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I am trying to complete my application for grad school and I have an idea of what I want to write for my personal statement. I am just not sure what it should look like. Should it look like a research paper? A letter? Can anybody send me a template or a copy of one they sent (you can delete the information you wrote, my goal is not to steal an essay) to give me a better understanding of what the format should be?
Your personal statement is supposed to tell them who you are, where you came from, where you want to go, and why this school's program will get you there. A lot of them are limited to about 500 words or so, so you should have a clear idea of why you want to go. My college advisor once told me that if you couldn't explain why you wanted to go to school in 500 words or less, you probably weren't sure enough yourself.
When I wrote mine (for theater), my first paragraph was why I loved theater, my second was my training and professional background, my third was my career goals and objectives and my fourth was about the aspects of the school's program that appealed to me most. Short, sweet and to the point.
The writing samples and recommendations are a different part of the application. The personal statement is about You. It's your best chance to show them who you are as a person, not just your grades and test scores.
Personal Statement
John Doe
Applicant to the Master of Science in Bull**** program
Fall 2010
Then on page two, you don't need another title or introduction or anything like that, just start writing. The style should reflect your personality and 'voice'. It could be third-person voice like a newspaper article, or it could be first-person like you were simply transcribing your thoughts. It doesn't need to be a research paper unless that is what the school requires.
My suggestion is to write out an outline first:
I. How my interest in this subject developed
II. what I've done so far
III.Why I want to go to graduate school
For example. Then add a few sub-section topics:
I. How my interest in this subject developed
a. childhood experience
b. high school teacher influence
II. What I've done so far
a. undergraduate studies
b. work experience
III. why I want to go to graduate school
a. curiosity, love of learning
b. this specific program
Then you can start flushing each of these sections out in essay format. It can be easy, when you are writing about your own life, to get to wordy or stray off topic, so the outline will help you stay on course.
You may want to check out a book at the library too. Skim the comments about each essay from the editor, good and bad. Mark a few that may be of most help to you, either because they have a tone you want to use, or a subject you want to write about, et cetera.
It should be an essay, and think of it like an interview. You get a chance to tell them something about you.
What type of grad school? Different types have different things they look for.
MS in Child Development Studies. They have an outline of what they want. I just wanted to get an idea of how the final draft should look. Thanks everyone for your help.
You can find many free templates, guides, and other resources online.
Some things to keep in mind:
The personal statement is just that -it's personal. It's about you, why you want to pursue an advanced degree in Child Development, why you want to pursue this degree at School X, and such. Stick to the topic and do not write about your dying aunt, sick child, etc.
It needs to be written from the personal perspective, but do not use flowery language or three-dollar words. You are trying to convince them that you are a worthy candidate, not show-off your writing skills.
Keep in mind that admissions personnel have read every type of 'story'. Don't BS them, give them a sob story, or 'borrow' someone else's personal statement found on the Internet -there is the chance that they've seen it before, or will see it in the future. You don't want to get kicked out for being dishonest.
The premise of the personal statement is simple: it's an essay that provides context to an applicant's scholastic record, a face to put in front of the test scores. Length and content requirements for the personal statement vary widely from school to school; some colleges want brief, specific responses to a set of questions while others allow the applicant to give a general outline of his or her strengths."
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