Basic Features of Personal Statements
Mary McCall :: WAC for ANSC 481 :: Fall 2015
Adapted from Jessica Clement’s and the Purdue OWL’s
PowerPoint on Personal Statements
Writing personal statements can
often make us feel like…
A personal statement is…
 An essay, of a personal nature, often required at
some point in the application process for*
 Scholarships
 Graduate or professional schools
 Many post-graduate service and employment opportunities
 A picture.
 You as student, person, scholarship winner
 An invitation.
 To get to know you and your goals. Welcome them.
 An indication of your priorities and judgment.
 Your story.
 An opportunity to sell yourself.
A personal statement is not…
An academic paper with you as the subject.
 Engage with your reader on a personal level.
A resume in narrative form.
 Didn’t you already submit a resume for this
application?
A journal entry.
 Be prepared to discuss what you write in an
interview.
A plea of justification.
 You’re not on trial.
Two types of personal statements**
1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:
 Maximum freedom
 Often prepared for medical and law school
2. The response to very specific questions:
 Tied to the question being asked
 Often prepared for business and graduate
school
 Sometimes comprise multiple essays
 Three or more questions
Before you write, ask yourself…
 What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you
or your life story?
 What details of your life might help the committee better
understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
 Personal or family trials, history, people or events that have
shaped you or influenced your goals
 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?
 How have you learned about this field?
 Classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or
conversations with people already in the field?
 What insights have you gained?
Ask yourself, cont.
 If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have
you learned and how has that work contributed to your growth?
 Leadership or managerial skills
 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?
 Distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in
the beginning?
 Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships
in your life?
 Economic, familial, or physical
Ask yourself, cont.
 What personal characteristics do you possess that would
improve your prospects for success in the field or profession?
 Integrity, compassion, persistence
 Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have
these characteristics?
 What skills do you possess?
 Leadership, communicative, analytical
 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 being asked.
 Similar does not mean the same.
 Decode the question and make sure your answer
fits the question being asked.
Tell a story.
 Show don’t tell.
 Demonstrate through detail (concrete
experience).
 Seek to be fresh, lively, and different.
Good Storytelling
Create and unfold a “museum”
 Present the telling details of your life in a logical
narrative order:
 Find a framework
 A theme that binds your past, present and future
 Write about experiences that develop the
framework/theme
 Provides a sense of direction and cohesiveness
 Find an angle or “hook”
Good Storytelling: “Telling
Details”
Provide details that reveal important things
about you:
 What has led you to embrace your future goals?
 What makes you care about those goals right now?
 What personal traits do you possess?
 What do items on your resume and transcript
actually mean?
 Why are you ready for the opportunity at hand?
 What personal challenges have you faced?
 What has shaped your identity and/or outlook?
Telling Details, Some Examples
 Bad:
 My family was a big influence on me.
 I have integrity.
 I really grew from my time abroad.
 Bland:
 I saw how hard my family worked to ensure that I did well in school.
 I tried to discourage cheating when I worked as a tutor.
 I became more independent by living alone in Hungary.

Better:
 My mom used to pass out math worksheets to keep me occupied on the long drive to
see Grandma. And then grandma would grade them!
 When I tutored in Geography, I noticed that a student was drawing a map on his hand
before a test. I confronted him about it . . .
 I knew my time in Budapest had changed me when I found myself helping Americans
navigate the Munich subway during a weekend trip.
Good Storytelling: Narrative Order
Sample One
Sample Two
 I hope to do X in my career.
 I experienced A recently.
 A was my first encounter with X.
 It changed my mind about
career X.
 B and C confirmed my desire to work
in X.
 I believe your opportunity will help
me accomplish X because . . .
 I feel that D and E have prepared me
for this opportunity.
 It got me thinking about career
Y.
 B and C confirmed that Y was
right for me.
 D and E will prove valuable
even though they were related
to X.
 Your opportunity is the right
next step because . . .
General Advice, con’t.
 Be specific.
 Back up your claims with evidence.
 The application should be the logical conclusion to your story.
 Find an angle.
 Does your life lack drama? Find a way to make it interesting.
 Sharing your goals is important.
 People are looking to invest in your commitment and potential, so
they need to know your plan. They need to know that you have a
sense of purpose.
General Advice, con’t.
 Concentrate on the opening paragraph.
 Grab the reader’s attention (or don’t and see what happens).
 Establish the framework for the rest of the essay.
 Tell what you know.
 Middle section details interest, experience, and knowledge in/of the
field.
 Be specific.
 Select and describe experiences, classes, conversations, books,
seminars.
 Use the language of professionals in your field, if applicable.
General Advice, con’t.
 Don’t include some subjects.
 High school is behind you.
 Controversial subjects can include religious and political issues.
 Do some research, if needed.
 Why did you decide to apply to this school or program?
 Demonstrate the synergy between their goals and yours.
 Consider mentioning if this would be a significant geographical or
cultural change.
General Advice, con’t.
 Write well and write correctly.
 Get input from critical readers.
 The Writing Lab can help you with this.
 Type and proofread your essay carefully (after you’re happy with
the content).
 Set your draft aside and read it later with fresh eyes.
 Be clear and concise.
 Adhere to word limits.
 Avoid clichés.
 Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.
 For example, the medical school admissions staff has already
heard the story about the boy who’s good at science and
wants to help people.
How do I get started, again?
1.
Scribble down a list of things that readers might be interested in.
 “Before you write, ask yourself . . .”
2.
Talk about it and record what you say.
 Talk out loud to yourself or someone else and use a tape recorder or computer to record
what you say so that you can write it down later.
 Or talk to someone and ask them to write down things that you say.
 The Writing Lab can help you with this.
3.
Use the writing process as a vehicle for discovery.
 Consider writing several different drafts. Experiment.
 You might try outlining the points you intend to make / anecdotes you might present.
 Freewrite: Try banging out whatever pops into your head for thirty minutes and then
return later to see what seems promising.
4.
Consider the stories behind your resume.
 What do items on your resume mean to you? What have you learned from them? What
was the highlight of each?
 Jot down these insights and consider how they might build into anecdotes that will bring
your record to life.
In short (a review)
 DO
1.
Strive for depth over breadth.
2.
Be unique.
3.
Reveal what drives you.
4.
Be yourself, not the “ideal candidate.”
5.
Get creative and imaginative.
6.
Address the school’s unique features of interest.
7.
Focus on the positive.
8.
Describe and evaluate.
9.
Proofread.
10. Adhere to a readable format.
In short, con’t.
 DON’T
1.
Submit a resume or otherwise repeat yourself.
2.
Be a whiner.
3.
Preach or otherwise take an extreme position.
4.
Name money as your motivator.
5.
Discuss your disadvantaged background, unless prompted.
6.
Tell the school how good they are; they already know.
7.
Use clichés.
8.
Use unconventional or gimmicky formats.

9.
Don’t incorporate uncommon or awkward language.
Submit supplemental materials, unless prompted.
10. Get the name of the school wrong.
Final Considerations
 Space constraints are often frustrating . . . but your competitors
face them, too.
 A good personal essay comes in handy.
 You can rework it for many settings.
 Many students find that writing the personal statement helps them
clarify who they are and where they are going. This is inherently
good.
Notes
 *Information on slides two and three taken from Tolar, Mary Hale.
“Definition of a Personal Statement.” Fellowships and Scholarships.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 30 June 2010.
 **Information on remaining slides adapted from “Writing Scholarship
Essays.” K-State Arts and Sciences. Kansas State University College of
Arts and Sciences, 2005. Web. 30 June 2010 and Purdue OWL.
“Writing the Personal Statement." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing
Lab, 10 May 2008. Web. 30 June 2010.
Additional Resources
 The Purdue OWL’s “Writing the Personal Statement”:
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/
 Examples: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/02/
 Advice from Admissions Officers:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/03/
 Scholarship Essay Writing Tips:
 https://financialaid.arizona.edu/scholarships/tips.aspx
 Essays and Personal Statements:
 http://www.siu.edu/~msc/essays&personal_statements.html
 Sample Scholarship Essay:
 http://www.eduers.com/financialaid/Sample_Scholarship_Essay.htm