Draft

You've reached the drafting stage— huzzah! Remember: you can't edit nothing, so don’t be afraid to write something, which you'll be able to edit and refine later.

A personal statement should...

Lead with a Signpost

Lead with a strong thesis statement or signpost. That way, your reader won't have to go digging through anecdotes or hooks for your core argument. Plus, everything that comes after that initial assertion will support it.

Answer the Question

Be sure you answer any questions or prompts you've been given. Don't answer the question you wish you had been asked; answer the one you have been asked.

Interpret

Your Personal Statement is your opportunity to interpret your resume to show how your experience and goals align with the priorities of the opportunity at hand. Think about asking "... and so?" about your experiences: you did XYZ, and so you are prepared to do the ABC this opportunity is looking for.

Show, Not Tell

In the same way that a picture is worth a thousand words, a specific example is worth a thousand generalities. For example, compare the following statements:

I have excellent research skills
Through Wellesley’s Knapp Social Science Summer Research Program, I gained hands-on experience reviewing primary documents and synthesizing economic data while working on...

2 for the win!

Have Structure

Your personal statement should have a distinct structure: an introduction, body paragraphs that develop key themes and examples, and a conclusion. Typically (but not always) a personal statement follows a roughly chronological timeline, and there should be a balance between discussion of your experience and your future plans, as well as your specific case for why you are a good fit for this opportunity. (See also the Vector Exercise.)

Be Proofread

Ins't it super distrating whn your reading something full of errors?

Be sure to proofread your personal statement to ensure that you're putting your best foot forward. Pro-tip: read your statement aloud to yourself, rather than reading through it silently. Odds are that you've been working on the statement for long enough that your mouth will catch errors that your brain doesn't.

To share or not to share: Sensitive Information

A personal statement is, necessarily, at least somewhat personal, but you are under no obligation to share parts of your story that are sensitive or private. You are the only person who gets to decide what you do or do not include. Here are some questions to consider:

Is it an important part of your journey?
Has it helped you to grow and become the person you are?
Has it impacted how you see your career?
How might it be received by different readers?
Could you be happy at a program that doesn't support this side of you?

Draft Review

Smart and capable as you are, you don't have to do this alone— especially reviewing drafts! You've got a whole support squad of people who (with adequate warning) could potentially review your drafts and give you helpful feedback:

Major advisors or faculty advisors
Career Education, including:
- Advisor for Career Exploration (ACE)
- Industry Advisors
- Fellowships Advisors
Peers/friends

Myth-busting: Secret Sauce

Is there something that successful personal statements do?

We hear this question a lot— and the answer is yes: most successful personal statements do all the things we list above (signpost, show/don't tell, etc.). At the same time, a lot of unsuccessful personal statements do those things too.

Here's the truth:

There is no secret sauce or magical keyword that leads to the perfect personal statement and acceptance to any and all opportunities. (To that end, there is no platonic ideal of a candidate who wins everything they apply for— that's a total myth too!) Application processes-- whether for grad school, fellowships, or any other opportunity-- have many, many factors that are outside of your control. And so:

The best that any personal statement and/or application can do is make a good case. And the best way to make a good case is to tell your story (keeping in mind the guidelines on this site). After all, no one else has your incredible combination of experience, worldviews, insights, and goals, and yours is a story worth telling!

Page updated

Report abuse