5 Mistakes You Could Make Writing Your Personal Statement
Photo Credit: Jae Park from Unsplash
Written by: Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D.
The personal statement really matters when you’re applying to Grad School. It’s meant to separate you from the other applicants and highlight how you’ll be the best fit for the university.
When you’re a Grad Student, there is greater responsibility placed on you for knowing your research and career goals because the programs are more specialized than what you’ve navigated as an undergrad. All of this must be clearly articulated in your personal statement.
When it comes time to writing your personal statement, make sure to avoid the following 5 Common Mistakes:
Thinking you can write your personal statement in one sitting: It’s not uncommon, given your level of education, for you to think you can write your personal statement in one sitting and be done. Many undergrads make their way through college sitting down and writing a paper in one sitting with success, but it’s not the same when applying to Grad School. You need to take your time. The best personal statements often go through eight to ten revisions because it’s important to have your goals and knowledge of the university’s program clearly stated.
Not responding to the prompt: You’d be surprised how often you’ll come across personal statements that do not address the prompt. The prompt you have to respond to will depend on what you plan to study in Grad School, but your ability to write a well-organized essay to respond is part of the evaluation process for whether or not your are ready for the next level. Be careful about going off on irrelevant tangents or including unnecessary information in your personal statement.
Being too general with your reasons for applying: If it’s not clear to the Grad School Admissions Committee why you’re applying you’ll get rejected. The seats in a class are limited at the Grad School level and professors are looking to connect with students for research opportunities. Grad School programs want to be sure the students they accept have done their research about the program and are clear about their professional goals. If your personal statement sounds like it could’ve been written for any Grad School anywhere, chances are you won’t have much luck finding a seat in a class.
Forgetting to pay attention to spelling, grammar and conventions: This may seem like an obvious mistake, but it’s not uncommon for personal statements to be sent to Grad Schools with errors. At this level, you want to be demonstrating your high level of academic writing ability, so make sure you have some good editors in your corner to help you proofread.
Skipping the brainstorming process: Brainstorming is an important step when writing your personal statement. It helps you purge unnecessary thoughts so you can get to your best ideas. It’s a strategy for filling the blank page when you’re stuck. You’d be amazed at what will start to pour out of you when you open yourself up to this creative process.
