personal statement masters of education

How To Write A Personal Statement For Masters (17 PDF Sample Examples)

Study Abroad 83,865 views 14 March, 2022

A personal statement for masters program is one of the most important parts of your college application and writing a good one is what’s the exception between receiving an offer and being rejected.

If you’ve been tasked with presenting a personal statement, you should keep in mind that whatever you submit must put you forward as the right candidate for the course. Additionally, it should convince the admissions officers that you deserve a place on your program of study.

Achieving the above, is a skill most postgraduate students are yet to acquire but thankfully this article on How To Write A Personal Statement For Masters covers everything you need to know on doing this.

In this article you’ll learn:

• What is a personal statement?
• Tips for making your personal statement for masters stand out
• How to write a personal statement for masters
• Personal statement for masters sample
• Examples of personal statement for masters
• Conclusion – things to avoid when writing a personal statement for masters

Read:  Admission Interview Tips .

What Is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement AKA admissions or application essay or statement of purpose is a type of essay or written statement a candidate presents to a college, university, or graduate school they are applying to, explaining why they want to attend that school, study a particular course, and why they would be a perfect fit for these things.

A personal statement for masters is an essay you submit specifically for your postgraduate application. Writing one presents the opportunity for you to promote yourself to a school and show the admissions teachers that you are the perfect candidate for a course.

Tips For Making Your Personal Statement For Masters Stand Out

Before we get into how you should write a statement of purpose for masters, we would first like to share with you certain tips to include in your essay to make it stand out from that of other applicants and be convincing enough to any admissions officer that reads it. The tips we have mentioned here, cover general things like starting and ending your personal statement, timing, length, and what to include and what not to include in the essay, etc.

1. Starting And Ending A Personal Statement

When starting a personal statement, you would want to right off the bat grab the reader’s attention. To do this, start the statement by writing about your degree of choice, next why you want to study it and then how you got interested in it.

The next 2 sentences after that should cover a summary of your background in the chosen field, and you conclude by saying what you plan to do once you acquire your graduate degree.

Also start with that the evaluators reading want to hear first, then every other information should come second. You will notice we’ve used in the sop examples for masters we will share with you later in this article.

2. Plan Ahead

A personal statement is not something you rush while writing, which means if you want to get something good before you application then you must start to decide things like the length and how long it should take to complete.

Let us throw more light on this…

For length, a personal statement should be brief ranging somewhere between 500 -700 words, although schools often detect how long it should be. So, this is dependent on the institution you are applying to.

In terms of what to say in a statement, you could include personal experiences like why you were driven to apply for the program, an experience you had with a scholar in your chosen discipline, a course you took that inspired you to pursue masters, or a key moment during your studies which further motivated you.

No matter what you decide to write, just keep in mind that you need to take your time to craft something good even if it means creating several drafts before the real thing and do not forget to proofread the statement for errors.

3. Research Your Program Of Study

Researching your program of study is one way to establish that you truly understand the discipline you’re getting into and prove to the admissions officer that you thoroughly thought about it before applying.

And because you want to put yourself forward as a serious candidate, one way to make you research easier is for you to visit the website of the department you are applying to. This page will contain information about faculty members, their specialisation, and publications.

From the intel, you gathered there you can now identify which professors match your interests and which ones you will benefit the most from learning under. After you’ve found this out, relate the same in a sentence or two in your statement of purpose for masters.

Example: “I would be honoured to study under the tutelage of Professor Nadia whose work I found resonated strongly with my beliefs and intended projects in this course”.

4. Avoid Clichés, Junks, And Many Details

When writing a statement of purpose for master degree try to avoid clichés, junks, and unnecessary details so that you don’t lose or bore your readers in between. Be as concise as possible, even if it’s your chance to express yourself.

A personal statement is an opportunity for the admissions committee to get information that tells the that you are suitable for the course. So, when you overpower your statement with too many words, stories, and useless details, you come off as someone who is just trying to meet the word count.

5. Include Your Personal History Only If It Adds To The Statement

Do not include your personal history in your statement of intent for masters if it is not relevant to your purpose of study. This means no need for you to tell that story about that time you helped someone treat a cut and immediately realised that you wanted to be a doctor or nurse or how you developed a taste for reading at a very young age.

We can guarantee you that the hundreds of other applications competing for the same spot you are felt the same way, so saying those things really doesn’t make you unique.

On the other hand, if you are going to add personal history to your statement, you can put in things like an internship you did and the experience you got from the job, a major research project you ran by yourself, publications you’ve read or published, conferences you’ve attended or presentations you’ve done. These experiences are more concrete and are directly related to your program of study. They also set you apart from other applicants.

6. Don't Use The Same Personal Statement For All Your Applications

One common mistake applicant make that you shouldn’t is using the same statement of purpose for master degree for all your applications. Using the same information repeatedly even if you are going to change the university names is risky and could land you in a big mistake on a day you forget to be thorough.

All programmes have their own unique set of questions they want to see answered and information they need in your personal statement.

And even if some of them like extracurricular activities, proposal for project, why you are applying to the school, your unique qualities, and research works you’re doing might appear the same, do not use one statement to respond to all of them.

Write a new unique personal statement every time you want to apply.

Check out:  How to Write a Good CV for Students - Resume Examples for Students (PDF).

How To Write A Personal Statement for Masters

When writing a personal statement for masters there are several steps and ground rules you need to follow to ensure that it comes out good enough to impress the admissions team of a school, and ultimately convince them to give you a spot on your program of study.

If writing one is something you are currently struggling with and can’t seem to get down the process of it right no matter what, this section on how to write a personal statement for masters, discusses in detail everything you need to get help with yours.

There are 4 parts to consider when writing your personal statement and we have listed them below:

1. Planning A Personal Statement

A personal statement is a piece of writing showing your academic interests and is only for application purposes which means there is no room for any autobiographical information in it about your personal life. Be as to-the-point as possible when writing it and stick to telling the school why you are the right person for the course, plus any other extra information detailing your achievements.

Before You Start:

Allot plenty of time to write your msc personal statement so that you don’t rush it. Remember, this simple piece of writing is your one shot at convincing a school that you are the best applicant they’ve seen and as such can either make or break your application.

Read the information expected of you from the university, rules and guidelines given, selection criteria and understand what they mean. Also research the institution.

Do a thorough research on the course you are applying for; this will help you explain better why you want to study it. The tutors interviewing you can tell when you are lying and presenting yourself as uninformed can cost you the admission.

Ensure that you don’t use the same personal statement for all your applications.

When Writing:

When writing the statement there are some questions to ask yourself that can help you plan it better. Those questions are:

• Why you want to study a master’s and how does it benefit you in future?
• How does the course you have chosen fit into your pre-existing skill set?
• How do you stand out from the crowd as an applicant - e.g., work experiences you’ve had in the same field you are applying for?
• What do you aspire to do or be as a future career and how will the course help you achieve that?
• How can your work or skillsets contribute positively to the department/ university you are applying to, or society at large?

On the other hand, if you are applying for the masters to change from the field you studied in your undergraduate to another field, you should tell the school why you decided to take a different path in your studies.

Questions to ask yourself for this include:

• Your reason for deciding to change your discipline.
• How your undergraduate degree will be material for bringing fresh insights into your masters course.
• How changing your study path will help you attain your future career.

2. Structuring A Personal Statement

Having good structure for your personal statement for master degree is important because it ensures that everything from the beginning, middle, and ending of the statement is written and equally falls in place perfectly.

We’ve left some tips for you below to help you:

Start your personal statement with an attention-grabbing introduction that is not dramatic or cliché. That means you should not begin with any of these over-used phrases we’ve listed out below:

For as long as I remember…

Since my childhood…

I want to apply to this course because I’ve always felt a strong connection to it…

All my life, I have always loved…

My interest in (course) always ran deeper than…

I’ve always been zealous about…

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in…

My past educational experiences have always…

You would want to be as snappy as possible with your opening because the admission officer has over a hundred applications to read and can’t waste all their time on yours. This means you should avoid overpowering it with unnecessary facts, quotes, and stories from your life.

The middle part of your ma personal statement is where the main content of the write-up should be. This is where you show your dedication to the course you’ve chosen, what motivated you to choose it, and why you are the right candidate for it.

When writing the middle part of a graduate personal statement, you should:  

• Give concrete reasons why you want to study a course at the University. The reason could be because of how the course is aligned to your future career or the University’s reputation in teaching that program.
• Mention relevant things like projects, dissertations, or essays you’ve done, and any work experience you have.
• Show proof of your core skills like and how they can contribute to the department.
• Prove what makes you a unique candidate.
• Discuss who your main influences for wanting to study the course are and why.
• Add experiences like memberships to clubs that are related to your field, papers you’ve written before, awards, scholarships, or prizes.
• Draw focus to how the course links to your past and future.
• Mention your academic and non-academic skills and how they fit the course.

For Formatting:

• Keep the statement length between 250 -500 words or as directed by the school.
• Sentences should be no more than 25-30 words.
• Use headings to break up the content – Why this university? Why this subject? Etc.
• Make claims and provide evidence to back each of them up. This can be done by discussing your work experience and academic interests.

Language and tone to use:     

• The tone for your masters application personal statement should be positive and enthusiastic, to show you eagerness to learn and so that you convince the evaluators that you have what it takes to succeed.
• Use exciting and refreshing language, and an engaging opening line.
• Ensure you grammar, punctuations, and spellings are accurate.
• Avoid exaggerated claims you cannot backup.
• Don’t use cliché generic terms and keep your focus on the course.

Keep the ending of your essay for master degree application concise and memorable, leaving no doubt in the admission officers mind that you deserve a spot on the program.

To create the best ending summarise all your key points without dragging it our or repeating yourself. The ending should be simple, end on a positive note and make it clear that the school will be lucky to have you on their program.

Personal Statement for Masters Sample

In this section, we have left a masters personal statement example for you, which you can use as material to write yours for any course of study you are applying to a school for.

Personal Statement PDF

You can also download this statement of purpose sample for masters degree pdf here and take your time to read it later – Personal Statement For Masters Sample .

See Also:  Student CV Template .

Examples of Personal Statement for Masters

We have taken the time to source for some of the best postgraduate personal statement examples, which you can use in addition to the personal statement for masters program example as a template to write yours.

While you scroll through our list, you will find the perfect masters essay example for any field you wish to apply for, from business administration, to Psychology, to information technology, and lots more.

1. msw personal statement

We have found one of the best msw personal statement examples out there for you.

social work masters personal statement .  

2. personal statement for masters in public health

mph personal statement examples

3. personal statement for masters in management

Personal statement for master degree sample for masters in management .  , 4. personal statement for masters in education example.

personal statement for masters in education example

5. psychology masters personal statement

psychology masters personal statement example

6. sample personal statement for masters in data science data science masters personal statement

7. speech and language therapy personal statement statement of purpose for masters sample: speech and language therapy

8. business administration personal statement personal statement for masters in business administration

9. personal statement for masters in cyber security pdf masters degree personal statement examples for cyber security

10. personal statement for masters in finance msc finance personal statement examples

11. statement of purpose for masters in information technology pdf msc personal statement examples for information technology

12. international development personal statement statement of purpose for masters example

13. msc international business management personal statement international business management personal statement examples

14. computer science masters personal statement

statement of purpose for masters in computer science pdf

15. personal statement for masters in economics statement of purpose sample for masters degree in economics

16. mha personal statement statement of purpose format for masters in health administration    

Conclusion – Things to Avoid When Writing A Personal Statement For Masters When writing a personal statement for university masters, there are some things you should avoid, so that you don’t ruin your essay. We have listed out those things below: •    Avoid negativity. •    Following an online template blindly. •    Do not include unnecessary course modules, personal facts, or extra-curricular activities in your personal statement. •    Do not lie or exaggerate an achievement or event. •    Do not include inspirational quotes to your statement. •    Avoid using clichés, gimmicks, humour, over-used word such as 'passion' or ‘driven’. •    Do not make pleading statements. •    Avoid mentioning key authors or professors in your field without any explanation. •    Avoid using sentences that are too long. •    Avoid flattering the organisation or using patronising terms. •    Do not repeat information in your statement that you have already listed in your application. •    Avoid waffling i.e., writing at length. •    Don’t start writing your personal statement at the last minute.  

Related Articles:

How to Write a Good Letter of Recommendation for Students (10 PDF Sample Examples).

How to Write a Good Financial Aid Appeal Letter (13 PDF Sample Examples).

How to Write a Good Personal Statement for a Scholarship ( 7 PDF Sample Examples).

How To Write A Good Motivation Letter For Scholarship (4 PDF Sample Examples).

How To Write A Letter Of Intent For Scholarship (4 PDF Sample LOI Example).

Latest Scholarship Tips

• Best MBA in USA 2023 - 2024
• H4 Visa Interview questions and answers (PDF for download)
• Online Masters in Psychology 2023 - 2024
• 26 Medical Schools In Canada For International Students
• 32 Artificial Intelligence Free Course With Certificate
• 20 MBBS In Abroad For Indian Students At Low Cost 2023
• 36 Best Fashion Schools In The World
• 35 Free Accounting Courses
• Canada Student Visa Application
• 40 Online Msn Programs 2023
• Best Scholarships
• AAUW 2024 International Fellowships for Women Pursuing Full-time Graduate or Postdoctoral Study in USA
• UNU-EHS 2023 Scholarships for Students from Developing Countries (Germany)
• DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Program for Sub-Saharan Africa 2024
• Schlumberger Foundation 2024–2025 Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women in STEM (Fully-funded)
• Mastercard Foundation 2024 Scholars Program at McGill University, Canada
• McGill University MasterCard Foundation 2023 Scholarships for African Students
• East-West Center (EWC) 2024 Fully-funded Graduate Degree Fellowship, USA
• MPOWER Financing 2024 Women in STEM Scholarship, USA and Canada

Scholarship Tips

Scholarships by country to study.

• United Kingdom
• United States
• South Africa
• Netherlands
• New Zealand

Scholarships by Category

• Postgraduate
• Undergraduate
• College School
• Entrepreneurs
• Bachelors Degree
• Women Scholarships
• Fully Funded

Scholarships by Country of Origin

• African Students
• Developing Countries

Scholarships by Institution / Company

• Flinders University
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• University of Edinburgh
• Australian National University (ANU)
• University of Melbourne
• University of Queensland, Australia

Scholarships by School

• University Of Queensland, Australia
• Monash University
• University of East Anglia
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Scholarships

• Undergraduate Scholarships
• Masters Scholarships
• MBA Scholarships
• Ph.D Scholarships
• Fellowship Scholarships
• Fully Funded Scholarships
• F1 Visa Interview Questions And Answers
• Scholarship Application Letter
• Letter Of Intent For Scholarship
• Personal Statement For Masters
• Motivation Letter For Scholarship
• Scholarship Acceptance Letter

Other Locations

• Scholarships in UK
• Scholarships in Canada
• Scholarships for Nigerian Students
• Scholarships for African Students
• Study Abroad Community

Testimonials

Free Resources

PrepScholar GRE Prep

Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

Click here to learn how you can improve your GRE score by 7 points, guaranteed .

What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

Want to improve your GRE score by 7 points?  We have the industry's leading GRE prep program. Built by world-class instructors with 99th percentile GRE scores , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through machine learning data science, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.

Try our 5-day full access trial for free:

• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7+ points?

Check out our best-in-class online GRE prep program . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your GRE score by 7 points or more.

PrepScholar GRE is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses . We also feature 2,000 practice questions , official practice tests, 150 hours of interactive lessons, and 1-on-1 scoring and feedback on your AWA essays.

Check out our 5-day free trial now:

However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing the Personal Statement

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.

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

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

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

2. The response to very specific questions:

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

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

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

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

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

Tell a story

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

Be specific

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

Find an angle

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

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

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

Tell what you know

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

Don't include some subjects

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

Do some research, if needed

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

Write well and correctly

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

Avoid clichés

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

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

How to Write a Stand-Out Personal Statement for Your Graduate School Application

While deciding to embark on the path to graduate school is an exciting first step toward advancing your career, the application process can sometimes feel daunting and confusing.

One major part of the application that most schools require is a personal statement. Writing a personal statement can be an arduous task: After all, most people don’t necessarily enjoy writing about themselves, let alone at length.

A compelling personal statement, however, can help bring your application to the top of the admissions pile. Below, we’ve outlined what you need to know about crafting a personal statement to make your application shine.

What Is a Personal Statement?

The point of a personal statement is for the admissions board to gain a deeper understanding of who you are apart from your education and work experience. It explains why you’re the right fit for the program and a worthwhile applicant. It’s also an opportunity to highlight important factors that may not be readily available in the rest of your application.

A personal statement is different from a statement of purpose (if you’re asked for that as well). A statement of purpose will touch on your academic and career goals, as well as your past credentials. While those should also be discussed in your personal statement, it’s more about your life experiences and how they’ve shaped you and your journey to graduate school.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Personal Statement

Before you start crafting your essay, there are a few prompts you can ask yourself to help clarify what you want to accomplish.

• What are the key points you want to communicate about yourself?
• What personal characteristics or skills do you have that make you a strong candidate for this field?
• What exactly are your career goals, and how does graduate school play into them?
• What have you learned about this field already? When did you first choose to follow this path, and what do you enjoy about it?
• What do you think is important for the admissions board to know specifically about you?
• Are there any discrepancies or causes for concern in your application you need to address? For example, is there a career and schooling gap, or a low GPA at one point? This is the time to discuss whether a personal hardship may have affected your academics or career.
• Have you dealt with any unusual obstacles or difficulties in your life? How have they affected and shaped you?
• What sets you apart and makes you unique from other graduate school applicants?
• What factors in your life have brought you to where you are today?

Top Tips for Writing a Graduate School Personal Statement

Pick a few points to emphasize about yourself . Introduce yourself to the admissions board. Select key factors about your background that you want the university to know — elements that reveal what kind of person you are and demonstrate why you’re a strong candidate for the school and field of study.

Be very specific . Again, a personal statement is all about communicating what distinguishes you from other applicants. To accomplish that, you need to share specific anecdotes that underscore your statements. If you say you’re a strong leader, present an example of a time you’ve proven that skill through work, school or your personal life. These specific, personal stories provide a deeper understanding of who you are and prove your intentions.

Do your research . Demonstrate what attracted you to the program. If there is a specific faculty member or class that caught your attention, or another aspect of the program that greatly interests you, convey it. This shows you’ve truly researched the school and have a passion for the program.

“Whatever the topic may be, I would recommend writing in a manner that reflects or parallels the institution’s and/or department’s missions, goals and values,” said Moises Cortés, a graduate/international credentials analyst for the Office of Graduate Admission at USC .

Address any gaps or discrepancies . Explain any factors that may have impacted your academic career. If you had an illness or any other personal hardships that affected your grades or work, discuss them. If there is a discrepancy between your grades and your test scores, you can also take the time to go over any extenuating circumstances.

Strike the right tone . While it’s important to give readers a glimpse of your personality, avoid oversharing or revealing intimate details of your life experiences. You should also avoid making jokes or using humorous cliches. Maintain a professional tone throughout your writing.

Start strong and finish strong . As with any piece of writing, you want to draw in your readers immediately. Make sure to start off with an interesting and captivating introduction. Similarly, your conclusion should be a well-written, engaging finish to the essay that highlights any important points.

“ For a personal statement, I think the first and last paragraphs are most important and should always relate the program they are applying to their own experiences and ideas,” Hoon H. Kang, a graduate/international credential analyst with the Office of Graduate Admission, told USC Online.

Proofread, proofread and proofread again . We can’t emphasize enough the importance of rereading your work. Your personal statement is also an analysis of your writing skills, so ensure you have proper grammar and spelling throughout. In addition, we recommend having multiple people look over your statement before submission. They can help with the proofreading (a second person always catches a mistake the writer may miss), give advice about the statement’s structure and content, and confirm it’s the proper recommended length.

Once you’ve considered all of the above and reviewed and edited your personal statement to perfection, it’s time to submit and check off any remaining application requirements, including your resume and letters of recommendation .

Personal statements are arguably one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, so make sure to revel in this accomplishment and acknowledge your successes.

For more information, visit the  Office of Graduate Admission at USC  and explore  USC Online ’s master’s degrees, doctoral programs and graduate certificates.

How to Write a Strong Personal Statement for Graduate School

• by Heidi Kerr and Paul David Terry
• November 10, 2020

You’ve made the exciting decision to pursue a graduate degree. Congratulations! There are a wide range of graduate programs to explore , and once you’ve selected the right program for you, it’s time to begin the graduate application process. 

The statement of purpose and personal history statement are key components of the UC Davis graduate school application . With fewer than 4,000 characters allowed for each essay, these statements can seem particularly daunting. However, each one has a specific purpose for showcasing your academic journey and creating a holistic application.

Below, we’ve analyzed the differences between the statement of purpose and personal history statement and provided tips for writing these graduate school admissions essays. 

Statement of Purpose and Personal History: What’s the Difference?

The statement of purpose shares your academic objectives with the admissions committee and explains why you want to obtain a graduate degree. The personal history statement provides background about who you are and how your experiences have shaped your interests and ability to overcome challenges. Each essay has specific goals to showcase your experience, passion and story. 

How to Write a Strong Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should highlight your academic preparation , motivation and interests, along with any specializations and career goals that contribute to your program of study. As you write your statement of purpose, it should encompass some of the following:

• Academic and research experiences - Include any relevant academic studies or research pursuits, internships or employment, presentations, publications, teaching, and travel or study abroad experiences that prepare you for this graduate program. Explain your motivation or passion for these experiences and how they can enrich your graduate study.
• Interests, specializations, and career goals - Highlight your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area(s) of specialization, and professional objectives.
• Fit - Explain how your preparation, experiences, and interests match the specific resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Identify specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how their interests match your own.

The statement of purpose should also address why you want to pursue the particular graduate degree program at the university and what your goals are in pursuing a degree. Remember, the statement of purpose should explain exactly that, your purpose for becoming a graduate student. This is the primary way it stands apart from your personal history statement. 

What to Include in Your Personal History Statement

The personal history statement helps the reader learn more about you as an individual and potential graduate student. Use this opportunity to describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Tell a story that  includes any experiences, challenges or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. Consider how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field.

A strong personal history statement begins with an authentic voice and personal narrative. This can reflect your journey to graduate school, any obstacles you’ve encountered, and how you've overcome challenges. Talk about your personal goals and dreams. Explain what motivates and drives you toward this degree. The more your personal statement tells your school about you as an individual, the more it will stand out. Don't write something to impress someone else. This includes language, style and tone. Authenticity is important and resonates well. Tell the truth, in your voice, from your perspective. Use your story to connect.

More Tips and Resources for Applying to Graduate School

Applying to graduate school may be daunting to some, but UC Davis has a variety of resources to help you create a strong graduate school application. Check out the Applying to Graduate School: A Guide and Handbook for ideas and worksheets on how to construct your essays. Or visit our Office of Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Services website for more graduate school prep resources. 

Paul David Terry is the assistant director of special interest and affinity networks and alumni diversity lead at the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. He oversees the UC Davis Health Improving OUTcomes blog and enjoys cycling and brewing ginger beer.

Heidi Kerr works as the content and media manager at UC Davis’ Graduate Studies. She has worked as a communications professional at multiple higher education institutions and is passionate about promoting student success.

The authors acknowledge current and former leaders from Pre-Graduate/Law Advising in Office of Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Services, especially Annalisa Teixeira, Ph.D. and Cloe Le Gall-Scoville, Ph.D., who granted us permission to reference Applying to Graduate School: A Guide and Workbook .

Subscribe to the Majors Blog

Primary Category

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Applying to graduate school
• 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.

College essays

• College essay examples
• College essay format
• College essay style
• College essay length
• Diversity essays
• Scholarship essays

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Avoiding repetition
• Literature review
• Conceptual framework
• Dissertation outline
• Thesis acknowledgements
• Burned or burnt
• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Theater vs theatre

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 03). How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved November 9, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/graduate-school/personal-statement/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write a graduate school resume | template & example, how (and who) to ask for a letter of recommendation, master's vs phd | a complete guide to the differences.

• Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement, and Writing Sample

Details about submitting a statement of purpose, personal statement, and a writing sample as part of your degree program application

• Dissertation
• Fellowships
• Maximizing Your Degree
• Before You Arrive
• First Weeks at Harvard
• Harvard Speak
• Pre-Arrival Resources for New International Students
• Alumni Council
• Student Engagement
• English Proficiency
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• After Application Submission
• Admissions Policies
• Cost of Attendance
• Visiting Students Program
• Express Interest
• Commencement
• Diversity & Inclusion Fellows
• Student Affinity Groups
• Recruitment and Outreach
• Find Your Financial Aid Officer
• Funding and Aid
• Financial Wellness
• Consumer Information
• Life Sciences
• Policies (Student Handbook)
• Student Center
• Title IX and Gender Equity

Statement of Purpose 

The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. You should describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen degree program, noting the experiences that shaped your research ambitions, indicating briefly your career objectives, and concisely stating your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Your degree program of interest may have specific guidance or requirements for the statement of purpose, so be sure to review the degree program page for more information. Unless otherwise noted, your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. 

Personal Statement

A core part of the Harvard Griffin GSAS mission is to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community. We are committed to educating individuals who reflect the growing diversity of perspectives and life experiences represented in society today and who will contribute to our commitment to sustain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment. Please share how your experiences or activities will advance our mission and commitment. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.

Writing Sample 

Please visit Degree Programs and navigate to your degree program of interest to determine if a writing sample is required. When preparing your writing sample, be sure to follow program requirements, which may include format, topic, or length. 

Share this page

Explore events.

Latest information about COVID-19

Writing Your Personal Statements

Your personal statement must demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have considered graduate school and their specific program seriously. It’s your opportunity to summarize your academic and research experiences. You must also communicate how your experiences are relevant to preparing you for the graduate degree that you will be pursuing and explain why a given program is the right one for you.

The personal statement is where you highlight your strengths. Make your strengths absolutely clear to the reviewers, because they will often be reading many other statements. Your self-assessments and honest conversations with peers and advisors should have also revealed your strengths. But you must also address (not blame others for) weaknesses or unusual aspects of your application or academic background.

Your personal statement should focus on two main aspects: your competence and commitment.

1. Identify your strengths in terms of competence that indicate that you will succeed in the grad program and provide examples to support your claims. Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many statements, it’s important to start off with your strengths and not “bury your lede.” Consider traits of successful graduate students from your informational interviews, and identify which of these traits you have. These traits could involve research skills and experiences, expertise in working with techniques or instruments, familiarity with professional networks and resources in your field, etc.

• Check your responses from the exercises in the self-assessment section. You may wish to consult notes from your informational interviews and your Seven Stories . Write concise summaries and stories that demonstrate your strengths, e.g. how your strengths helped you to achieve certain goals or overcome obstacles.
• Summarize your research experience(s). What were the main project goals and the “big picture” questions? What was your role in this project? What did you accomplish? What did you learn, and how did you grow as a result of the experience(s)?

My research examines the interplay between U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy during the Cold War. As a native New Yorker, I saw firsthand how dramatically my city changed after 9/11, which prompted my early interest in U.S. policy at home and abroad. As an undergraduate at the City College of New York, I planned to study international relations with a focus on U.S. foreign affairs. I also quickly became involved in student activist groups that focused on raising awareness about a wide range of human rights issues, from the Syrian refugee crisis to asylum seekers from Central America.

The more I learned about the crises in the present, the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of the past to fully grasp them. I decided to pursue a PhD in history in order to gain a clearer understanding of human rights issues in the present and to empower young student-activists like myself.

— Vannessa Velez, PhD candidate in History

Addressing weaknesses or unusual aspects

• Identify weaknesses or unusual aspects in your application—e.g., a significant drop in your GPA during a term; weak GRE scores; changes in your academic trajectory, etc. Don’t ignore them, because ignoring them might be interpreted as blind spots for you. If you’re unsure if a particular issue is significant enough to address, seek advice from faculty mentors.
• Explain how you’ll improve and strengthen those areas or work around your weakness. Determine how you will address them in a positive light, e.g., by discussing how you overcame obstacles through persistence, what you learned from challenges, and how you grew from failures. Focusing on a growth mindset  or grit  and this blog on weaknesses might also help.
• Deal with any significant unusual aspects later in the statement to allow a positive impression to develop first.
• Explain, rather than provide excuses—i.e., address the issue directly and don’t blame others (even if you believe someone else is responsible). Draft it and get feedback from others to see if the explanation is working as you want it to.
• Provide supporting empirical evidence if possible. For example, “Adjusting to college was a major step for me, coming from a small high school and as a first-generation college student. My freshman GPA was not up to par with my typical achievements, as demonstrated by my improved  GPA of 3.8 during my second and third years in college."
• Be concise (don’t dwell on the issues), but also be complete (don’t lead to other potentially unanswered questions). For example, if a drop in grades during a term was due to a health issue, explain whether the health issue is recurring, managed now with medication, resolved, etc.

2. Explain your commitment to research and their graduate program, including your motivation for why you are applying to this graduate program at this university. Be as specific as possible. Identify several faculty members with whom you are interested in working, and explain why their research interests you.

• Descriptions of your commitment should explain why you’re passionate about this particular academic field and provide demonstrations of your commitment with stories (e.g., working long hours to solve a problem, overcoming challenges in research, resilience in pursuing problems). Don’t merely assert your commitment.
• Explain why you are applying to graduate school, as opposed to seeking a professional degree or a job. Discuss your interest and motivation for grad school, along with your future career aspirations.

I am definitely not your traditional graduate student. As a biracial (Native American and white), first-generation PhD student from a military family, I had very limited guidance on how best to pursue my education, especially when I decided that graduate school was a good idea. I ended up coming to this PhD in a very circuitous manner, stopping first to get a JD and, later, an MFA in Young Adult Literature. With each degree, I took time to work and apply what I’d learned, as a lawyer and as an educator. Each time, I realized that I was circling around questions that I couldn’t let go of—not just because I found them to be fascinating, but because I did (and still do!) feel that my research could help to bridge a gap that desperately needs bridging. Because my work is quite interdisciplinary, I strongly feel that I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this line of research without the degrees and life experience I gained before coming to this program.

— Jamie Fine, PhD candidate in Modern Thought and Literature

Statement of Purpose: subtle aspects

• Think in terms of engaging faculty in a conversation rather than pleading with them that you should be admitted. Ask reviewers to read drafts with this concern in mind.
• With later drafts, try developing an overall narrative theme. See if one emerges as you work.
• Write at least 10 drafts and expect your thinking and the essay to change quite a bit over time.
• Read drafts out loud to help you catch errors.
• Expect the "you' that emerges in your essay to be incomplete. . . that’s OK.
• You’re sharing a professional/scholarly slice of "you."
• Avoid humor (do you really know what senior academics find funny?) and flashy openings and closings. Think of pitching the essay to an educated person in the field, but not necessarily in your specialty. Avoid emotionally laden words (such as "love" or "passion"). Remember, your audience is a group of professors! Overly emotional appeals might make them uncomfortable. They are looking for scholarly colleagues.

© Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

• Undergraduates
• Ph.Ds & Postdocs
• Prospective Students & Guests
• What is a Community?
• Student Athletes
• First Generation and/or Low Income Students
• International Students
• LGBTQ Students
• Students of Color
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Veterans
• Exploring Careers
• Advertising, Marketing & PR
• Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
• General Management & Leadership Development Programs
• Law & Legal Services
• Startups, Entrepreneurship & Freelance Work
• Environment, Sustainability & Energy
• Media & Communications
• Policy & Think Tanks
• Engineering
• Healthcare, Biotech & Global Public Health
• Life & Physical Sciences
• Programming & Data Science
• Graduate School
• Health Professions
• Business School
• Meet with OCS
• Student Organizations Workshop Request
• OCS Podcast Series
• Office of Fellowships
• Navigating AI in the Job Search Process
• Cover Letters & Correspondence
• Job Market Insights
• Professional Conduct & Etiquette
• LinkedIn & Professional Online Identity
• Interview Preparation
• Resource Database
• Yale Career Link
• Jobs, Internships & Other Experiences
• Gap Year & Short-Term Opportunities
• Planning an International Internship
• Funding Your Experience
• Career Fairs/Networking Events
• On-Campus Recruiting
• Job Offers & Salary Negotiation
• Informational Interviewing
• Peer Networking Lists
• YC First Destinations
• YC Four-Year Out
• GSAS Program Statistics
• Statistics & Reports
• Contact OCS
• OCS Mission & Policies
• Additional Yale Career Offices

Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School

• Share This: Share Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School on Facebook Share Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School on LinkedIn Share Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School on Twitter

Personal Statements

Preparing a well-written and effective personal statement (sometimes referred to as statements of purpose or personal essays) that clearly articulates your preparation, goals, and motivation for pursuing that specific graduate degree is critically important. You will need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort in crafting these statements. The focus, structure, and length of personal statements vary from program to program. Some will have prompts or questions you need to answer, while others will leave the topic open-ended. The length varies widely as well. Read instructions carefully and make sure to adhere to all parameters laid out in the application guidelines.

Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. The first and most important task is to decide on a message. Consider carefully which two or three points you wish to impress upon the reader, remembering that your audience is composed of academics who are experts in their fields. Your statement should show that you are able to think logically and express your thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Remember that the reader already has a record of your activities and your transcript; avoid simply restating your resume and transcript. Writing your statement will take time; start early and give yourself more than enough time for revisions. If no prompts are given, you can use the questions below to begin brainstorming content to include in your statement; for more information, see our Writing Personal Statement presentation Prezi  and our three-minute video on Writing Personal Statements .

• What experiences and academic preparation do you have that are relevant to the degree you’re seeking?
• Why are you choosing to pursue a graduate degree at this time?
• Why do you want to pursue this particular degree and how will this degree and the specific program fit into your career plans and your long-term goals?
• What specific topics are you aiming to explore and what does the current literature say about those topics?

After you’ve written a first draft, start the work of editing, refining, simplifying, and polishing. Provide specific examples that will help illustrate your points and convey your interests, intentions, and motivations. Is any section, sentence, or word superfluous, ambiguous, apologetic, or awkward? Are your verbs strong and active? Have you removed most of the qualifiers? Are you sure that each activity or interest you mention supports one of your main ideas? Spelling and grammatical errors are inexcusable. Don’t rely on spell-check to catch all errors; read your statement aloud and have it reviewed by multiple people whose opinion you trust. If possible, have your statement reviewed by a writing tutor. For individual assistance with writing your personal statement, consult with the writing tutor in your residential college  or the Writing Center within the Yale Center for Teaching and Learning .

Office of Career Strategy

Visiting yale.

Writing the Personal Statement

Helpful tips and advice for drafting a compelling personal statement when applying for graduate admission.

Make sure to check the appropriate program website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

What does this statement need to accomplish?

The personal statement should give concrete evidence of your promise as a member of the academic community, giving the committee an image of you as a person.

This is also where you represent your potential to bring to your academic career a critical perspective rooted in a non-traditional educational background, or your understanding of the experiences of groups historically under-represented in higher education and your commitment to increase participation by a diverse population in higher education.

What kinds of content belongs here?

Anything that can give reviewers a sense of you as a person belongs here; you can repeat information about your experiences in your research statement, but any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles belongs here. This is also a good place to display your communication skills and discuss your ability to maximize effective collaboration with a diverse cross-section of the academic community. If you have faced any obstacles or barriers in your education, sharing those experiences serves both for the selection process, and for your nomination for fellowships. If one part of your academic record is not ideal, due to challenges you faced in that particular area, this is where you can explain that, and direct reviewers’ attention to the evidence of your promise for higher education.

The basic message: your academic achievement despite challenges

It is especially helpful for admissions committees considering nominating you for fellowships for diversity if you discuss any or all of the following:

• Demonstrated significant academic achievement by overcoming barriers such as economic, social, or educational disadvantage;
• attendance at a minority serving institution;
• ability to articulate the barriers facing women and minorities in science and engineering fields;
• participation in higher education pipeline programs such as, UC Leads, or McNair Scholars;
• Academic service advancing equitable access to higher education for women and racial minorities in fields where they are underrepresented;
• Leadership experience among students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education;
• research that addresses issues such as race, gender, diversity, and inclusion;
• research that addresses health disparities, educational access and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and other questions of interest to historically underrepresented groups;
• artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.

• BSW Scholarships
• How to Transition to a Social Work Career
• Social Worker Salary and Jobs in Social Work
• Is a Master of Social Work MSW Really Worth It?
• Social Worker Resource Guide
• Doctor of Social Work Salary and Careers
• How to Become a School Superintendent
• Faculty Interview: Dr. Lee Nabb, Morehead State University
• Scholarships for Doctor of Education (EdD) Students
• What is a Terminal Degree?
• Is It Worth Getting a Doctorate in Education (EdD)?
• Faculty Interview: Tracy Caddell, Ball State University
• Doctor of Education EdD Salary and Career Outlook
• EdD vs. PhD
• What is Organizational Change?
• Faculty Interview: Michael Poe, Northwest Nazarene University
• How to Transition to a Teaching Career
• Applying for Your Master’s
• Preparing for Your Interview
• Crafting Your Resume

How to Write a Personal Statement

• How to Get the Right References
• Is a Master of Teaching Worth It?
• The Ultimate Guide to the Praxis® Tests
• Finance your Teaching Education
• Online Master of Arts in Teaching – TESOL Programs
• HBCU Undergraduate Scholarships Guide
• Librarian Resource Guide
• Explore Librarian Salary, Jobs, and Careers in Library Science
• Online Master of Science in Teaching
• Online Master of Education Programs
• Our Guide to Entry-Level Nursing
• What Type of Nurse Should You Be?
• Guide to Transitioning RN to MSN Programs
• What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Public Health?
• Bachelor of Public Health Scholarships and Grants
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science Salaries
• How to Make a Career Change from Teaching to Speech Pathology
• Speech Pathology School Scholarships
• How to Get into Speech Pathology School
• ASHA Certification for Speech-Language Pathologists
• Is a Master’s in Speech Pathology Really Worth It?
• Professional Development Guide for Speech Pathologists
• What Speech Pathology Students Should Do Before Graduating
• Speech-Language Pathologist Resume Guide
• Speech-Language Pathology Job Interview Guide
• Speech Pathologist Resource Guide
• Speech Pathologist Salary and Career Outlook
• What Is an AGACNP?
• What Is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
• Guide to Making a Career Change to Nursing
• How To Get Into Nursing School
• Is Nursing School Really Worth It?
• Nursing Salary by State
• Nursing Resources
• Which Nursing Degree Is Right for Me?
• Types of Nursing Degrees
• Nursing School Scholarships
• Explore Midwife Salary, Jobs, and Careers in Midwifery
• What is a Midwife
• The 2022 Guide to Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs
• Nursing Careers Infographic
• Nurse Practitioner Career & Salary
• Our Guide to APRN License and Certification
• NP vs DNP: Nurse Practitioner vs Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
• Registered Nurse vs. Nurse Practitioner
• Acute Care Nurse Practitioner ACNP Salary and Careers
• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner WHNP Salary and Careers
• Online Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs (PMHNP)
• Occupational Therapy Salary and Career Outlook
• Scholarships for Occupational Therapy Students
• How to Get into Occupational Therapy School
• Is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Worth It?
• What is Occupational Therapy?
• What Is the Difference Between Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy?
• What Is Physical Therapy?
• How to Get Into Physical Therapy School
• Is a Doctor of Physical Therapy DPT Really Worth It?
• Physical Therapy Careers and Salaries
• How to Make a Career Transition to Physical Therapy
• Chiropractor vs. Physical Therapist
• Physical Therapy Scholarships
• What’s the Difference Between a Physician Assistant and a Doctor?
• Scholarships for Physician Assistant PA Students
• Physician Assistant vs. Nurse Practitioner: What Are the Differences?
• Physician Assistant Salary, Jobs and Career Path
• How to Become a Physician Assistant
• How to Get Into PA School
• Is a Physician Assistant PA Degree Really Worth It?
• Physician Assistant Certification Guide
• Pharmacy Doctorate Salary and Career Outlook
• How to Get into Pharmacy (PharmD) School
• Master of Health Informatics Career and Salary
• Master of Public Health Salary and Career Outlook
• Online Master’s in Health Administration Programs (MHA)
• Top Paying Healthcare Careers
• Bachelor of Psychology Scholarships
• Digital Resources for Students with Autism – Helpful for Teachers and Parents
• What is a Functional Behavior Assessment?
• What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
• Applied Behavior Analysis ABA Scholarships
• Psychologist Salary and Career Outlook
• Types of Psychology Degrees
• Clinical Psychologist Careers and Salary
• Marriage and Family Therapist Salary and Jobs for MFT Careers
• Behavioral Psychology
• Counseling Skills and Techniques
• Is a Master’s in Counseling Worth It?
• 25 Counseling Scholarships for Graduate Students
• School Psychologist vs School Counselor
• Bullying Resources for Educators and Parents
• The Comprehensive College Planning Resource
• School Counselor Certification Guide
• Resources for School Counselors
• School Counselor Salary and Career Outlook
• LMHC vs. LCSW
• How to Become a Counselor
• Mental Health Counselor Salary and Career Outlook
• MPA vs MPH: Which Degree is Best for You?
• MPA vs. International Relations
• MPA vs. MPP
• Masters in Business Administration (MBA) vs. Masters of Public Administration (MPA)
• Is an MPA Degree Really Worth It?
• MPA Careers and Salaries
• Master of Public Administration MPA Scholarships
• Online Masters in Urban Planning Programs
• What Can I Do With an International Relations Degree?
• International Relations Salary and Career Paths
• How to Make a Career Transition to Financial Planner
• Can You Change Careers with an MBA
• MBA Concentrations Guide
• Online MBA in Financial Planning Programs
• Find Online MBA in Entrepreneurship Programs
• Find Online MBA in Marketing Programs
• Find Online MBA in Business Analytics Programs
• Find Online MBA in Finance Programs
• MBA or CFA: Which Is Better for a Finance Career
• How to Get Into Business School
• MBA or JD: Which Is the Better Career Path?
• Is an MBA Degree Really Worth It? Decide Here
• Explore MBA Salary, Jobs, and Careers in Business
• MBA Scholarships
• Bachelor’s of Business Scholarships
• What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Business and Management?
• What Can You Do with a Bachelor’s in Marketing?
• Bachelor of Marketing Scholarships
• Is a Master of Accounting Worth It?
• Accountant Salary and Career Outlook
• Guide to Transition into an Accounting Career
• Master’s in HR Salary and Career Outlook
• How to Break into Supply Chain Management
• Supply Chain Management Salary and Career Outlook
• Online Master’s in Management and Leadership
• Online Master’s in Finance Programs
• Explore Our LSAT Study Guide
• How to Get into Law School
• How to Study for the Bar Exam
• Is a JD Really Worth It?
• MPA vs JD: Which Is Better?
• Is a Master of Legal Studies Worth It?
• Online Master’s in Taxation Law Programs
• Online Master of Laws LLM Programs
• Online Master of Legal Studies in Compliance Programs
• What You Can Do with a Bachelor’s in Communications
• Bachelor of Communications Scholarships
• Online Master of Communication Management Programs
• Master’s in Communications Salary and Careers
• Is a Communications Degree Worth It?
• How to Become a Communications Director
• How to Become an Architect
• Guide to Online Economics Certificates and Courses
• How to Become a Public Policy Analyst
• Public Policy Analyst Salary and Job Outlook
• Guide to Online Sustainability Certificates and Short Courses
• Data Science Salary and Career Outlook
• Is a Data Science Degree Worth It?
• Online Business Management Courses
• How to Become a Finance Manager
• Finance Salary and Careers
• Web Developer Salary and Career Paths
• How to Become a Cyber Security Specialist
• Guide to Cybersecurity Salaries and Careers
• AI Engineer Salary and Career Outlook
• How to Become an AI Engineer
• How to Become a Blockchain Developer
• Systems and IT Salary and Career Outlook
• Online Human Resources HR Courses
• How to Become a Project Manager
• Project Manager Salary and Career Outlook
• Become a Marketing Manager
• Is a Marketing Degree Worth It?
• Marketing Salary and Careers
• Online Healthcare Courses
• Online Nutrition Courses
• Online Education Courses
• Online Business Negotiations Courses
• Online Leadership Courses
• Online Conflict Resolution Courses
• Become a Data Analyst
• Online Real Estate Courses
• What is an HBCU?
• Reasons to Choose a Degree From an HBCU
• Teaching Methods
• Learning Styles
• Testing Effect
• School Media
• Motivating Students
• Dropout Prevention
• Teachers Care
• Grants for Teachers
• Teacher Appreciation
• Debra Rose Howell
• Dr. David Lazerson
• Dr. Penny Ferguson
• Genein Letford
• Lynne Kesselman
• Susan Evans
• Valerie Kibler
• How To Become a Lawyer Online
• How to Become a Principal
• Guide to Becoming a Doctor of Social Work
• Masters Degree Program Accreditation
• Teacher Certification Tests (The Praxis and Beyond)
• Teacher Salary, Career and Benefits Guide
• Summer Vacation for Teachers
• Teaching STEM
• Teaching Art
• Teaching Music
• Teaching Gifted Education
• Teaching Social Studies
• Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Teaching English and Language Arts
• Teaching Special Education
• Teacher Shortage Areas by State
• How To Become an Online Teacher
• Become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• How to Become a School Counselor
• LMHC Licensure Guide for Mental Health Counselors
• What does an LMHC do?
• Become a Psychologist
• How to Become a Clinical Psychologist
• What Does a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) Do?
• Become a Behavior Analyst
• How to Become a Pediatric Nurse
• Become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
• How to Become a Pharmacist
• Become a Speech Pathologist
• Become a Physical Therapist
• How to Become an Occupational Therapist
• Become a Registered Nurse (RN)
• Become a Nurse Practitioner
• Become a Nurse Midwife
• Become an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
• Become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse APRN
• How to Become a Business Consultant
• Become an Accountant
• Become a Human Resources Specialist
• Become a Public Administrator
• Become a Librarian

Teach.com / Online Education / Education Degrees / Online Master of Arts in Teaching Programs (MAT) / Applying for Your Master’s / How to Write a Personal Statement

Brainstorming

Before you start outlining your statement, ask yourself a few questions to get an idea of what you’ll need to include. Jot down each of the following questions and leave some space to answer them.

• Why do I want to be a teacher?
• How should I address my academic record?
• How can my experiences enhance my application?
• Who is my audience?

Now take a few minutes and come up with some answers to these questions. Don’t spend too much time on this step; just write down your general thoughts. Once you do that, you will be ready to dive in and start writing your personal statement.

The Introduction

Your introduction needs to grab the reader’s attention at once. Remember that they are most likely staring at a pile of applications, and yours will be one of many they’ll read in this sitting. You need to be memorable right from the start. Follow this general form for a solid intro.

• HOOK:  Grab the admissions officer’s attention with a broad, but strong statement about the teaching profession.
• LINE:  Write two to three sentences that develop that idea and narrow it down to focus on you.
• SINKER:  Deliver your thesis. This is where you state specifically why you want to study education at their school.

Begin with a short summary of your educational background. Do not turn this into a resume; just briefly give an overview of your studies in both your major (English, math, etc.) and in your education concentration. If you have any inconsistencies in your academic record, this is where you should address them. Do not give excuses, but if there are reasons why you did poorly in an area, state them here.

The second body paragraph is where you get to tell your story. Why do you want to become a teacher? What inspires you about this profession? What type of teacher do you see yourself becoming? How did your student teaching experience inspire you to continue on this path? Anecdotes are best, but don’t get carried away. Keep it concise and to the point.

Once you have explained who you are and what your professional goals will be, the third body paragraph should explain why you think you are a good fit for that particular school. Hopefully you did some research before applying, and you have some concrete reasons for choosing this college. Tell them your reasons, but don’t go overboard with platitudes. They know what awards they have won and where they rank in the U.S. News college rankings. Be honest and explain what attracted you to their program of study and what you hope to get out of it.

In order to ensure the clarity of your work, each body paragraph should be formatted the same. This way the reader will be able to quickly read without losing track of the point. After the first body paragraph, begin each subsequent paragraph with a transition phrase or sentence, and then provide a clear topic sentence. Support that topic sentence with solid evidence. Finally, provide examples to back up that evidence.

The Conclusion

Conclusions are hard, and they are hard for a reason. Ideally, you have made your case in the body of your personal statement, so you understandably ask yourself, “What else can I say?” Try one of these strategies:

• Widen the focus a bit and validate your thesis without being redundant.
• Project where you see yourself in 10 years after completing your degree and becoming a successful teacher.
• Reaffirm your passion for your subject area.

However you decide to close, do not fall back to your middle school days and simply restate your case in the conclusion. Take some time to craft a closing that will leave them with an overall positive impression.

The Nuts and Bolts of Academic Writing

It is certainly worth noting a few of the technical aspects of writing your personal statement. Many programs will have specific items they want you to cover in your statement. Be sure you have carefully read and then answered their questions. Use a basic font like Times New Roman or Calibri and either a 10- or 12-point font. Always use 1-inch margins and single space your document. The general suggested length is 500 to 1,000 words. Don’t feel like you have to hit the word limit, but don’t only get halfway there either.

More from  Applying for your Masters in Teaching: The Complete Guide

• Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• School Counseling
• Military and Veterans Counseling
• Social Justice Dashboard
• Tuition and Financial Aid
• Admissions FAQs
• Student Profile
• Counseling Licensure
• Mental Health Counselor Jobs
• School Counselor Jobs
• Online Student Experience
• Student Success

Get a Program Brochure

How to write your personal statement for graduate school.

Drafting a personal statement for graduate school can be a challenging prospect for even the most confident writers. Your “why” for pursuing a specific career path or for wanting to attend a specific school might be clear in your mind, but can be harder to put into words. Personal topics are often more challenging to structure and can easily go off the rails, meaning you will miss out on hitting key points that will demonstrate why you are a good fit for a particular program.

To make this process less daunting, let’s break it down into actionable steps that will help you shine.

Follow These 6 Steps to Write Your Personal Statement

As you consider your application to William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling program, follow these steps to ensure you hit the mark with your personal statement.

1. Research

Know the ins and outs of the program you are applying to, including the admissions requirements, curriculum and faculty before you start writing. The more you know about the program, the more you can highlight what stands out to you about the program and what seems relevant to your career goals. Note that the faculty members of the William & Mary School Education will be reviewing your application materials. You can get to know the specific faculty members involved with our online program by visiting the M.Ed. in Counseling faculty page .

As you research, you will want to make sure you understand what is being asked of you when it comes to the personal statement. Are there specific prompts you should be answering? Is there a page or world limit you need to be mindful of? Gather this information in the research step. We have outlined the specifics of the personal statement along with the other admission requirements in a useful guide .

It is also important to do your homework about the career you plan to pursue with this degree. What type of counselor do you want to be? Who do you want to work with? You will want to speak about why you want to pursue this career and what you hope to accomplish, and the more you know about your intended career path, the more specific you can be in your writing. Specifics will help your personal statement stand out.

Once you have gathered your external research, it’s time to look inward and reflect. This is the stage where you can put your thoughts on paper without worrying about structure. Review any prompts given and get your ideas around these on paper. Also, think about your career aspirations, past academic, professional and volunteer experience, leadership potential, collaborative skills and propensity to engage in reflective practice.

The guiding questions for your application to the M.Ed. in Counseling program are:

• What has led you to become interested in becoming a _____ (Clinical Mental Health, School, Clinical Mental Health – Military & Veterans) counselor?
• Why are you interested in pursuing your counselor education at William & Mary?
• How will your graduate degree in Counseling at William & Mary help you achieve your career goals?
• What strengths would you bring to your graduate studies at William & Mary?
• What do you think would be the greatest challenge(s) for you in your graduate studies at William & Mary? How would you address the challenge(s)?

Based on these prompts, you can see how the research step pays off, as you can address specifics in the program and in your career aspirations. You also have the opportunity to address your strengths here and in turn what you will bring to the program with those strengths.

Now that you have all of your thoughts on paper (or typed up on your computer), it is time to get organized. There are thousands of articles about how to create an outline online, but this does not have to be a big, formal process. The goal here is to get your notes from the research and reflection steps placed in a logical order that will take your reader from the introduction to the conclusion, leaving them convinced that you will be a great fit for the program.

Generally, you will want to hook your reader in the introduction. This is a great place to share a story that relates to your “why” for pursuing counseling and/or the program. Your body paragraphs will continue on what you have set up in the introduction, giving evidence of why the reviewers should admit you to the program. And then finally, you will wrap everything up in your conclusion.

Take your time with the outline to ensure you are hitting the points you want to cover within the ideal page range. For the William & Mary person statement, we are looking for two to three pages.

You may be surprised how fast this step can go if you have given ample attention to the proceeding steps. With your notes and outline in hand, sit down and tie everything together into a cohesive paper. You have already made it through your undergraduate career (or are in the home stretch to graduation). Lean on the skills you have used to write your papers up until now and trust yourself.

Generally, write your personal statement at a time and in an environment that is conducive to getting the words on to the page. Do you write better at night, or are you more of an early bird? Do you need silence when writing, or do you thrive in a busy cafe while listening to your favorite music? Set yourself up for success in the drafting process and know that getting started is often the most challenging part.

Reviewing your draft can be broken down further into two parts: 1. Reviewing for content, and 2. Reviewing for spelling and grammar.

Enlist someone you trust, whether it be a friend, family member, colleague or supervisor, to review the content itself. Do your ideas make sense and flow and in logical order? Can the reader follow your thoughts? Is the takeaway clear? The reviewer can pinpoint areas where you might have missed a key part of the prompt or did not explain yourself very well. If you are struggling with a certain section, talking through it can be a big help.

Once you have the content nailed down, it is time to proofread. You do not want to leave any careless errors on the page. If you do not consider spelling and grammar as strengths, enlist the help of someone you trust to handle this part of the review. It can be the same person who read for the content review, or someone entirely new. Fresh eyes never hurt when it comes to proofreading. When faculty and administrators read a personal statement, they want to see true excitement and a strong level of professionalism without being distracted by errors.

6. Finalize

Charles “Rip” McAdams, professor of Counselor Education at William & Mary, explained what faculty members are looking for when reviewing an applicant’s personal statement: “The goal is to determine if an applicant's decision to pursue graduate education in counseling reflects a realistic understanding of the professional counselor's role, as well as a genuine commitment to engaging in the rigorous academic and clinical preparation that will be required.”

If you feel you have demonstrated this in your statement, it is time to stop writing. You have put in the work, and after one final proof, your personal statement is ready to be sent off with the rest of your application.

Set Yourself Up for a Successful Application Process

As you prepare to apply for William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling , know that our admissions advisors are always on standby to answer your questions, clarify admissions requirements and review the list of materials we need from you. We have also compiled a number of resources to set you up for success throughout this process.

Visit the main admissions page to find the requirements. Check out our step-by-step How to Apply guide , which walks you through the process of applying through our online portal. You can also view the admissions timeline to get a better idea of how long the application process may take. Additionally, here is a blog post to help you consider what time of year you might want to start your graduate school journey.

We compiled a helpful list of admissions FAQs to assist in this process, but please reach out if you run into any questions. You can schedule a call with an admissions advisor here .

Return to Blog

William & Mary has engaged Everspring , a leading provider of education and technology services, to support select aspects of program delivery.

Department of Education

University | A to Z | Departments

• Postgraduate study
• How to apply

Writing your personal statement

• Education home
• About the Department
• Undergraduate study
• Taught Masters
• Teacher Training / PGCE
• Part-time graduate study
• Scholarships / Funding
• Teacher training/PGCE
• Equality and Diversity
• Meet our students
• International students
• Student wellbeing
• News and events

Presentation

• Use 12 pt, Times New Roman font
• Use 2 cm margins
• Write ONE page A4 only; do NOT write more than this

What to include

• Relevant details of your academic and education background
• How the programme suits your needs and what attracts you to the programme
• What you want to get out of the programme. Try and be more specific than ‘to teach’ or ‘to do a PhD’
• What option modules you might be interested in
• What topics you might be interested in for writing your dissertation (if you already have an idea)
• Details of relevant activities you have undertaken, like designing teaching materials, or organising short courses
• What study experience you have relevant to the programme
• How the programme fits with your future plans

What not to include

• Irrelevant biographical detail (we do not need to know about your childhood or what your parents do)
• Anecdotes and ‘sayings’; stick to the facts
• You must not copy phrases from generic templates from the internet (eg ‘it has been my dream since childhood…’); write the personal statement in your own words. This is really important because you will need this skill when writing your assignments
• Do not include more than one page; you may be asked to resubmit your personal statement if a significant portion is irrelevant

Demonstrating you are able to follow instructions is an important aspect of completing one of our programmes. Please follow the instructions above for writing your personal statement.

Department of Education University of York , Heslington , York , YO10 5DD , UK Tel: work +44 (0)1904 323460 | [email protected]

Legal statements | Privacy | Cookies | Accessibility © University of York | Modify | Direct Edit

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz

Personal Statement

• Power Point Presentation
• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Master of Education Program, Personal Statement Example

Pages: 2

Words: 687

This Personal Statement was written by one of our professional writers.

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Need a custom Personal Statement written for you?

In seeking to define my professional goals, for both myself and for the University of Tampa, I find that I cannot do so without incorporating a significant amount of personal ambition.  I believe this duality is in place with all those who teach, or it most certainly should be, because teaching demands a commitment level beyond that of an ordinary vocation.  It is, in plain terms, a calling, and my desire to teach is not dictated by career motives; rather, it is a reflection of a deep need within me, and one I highly value.  Consequently, my goals are inextricably connected, for furthering my education and acquiring the teaching career I anticipate translates to fulfilling a deeply-held aspiration.

This innate desire to teach has been within me for as long as I can recall, and it is something I implicitly trust.  I am aware, as I have been from the beginnings of my educational career, that teaching is one of the most challenging professions anyone may pursue.  Times changes, societies shift, and cultural considerations all play into the job’s expectations and demands.  Moreover, teaching is, in my eyes, the adopting of an enormous responsibility.  If young students today are sophisticated in technology and far more aware of worldly considerations than those of generations past, the inescapable reality remains that they are still young minds, and impressionable ones.  The teacher, then, is as constrained to take on the obligations of inspiring and instructing as any teacher of the past has been, and that has always been a task of the greatest importance.  For me, the responsibility is not intimidating, but enticing.  I want to bring to the classroom a passion for learning, and I want to reach and inspire as many children as I can, to experience the satisfactions that may only come through self-discovery and education.  Teaching is, for me, a privilege and an exciting vista.

I am no stranger to the “other side” of the teaching experience, of course.  I have a Bachelors’ degree in Criminology, as well as a Masters in Criminal Justice and Critical Incident Management.  I believe that these achievements, while only partially going to my long-term goals, will enhance the graduate program in which I participate.  More exactly, my background in these disciplines is one I am, not surprisingly, eager to share.  We all, I think, learn even as we impart learning.  I believe as well that my aspiration to teach has given me a privileged awareness of the process itself, and how it may best be conducted, in what I myself have gained in my educational life.  With each advancement in my academic career, moreover, I have come to a more focused sense of specific ambition, one in which my skills will be most effectively employed.  To that end, a Masters degree in Teaching in Social Science is the pragmatic goal before me.  This attained, I may move forward to teach grades five through nine, for I believe this range will bring out the best of what I have to offer, and enable the kind of teaching I most want to practice.  No age is unimportant, certainly, but my instincts and experience inform me that I can do the best work with children in this range of grades. If there is an inherent challenge to this, it is one I eagerly embrace.

Currently, I work as a teacher’s aide at a private day school, and I mention this to reinforce my commitment to the profession.   Very simply, every day in which I am in some fashion involved in education confirms within me a sense of rightness in my ambition.  I am near, at least, to where I should be.  As noted, my goals are not single entities, but a fusion of aspirations.  To achieve them, I require my Masters degree in teaching, and all my research reveals I can pursue this at no better venue than the University of Tampa.  It is my earnest hope that this prestigious school will allow me to move forward as I wish to, and let me work for that next step in the pursuit of all my goals.

Stuck with your Personal Statement?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

What Is Employee Empowerment? Essay Example

The Generous King of Pop, Speech Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Personal Statement Samples & Examples

Depression during old age, personal statement example.

Pages: 1

Words: 314

Health Policy Statement on Structured Reporting for the Cardiac Catheterization, Personal Statement Example

Pages: 4

Words: 1164

MSN Personal Statement Example

Words: 562

How I Became a Nurse, Personal Statement Example

Words: 511

The University of Balamand, Personal Statement Example

Words: 317

Professional Nursing Career, Personal Statement Example

Words: 1065

How to Write a Compelling Grad School Personal Statement

Your graduate school personal statement is your opportunity to make a lasting impression on admissions committees. It is your chance to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate for your desired program. But often, the task of writing a personal statement can be overwhelming.

To help guide you through this process, here are some valuable tips compiled by UK Online recruitment specialists.

Tips Before You Start Writing 

Be authentic and reflect.

Before you put pen to paper, take some time to reflect on your life experiences, academic journey, and career aspirations. Be authentic and true to yourself in your writing. Highlight the unique aspects of your life that have led you to this point. The admissions committee is interested in who you are as an individual.

Demonstrate Motivation 

Showcase your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree. Explain what drives you, why you are passionate about your chosen field, and how this program fits into your long-term goals. Admissions committees want to see that you have a clear sense of purpose and a genuine interest in the subject.

Highlight Experiences 

Your personal statement is the perfect place to highlight your academic and extracurricular experiences that have prepared you for this program. Discuss any research, internships, or projects that have influenced your decision to pursue graduate studies. Connect these experiences to your future academic and career goals.

Convey Writing Skills 

Effective communication is a crucial skill for graduate students. Your personal statement should showcase your writing abilities. Ensure your statement is well-structured, free of grammatical errors, and flows logically. Seek feedback from peers or writing centers to enhance its quality.

Make an Impression

Your opening paragraph is your chance to make a memorable first impression. Craft an engaging introduction that captivates the reader's attention. Use a powerful anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a striking statement to draw them in. Admissions committees review numerous applications, so standing out from the beginning is vital.

Things You Should Include in Your Personal Statement

Introduction.

Your introduction should provide a glimpse of your personality and what motivates you. It sets the tone for the entire personal statement, so make it compelling.

Personal Background

Share your academic history and personal background. Discuss your achievements, academic journey, and relevant experiences. Explain how your background has led you to the point of applying for this specific program.

Motivation and Goals

Clearly articulate your reasons for pursuing this graduate program. What are your short-term and long-term goals? Explain how the program aligns with your aspirations. This section should convey your enthusiasm and commitment.

Relevance of Experience

Highlight the experiences, internships, or research projects that have contributed to your readiness for this program. Connect these experiences to the skills and knowledge you will bring to the graduate program. Show that you are well-prepared.

Unique Qualities

Discuss what makes you unique. Mention your unique qualities, skills, or attributes that set you apart from other applicants. This is your chance to stand out and show why you're a valuable addition to the program.

In your conclusion, summarize your key points and reiterate your passion for the program. Express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the institution. End on a positive note and leave the reader with a memorable impression.

Remember to be authentic, showcase your motivation, highlight your experiences, convey your writing skills, and make a lasting impression. Craft a personal statement that reflects your unique journey and demonstrates your readiness for graduate studies. Best of luck with your application!

• Apply Grad School

Get a UK Degree, Your Way

Choose from one of our 80+ degrees and certificates, designed to be flexible with your lifestyle and career..

In the Fall 2022 term, 75% of students enrolled in UK Online programs received some form of financial aid.

In This Article:

About uk online.

We launch critical & innovative thinkers, creators and doers. The University of Kentucky has a long history of successful alumni who are leaders in their roles, industries and communities. Choose from one of our 80+ degrees and certificates, designed to be flexible with your lifestyle and career.

Explore Online Programs

• Bachelor’s Degrees
• Master's Degrees
• Doctorate Degrees
• Undergraduate Certificates
• Graduate Certificates
• External Certifications
• All Programs
• Art & History
• Business, Administration & Leadership
• Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
• Engineering
• Information Science
• Professional Writing & Communication
• Social Work & Behavioral Sciences
• Sustainability & Agriculture

Start achieving your career goals

And earn your uk degree, from anywhere, learn online., expand your skill set. grow your career..

Pay the same tuition anywhere in the world with our online tuition rate

Fit learning into your busy schedule with the flexibility of learning online

Be Supported

Have access to support services and success coaches to help you succeed

Degree Recognition

Degrees conferred by the University of Kentucky, a long-standing land-grant university

How to write a personal statement for Masters courses

A good personal statement can mean the difference between getting an offer and being rejected. Your personal statement should show us that you are the right person for the course.

Alternatively, you can see our advice for writing a UCAS personal statement .

Learn how to:

• plan your personal statement
• structure your personal statement
• use engaging and convincing content  and language .

Planning your personal statement 

A personal statement is a piece of writing that you submit as part of your application. It is a statement of academic interests and should not contain any autobiographical information about your personal life.

Instead, it should show us that you are the right person for Sussex by telling us why you want to study your course , and any extra information about your achievements to date. 

See our Masters courses for more information

When you have finished planning your personal statement, you can use our  postgraduate application system  to start your application. 

You need to:

• carefully read the information required of you 
• research the course you are applying for, so that you can explain why you want to study it. If you are applying for more than one course, do not use the same statement for all applications.

The following questions may help you plan your personal statement:  

• Why do you want to study a Masters and how will it benefit you?
• How does the course fit your skill set?
• How do you stand out from the crowd - e.g. work experience?
• What are you aspiring to be/do in your future career?
• How can your work contribute to the department/University/society?

If you're applying for a subject that is in a different field to your undergraduate degree, tell us why you have decided to change your direction of study. 

Think about: 

• how you will bring fresh insight to your course as a result of your undergraduate degree
• the reasons for deciding to change your field of study
• how changing your direction of study will help you with your future career.   

Use a tight structure in your personal statement and make sure each paragraph logically follows on from the one before. 

Your personal statement must:  

• have an eye-catching and interesting introduction, and an engaging middle part and conclusion
• have an introduction that acts as a framework for the rest of your statement, with the main part of your statement detailing your interests, experience and knowledge
• be between 250 and 500 words 
• have short sentences of no more than 25-30 words
• use headings (if you wish) to break up the content - for example, 'Why this university?' 'Why this subject?' 'Ability', 'Personal experience' and 'Career aspirations'

'My passion for Psychology stems from my interest in how dementia affects the personality of patients suffering with the condition. That's why I spent my gap year working with the Alzheimer's Society, supporting patients and families by visiting them at home and holding surgeries to give sufferers and carers someone to talk to.'

'It was not until my grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and ischaemic dementia that the link between brain functioning and cognition became a passion. Although a most unpleasant experience, the enormity of the precision at which the brain functions to produce our cognitive abilities, socially acceptable behaviours and intricate physiological processes astounded me. I found myself questioning the cognitive functions and human behaviours I had previously just accepted, desperate to understand how the unseen and seemingly small entities within the brain could impact our daily behaviour.'

• the conclusion should sum up your main points, reflect on your main accomplishments and clearly show your desire to study.

Your personal statement is where you show us your commitment, dedication and motivation for studying the course. It is your chance to show us the course is for you.

Your personal statement should:  

• give strong reasons as to why you want to study the course at Sussex. This could be for your future career or because of the University's reputation
• mention relevant study - including projects, dissertations, essays - or work experience 
• provide evidence of your key skills including, research, critical thinking, communication, organisation, planning and time-management and show how you can contribute to the department
• show what makes you stand out as a candidate
• explain who your main influences have been and why
• draw on your other experiences: for example are you a member of a society, have you written any papers or won any awards, scholarships or prizes?
• highlight your career aspirations and show how the course will help you achieve them.  

See an example personal statement [PDF 31.95KB]  

Your tone should be positive and enthusiastic. It should show your willingness to learn and persuade us you have what it takes to suceed on one of our courses. 

You should:  

• use fresh and exciting language to make your application stand out, and use engaging opening paragraphs
• use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling 
• use clear language in short sentences and avoid extravagant claims

Example: 

Don't:  'I was inspired by the University's world-renowned researchers and world-leading facilities.'

Do:  'I was inspired to study Animal Biology because of the groundbreaking work into the behaviour of bees that is being led by Sussex Professor Francis Ratnieks. I follow the work of the University of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects and would be proud to study in such a renowned department and contribute to its highly ranked research.'

•  proofread your statement and ask a friend or relative to read it. 

You might also be interested in:

• our Masters courses
• postgraduate application system guide
• student support
• how to apply for a Masters course

• +919946991401
• [email protected]

Personal Statement for Master of Education

Writing a personal statement for master of education to get admission from a famous university is not a walk in the park. Even if you have a sample personal statement for master of education with you, the writing needs to be done by you. And it takes hard work, commitment, and focus.

And if you are worried that you might not get the best results, let our team of personal statement writers help you with the same for the master of education. We have been working in the field for nearly a decade and we know how to help you.

We have written winning personal statements for master of education for students looking to get admission in renowned universities around the world. This has helped us become one of the most reliable brands in the field to write personal statements for the master of education.

Write to us

How to Write a Personal Statement for Master of Education?

One of the first things that students must keep in mind while writing a personal statement for master of education is the focus of the statement. The statement has to focus on an important element and it is the motivation of the student to do the course.Everything else that you are putting in the master of education personal statement must feed to this idea.A personal statement is a document that gives you the freedom to express yourself and your motivation in a creative way to impress the admission committee and grab the admission. If you go with this goal in mind, you are already there.

Apart from these, you can also these simple tricks to make your statement better:

• Learn everything you need to write the statement well in advance
• Find a suitable format that can help you put your best leg forward
• Design a strategy that will help you write the statement better
• List down all the relevant things you want to include in the statement
• Always write the personal statement in an confident and optimistic tone
• Get someone else’s help to review your statement to make it better

These tips will sure help you come up with an excellent statement even better than the many sample personal statements for master of education online PDF. We are sure that these tips will certainly help you create an impressive statement.

What Makes Us One of the Best for Master of Education Personal Statement?

We know that every student wants to submit an inventive personal statement with their master of education application. However, getting that statement is a real challenge. However, it is never impossible. One has to have the right commitment and focus to write the statement and it will be even better than you would hope.

In addition to this, we are also a service provider that concentrates on our clients’ requirements first. With every project that we undertake, we work closely with them, which helps us cater to their exact needs unfailingly.

We have been successful in helping a range of students get admission to their favorite universities with our master of education personal statement, and the traits below:

Personal Statement for Masters in Education Example

One of the biggest deciding factors that shapes an individual and their perspective is education. Therefore, there was a requirement for students to take part in a responsive educational and learning process. The requests and amazing open doors for arising educators have unquestionably changed. From endeavouring to utilize innovation to further develop students’ growth opportunities to embracing different informative belief systems to fulfil understudies, it has come a long way. The teacher-student connection has evolved due to the instructing techniques. This differentiation is spurring me to investigate different education systems. As I need to seek out administrative level occupations through this, I am keen on acquiring information that will help me interpret what I realized during my certification.

I have been more energetic about learning than my cohorts are, even as a small kid. In the tenth and twelfth grades, my excitement for learning added to my excellent grades. With (grade), I finished my SSC at (name of school), and with (grade), I finished my intermediate studies at (name of school) (grade). After earning my plus two, I made the decision to pursue a degree where I could make a difference. This originated from a negative experience I had while studying.

My classmate posed the teacher an inquiry in class while I was in the twelfth grade, and the instructor responded to it. My classmate, however, stayed befuddled and asked once more. The teacher became furious over this and slapped him. It was a frightening moment, and I considered whether there was a method for upgrading the  educators’ and understudies’ scholastic encounters. Thus, I ended up at XYZ College, where I earned an undergraduate degree in Educational Management. My focus on administration, which I have long envisioned, was made easier with the assistance of this graduate degree. My undergraduate degree in educational management gave me the foundation I needed to begin a career in education.

Since graduating, I have used my abilities in two separate positions where I was responsible for supporting understudies’ development through a mix of extracurricular and scholarly activities. I stood firm on my feet as an educator at ABC School and as a course preparer at XYZ School. These two encounters helped me acquire the knowledge and capacities expected for managerial business. Functioning as an educator gave me knowledge of training from the perspective of students, and as a course preparer, I understood how I could make the course material as helpful as possible. Furthermore, it gave me a fabulous chance to foster my initiative capacities and increase my confidence while making executive choices.

Yet, over time, I understood that upgrading my abilities included getting new educational certifications. I made the decision to pursue a master’s in Education at XYZ University in ABC to enhance my profile and career. My choice to attend ABC was motivated by my enthusiasm for the institution’s approach to teaching and its dedication to it. I therefore believe ABC is the ideal place to study if I want to improve my academic skills and gain a new perspective on what education is all about. I am looking forward to ABC’s warm hospitality and serene atmosphere.

Due to its effectiveness in research, education, and resource management, the XYZ University is among the best universities in ABC. Modern policies, theories, and research are included in XYZ University’s master’s in Education programme to create skilled and proficient educators. Additionally, the program’s course modules are versatile, permitting me to pick the elective ones that match my academic interests, such as… (Name your interested areas). Likewise, the college will make it possible for me to partake in extracurricular exercises, which will be helpful to keep up with my peace as I seek the master’s. I expect to gain knowledge from Prof. (Name), who is renowned for his studies on the developing idea of education and the learning climate. I’m certain that XYZ University will furnish me with the information, ideas, and capacities I need to prevail in a world that is continually evolving.

Eventually, getting this master’s will assist me in being more powerful in completing my obligations and will expand my possibilities for finding steady employment. In this way, I anticipate becoming familiar with the standards of education at XYZ University.

We offer Personal Statement For

• Master of Psychology
• Business School
• Master of Public Health(MPH)
• Master of Finance
• Master’s in Public Administration

Universities

• Oxford University
• University Postgraduate
• Civil Engineering
• Imperial College
• King’s College London
• Harvard University
• College Admission
• Graduate School
• Residency Personal Statement
• Internal Medicine Residency
• Family Medicine
• Anesthesiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing School
• Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing
• Psychiatry Residency
• Pediatrics Residency
• Paramedical Science
• Physiotherapy
• PhD in Computer Science
• PhD in Biological Sciences
• PhD in Clinical Psychology
• GI or Gastroenterology
• Cardiology Fellowship
• Nephrology Fellowship
• NSF GRFP Fellowship
• Oncology Fellowship
• Fellowship in Critical Care
• Fellowship in Radiology
• Hematology Fellowship
• Fulbright Fellowship
• Criminology
• NYU Law School
• Georgetown Law School
• Harvard Law School
• Columbia Law School
• LLM Law School

Why Choose Us for Writing Your Personal Statement for Masters in Education

Our expertise in the field.

Our experience in the field clocks a decade and more. The hands-on experience that we have in the domain has helped us become a respected name to write personal statements for admission. It also helps us know what the students and universities want from a personal statement for master of education and deliver it well.

Extensive Quality Systems

We know that the quality of the personal statements that we write for our clients is extremely important. In order to maintain world-class quality with each personal statement that we write, we have a slew of quality policies and systems in place. This ensures that our statements can compete with other world-class statements, as well.

Team of Skilled Writers

We have a team of highly experienced, skilled, and trained writers working for our students. These writers are as passionate about writing as they are committed to the success of the students. Although statements cannot win you the admission alone, with our writers to help you, you have extremely high chances of winning.

Affordable Statement Plans

As we chiefly work with students, we know that they have stringent budgets to conform to. Hence, we have made the services extremely affordable for all our students. Our flexibility with working as per the needs of the clients has garnered us the image as the most affordable company for writing master of education personal statements.

Timely Deliverance

Most students need to evaluate the master of education personal statement thoroughly before submitting the same to the university. And they need time for that. Keeping that in mind, we deliver all the personal statements on time. This has made us one of the most reliable names in the field for personal statements.

Flexible Service Support

We know that students need all the options they can get to make their choices. As writing a personal statement for a master of education is a big decision, they would need more time and support. We do that with our flexible service offering to create personal statements that they need and love at all times.

Each of these qualities helps us distinguish ourselves from the other service providers in the field. We have made a unique niche for our service offerings in the field. And we are confident that we can use it to help you chase your dreams, as well.

Hire Our Personal Statement Writing Help for Master of Education

The opportunities in the academic sector for well-trained and qualified professionals are immense. However, the only challenge that most aspiring students face is pursuing the master of education from a world-renowned university for better exposure, training, and overall academic experience. But, we can help you.

We have helped numerous aspiring students get admission for master of education from their favorite university around the world.

We have helped them with writing personal statements that are:

There is no doubt that these qualities are what the admission committee in your favorite university is looking for in a master of education personal statement. And we can deliver the personal statement for master of education in PDF format as you prefer. With our help, you will have higher chances of winning admission, as well.

As a reliable and client-centered service provider, we can help you come up with excellent personal statements that will underline your eligibility for the course.

Gather more details about our services from us. Contact us now!

Q: What is a personal statement for a Master's in Education?

A personal statement for a Master’s in Education is a written document that outlines your background, experiences, and goals related to pursuing a graduate degree in education. It provides an opportunity for you to showcase your passion for education and explain why you are a strong candidate for the program.

Q: Why is a personal statement important for my Master's in Education application?

A personal statement plays a crucial role in your application for a Master’s in Education. It allows the admissions committee to get to know you beyond your academic qualifications. It helps them assess your motivation, commitment, and potential as a future educator.

Q: What should I include in my personal statement for a Master's in Education?

Your personal statement should highlight your relevant experiences, such as teaching or volunteering, and explain how they have shaped your interest in education. It should also discuss your academic background, career goals, and any research interests or teaching methodologies you are passionate about.

Q: How can I make my personal statement stand out?

To make your personal statement stand out, ensure that it is well-written, engaging, and reflects your unique experiences and perspectives. Use concrete examples to illustrate your points and demonstrate your potential as an educator. Consider seeking feedback from trusted mentors or professional editors to polish your statement.

Q: Is there a specific format or structure I should follow?

While there is no rigid format, a typical personal statement includes an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention, a body section highlighting your experiences and goals, and a conclusion that summarizes your key points. Ensure a logical flow and use clear, concise language throughout.

Q: Should I include specific examples of teaching or leadership experiences?

Yes, including specific examples of teaching or leadership experiences can strengthen your personal statement. Highlight any teaching roles, mentoring experiences, or initiatives you have taken to showcase your commitment to education and your ability to make a positive impact.

Vasuki Ram, senior writer and the founder of SOP Consultants is a B-tech Graduate who used to work in an MNC. Starting from 2013, she along with her team has assisted more than 10,000 students. Shift in her career was drastic. Read full story here.

• Chandigarh Patiala Amritsar
• Jammu & Kashmir
• SOP for MBA
• SOP for Law Internship
• SOP for Tourism
• SOP for Social Work
• SOP for Graduate School
• SOP for Phd
• SOP for Engineering
• SOP for Scholarship
• SOP for Computer Science

• +91 9946991401
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Refund Policy

© Copyright 2023 SOP Consultants | Designed by NS

• Prices/Payment
• Standard Service US$199.00
• VIP/Rush Service US$299.00
• Masters Personal Statement Help
• Dr. Robert Edinger
• Autobiographical
• Cover Letter
• Disadvantaged Status
• Dual Degrees
• Letter of Appeal
• Letter of Recommendation
• Scholarship
• Summer School
• Undergraduate
• Mission/Service
• Privacy/Guarantee

#header_text h2#site_subheading a, #header_text h2#site_subheading{ color:#000000 } @media (min-width: 650px) { #header_text h2#site_subheading a, #header_text h2#site_subheading{ } }

[email protected]

Free Consults!

Dr. Robert Edinger Admission Writer and Editor

Samples of My Work On Behalf of Applicants to Graduate Programs in Education & Related Areas

• MA Educational Counseling, Multiculturalism
• MS Education, Learning & Development, Latina
• Masters School Counseling, HIV Survivor/Activist
• MA Early Childhood Education, Chinese
• MA Degree Program in Leadership, Canada
• MA Education, Curriculum Studies, Pakistan
• MA Education, Emotionally Challenged Children
• Ph.D. Engineering Education, Mgmt, Vietnam
• M.Ed. Degree in Special Education, Disabilities
• EDD Degree in Educational Admin., Mixed Race
• Post-Graduate Certificate, Integrated Education
• PHD, Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership
• MS Degree in Education, Bilingual Teacher
• MA Degree in Educational Technology, Saudi
• Ed.M. Degree Program, African-American
• MA, Comparative and International Education
• Advanced Certificate Teaching Program
• Masters Educational Counseling, HR Background

Sample 1st Paragraph MA Degree in Educational Counseling, Zimbabwe

Heroines of Education

Everyone remembers at least one of their teachers. That individual who made their education fun, or impactful. A teacher can completely change the direction of a student´s life. Here are just a few of the women who are doing just that.

Shella Condino

Shella Condino is a science teacher at Presidio High School in Presidio, TX. She grew up in the Philippines very poor. She came to America in hopes of making a difference. Condino is now a physics teacher at Presidio High School. She took the job in the small town of Presidio because no one else would. She wanted to use her innovative techniques to educate students.

As a physics teacher, Condino uses aerospace to teach teenagers physics while allowing them to have a hands-on approach to learning. Five years ago, she started the Rocketry Club, which involves students at the middle and high school levels. In 2012, Condino’s Rocket Club competed in a nationwide competition. It was placed 11th out of 100 teams.

Condino was chosen by the National Aviation Hall of Fame committee as the 2011 A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year, and without a doubt, Condino’s resourcefulness, creativity and willingness to give her all to her students solidifies her as an inspirational teacher.

Marilyn Gambrell

Marilyn Gambrell is a former parole officer and CEO/teacher. She works at No More Victims in Houston, TX.

As a former parole officer, Marilyn Gambrell felt compelled to make a difference in the lives of children whose parents are currently incarcerated.

Gambrell decided to start the organization No More Victims: an hour long class that Gambrell facilitated. Gambrell has saved hundreds of lives and instilled the confidence and power that many students were lacking in order to turn their lives around.

She says, “My favorite aspect to my job is when our children feel safe enough to release their pain, fears and secrets that have kept them emotionally paralyzed and to actually witness them begin to breathe their own air.”

In 2005 Gambrell’s story, Fighting the Odds, was made into a television movie. Many of her students recognize her as the force of change that their lives needed in order to make something out of their lives. “I’m not going to stop at all costs,” Gambrell says. No More Victims has attracted the attention of celebrities like hip-hop artist Chamillionaire, who support the organization and help the good work continue.

Michelle Shearer

Michelle Shearer is a high school chemistry teacher at Urbana HS in Ijamsville, MD. Originally, she was actually a pre-medical student at Princeton University.

Shearer began to volunteer at a school for the deaf. Based on her experience, she decided that she wanted to change her major. She decided to earn a teaching certificate in addition to a Bachelor degree in chemistry, and before teaching at Urbana High School, Shearer taught at the Maryland School for the Deaf. She was the first teacher to offer and AP Chemistry class in the school’s 135-year history.

Shearer was named the 61st National Teacher of the Year in 2011. “Technology and teaching strategies certainly enhance my efforts, but my recognition of the power of human connection seems to have the most profound effect on my student’s achievement,” Shearer says.  

All of her students during her 14 years of teaching have nothing but good things to say about Shearer´s teaching methods. They have had a powerful impact on their education.

Erin Gruwell

Erin Gruwell is a teacher and motivational speaker. She began teaching inner city students in 1994 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA.

During one lesson, derogatory words were exchanged between students. Gruwell stepped in, comparing the derogatory words to the Holocaust. Some of the students didn’t know what the Holocaust was.

From then on, she made it her mission to change the lives of these children and purchased books using her own money for the students to take home. In order to further understand the students’ situations, Gruwell decided to use writing. The students wrote life journals as a creative outlet. Their entries were shared unanimously in class for discussion and reflection.

Gruwell made several sacrifices in her life to make sure the young people she taught were successful. Even her marriage was a sacrifice because her husband didn’t support her involvement with the students. They soon divorced.

However, Gruwell has said that watching all her students graduate made everything worth it. Her story was made into a major motion film called Freedom Writers. She was portrayed by Hillary Swank.

Now she works as a motivational speaker. She´s jhe founder of Freedom Writers Foundation, and still empowers students and teachers to become their own Freedom Writers.

Amy Gibson is a high school English teacher at Huffington High School. She has been an English teacher there for 37 years.

In 2012, Gibson was awarded the John F. Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award, and $10,000. A former student nominated Gibson for the award. Her name was Allie Bolen. In her essay, Bolen referred to Gibson as a “Victorian woman”, who has a strict yet respectful reputation. Bolen went on to say that Gibson made a life changing impression on her. Gibson is the reason why she has a voice and has become more confident, she say

Gibson has taught at Catholic schools in Baltimore and in St. Mary’s County during her career. She says staying enthusiastic about teaching is the key to being effective.

This is not Gibson’s first award. In 2004, she was named the Calvert County Teacher of the Year and has also received honors from the College Board, the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Yale University.

Catherine Maw

Catherine Maw is a 5th grade elementary school teacher at Donlin Drive Elementary School. She has been a teacher for the past 15 years, carrying on the third generation of teaching within her family.

Maw is the latest recipient of the Technology Alliance of Central New York’s Outstanding Teacher Award. She was selected because she has inspired students in math, science, engineering and technology through hands-on activities. Maw has incorporated rocket building challenges and other practical activities to increase the interest and the overall educational outcome that students receive.

Premium Statement Service by Dr. Robert Edinger

Premium  Service US$299.00    

With maximum creativity, research, priority attention, and as many revisions as needed!

Dr Robert Edinger with Son David

1-812-675-4937

Statements of Excellence for Admission to Graduate School in Education

Search by Discipline, Degree, Ethnicity, or Country of Origin

Phd education statement of purpose sample, applicant from taiwan, autism spectrum.

UXX is my first choice for earning the PHD Degree in Education not only because I live in Davis, California with my family so it is by far the most convenient; but I also feel that I am a good fit with the focus of your program since I am already steeped in the study of connections between cognition and mind on the one hand, and learning science on the other. This is especially true with respect to children with disabilities. Education at UXX is oriented towards the promotion and appreciation of multilingual education and literacy development, immersion schools, bilingual classrooms, etc. It would be a special honor for me to learn not just in my classes and through interaction with my peers, but also through intensive engagement with UXX’s Mind Institute, the ideal location for me to develop my talents as a researcher.

Born and raised in Taiwan, I learned Japanese as well as English early on since I excelled at languages and our island was a colony of Japan for a very long time. As an adolescent, I also began studying Spanish intensively and went on to complete my undergraduate studies primarily in this area. Thus, I am proficient in this language as well as Japanese, in addition to being a near-native speaker of English and a native speaker of Mandarin. My husband is from Hong Kong so Cantonese is also heard frequently in our home.

Both of my children were born in Kentucky. One is autistic and the other speaks three languages fluently. I became a stay at home mom, mostly for my son, now age 11, who needs a lot of help. It was not until my daughter, now 8, began her Spanish immersion kindergarten program that I have really been in a position to give my best to graduate school. My husband is now engaged in research at UC Davis related to Autism and virtual realities. Now, I too want very much to engage in intensive research in the area of Autism at UC Davis, in my case, studying how cognition affects verbal skills and ways of learning for children who are not neuro-typical (e.g. autism). I also look forward to an in-depth study of Autism as a culture-based disorder, especially in terms of treatment. The primary catalyst for my intellectual focus on "Mind and Learning Sciences" has clearly been my son.

I am a promoter of multilingualism and an advocate for multilingual education. Fascinated by the process of language learning through immersion, I follow my daughter’s progress in Spanish immersion school very closely. I also work hard with her to master Chinese language quickly, spending every summer in Taiwan. I often find myself amused by her Kentucky accent in English. Living and loving language acquisition is the center of my world and I have no intention of leaving my Autistic son behind. He is also making progress with his language skills, only much more slowly. But, he is learning, more and more all the time. I find myself gravitating towards the value of learning in community magnified and focused by contact in the virtual world. My husband and I frequently brainstorm at length for ideas in this area.

Last year I taught in a public school and my philosophy was to embrace, encourage and empower through task-based learning. I look forward to becoming a better teacher at the same time that I gear up for the fullest career development through research in the area of multilingual development for children - on as well as off the Autism Spectrum.

Sample 1st Paragraph MA Educational Counseling

What Makes Good Teaching?

1st 2 Paragraphs for the PHD Instructional Design, System and Technology

I am a young woman from Malaysia with a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology. I have great hope as a global citizen that our communications revolution will also continue to revolutionize education, helping to foster respect for human rights, dignity and more equal treatment of our people. My long term goal is to teach and promote digital ethics, particularly the teaching Malaysian children how to protect themselves online.

Of special relevance is my volunteer experience with the School Of Hope on Mabul Island. I worked tirelessly to collect enough donations to purchase the school materials that they needed for basic educational functions. Myself and my colleagues also started an Arts Program during our lengthy stay, I chose to give my all to the School Of Hope for over a year because of the fact that it serves Bajau and Suluk children who are born stateless. Like their fathers and forefathers, they have no access to state-sponsored education, healthcare or social welfare services. 

Personal Statement for Doctoral Degree in Education, Taiwanese Applicant, Speaks Spanish, Data Expert, Mother of Autistic Child

On one of the last occasions that I spent time with my father in Taiwan, before he passed away at age 47 from cancer, he asked me what I wanted to study in college. I told him Spanish; and listened to his deep sigh. Spanish was not commonly seen as the best option for someone in Taiwan as a career path, and another decade would go by before I earned my degree in Spanish, but I am pleased that I made this decision however unpopular it may have been with my parents. Nevertheless, with my father’s passing our economic situation was much less secure and my mother convinced me that my passion, languages, was simply not going to pay the bills. Thus, when I came to the United States for graduate school at Purdue University, I earned my Master’s Degree in Hotel Management. After graduation, the SF Bay Area became my home and I put my Spanish to work managing mostly Spanish-speaking staff.

My determination and critical thinking began to pay off and I achieved economic security by creating my own company on the Internet which now has three overseas branches. I learned to resolve issues and overcome hurdles to get there, learning to think systematically, increasing my capacity to contribute to the academic community as someone with a track record of real-world success. My analytical skills have also been tested in my now decade long battle to help my autistic son. Routine data collection is required to decrypt, interpret and drive decisions for his progress as I search for strategies that will lead to best possible learning outcomes. Learning how to do this better and better is one of my motivations for wanting to return to graduate school in Education and why I believe that I will excel, giving my very high level of motivation.

Working as a medical interpreter in hospitals has resulted in my being a witness to prejudice and differential treatment of members of disadvantaged social groups due to lack of language transparency. I also interpreting for parents at school district meetings. These experiences have left me most impressed with the central importance of communication and how communication processes depend on adequate translation from one language to another. All too often the language barrier is where people tend to misunderstand, presume, and exploit situations.

I have taught ESL to adult refugees as well as high school ESL and I worked intensively in ESL with two disadvantaged students as part of my teaching practicum to earn my Master’s Degree in Teaching World Languages with a focus on Spanish & Chinese (GPA 3.83 -2017). I have studied abroad on several occasions to improve both my Spanish and Japanese; and I was able to do this by effective management of my resources and family life. I am very excited about the prospect of returning to graduate school in Education and having the opportunity to share my experiences with peers who have similar interests. I very much enjoy interaction between classmates, group presentations and I am especially fascinated with novel ways that theory and methodology can give rise to creative and novel  topics in academic research. My career goal is research and I imagine myself writing proposals for studies designed to find solutions for challenges in language pedagogy.

I have founded an Internet startup that now has 40 employees, a special needs parent and a language teacher, I seek further challenge and bringing it all together, particularly with respect to the education of my son. I see a doctoral degree in Education as the central key to fulfilling my curiosity concerning language learning.

I thank you for considering my application to the University of XXXX.

• Accounting, MAcc, MSc
• Architecture MS, MSc
• Bacteriology MS
• Biology MS, MSc, PHD
• Business. BBA, MBA, Doctoral
• Chemical Engineering MS, MSc
• Chemistry MS, MSc
• Communications MA
• Computer Science MS, MSc, PHD
• Counseling MA
• Criminal Justice MA, MCJ
• Early Childhood Studies
• Economics Masters, PHD
• Education MA, MED, MS, EDM, EDD
• Engineering, MS, MSC, PHD
• English Language, Literature
• Finance MS, MSc
• Food Science MS
• Graphic Design MA
• Healthcare Management, Informatics
• Health Education MS
• HR Human Resources HRM
• International Relations, Affairs
• Information Systems MS, MSc
• Law, LLM, MA, MSc, JD
• Liberal Arts Masters, MA
• Linguistics
• Logistics MS, PHD
• Management MS, MBA
• Nuclear Energy
• Occupational Therapy
• Orthodontics
• Pathologist Assistant MS
• Pharmacy Masters, Doctorate
• Physician Assistant Studies BS, MS
• Physics MS, MSc
• Political Science MA
• Prosthodontics MS, MSc
• Psychology MA
• Public Admin MPA, MPNA
• Public Health MPH, PHD
• Real Estate MS
• Regulatory Science, Affairs
• Rehabilitation Counseling MS
• Research, MS, MRes
• School Counselor MA
• Security Studies
• SLP, Speech & Language Pathology
• Social Work MSW
• Sociology MA, PHD
• Statistics MS, PHD
• Supply Chain MS, MSc, PHD
• Translation MA
• Transportation MS, PHD
• Veterinary Medicine

Let's Get Started!

• Online Degree Explore Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees
• MasterTrack™ Earn credit towards a Master’s degree
• University Certificates Advance your career with graduate-level learning
• Top Courses
• Join for Free

How to Create a Basic Resume Format for Freshers

You're a fresher who has just finished university and is ready to start your career. The first thing you need to do is create a resume so you can start applying for jobs.

 A basic resume format for freshers is similar to the resume someone with more work experience might use. You'll fill in as much as possible in each section and add any other miscellaneous information that might help promote you as a good candidate for a job.  

Header with your contact information 

Personal statement 

Work experience (such as part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work)

Additional miscellaneous sections that might showcase what you have to offer

Header with contact information 

Start by adding your contact information to the top of the page. This will be the easiest part, but ensuring you get it right is essential so interviewers can contact you. Keep it simple with your full name, address, phone number, and email address. 

Suppose you have professional social media accounts such as LinkedIn or Twitter; you can add the links to those below your contact information. Make sure that any social media you add is clean enough for your employers to view, and only add it if it enhances your career somehow. Also, if you need a professional email address, you'll want to create one, preferably with some version of your full name.  

Next, you'll want to write a concise yet accurate personal statement summarising who you are and what you want in two to three sentences. Get straight to the point. As a fresher with little or no work experience, you'll want to highlight other aspects of who you are, though you will want to incorporate your current job goal. Remember that studies have shown recruiters spend less than eight seconds looking at a single resume. So, this is your place to grab their attention [ 1 ]. 

Here, you can talk briefly about your education, including your major. You can mention any internships, part-time jobs, awards, or certifications you've earned. You can also highlight your top skills. Highlighting your skills is an excellent idea if they match up with the wording used in the job advertisement.  

This can be the most challenging part of filling out a resume format for freshers because it takes some thought and creativity to begin. A good sample personal statement might read something like this: 

Recent university graduate with a degree in business administration and a passion for customer service, seeking an entry-level role in retail. Highly organised, excellent communicator, and great problem-solver, as demonstrated through a part-time job in sales and a three-month internship at XX store. 

If you have little or no work experience, focus on your educational background instead. List any postsecondary schools you've attended, dates of attendance, dates of graduation, and degrees you've earned. You can also add additional information if it's favourable, like your GPA, relevant coursework, significant projects, any clubs or societies you participated in, scholarships, honours, and any awards or accolades you earned. 

Start the entry with the degree or school name if you attended a highly respected university. Choose the one you think will get the most attention. Follow with the dates attended, and then add any remaining information in order of importance. 

Work experience 

Being a fresher doesn't always mean you don't have any work experience. Many people work their way through university or take on part-time jobs. You might have cared for your neighbour's child on weekends in secondary school. If you have work experience, you'll want to add it to your resume so that the interviewer knows you have successfully held a job, even if it is unrelated to the job you're applying for. 

Start the listing with the role or title you had, like "cashier", "customer service representative", or "barista". Place the dates of the job below the job title. There's no need to use exact dates—you can add the months and years. You'll also want to list the name of your employer. Next, list your key responsibilities and any skills you gained.  

What to do if you don’t have work experience? 

You have few options if you have yet to gain work experience. If you participated in any internships, you could list them here instead. You can also list any volunteer work you have been a part of. You can even list extracurricular activities here, like if you were a university sports team member or a student body president. Major projects you've completed, like research or website building, can also be added to your work experience section. 

As said earlier, when you list your skills, you want to match them to the job you are applying for and use similar language. For example, if the job requires someone who is a good communicator, highlight your communication skills. 

To list your technical skills and your workplace skills, consider making two separate lists. Under workplace or human skills, you can list general skills like communication, time management, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Under technical skills or technical skills, you can list skills like data analysis, Microsoft Office, technical writing, or social media marketing. 

If you speak multiple languages, highlight this under your skills section. If an employer seeks someone bilingual, this can be a significant advantage. As you list your languages, be sure to add whether it's your native language or you're fluent in it and if you can speak, read, write, or understand it or all four. 

Additional customised sections 

Whether you're a fresher with little to no work experience or you've been working for decades, there's a standard rule that your resume should only be one page long per each 10 years of experience. Meanwhile, you may need help filling in the page. If you've focused on your experience, list your skills and work or similar experiences. If you still have space, add a section that tells the recruiter more about you. Some acceptable ideas include the following:  

Certifications 

Awards you've earned

Hobbies and interests

Volunteer experience (if you didn't use this in the work experience section)

Links to a personal blog, website, or portfolio that showcases your skills

Additional courses that didn't fit into the education section 

What you're most proud of accomplishing in life 

A personal philosophy 

Personal and professional references

Any other miscellaneous skills that you couldn't fit into your skills section 

Next steps 

To prepare even further for entering the world of work, consider taking an online course on Coursera. You'll find options that can prepare you for everything from resume writing to job interviews, offered by the biggest names in business and education worldwide. Consider courses like:  

Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters by the University of Maryland 

How to Write a Resume (Project-Centred Course) by the State University of New York 

Interviewing and Resume Writing by the University of Maryland 

Land Your Next Role by Aptly 

The Art of the Job Interview by Big Interview 

Article sources

The Ladders. " Why do recruiters spend only 7.4 seconds on resumes? , https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/why-do-recruiters-spend-only-7-4-seconds-on-resumes." Accessed October 25, 2023.

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.

Develop career skills and credentials to stand out

• Build in demand career skills with experts from leading companies and universities
• Choose from over 8000 courses, hands-on projects, and certificate programs
• Learn on your terms with flexible schedules and on-demand courses

Online Students

For All Online Programs

International Students

On Campus, need or have Visa

Campus Students

For All Campus Programs

50 Best Personal Growth Quotes for Your Next Chapter

Looking for some inspiration to kick off your next chapter a positive way? Regardless of your goals, these words – from some of the most notable authors, scientists, philosophers, politicians, business professionals and athletes – are sure to resonate.

Bookmark these 50 best personal growth quotes to draw upon in the months ahead:

1. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” - Jane Goodall

2. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” - Albert Einstein

3. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” - Carrie Fisher

4. “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” - Abraham Maslow

5. “The swiftest way to triple your success is to double your investment in personal development.” - Robin Sharma

6. “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” - Eric Butterworth

7. “We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” - Oprah Winfrey

8. “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” - Bernice Johnson Reagon

9. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” - Amelia Earhart

10. “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen

Find Your Program

11. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” - Frederick Douglass

12. “I would like to think that all of my successes in life are really just the fruit of my failures.” - Yvie Oddly

13. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” - Maya Angelou

14. “I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” - Larry Bird

15. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

16. “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton

17. “By doing the work to love ourselves more, I believe we will love each other better.” - Laverne Cox

18. “We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.” - Henry Ward Beecher

19. “Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” - Ella Fitzgerald

20. “Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.” - Hillary Clinton

21. “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” - Shonda Rhimes

22. “Sometimes in life we take a leap of faith. Remember, the leap is not about getting from one side to the other. It’s simply about taking the leap…and trusting the air, the universal breath, will support your wings so that you may soar.” - Kristi Bowman

23. “Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.” - Deborah Day

24. “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” - Steve Maraboli

25. “Be patient with yourself. You are growing stronger every day. The weight of the world will become lighter…and you will begin to shine brighter. Don’t give up.” - Robert Tew

26. “Permit yourself to change your mind when something is no longer working for you.” - Nedra Glover Tawwab

27. “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you…never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

28. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” - Babe Ruth

29. “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson

30. “Pain, pleasure and death are no more than a process for existence. The revolutionary struggle in this process is a doorway open to intelligence.” - Frida Kahlo

31. “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” - Chinese Proverb

32. “You are the one that possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own happiness.” - Diane von Furstenberg

33. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

34. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” - Carl Bard

35. “It is never too late to be who you might have been.” - George Eliot

36. “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” - Malala Yousafzai

37. “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experiences that reveals the human spirit.” - e.e. cummings

38. “'First things first' might be a cliche, but it's a useful one that means prioritizing what matters most to you and believing there is no wrong answer.” - Stacey Abrams

39. “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” - Confucius

40. “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” - Rick Warren

41. “If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life you want, you’re eventually going to be forced to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.” - Kevin Ngo

42. “The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” - Benjamin Mays

43. “When we’re growing up there are all sorts of people telling us what to do when really what we need is space to work out who to be.” - Elliot Page

44. “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” - Stephen Covey

45.  “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” - Ernest Hemingway

46. “The power of imagination makes us infinite.” - John Muir

47. “When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.” - Karen E. Quinones Miller

48. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” - Les Brown

49. “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett

50. “With self-discipline most anything is possible.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt’s words may well be the key to your success in your journey ahead. Whether you’re pursuing a new dream , working hard toward ongoing goals or making a plan to transform your life  in some way, self-discipline will be a major component in seeing it through.

If you find any of these quotes particularly inspirational for your personal growth consider printing them out and posting them in the places you view often throughout the day. Sometimes a simple quote can impact your day in the most positive of ways.

Know someone who needs a bit of motivation? Share these quotes and help them on their personal growth journey.

A degree can change your life. Find the SNHU online college degree  that can best help you meet your goals.

Rebecca LeBoeuf ’18 is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

Explore more content like this article

What is a Master's Degree?

Types of Learning Styles: The Value in Holistic Strategies

What is a Student Loan and How Does it Work?

About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.