Archive for September 2011
10 Things to Include in Your Personal Statement – Undergraduate, Graduate & Beyond
Whether you are applying to enter undergraduate school, graduate school, or applying for a job, you may be asked to include a personal statement with your application. A personal statement is a supplement to your application that allows you to elaborate on your skills, experience, etc. Some personal statements ask you to respond to a very specific question, while other personal statements may ask a general question, which gives you a little more leeway on what should be included.
Writing your personal statement is your opportunity to shine. It is your opportunity to describe yourself, list the reasons you are interested in becoming part of the institution you are applying for, and the goals that you have set for yourself to achieve. The personal statement is also your platform for elaborating on the abilities that you possess that are not reflected in the standard form questions that you complete on an application. Finally, by completing your personal statement, you are showing the review board that you have the ability to organize your thoughts and that you can write clearly and effectively.
10 Things you should include in a personal statement:
1. List and thoroughly explain your personal experiences and qualifications. Be as specific as possible. Your experiences may be related to school, extracurricular activities, community service, or work experience.
2. Explain what makes you special, unique or impressive. Set yourself apart from your competition. Explain why you should be chosen over the other applicants that are volleying for your position in the institution.
3. List and fully explain the specific reasons that you are interested in attending this institution. It may be that they offer a course of study that no other institution does. It may be that they have the top medical school in the country and you want to me the top brain surgeon in the country. Also include how you came to know of the institution and/or field of study that you are interested in pursuing.
4. Explain and describe any work experience that you may have as it applies to your interest in your course of study. Relevant work experience may be what sparked your interest in pursuing this line of study or the line of work that you would eventually like to take on as a career. For example, maybe you volunteered in a battered women’s shelter and this has sparked your interest in becoming a social worker. You feel that studying social work will prepare you for a career in social work, which will allow you to help try and change or better certain aspects of society.
5. Describe your career goals. Be as specific as possible. For example, don’t just say that you want to be a doctor, when what you really want to be is a pediatric researcher. Explain the rationale behind you choosing to set these career goals for yourself. Maybe what sparked your goal was that your baby cousin died of a rare disease and you want to be able to conduct medical research, specifically for children, to try and find new and innovative cures for certain diseases that affect kids.
6. List the skills and achievements that you have accomplished. Provide supporting evidence as to how you accomplished the achievements or why you received the awards that you have listed.
7. Describe your most prominent characteristics and attributes. Again, provide supporting evidence to show how these attributes are beneficial to your growth and to their organization.
8. Fully describe some responsibilities that have you taken on and what you learned from them.
9. Describe some difficulties in life that you managed to overcome. Describe how you were able to overcome these difficulties and what you learned from these difficult times or incidents.
10. Make sure that you have written a complete personal statement that includes a strong and attention grabbing opening paragraph. This should be followed by the main section of your personal statement, spelling out all of the details that are listed above. Finally, you should have a strong conclusion which ties the entire essay together. Also be sure to reiterate your interest on becoming part of their institution.
Remember that having to write a personal statement is your opportunity to shine like the sun. Be sure to include these 10 items to ensure that you submit a complete personal statement. And most importantly, be sure to put a positive spin on everything that is on your list to include. You are painting a picture of yourself with words and you need them to impress the reader enough to see you in the positive light that you are standing in!
How To Write A Personal Statement For College
The entire college admission process can be exhausting and nerve-racking but there are few things worse than writing the personal statement for college applications. Your first thought is that it would be a piece of cake, everything you have to do is write a few words about yourself – what your interests are, what you would like to accomplish in life. However, personal statements for college have never been an easy task. When writing a statement for college, your high school writings for which you got straight A’s won’t do you much good.
The main issue is that when writing your personal statement for college, you are not in that world and you are well aware of it. Personal statements are not supposed to be essays about how much you admire famous people like Gandhi. You shouldn’t also write about the first time you leaned how important teamwork is or anything like that. They have heard it all, so you cannot write anything new and this, unfortunately, is not in your favor.
These are the reasons why so many people seek help when writing their personal statement for college is concerned. I had a good time growing up. As my mother is a very famous and acknowledged writer, I always counted on her for feedback. Even now she is there for me when I need an intelligent and well-structured statement or paper. Apart from helping with my essays, my mother was also good enough to give me a hand when I was writing my personal statement for college.
Of course, I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have such a valuable resource at their home, and not everyone can also depend on their high school English teacher. So, if this concerns you, then you can try searching some sites on the internet that might turn to be quite helpful. For instance, most of them offer free tips telling you what you should avoid and what you should include when writing your personal statement for college. From my point of view, when writing your personal statement it’s best to try to find face to face feedback from someone whom you trust.
How to Make Your “Personal Statement”
Personal Statements are usually required for various application processes. Whether you are trying to get a masters or doctorate degree or if you are applying for a job, there are high chances that you will be required to write your personal statement.
Personal statements are created with the end goal of “selling yourself”. Basically, you are supposed to inform the reader that you are unique, and you are highly eligible for whatever it is that you are applying for. Below are some questions that can guide you in creating your personal statement (The following personal statement was created for an application to a veterinary doctorate program):
1. What is your interest? Why are you interested in the program? Discuss your rationale for your goal. Provide justifications for your interest. Make the reasons as personal as you can.
“I used to be that person who was always looking for what I could be passionate about. It was not until in my mid college career that I found an interest in science and medicine. Years after, I have finally found my lifelong interest – a growing passion to promote the health and welfare of animals.
My love for animals stemmed from my strong concern for my pet. With my pet, I found an inherent sense of responsibility to play an active role in ensuring the well being of animals. Apparently, the concern and responsibility have evolved into a need to learn about animal medicine. This encouraged me to be a veterinarian.”
2. What makes you eligible for the program? Discuss the various qualities that make you qualified for your goal. If you are applying for a job, discuss your employment background. Make sure that you can thoroughly explain your qualities. Try to establish the fact that you are fit for your goal. This is the time when you promote yourself.
“In my veterinary practice, I explored various opportunities in the field of animal service. Included in these experiences is my job at the California Wildlife Center. In this center, I gained knowledge on how to assist and provide rehabilitative care for the sick, injured and orphaned members of the native wildlife. I also received pertinent training in marine mammal rescue. Other than that, I learned how to use public education in encouraging other people to protect wildlife and its natural habitat.
I also became a Hospital Administrator and Practice Manager at a general hospital. I was in charge of managing the daily hospital operations and the various administrative activities. I frequently communicated not only with doctors and technicians, but with clients and their pets as well. Because of that experience, I am now equipped with relevant business management skills that are needed in my aspired profession. The communication skills that I learned will also allow me to participate in all aspects of being a Veterinarian.
At present, I work as a tutor at the Pierce College’s learning center. To be an effective tutor, I must combine content knowledge with the desire to help others. Moreover, I should be able to express empathy and honesty while enhancing my listening skills and maintaining good rapport with my students. As implied by my exemplary performance in my studies, I successfully developed such skills, along with an extensive understanding of animal science. As a result, I have been recommended by the director of the pre-veterinary program to provide tutorial services to pre-vet students and registered veterinary technician students in subjects such as animal anatomy and physiology, animal nutrition, and animal health and disease control. I believe this experience increases my competency, as well as my knowledge of animal science. It also provides me with an opportunity to help others improve their academic performance and attitude regarding their chosen profession.”
3. Why do you need your goal? Summarize the details that you have provided in your earlier paragraphs. Try to form a direct relation between your goal and your capabilities. Discuss what exactly the goal means to you at a personal level. Also, explain your readiness for the fulfillment of your goal.
“Thanks to my experiences in my field of service to both people and animals, I am now fully aware that becoming a Veterinarian is perfect for me. However, I believe that my present abilities and capabilities are not enough to take my passion and motivation to a whole new level. I believe that pursuing a doctorate program for Veterinary medicine is the ultimate key towards the fulfillment of my goal to be of great assistance to people and animals. In my attempt to achieve this state of education, I believe that I am prepared for the challenges that I will face- financially, physically, psychologically, intellectually, and emotionally.”