service connected at 30% for Migraines but didn’t feel an increase was warranted to the higher VA rating level of 50% for Migraines.

• #1. DC 8100, Migraine Headaches
• #2. My headaches have remained largely the same (static/permanent) with occasional increases and decreases in severity. My headaches have been service-connected since 2012.
• #3. When I’m having a migraine, I experience pain on both sides of my head, which last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1-2 hours. These episodes occur once every 2 weeks on average. I take Tylenol OTC and Motrin OTC in varying doses to help with the pain. I do take frequent naps 3-5x per week, to include 15-to-30-minute rest periods during the workday, especially when the headaches occur. I also practice regular mindfulness meditations and calming music to include noise-canceling headphones.
• #4. I’ve worked from home since 2014, which helps me maintain control of my surroundings to include the environment, sounds, lights, space, etc. My migraines do affect my work as I’m less productive due to napping and frequent breaks.

At  VA Claims Insider , we help fellow Veterans celebrate  LIFE CHANGE  by getting you the VA disability rating and compensation you deserve by law.

• VA Claims Insider  is the #1 most trusted name in VA disability claims.
• 25,000+ disabled veterans served in our membership programs since 2016.
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• Employs 215 teammates; comprised of 74 veterans and 16 military spouses.
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If you’re ready to secure the VA disability claim rating and compensation you deserve for your honorable service to our nation, simply click the button below now to start our FREE 3-step intake process (you’ll hear from a Veteran Coach (VC) within minutes).

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Brian Reese  is a VA disability expert, former military officer, and  founder of VA Claims Insider  –  “The Most Trusted Name in Education-Based Resources for Veterans.”

His frustration with the  8-step VA disability claims process  led him to create  “VA Claims Insider,”  which provides U.S. military veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned to win their VA disability compensation claim in less time.

Brian is  also the CEO  of  Military Disability Made Easy , which is the world’s largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability, and has served more than 6,000,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013.

He is a  former active duty Air Force officer  with extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 in support of  Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the  United States Air Force Academy , Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class).

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June 22, 2023

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How to Write A Professional Reference Letter (With Samples and Writing Tips)

• Personal Reference Letter
• Recommendation Letter for Employment
• Professional Reference Letter
• Reference Letter Template
• Reference Letter for a Friend
• Professional References
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• Recommendation Letter From Employer
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Being asked to write a reference letter for someone can be both an honor and a challenge, so it’s essential to know to write a professional reference letter. When someone asks you to do this , you’ll probably have an idea of what you want to say, but it can be difficult to know how to say it professionally.

Whether an old student, coworker, or employee asked you to write a professional reference letter, in this article, you’ll learn how to structure a clear, professional recommendation letter so that you can help the person you’re recommending look their best. We will also provide a professional reference letter template and example to help you get started.

Key Takeaways:

When writing a reference letter it is important to have a professional introduction, what your relationship is to the candidate, and enough examples proving the candidate’s ability to do the job.

Keep the letter positive and don’t lie to make the candidate seem like a better option than they are.

It’s important to stick to the submission instructions to make sure you are providing enough information for their potential employer.

How to write a professional reference letter

Reference letter template and samples, tips for writing a professional reference letter, professional reference letter faq.

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To write a professional reference letter, you should start with a header on a physical copy, introduce yourself professionally, and identify the applicant’s strengths with examples. Below is a more detailed list of how to write a professional reference letter:

A header (physical copy only). Just like with any professional letter, if you’re planning to type and print out the recommendation letter, you’ll want to put your name, title, address, email address, and phone number at the top of the page (if it isn’t already included in your letterhead).

A professional introduction . After your professional salutation, you’ll want to get right to the point and explain who you’re writing about and how long you’ve worked with the person you’re writing on behalf of. The reader should immediately understand your relationship with the applicant.

Identify the applicant’s strengths. Talk about specific skills and strengths they have, as well as how they used those for your organization. Make sure to mention that you enjoyed working with the person, and then clearly state that you are recommending them for the position.

Provide examples. The more details you can provide about the candidate’s specific on-the-job qualities, the better. Think of one or two stories where the applicant went above and beyond or leveraged one of their most valuable skills to great effect.

Closing lines. Near the end of your letter, reiterate that the applicant has your complete support and that you can recommend them with no reservations. Offer to answer any more questions if the recipient has them, and then sign off with your typed name and handwritten signature if you’re printing the letter.

Contact information (email copy only). If you’re sending your reference letter as an email, put your contact information after your sign-off and name. Include things like your phone number, alternate email addresses, and a LinkedIn page.

Here is a professional reference letter template, as well as a professional references example for a letter and email. Remember to tailor your reference letter to fit the needs of who you are writing about.

Professional reference letter template

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend [Applicant’s Full Name] for the [job title] position at [company name]. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m a [job title] at [your company name]. I’ve been working the [field/industry] industry for [number] of years. stands out as a cut above the rest. [Applicant’s First Name] and I worked together at [company name], and during our time together, [he/she/they] showed a remarkable talent for [skill 1] and [skill 2]. I was always impressed with [Applicant’s First Name] [soft skill] and ability to [key qualification/trait]. One particular moment that stands out to me was when [Applicant’s First Name] [personal story of a shared experience where the applicant really impressed you or displayed incredible aptitude]. While I value [Applicant’s First Name]’s technical abilities, [he/she/they] stood out as so much more than a technocrat. [Applicant’s First Name] always displayed a [adjective] attitude and was a real pleasure to work with thanks to [his/her/their] [soft skill1 1] and [soft skill 2]. I’m pleased to recommend [Applicant’s First Name] with no reservations whatsoever. [He/She/They] would make an excellent addition to your [department name] team at [company name]. If you have any more questions about [Applicant’s First Name], please feel free to contact me at [contact information]. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Company Name] [Job Title] [Additional Contact Info] [LinkedIn (optional)]

Printed reference letter example

Sarah Smith Department Director Company, LLC 1212 Main Street New York City, NY 32323 February 20, 2020 Dan Thomas CEO Business, Inc. 3535 3rd Street Boston, MA 02134 Dear Dan, I have had the pleasure of working with Rachel Williams at Company, LLC for the past four years. During this time, I’ve watched her be both attentive to detail and focused on reaching big-picture goals. She is teachable, innovative, and brought organization and excellence to her role here. Rachel used her communication and organizational skills to help her team of employees complete projects quickly without sacrificing quality. She is enjoyable to work with, as she brings a positive attitude to every situation, is a good problem-solver, and works hard to make sure her job gets done well. Rachel would be a great asset to have at any organization, and I give her my highest recommendation. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Sarah Smith — Sarah Smith Department Director Company, LLC [email protected] (123)456-7890

Email reference letter example

Subject Line: Recommendation for Shaun Johnson Dear Marjorie, I’m writing to recommend Shaun Johnson. I’ve worked with him closely for two years at Marketing, Inc., and I have enjoyed having him on my team. Shaun is a bright employee who isn’t afraid to take on new tasks and implement new ideas to better the organization. He is teachable, asks for help when he needs it, and takes constructive criticism well. One highlight of his time here was when he designed and ran a highly successful digital marketing campaign that exceeded our projected results at less than the budgeted cost. His intense research and hard work made this happen. Shaun is a positive person to be around and a great team player, willing to help however he can around the office. He would be a valuable addition to any organization, and I believe that his skill set would fit very well into this new opportunity. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. Sincerely, James Kyle — James Kyle Director of Marketing Marketing, Inc. [email protected] 444-333-2222

When writing a reference letter, be sure to include the hard and soft skills as well as examples of how they use those skills. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when writing your letter:

Include soft and hard skills in your recommendation. While it’s important to highlight the person’s ability to perform the tasks that come with their specific job, it’s also a good idea to communicate the personality traits and soft skills that make them great to work with.

Provide specific examples. While giving general compliments is helpful, try to provide one or two specific success stories in your letter. This will give more weight to your recommendation and helps employers truly see the qualifications of the applicant.

Highlight skills that match those listed in the job description. Just as it’s important to match a resume to a job description , it’s also a good idea to highlight some of the specific skills that an employer is looking for in a recommendation letter.

Ask for their resume. Whether you currently work with the person you’re writing a recommendation for or not, it can be difficult to come up with specific examples of their accomplishments on the fly.

Try to provide a neutral or positive review, but don’t lie. If you’re asked to provide a review and don’t feel like you have enough positive things to say about the person, it’s more beneficial to both you and the recipient to politely decline writing the letter.

Send it as a PDF if you aren’t sending the letter directly to the employer. Sometimes an employee may ask for a generic letter of recommendation to have on hand to submit with multiple job applications.

If they write their own recommendation, make sure you read it and agree with it before you sign your name. Sometimes employees will write their own recommendation letter for you to adjust as you want and sign your name to.

Be timely. It’s important to make sure you turn in the letter on time, as the person’s job application might rely on it. Ask for a deadline if you aren’t given one, and then make sure you’ll be able to meet it. If you can’t, give them as much notice as possible so that they have a chance to find someone else to write it for them.

Follow submission instructions. Make sure you follow any formatting and submission requirements as closely as possible. If they aren’t given to you, ask. It will reflect poorly on the person you’re recommending if you don’t follow the instructions they were given.

Proofread thoroughly. Make sure you check and recheck your letter before you submit it. Not only is being grammatically correct a reflection on you as an individual, but also on your reliability as a recommender.

What is a professional reference letter?

A professional reference letter is a document that a job candidate can use to support the claims made in other job application materials, like their resume and cover letter. These types of reference letters are different than personal or character references .

You can only write a professional reference letter for someone who you’ve worked with closely in a professional setting. Before you even begin planning what you’re going to put in a reference letter, take a minute to remind yourself who your audience is and why you’re writing it. This letter isn’t a heartfelt note for a birthday card or a biography of the person.

It’s a one-page, professional document intended to fill in the gaps for the person’s potential employer. You are their ticket to truly understanding what it’s like to work with the individual you’re recommending.

Who can write a professional reference letter?

Before you agree to write a professional reference letter for someone, take some time to consider whether you can provide a compelling and personalized account of your relationship and experiences with the applicant. You should only write a professional reference letter for someone if one or more of the following situations applies:

You’ve worked closely alongside or supervised the applicant, or the applicant supervised you

You have plenty of experience (and therefore examples) of the applicant’s work style and impact on results

You’re aware of the applicant’s relevant strengths and qualifications that they hope to highlight

You can speak positively about the applicant without lying

At the end of the day, if you can’t provide a reference letter that helps the candidate land the job, it’s in everyone’s best interest to decline the applicant’s request. Just be sure to tell this individual right away once you decide that you can or cannot write the letter, because drafting a list of professional references is sometimes a time-sensitive matter.

How many references will most employers look for?

You should provide at least three references for your potential employer. When selecting your references make sure you talk to the ahead of time and that they are okay with providing a reference.

Your references should be someone who can confirm your work performance so it’s important to keep them up to date.

How long should a reference letter be?

A reference letter should be about one page. It should consist of an opening, body, and closing paragraph. Your opening should explain who you are and your relationship with the person. Your body will identify their strengths while providing examples. Your closing paragraph should reiterate your complete support and that you can recommend them with no reservations.

OSWEGO State University of New York – Writing Reference Letters

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Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.

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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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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

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CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) was introduced with the intention of recognizing individual author contributions, reducing authorship disputes and facilitating collaboration. The idea came about following a 2012 collaborative workshop led by Harvard University and the Wellcome Trust, with input from researchers, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and publishers, including Elsevier, represented by Cell Press.

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How to Write a Personal Statement (Tips + Essay Examples)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is a personal statement that just means “essay” … right, what are some great personal statement topics (aka how do i brainstorm mine).

• Three personal statement examples

A few hundred words to capture who you’ve become over the course of almost two decades? 

Yup, makes sense why lots of students find the idea of writing a personal statement intimidating. Framed like the above, it could almost sound, I don’t know, unreasonable.

Whether you’re using the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or a school-specific application portal, it can be scary to try to come up with an essay topic that encompasses the complexity and vastness of who you are as a person … while also staying in the word count. 

But this can also be a fun, meaningful experience (real talk: We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think it was true). In fact, the process of brainstorming and writing about meaningful aspects of your life can be an incredible way to practice self-reflection and think more deeply about who you are, what you value, who you hope to be in the world, and what you actually want to get out of college. 

So to help you move past the intimidating aspects and focus more on the fun and meaning, in this post, we’ll describe what differentiates the personal statement from other college essays and what function it serves in your college application. We’ll also share what qualities can help a personal statement stand out, how to find a stronger topic, how to set yourself up for an easier writing process, and even share some essay examples we loved.

A personal statement is an essay in which you demonstrate aspects of who you are by sharing some of the qualities, skills, and values you’ll bring to college. A written personal statement is typically used by college admission offices, but it’s also often used by scholarship selection committees or specific academic departments to help assess potential candidates.  

To understand what the personal statement is, it’s helpful to imagine your entire college application as a human body. The personal statement is the metaphorical “heart”—it captures the essence of who you are as a person and what motivates you, both academically and personally.

Let’s briefly clarify what it isn’t . It’s not a classic five-paragraph essay you write for English class (thesis, body, restate thesis in almost the same words, but hopefully not repetitively, done). 

Here are some other ways a personal statement is different from an English class essay:

There’s no “right” essay topic to write about, as you’ll see from the range of essay topics in this post . Students have written successfully on topics ranging from: I Shot My Brother, to Home, to Being Pooped on by Animals. Oh, and btw, we’d recommend not reading too many sample essays before you’ve done some brainstorming of your own first. But whatever topic you land on, keep this in mind: 

The goal of your personal statement is to find a topic that demonstrates the skills, qualities, values, and interests you’ll bring with you to a college campus.

In fact, though we’ll keep saying “topic” of your essay because it’s clear and easy, the topic of your essay is ultimately always you. Just as the heart drives the actions of the rest of the body, the personal statement provides context for the rest—and, in some ways, is the heart—of your application. The other supplemental essays , if required by colleges, are opportunities to go into more detail about aspects of your interests, passions, and identity not covered in your personal statement.

The personal statement is a great place to discuss critical events or experiences in your life that catalyzed you to become the person you are now, or various aspects of your identity that strongly influence the way you interact with the world around you. It’s also an opportunity to introduce readers to your most important interests and values . For more on that, and exercises to help clarify those things, check those links (we’ll also offer more on them later).

What makes a great personal statement?

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to writing your personal statement that will magically make colleges admit you. 

Bummer, we know.

That said, the best personal statements often share a lot of the same qualities , even when they’re about drastically different topics. 

Here, in our opinion, are a few qualities you’ll find in an outstanding personal statement:

You can identify the applicant’s core values. In a great personal statement, we should be able to get a sense of what fulfills, motivates, or excites the author. These can be things like humor, beauty, community, and autonomy, just to name a few. So when you read back through your essay, you should be able to detect at least 4-5 different values throughout.  When you look for these values, also consider whether or not they’re varied or similar. For instance, values like hard work, determination, and perseverance … are basically the same thing. On the other hand, more varied values like resourcefulness, healthy boundaries, and diversity can showcase different qualities and offer a more nuanced sense of who you are.

It’s vulnerable. We love when, after reading an essay, we feel closer to the writer. The best essays we’ve seen are the ones where students have let their guard down some. Don’t be afraid to be honest about things that scare, challenge, or bother you. The personal statement is a great space for you to open up about those aspects of yourself. As you’re writing, ask yourself: Does the essay sound like it’s mostly analytical, or like it’s coming from a deeper, more vulnerable place? Another way of asking this: Does it sound like the author wrote it using mostly their head (intellect), or their heart and gut? Remember, this is the “heart” of your application. It’s a place for emotional vulnerability. After reading it, the admission officer should (we hope) feel like they have a better sense of who you are.

It shows insight and growth. Your personal statement should ideally have at least 3-5 “so what” moments, points at which you draw insights or reflections from your experiences that speak to your values or sense of purpose. Sometimes, “so what” moments are subtle. Other times, they’re more explicit. Either way, the more illuminating, the better. They shouldn’t come out of nowhere, but they also shouldn’t be predictable. You want your reader to see your mind in action and take that journey of self-reflection with you.

It demonstrates craft (aka it’s articulate and reads well). While content is important, craft is what’ll bring the best stories to life. That’s why it’s important to think of writing as a process—it’s very rare that we’ve seen an outstanding personal statement that didn’t go through at least 5 drafts. Everything you write should be carefully considered . You don’t want your ideas to come off as sloppy or half-baked. Your reader should see the care you put into brainstorming and writing in every sentence. Ask yourself these questions as you write:

Do the ideas in the essay connect in a way that’s logical, but not too obvious (aka boring)? 

Can you tell that the author spent a lot of time revising the essay over the course of several drafts? 

Is it interesting and succinct throughout? If not, where do you lose interest? Where could words be cut? Which part isn’t revealing as much as it could be?

If you’ve written a first draft and you’re still not sure whether the essay is what you want it to be, give it to a trusted friend, teacher, or family member and have them evaluate it based on these 4 general criteria. Sometimes, we spend so much time on an essay that it’s useful to get another person’s point of view.

The answer to this question dovetails with the approach you’re taking to structuring your essay, so let’s talk about that a bit first.

And while structure may seem nebulous, offering vast options, you can really boil it down to just two approaches: montage or narrative.

So … what are those? And how can you generate some great content for either structure?

Whether you take a Narrative or Montage Approach to structuring your essay depends on your answer to this question:

Do you feel like you’ve faced significant challenges in your life … or not so much? (And do you want to write about them?)

If yes (to both), you’ll most likely want to use Narrative Structure .

If no (to either), you’ll probably want to try Montage Structure .

The above links dive into greater detail if you’re curious, but essentially, Narrative Structure is the classic story structure, focusing roughly equally on a) Challenges You Faced, b) What You Did About Them, and c) What You Learned. Paragraphs and events are connected causally. (Not casually , btw, but causally—as in, through cause and effect.)

Montage Structure focuses on a series of experiences and insights that are connected thematically (so, for example, 5 pairs of pants that connect to 5 different sides of who you are).

So how does structure play into what makes a great personal statement topic?

We believe a montage essay (i.e., an essay NOT about challenges) is more likely to stand out if the topic or theme of the essay is:

X. Elastic (i.e., something you can connect to a variety of examples, moments, or values)

Y. Less common (i.e., something other students probably aren’t writing about)

We believe that a narrative essay is more likely to stand out if it contains: 

X. Difficult or compelling challenges

These aren’t binary—rather, each can be placed on a spectrum.

“Elastic” will vary from person to person. You might be able to connect mountain climbing to family, history, literature, science, social justice, environmentalism, growth, insight … and someone else might not connect it to much of anything. Maybe trees?

“Less common” —every year, thousands of students write about mission trips, sports, or music. It’s not that you can’t write about these things, but it’s a lot harder to stand out. 

“Difficult or compelling challenges” can be put on a spectrum with things like getting a bad grade or not making a sports team on the weaker end, and things like escaping war or living homeless for three years on the stronger side. While you can possibly write a strong essay about a weaker challenge, it’s really hard to do.

“Insight” is the answer to the question “so what?” A great insight is likely to surprise the reader a bit, while a so-so insight likely won’t. (Insight is something you’ll develop in an essay through the writing process, rather than something you’ll generally know ahead of time for a topic, but it’s useful to understand that some topics are probably easier to pull insights from than others.)

To clarify, you can still write a great montage with a very common topic, or a narrative that offers so-so insights. But the degree of difficulty goes up. Probably way up.

With that in mind, how do you brainstorm possible topics that are on the easier-to-stand-out side of the spectrum?

Would you Rather watch instead?

Brainstorming your (outstanding) personal statement topic

In our experience, virtually every great college essay comes from good brainstorming. So, early on, stay in exploration mode—we recommend that students outline at least 2-3 different ideas before starting a draft. 

Quality brainstorming can reveal great topics that you wouldn’t have thought about otherwise (and that you may not even know you can/are allowed to write about). Also, more on this in a bit, but outlining well is a huge time-saver, as it can help you either build a better first draft or reveal that you may not have as much to say about a topic as you might’ve initially thought. 

Here are 5 great brainstorming exercises to get you started: 

Values Exercise

Essence Objects Exercise

21 Details Exercise

Everything I Want Colleges To Know About Me Exercise

Feelings and Needs Exercise

That Values Exercise is your cornerstone—those values are what you’ll want to thread throughout your application, regardless of what structure you use in your personal statement. 

We’d recommend doing all of those exercises, regardless of which structure you think you may use, as you may find something new in exploring, and many students will have to write a bunch of supplemental essays anyway.

That said, if you’re thinking Narrative Structure may be your thing (as in, you have some strong challenges you want to write about), be sure to spend a nice chunk of time exploring the Feelings and Needs Exercise (linked above), as it can directly lead to a strong outline and first draft.

If you’re thinking montage, think about how things like your essence objects and 21 details may be thematically linked, and how they can connect to your core values and memories. After doing those, you can also check out this list of 21 College Essay Topics and Ideas That Worked to get a sense of some topics that have paid off. We’ll draw your attention to some of the specific examples in the tips below. We’ve seen great montages built around things like:

Identity: This can be anything from sexuality, to culture, to race, to religion. For examples, check out “ My Grandma’s Kimchi ” or “ The Five Families Essay .”

Academic/career interests: This isn’t just a list of your favorite classes or a lengthy explanation of how well you did on that one AP Calculus test junior year. Instead, it’s more of an exploration of your educational interests and a meditation on how that might influence the work you do in the future. For examples, check out “ Why Behavioral Economics ” and “ Flying .”

Meaningful objects: Those “essence objects.” They’re basically just objects that mean more to you because they connect to your values at a deeper level. For instance, maybe you’d choose dumplings because they remind you of family dinners on Chinese New Year and a specific moment when you had to navigate your cultural identity. So, talking about dumplings might give you an entry point into talking about things like family and cultural connection. Doing the Essence Objects Exercise linked above will help you figure out what kind of objects might serve this function in your life. See the “ Happiness Spreadsheet ” essay for an example.

Significant Obstacles or Events: You might choose to write about a struggle you’ve faced or a dilemma that forced you to think more deeply about some aspect of who you are or what you’re interested in. “ The Tally On My Uniform ” and “ Dead Bird ” are two examples.

It’s important to note that some of these topics will likely overlap. You might choose to write about a significant challenge you faced that related to your identity in some way. Or maybe you’ll want to include details about both academic and extracurricular interests. Don’t feel like you have to choose just one. This list is just to give you a sense of what kind of topics you can explore.

How should I write a personal statement?

First, outline.

Seriously? Outline?

To get into just a little more nuance—if you have a ton of time until your deadline, and you don’t mind maybe throwing away entire drafts and starting over, then feel free to just dive in and write.

Otherwise, outline. Doing so will save you time and make your writing better.

So how do you outline?

For a narrative, use the Feelings and Needs Exercise , and build clear bullet points for the Challenges + Effects, What I Did About It, and What I Learned. Those become your outline. 

Yeah, that simple.

For a montage, outline 4-7 ways your thread connects to different values through different experiences, and if you can think of them, different lessons and insights (though these you might have to develop later, during the writing process). For example, how auto repair connects to family, literature, curiosity, adventure, and personal growth (through different details and experiences).

Here are some solid example outlines:

Narrative outline (developed from the Feelings and Needs Exercise)

Challenges:

Domestic abuse (physical and verbal)

Controlling father/lack of freedom

Sexism/bias

Prevented from pursuing opportunities

Cut off from world/family

Lack of sense of freedom/independence

Faced discrimination

What I Did About It:

Pursued my dreams

Traveled to Egypt, London, and Paris alone

Challenged stereotypes

Explored new places and cultures

Developed self-confidence, independence, and courage

Grew as a leader

Planned events

What I learned:

Inspired to help others a lot more

Learned about oppression, and how to challenge oppressive norms

Became closer with mother, somewhat healed relationship with father

Need to feel free

And here’s the essay that became: Easter

Montage outline:

Thread: Home

Values: family, tradition, literature

Ex: “Tailgate Special,” discussions w/family, reading Nancy Drew

Perception, connection to family

Chinese sword dance

Values: culture/heritage, meticulousness, dedication, creativity

Ex: notebook, formations/choreography

Nuances of culture, power of connection

Values: science/chemistry, curiosity 

Synthesizing plat nanoparticles

Joy of discovery, redefining expectations

Governor’s School

Values: exploration, personal growth

Knitting, physics, politics, etc.

Importance of exploring beyond what I know/am used to, taking risks

And here’s the essay that became: Home

Once you’ve got a solid outline, start drafting. A few really useful things for your first draft:

Don’t worry about word count (within reason).

Don’t worry about making your first draft perfect—it won’t be. Just write.

Don’t worry about a fancy opening or ending.

We’ve seen way too many students not write about the things they need to explore in a first draft because they were worried about word count. If your first draft of a 650-word essay is 800 or 900 words, cool. You’ll have to cut eventually. But that’s the easy part (you generally just hit “delete”).

And it’s actually easier to write a good first draft if you’re not worrying about writing a good first draft. We know that sounds contradictory. But what we mean is that a first draft is good if it gives you a clear sense of where to head with your second and third drafts. That’s its job—to help map where you go next.

Linked to that, a strong opening and ending are things you can more easily develop once you’re clearer on your content and structure. So, for a first draft, if something cool comes to you, great. But if not, don’t let it stop you from drafting.

Jump in and spend some time getting your ideas down on paper. Remember your first draft is just a chance to mess around with different topics and thoughts. It doesn’t have to be anywhere close to perfect. If it helps, just think of it as a brain dump. Once you’ve got all your ideas somewhere, you can start to reorganize and make them more coherent. 

Revise (And revise. And revise ...)

Like we said earlier, it’s incredibly rare for an outstanding personal statement to not go through at least 5 drafts. So this is a big part of the process.

To get you started, this guide to Revising Your Essay in 5 Steps will help you create clearer logical flow, as will this breakdown of 9 different ways to effectively transition .

If you want to build a better opening , check out a bunch of options to play with there (we’d recommend experimenting, even if you have something you like—through exploring, you may find something even better).

And if you want to strengthen the ending of your essay , wander over that way.

Additionally, one of the best general tips we can give you as you revise is to read your essay out loud to yourself. And try to read from a total stranger’s perspective. 

Reading out loud will help you notice problems you maybe missed when reading it in your mind. And reading from a stranger’s perspective will help ensure you aren’t relying on things in your brain that need to be on the page (but aren’t). 

You might also try reading it to a trusted family member, teacher, or friend. They might be able to give you some constructive feedback to make your piece more relatable or accessible for other people. Just keep in mind that some people may have a good sense of what makes for strong writing in general, but not necessarily what makes for a strong college essay specifically.

For more about the essay writing process, check out our Ultimate Guide for writing your personal statement.

Want some guidance on your college applications?

Schedule a meeting to work with my team., three personal statement examples (with analysis for why they worked).

Example 1: "Cheers" 

While my friends binge The Office , I’m at home with my favorite family tavern, Cheers . Reminiscing on my first visit five-years-ago, going into my tenth visit, I realize the gang at Cheers is my mirror: they reflect how I’ve grown.  Sam Malone. Handsome, charming, ex-pro athlete. When I first met Sam, I had the typical impression: a playboy. However, I now see the real Sam: a compassionate being. Raised in Birmingham, I’ve learned many positive lessons, but there are some lessons I’m ashamed of. Homophobia is still prevalent in Alabama; something platonic as hugging your friend fuels ridicule. There’s an episode where Sam is conflicted after discovering his old best-friend was gay. By the end, he determines that whom his friend loves shouldn’t affect their friendship--a progressive act for 1983. This became personal when my brother came out. I was angered that a society that taught me Southern hospitality tried to teach me to hate one of the people I love most. Sam’s actions taught me who one chooses to love doesn’t change their humanity and encouraged me to promote that view in Alabama. When classmates make homophobic comments, I always bring up my brother and our story. These same classmates are now attending the annual Pride parades, standing up for our friends’ rights. Diane Chambers. Educated, elitist, starving artist. Diane loved the arts and displayed her work proudly, even if her cartoons of people depicted animals. As a kid, my dad attempted to teach me how to draw. These sessions ended in frustration, as I wasn’t able to recreate his work. While I was fascinated by the expression of creativity, I thought, “I’m not talented.” Through Diane’s character arcs, I learned art is not linear; it’s multi-dimensional. Diane would appreciate the discovery of my means of expression: graphic design and programming. I blend the two mediums to create an impactful product. Whether it’s designing and developing an app to battle the Tanzanian Water Crisis, or creating advertisements and social media posts for my internship at a construction-tech start-up, I reveal my vision through my greatest passion: technology. Dr. Frasier Crane. Intelligent, empathetic, scientist. Frasier (we’re on a first-name basis), joined the gang later after falling in love with Diane at a mental health retreat. I first met Frasier when I struggled to fit in with my peers. While I had a passion for STEM and its ability to uncover mysteries of the unknown, my peers had a passion for hating everything academic. While I thought Frasier was super cool, I still called him a nerd. However, watching the way Frasier embraced science gradually allowed me to realize my love for it is something to hone rather than suppress. Eventually, I developed enough confidence to reach out to a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to conduct computational physics research. Over the past three years, I have completed two research projects, currently researching the distinct applications of computer vision, and have become a pioneer within STEM.  Inspired by the love for Computer Science competitions, I founded the district’s first CS team. Upon concluding our presentation at the U.S. Capitol, I knew Frasier would be proud.  The Cheers gang. I have wondered why I clicked with them so well since we are different people. Sam the jock, Frasier the nerd, Diane the artist, I the awkward teenager. I’ve realized each of them is a part of me. When I face societal pressure, I always learn and overcome. While I’m passionate about science, I also love the arts. Whereas I used to be an antisocial 7th grader, I’m now a senior with great friends and mentors. No matter what I’m struggling with in life, I know I can return to Cheers , where everybody knows your name.

Why this essay worked:

This essay does a great job of using the Montage Structure to incorporate a bunch of different aspects of the applicant’s life into one coherent piece. You’ll notice that they use the TV show Cheers and the characters in it as a clothesline off which to “hang” their interest in computer science and graphic design, LGBTQ+ community allyship, and generally endearing nerdiness. This is a really clever way of bringing together seemingly disparate topics. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but tells a lot about the author and how she thinks. It also gives her a very clear structure for her essay. Each paragraph is devoted to one Cheers character and (more importantly) expounds on the ways the author connects to that individual. The essay has a clear purpose despite lacking a linear narrative.

Also notice that the author doesn’t necessarily have a super clear idea of what she wants to do, career-wise. However, she still incorporates specific details about how she’s synthesized computer science and artistic design in various clubs and events. She doesn’t explicitly have to tell us what her future career is for us to get a sense of what interests she might pursue in college. This is a prime example of how you can write an outstanding personal statement even if you don’t totally know what you want to do in college and haven’t faced a significant challenge.

Example 2: 

All that I remember from my childhood are happy memories - of blowing balloons in summer after eating an ice-cone, coming from school to find my favourite snacks lined up on the table, my grandma feeding me with her own hands and never failing to add that extra spoon of ghee (clarified butter) to my rice. My parents shielded us from everything that was bad in this world or could somehow hurt us. They were so protective that I learned to ride a bike on the roof of our three-story house because my parents didn’t think it was safe for me to ride on the road. Even on our roof, a place well within the four walls of our house, I had someone looking out for me. That protective bubble around me finally popped when I was stopped from entering a temple where my family goes annually on an auspicious day. I loved that subtle fragrance of saffron and seeing the beautifully decorated temple with thousands of pilgrims lining up. My grandpa donates a lot there which allows us to enter early in the morning and perform the rituals without the usual crowd. The problem this year was a new rule that prohibited Western clothing. The strange thing was that they didn’t stop male my cousin even though we were wearing the exact same thing, jeans and t-shirt. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened today but I was then, as I was only in middle school. I hadn’t seen anything like this yet because my family never treated us differently -- we hadn’t previously seen this side of the world. I started trying to learn more about the “real world”, reading more news and participating in intercultural exchanges and debates, anything that would give me more insight. This process of exploring different versions of an event, of noticing how different people might see the same thing, made me more observant. But this also made me think of how others might see me and I became scared of being judged. When I was elected Head Girl this past year, I became even more self-conscious because I was in the limelight -- and everything I would do would reflect on the school. I thankfully realized how irrational my fears were during a hectic Round Square International Conference (RSIC) at school. I was busy heading our student team and managing crises. When a school bought more students than they’d registered, I didn’t have time to think, I had to rely on my instincts and take action. Teachers from across the world praised me; one even said I’d been the soul of our conference. These small but empowering moments have helped me realize that I could trust my decisions, my input counted too. I need to be myself and worry less about what others think. I could have easily changed my clothes that day at the temple but I didn’t because that’s not who I am. There’s always going to be someone who might not approve of what I do and that is all right.  I am choosing to attend college in the United States because there I can continue my quest to learn more about the complexities of this world. My family never allowed me to use the public transportation in my city. I understand their concern, but I think it’s time for me to explore outside the safety of home, to ride a bike or take the subway, make my mistakes, and learn my way. At school, I felt like I was in the spotlight yet so invisible mostly because I worried about what others might think. But now I will choose to be visible, choose to be me.

Off the bat, one of the biggest things that stands out about this essay is the level of detail in it. In the intro, the author evokes very visceral images of blowing balloons in the summer, extra spoonfuls of ghee on rice, and riding bikes on rooftops. The more you can drop the reader into your world and engage their senses, the better. You want people to be able to identify with you so that they have a clear sense of who you are as a person. It also helps you stand out. The more specifically you write, the less likely it is that anyone else could have written it. That’s what this whole personal statement thing is all about—showing what you can uniquely bring to the table. 

The other great thing about this essay is that it ends in a different place from where it begins. This shows insight and growth. The author goes from questioning her instincts and judgements to seeing her inherent value. She begins to gain confidence and see the positive ways in which she can contribute to the conversations she’s a part of. This transformation is important because it’s a hook that keeps people reading. They don’t know where the essay is going to take them, so they keep reading to see where the author will end up. It also demonstrates the applicant’s growth and ability to self-reflect, which are always great qualities to highlight in college essays.

Example 3: 

Apparently, I have a natural “mom vibe.”  On my volleyball team, I am team mom in every way. As a natural worrier, I like to make sure that everyone has all of their necessities: knee pads, water bottle, hair elastic, uniform. Did everyone go to the bathroom before leaving on the bus? Did we count to make sure that all fourteen of us are here? Does anyone want an apple slice? Over my many years of playing volleyball, I have learned how to play every position well enough to fill in for any member of my team, whether that’s front, back, libero, setter, or hitter, so that I can always be there for my team in a pinch.  A few years ago, I transitioned from looking after only my teammates to also helping actual children. I started volunteering at my former elementary school as a teacher’s assistant. I guide third graders through difficult word problems or sentence structures, sometimes translating the lesson to Mandarin for the Chinese students who are struggling with English. I live for that moment when the impossible suddenly becomes possible and I see a student use what they just learned correctly without any assistance. I love helping kids ask big questions, and think about how to solve them, because it reminds me of how my parents guided me. Ever since I can remember, every time my father and I are alone on a long trip, we ask each other questions and the other has to answer with scientific evidence. Do birds have eyelids? Why is gelatin gelatinous? What does schizophrenia look like in a brain? I love thinking about how things work from the molecular level all the way up to the mechanical level. During a recent internship, I had the opportunity to ask big questions through research, a step beyond the guesstimating I was used to doing in my dad’s CRV. The team I was working with was conducting studies focused on treating alcoholism. My job was to “clean up” the data, or make it more readable. I sifted through spreadsheets, digging for the important data and piecing everything together logically. Knowing that my contribution would have a positive impact on people’s lives was incredibly meaningful. I’ve always enjoyed putting things together like a puzzle. As Chief Layout Editor of my school newspaper, I help my designers compile every edition. Like a real-life game of Tetris, every article must fit perfectly with the other articles around it, lined up into evenly lengthed columns. No matter how much experience a graphic designer has, no one gets all of their articles laid out nicely on the first try. We solve every edition by trial and error, which often results in lots of frustration, but no amount of frustration can surpass the pride and satisfaction once we have all the pages compiled and printed. As a pediatrician, I will be able to strengthen and use all these parts of me. I will have the chance to treat a multitude of illnesses and injuries and problem solve my way through each one. Each day, I will be able to think critically and scientifically to give families possible solutions and peace of mind about their child’s health. I hope to continually expand my knowledge as medicine advances and ask big questions by frequently participating in research. Hopefully I’ll be able to work with a great group of peers in a clinic and in public health. I want to find new solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, and finally, use all of my skills and qualities to help better the lives of others.  Plus, as a pediatrician, I will be able to take care of children who cannot always advocate for themselves, so my mom instinct will be one of my greatest assets.

This is another creative example of how you can go about writing a montage essay. The author uses her “mom vibe” to her advantage and discusses how her interest in attending to the people (and world) around her has influenced different spheres of her life. Notice how well the first line hooks us into the story. It’s short, sweet, funny, and visibly distinct from the denser paragraphs below. When you’re writing, think very carefully about your first sentence and the work it’s doing to rope your reader in. That first sentence is your first impression on readers, so you want it to be a good one. 

One last standout aspect of this essay is the way it uses questions. In it, the author poses a lot of big and (oftentimes) unanswered questions. This is great because it highlights her natural curiosity and shows her mind in action. She doesn’t have to answer the questions for them to speak volumes about her personality and interests. Don’t feel like you have to resolve everything neatly by the end of your essay. That would be unrealistic, and ultimately, pretty uninteresting. It’s okay to pose questions for the sake of sheer wonder. In fact, it’s better than okay—it’s great. Nerd out a little. Have fun with it.

With all these writing/brainstorming strategies and example essays, the personal statement shouldn’t feel too intimidating anymore. Now you have all the tools you need to start writing an amazing essay.

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English personal statement example 1.

Ever since I have had the ability to understand it, I have been fascinated by the English language. As a child, I would either be writing, reading or telling stories and ever sine then, have read a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction texts from a variety of genres and eras.

This passion for language has led me to many different extra-curricular activities. For the past four years, I have attended a Youth Theatre each week where we concentrate very much on both improvised and scripted drama but also have done work on stage management, stage make-up, singing, and signed singing (an interest which begun with my learning of both violin and double bass to grade 4 standard). With this same organisation, I have volunteered for the past three years at one of the children’s groups where I work helping with drama, music and art. It was with this same organisation that I decided to learn Sign Language.

I have recently gained my British Sign Language Level 1 certificate and am now beginning a Level 2 course. I began learning Sign Language at the same time as starting my A-Level in English Language and Literature, a course I have found extremely interesting. Taking these two courses concurrently was very exciting for me as learning more about the linguistics of the English Language enabled me to make comparisons between the two languages.

These interests have led me to this course which I not only feel suits my needs and interests aptly, but also excites me in its course content. Although I’ve enjoyed all of my A-Level English Language and Literature course but have found a few parts of it particularly interesting. I specifically enjoyed our coursework tasks for our AS Level as it included writing a piece of original fiction, an aspect of English which I have always enjoyed. I also enjoyed the task of performing a monologue as I have missed not being able to study drama as a subject.

I try to follow my interests outside of school and so attend a wide variety of theatre productions, art exhibitions, musical performances and subject related lectures. When studying psychology last year, I attended a large psychology conference with a variety of speakers which was both helpful and interesting. Last year I also attended an ‘art master class’ organised with Middlesex University and with nine other students, it gave more opportunity for more detailed and involved discussions. I have not yet had the opportunity to attend an English related lecture but look forward to a study day in March which will aid me with my study of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.

Alongside this and my voluntary work with the drama organisation, I have worked in a variety of jobs which have all helped to develop my sense of responsibility as they were dependent on both teamwork and co-operation but also my use of initiative.

I have chosen to defer my entry to 2005 as I plan to complete a voluntary teaching placement in Africa. The prospect of this placement excites me as it will give me the opportunity to travel, to meet new people, to experience new cultures, and, above all, help out where much help is needed. I feel that taking a gap year is going to benefit me greatly as it will enable me to gain valuable life skills that will benefit me both at university but also in whatever I choose to do following university whether it be a postgraduate course or work.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by deary_ma_leary.

deary_ma_leary's university choices King's College London Goldsmiths College University of Portsmouth University of Portsmouth University of Portsmouth University of Westminster

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Thu, 29/07/2004 - 00:00

can anyone tell me which universities the person who wrote this was accepted into?

You can see the authors

You can see the authors university choices to the right of the personal statement. She applied to King's College, Goldsmiths College, Portsmouth, and Westminster and was accepted to all of them apart from Goldsmiths.

The biggest problem is that

Fri, 01/07/2005 - 00:00

The biggest problem is that this person doesn't mention any of the authors they are particularly interested in. I'm speaking as someone who's only being taught how to write a PS for English Literature, but I would have thought that's the most important thing to include!

GRADESSSSSs

Thu, 22/09/2005 - 00:00

What were your predicted grades for A level? and your complated AS level grades? because that obviously has a huge impact on whether you will be accepted or decliend by universities, notonly yourpersonal statement right? thnx

This person doesn't really

Sun, 27/11/2005 - 00:00

This person doesn't really state 'WHY' they want to go to university. Mostly they focus on what they have done, not how this will enable them to study english in the future. nevertheless this person has clearly displayed knowledge and understanding of literature but does not elaborate at all.

anyone wana share emails so

Thu, 03/08/2006 - 00:00

anyone wana share emails so we can help one another? I'm appyling for difficult uni's like UCL and Kings and really could use the extra help and would love to help others! let me know?!

Please use our forum!

Rather than sharing email addresses, please use our student discussion forum at http://www.studentdiscussion.co.uk thanks.

this is not written by an

Mon, 11/12/2006 - 10:00

this is not written by an english literature applicant...

I am currently writing my

Sun, 07/10/2007 - 15:25

I am currently writing my statement for an English Literature degeree and although i have a great love of literature i am struggling to include examples of the authors i have read!!

Tue, 18/12/2007 - 15:41

I have to admit that this is a extremely interesting personal statement! Someone who left a horrible message commenting on how you made a mistake in your personal statement, spelling "since" wrong; I think they will not get far and are jealous of your great ambitions to do well in life,well done and im sure you will be vey successful!

aaargh why didnt they get

Sun, 13/01/2008 - 21:21

aaargh why didnt they get into goldmsiths? Goldsmiths is my first choice are they especially picky??

Fri, 22/08/2008 - 11:55

i think people are being a little to harsh on this personal statement it is imposible to include everything in one statement otherwise it will end up sounding like a list so being selective is good. The sign language and the year out oin africa will also immediately flag up in the admissions tutors mind and makes the candidate stand out. i would say he or she has a strong chance of being accepted.

I cannot seem to find a

Mon, 27/10/2008 - 14:00

I cannot seem to find a section within your personal statement that actually gives precedence to your interest in English. Where exactly have you talked about the authors and poets that have inspired you or led you into your wider reading? Heck, there is no mention of wider reading. You seem to love your extra-curricular activities - which is great, I have a list as long as my arm too - but I don't know how Kings could offer you a place if you failed to mention such crucial things. You must have done brilliantly at your interview. If you don't mind, how were your grades at GCSE, AS & A Level?

Some of the people commenting

Tue, 19/01/2010 - 13:36

Some of the people commenting on this statement seem to forget that english is not just about reading books and poems. It is a far wider study, the english language aspect of which includes all of the extracurricular activities perfectly!! By the way, what use is it stating that you love a few poets when your aim is to use your english degree to go into journalism (for example). So please think about it people!

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