Written by: Ruth V. Walker, PhD 

Published October 24, 2025

Writing personal statements for graduate school can be an intimidating process. I asked more than 100 students in my Psychology as a Profession course what their biggest concerns are and will share the top 10 concerns undergraduate students in psychology (or at least my psychology class) have about this process.

1. Not Knowing What to Include or How to Start. Many students expressed uncertainty about what belongs in a personal statement or how to even begin the initial process of writing it. One student wrote, “I have no clue with where to begin on a personal statement” and another noted that they were unsure, “Where to start and what exactly I should say to ‘sell’ myself.”

2. Difficulty “Selling” Themselves Without Feeling Arrogant. Some students expressed discomfort with the need to engage in self-promotion. As one student wrote, “I don’t really like bragging about my accomplishments.” However, as another student noted, “I have a difficult time talking about myself because I kind of feel like it is bragging but with a personal statement you kind of have to.”

3. Feeling Inexperienced or Not Impressive Enough. Imposter syndrome is an issue that plagues undergraduate students, graduate students, and seasoned professionals alike. Several students shared concerns that they don’t have “enough to show off.” As one student stated, “I don't have a lot of things I've done. I'm worried it won't be impressive enough.”

4. Concerns About Writing Quality and Expression. Other students were more concerned about demonstrating strong written communication skills. As one student shared, “My biggest concern is sentence structure in my writing and grammar.” Another wrote that, “I’m kinda scared to try to get my point across effectively.”

5. Balancing Authenticity and Professionalism. Several students were also concerned about striking a good balance between sounding genuine while also maintaining the level of professionalism needed for a graduate school application. As one student wrote, “I’m nervous about making it too personal to where it’s unprofessional.” At the same time, they don’t want to “sound like AI.”

6. Not Knowing What Programs Are Looking For. Other students were unsure how to appropriately tailor their statements to specific programs. For example, “I’m concerned that what I put in my personal statement may not align with what graduate programs would want” and “I’m concerned about how to tailor my personal statement to different graduate school programs.”

7. Standing Out from Other Applicants. Some students expressed concerns about blending in with the crowd. As one student wrote, they are concerned about “Not feeling unique enough or that I do not stand out from other students. Being very average.” Another wrote about their concern for, “Being remembered and standing out enough. Like seeming creative enough and interesting.”

8. Balancing Personal Storytelling and Maintaining a Professional Focus. In the field of psychology, it can be a struggle to balance oversharing with providing graduate programs with your why. As one student wrote, “I find myself uncertain about where the line between my personal story and why I am pursuing higher education and what is too personal to share!!”

9. Anxiety About Competitiveness and Outcomes. Other students had more general concerns about how they compare to others they will be competing against. As one student wrote, “I would honestly be concerned about my competition. If my experiences are enough to get me into graduate school.” Another added, “My biggest concern is that I will do it all wrong and I won’t get into graduate school.”

10. Technical and Structural Uncertainty. A smaller group of students mentioned uncertainty regarding how personal statements should be formatted to meet application requirements. For example, “I’m not sure how to properly format a personal statement, and I don’t know much about what needs to be included.”

So… How Do You Write a Personal Statement?

If you saw yourself in any of the concerns listed above, please know that you’re not alone. Although writing a personal statement is challenging, it's also a great opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee. Your GPA doesn't do that. Your GRE (if required) doesn't do that. This is your chance to tell your story and help admissions committees get to know you.

Let’s address common student concerns by walking through how to get started, how to structure your personal statement, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Start With Reflection, Not Writing

Before sitting down to start writing the first paragraph, first start by asking yourself some questions:

• What drew me to psychology in the first place?

• What classes, internships, jobs, or personal experiences shaped how I think?

• What are the values I hold that make this field meaningful to me?

Take the time to think carefully and purposefully about the moments that have brought you to where you are now. Taking the time to reflect before writing will make the writing part easier. Self-reflection is also fundamental to the work we do in psychology. 

How should I structure my personal statement?

After you have reflected on your motivations, experiences, and values that have pushed you to apply for graduate school, and taken notes, you want to spend time researching the requirements of the programs you are applying for. Each program will have different guidelines and expectations. Some will have strict word or page limits, some will have specific questions they expect you to answer, and others will be more general. Depending on how many programs you are applying to, it may be a good idea to organize application guidelines into a spreadsheet to help you keep track of each program’s requirements. 

Since each program has its own requirements, I’m just going to make general recommendations on structure. I personally enjoy the structure recommended by Dr. Trey Straussberger, the Director of the Office of National Scholarships at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga:

• PAST: What sparked your interest in this field? What experiences have prepared you so far? If you don’t have tons of experience, why is that?

• PRESENT: What are you currently doing (academically, professionally, or personally) that aligns with your future goals in their program? Why this program? Be specific and use concrete examples.

• FUTURE: What do you hope to learn or accomplish in grad school? How is this program going to help you meet your goals? For doctoral programs, how are the faculty and their research focus going to help you meet your goals? Importantly, what do you think you will contribute to their program/research (e.g. what skills, experiences, strengths will you bring with you)?

This format will help your statement flow more like a story with a beginning, middle, and forward-looking end. 

Remember, the competition is also fierce. You want to start with a beginning that is memorable and will stand out from the others. Avoid cliché statements like, "Ever since I was a child…" or “I’ve always wanted to help people.” Try starting with a specific moment, challenge, or realization that changed the way you think and/or made you commit to this path. Additionally, address any red flags or inconsistencies in your application. In the advice of an anonymous professor on Reddit, “Quickly explain any red flags without apologizing or dwelling on them. For example, if you have a low GPA starting out you just say that at the beginning you were not focused but as you fell in love with history, blah, blah.” 

Show, Don’t Just Tell

Anyone can say they’re “passionate about psychology.” Instead, show how that passion has taken shape through your actions. Did you volunteer with a crisis line? Conduct an independent research project? Work with children or older adults? Let your experiences do the talking but at the same time you want to avoid simply reiterating everything that’s already listed on your resume or curriculum vitae. The admissions committee already has your CV. You want to use your personal statement to reflect. Write about why a particular experience mattered, not just what you did. What challenges did you overcome? What questions did that experience raise for you?

Sound Professional and Like Yourself

Students often ask how “personal” they should be in their personal statement.  You should absolutely write in your own voice. Use “I” statements and share your story. However, at the same time you want to keep it polished and professional. This means striking a balance between avoiding slang, while not sounding like your statement was generated or edited by AI. As another anonymous professor on Reddit wrote, “If we have to mentor someone for multiple years, we have to know who they are. Transcripts alone can’t do this. If the statement has elements of AI writing, it’s a definite red flag, and in my experience, students with suspected AI use who advance to the next round usually bomb our interview stage of admissions anyway.”

Part of being personal but professional is understanding how much it’s appropriate to share about your own mental health journey. In the field of psychology, it’s common for students' lived experiences with mental health issues to be a motivator for their future career. If you plan to write about your own mental health journey, think carefully about how you frame it. It can be a powerful part of your story—but only if it connects directly to your academic and professional goals. Avoid spending too much time on struggle alone. Instead, focus on how those experiences gave you insight, empathy, or resilience. Unfortunately, mental health stigma stills exists in the field of mental health. This means you want to be purposeful about how you frame those experiences and make sure that you don’t spend so much time writing about your personal mental health struggles that you don’t get around to talking about how you have strategically acquired skills, experiences, and strengths that make you a good fit for their program.

Tailor Your Statement to the Program

Generic statements are easy to spot. Admissions committees want to know why their program is a good fit for you. Do your research. Mention specific faculty, research areas, clinics, labs, or program values that connect with your goals. Use the language of the program. If the program emphasizes social justice or community engagement, you may want to consider weaving in your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be as simple as describing how your experiences shaped your cultural humility or your ability to work with diverse populations.

Avoid surface-level details. Saying a program is a good fit because “you offer evening classes” doesn’t tell the reader much about your intellectual or professional connection to the program. Instead, highlight something that shows real engagement. For example, you could talk about how you noticed they have an Addictions Counseling Certificate, which would help prepare you to help address the growing opioid epidemic in Appalachia. Or you may write about how you’re impressed with their recent rural health initiative and the opportunities for students to gain experience helping older adults with limited healthcare access.

If you’re applying to a research-focused program, take the time to review what faculty are currently studying. You want to avoid centering your statement on a decade-old publication if that professor’s research has evolved. Check their faculty profile, lab website, and/or Google Scholar page to get an accurate sense of their most recent projects. Then, connect the dots:

• What research questions or populations are you most interested in?

• Which faculty members’ work aligns with those interests?

• What skills, methods, or perspectives do you bring that would contribute to that work?

Finally, make sure you’re not just describing what they do, explain why it matters to you. Show that you’ve done your homework, understand their focus, and can articulate how you would fit within their program’s mission, training approach, and community.

Writing a Personal Statement is a Marathon, Not a Race

Further Reading

Appleby, D. C., & Appleby, K. M. (2007, Spring). How to avoid the kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Eye on Psi Chi, 11(3), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.24839/1092-0803.eye11.3.20 

Bottoms, B. L., & Nysse, K. L. (1999, Fall). Applying to graduate school: Writing a compelling personal statement. Eye on Psi Chi, 4(1), 20–22. https://doi.org/1092-0803.Eye4.1.20 

Handelsman, M. M., VanderStoep, S. W., & Landrum, R. E. (2011, Fall). Questions (and answers) about elements of the graduate application. Eye on Psi Chi, 16(1), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.24839/1092-0803.eye16.1.14 

Hogan, T. P. (2016, September). Preparing your personal statement for graduate school applications. Psychology Student Network. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2016/09/graduate-school-applications 

Norcross, J. C., Dang, M. K., Jamieson, G. J., & Charneski, A. S. (2024, Summer). Personal statement requirements and application fees for graduate school in clinical and counseling psychology: What’s it gonna take? Eye on Psi Chi, 28(4), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye28.4.30