There are a lot of myths out there about things springing fully formed from someone's head-- Athena from the head of Zeus, personal statements from the heads of applicants, etc.  But that's just what those are: myths.

For most people, the writing process does not begin with beautifully crafted sentences that naturally flow into an argument that has a beginning, middle, and end.  Brainstorming is often a messy, non-linear process-- what's most important is to get ideas down (however rough they may be) so that you can start pulling out the key points you'd like to make, examples to back your points up, and organize those points into a persuasive argument.  

Why this?

• What experiences, events, or individuals have shaped your interest in this particular field?

• What has influenced your decision to apply to this program or opportunity?

• How does this opportunity align with your interests, strengths, and values?

Why you?

• What distinguishes you from other applicants?

• What would you bring to this program/profession?

• What has prepared you for the work/research/etc. you're proposing to do? Consider your classes at Wellesley, research and work experience, including internships, summer jobs and volunteer work.

Why there?

• Why are you interested in this particular institution, degree program, or fellowship?

• How is this program distinct from others?

• What do you hope to gain? What do you hope to contribute?

Why now?

• What is motivating you to seek this opportunity now?

• Where do you see yourself headed and how will this degree or program help you get there?

Medical and dental school applicants are required to submit an essay in the Personal Comments Essay section. You must complete two additional essays if you apply to an MD-PhD program: the MD-PhD Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay. This essay should reflect your personal perspective and experiences accurately. 

Here are some questions you may want to consider while writing the essay: 

• Why have you selected the field of medicine? 

• What motivates you to learn more about medicine? 

• What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application? 

In addition, you may wish to include information such as: 

• Unique hardships, challenges, and obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits. 

• Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained elsewhere in your application. 

Helpful Links: 

• AAMC 6 Tips for Writing Personal Statements

• The Premed Competencies and What They Mean

STEM Graduate School Programs may ask for a Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement, Diversity Statement (big asterisk on if this will still occur next season), a Research Statement, and/or a Scientific Writing Sample

• 1. For all of these essays, reading the prompts is critical to defining what is important to include in each as universities may use the terms “Personal Statement” and “Statement of Purpose” interchangeably, or as entirely separate essays. We usually recommend organizing application materials by similar prompts rather than title because of this.

  2. For writing samples, you often don’t need to be independent work (read the prompt to be sure!) and can be abstracts, group projects, or graded coursework students are proud of.

The typical STEM student mindset in a personal statement is to capture everything you can about the scientific outcome of an experiment rather than your personal learning outcomes from an experience. Students also tend to neglect soft skills in favor of listing bench or technical skills, however these essays are boring for everyone to read; even the most intellectual scientist likes a good story!

Course correction here usually looks like reminding yourself that the goal is to emphasize why you’re a great candidate for the program you’re applying for, not what is every scientific/mathematical/technical skill you’ve learned to date.