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How to Write a Strong Personal Statement

• Ruth Gotian
• Ushma S. Neill

A few adjustments can get your application noticed.

Whether applying for a summer internship, a professional development opportunity, such as a Fulbright, an executive MBA program, or a senior leadership development course, a personal statement threads the ideas of your CV, and is longer and has a different tone and purpose than a traditional cover letter. A few adjustments to your personal statement can get your application noticed by the reviewer.

• Make sure you’re writing what they want to hear. Most organizations that offer a fellowship or internship are using the experience as a pipeline: It’s smart to spend 10 weeks and $15,000 on someone before committing five years and $300,000. Rarely are the organizations being charitable or altruistic, so align your stated goals with theirs
• Know when to bury the lead, and when to get to the point. It’s hard to paint a picture and explain your motivations in 200 words, but if you have two pages, give the reader a story arc or ease into your point by setting the scene.
• Recognize that the reviewer will be reading your statement subjectively, meaning you’re being assessed on unknowable criteria. Most people on evaluation committees are reading for whether or not you’re interesting. Stated differently, do they want to go out to dinner with you to hear more? Write it so that the person reading it wants to hear more.
• Address the elephant in the room (if there is one). Maybe your grades weren’t great in core courses, or perhaps you’ve never worked in the field you’re applying to. Make sure to address the deficiency rather than hoping the reader ignores it because they won’t. A few sentences suffice. Deficiencies do not need to be the cornerstone of the application.

At multiple points in your life, you will need to take action to transition from where you are to where you want to be. This process is layered and time-consuming, and getting yourself to stand out among the masses is an arduous but not impossible task. Having a polished resume that explains what you’ve done is the common first step. But, when an application asks for it, a personal statement can add color and depth to your list of accomplishments. It moves you from a one-dimensional indistinguishable candidate to someone with drive, interest, and nuance.

• Ruth Gotian , EdD, MS, is the chief learning officer and associate professor of education in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She is the author of  The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring  with Andy Lopata and  The Success Factor . Discover your potential for high achievement by taking her exclusive High Achiever Optimization Assessment  here . RuthGotian
• Ushma S. Neill is the Vice President, Scientific Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She runs several summer internships and is involved with the NYC Marshall Scholar Selection Committee. ushmaneill

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How to Write a Personal Statement

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You know what university degree you want to study; you’ve picked the right A-levels and have worked hard to achieve good grades. You’re ready to submit your university application, right? Well, not without a personal statement! Every prospective university student must complete a personal statement form as part of their  UCAS university application process . But what is a personal statement? What should it include, and what should you leave out? Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a personal statement and how to really make yours stand out from the crowd:

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a brief personal summary written to help you stand out from the crowd. There are two main occasions where you will use a personal statement; when you are writing your university admissions form and when you are applying for a job. You should note that the personal statement that you use for university admissions is much more detailed and in-depth than the shorter, single-paragraph personal statement that appears at the top of your CV. The focus of this piece will be on the university admissions personal statement.

In university terms, your personal statement forms a core part of your university application. If you have the same grades in the same subjects as another applicant (which isn’t uncommon) then it is your personal statement that will determine which of you is assigned the available place. Your personal statement provides you with a unique opportunity that you should work hard to take advantage of: it is here that you can share your skills, your experiences, your passions and your unique talents. You can take the opportunity to show the admissions officers who you are outside of your grades. Of course, that means there’s a lot of pressure on one small statement: you want your personal statement to attract attention for all the right reasons.

Within your personal statement, you should outline why you have applied for a particular course, your career goals if you already have these in mind, and why you think you’ll be a good fit for the course you’ve chosen.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

In short, you need a personal statement because you cannot submit a university application form without one. But your personal statement is so much more than just another box you have to tick. Your personal statement is the only part of the university application process that you have any control over, and you should see it as the only chance you will have to really impress those making the decision about whether you get the place you want or not.

Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to demonstrate why you think you would be a good student for the programme you are applying to and why the university should select your application over those of other candidates. The personal statement is an incredibly important part of the university application process and is something you should view as an opportunity rather than as a chore. The right personal statement can attract the attention of university admissions officers, and could even help you get into a university that your grades might not otherwise allow access to.

If you are applying for a course that will require an interview before a place can be offered then the personal statement you write is likely to form the basis of this interview. Therefore creating a personal statement that shows you in the best possible light will increase your chances of interview success.

Planning Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement can be either up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever of these is shorter. Whilst you may look at an empty page wondering how you’re going to write so much; you’ll be amazed at how much you’re going to have to say about yourself! The best way to plan your personal statement at this early stage is to simply write down everything you’d like to say: you can then edit this information heavily. Personal statements are generally easier to write when you have lots of information to work with than when they are a daunting white page.

Knowing what you want to cover in your personal statement will also help during the writing process. Some questions you should answer include:

• What do you want to study, and why do you want to study it?
• What makes you a good fit for studying this subject at university? This can include reasons you’re passionate about the subject, future career goals, and any information about your experience around the subject
• What are your other interests and skills? Outline your hobbies and any sports you play. Showcase your personality and encourage the admissions officer to connect with you on a personal level.

Some students prefer to plan their personal statement with a bulleted list at the early initial stage, whilst others will use a mind map. It is also common to just sit down and start writing in a stream-of-consciousness style: don’t worry about how you start getting words on the page, just do whatever works best for you. Take your time and give the process the thought it deserves: Rome wasn’t built in a day and personal statements aren’t written in an afternoon. You might wish to consider sharing your thoughts and ideas with those closest to you: they will be able to provide additional insights and let you know whether the words you are using reflect who you are as a person.

Make sure that you leave enough time to plan your personal statement: very few people do their best work hours before a deadline! The personal statement deadlines for 2023 university admissions depend on which course you want to study and which university you want to attend. These deadlines are:

• 15 October 2022 for students who wish to attend an Oxbridge university (either Oxford or Cambridge) as well as students applying for medicine, veterinary and dentistry courses
• 25 January 2023 for all remaining universities and undergraduate courses. It is after this date that universities will begin to read applications and allocate places on courses, so if you have a specific university or university course in mind this is a hard deadline for your application
• 30 June 2023 if you don’t want to apply for university until after you have received your exam results and wish instead to  apply for university through the clearing process . It’s important to note that if you do apply through the clearing process then some courses or universities may not be available to you, as they may already be full of earlier applicants

Explain Your Experience

Not everything you have ever said or done needs to be included in your personal statement: your parents may be proud of your 100-metre swimming badge, but this experience isn’t relevant to your course and doesn’t need to be mentioned! Equally, your GCSE grades will already be detailed elsewhere in your application, so there’s no need to waste valuable space in your personal statement outlining these. Instead you should think outside the box and share relevant experience that will make you stand out from the crowd: have you completed any direct work experience in your chosen career field? Work experience in a care home or hospital will show your commitment if you’re applying for a medicine or nursing course, whilst work experience at your local newspaper will demonstrate you have what it takes to complete a journalism course, for example.

If you’re interested in a less vocational course then work experience might be harder to come by, but there are other ways you can demonstrate your commitment to your chosen course. Joining your school or college debating society may be beneficial if you want to be an English major, whilst playing on the football team would be relevant to a sports science degree. The key is to demonstrate that you really love the subject that you are applying for and that this passion extends into your social life or your life outside of academia.

The key when outlining your experience is to include more than just a summary of why you picked your A-levels. Other aspects of your experience that you should consider include:

• What experience do you have outside of school or college that demonstrates your commitment to your chosen course or career path? If you don’t have any relevant extra-curricular activities, perhaps you have attended public lectures or been to exhibits at your local gallery/event space on the subject
• Have you completed any work experience? Valuable work experience places are hard to find, but they have a huge amount of value on your personal statement
• What experience have you gained from your current studies? What areas of the subject have you enjoyed most? What aspect of the subject made you want to continue and study it at degree level?
• What other hobbies do you enjoy, and how have these shaped you as a person? Will you continue these at university level and why? Be selective though: be careful not to outline every hobby you have, cherry-picking only the most relevant ones

Show off Your Achievements

Your personal statement is not the place to be coy about what you have achieved: sell yourself! You should avoid false modesty, however, you should also avoid hyperbole. Be clear and honest about your achievements, writing in a professional and straightforward manner. Selling yourself isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone: in fact, false modesty is often considered to be a stereotypically British trait. But it’s time to put your bashfulness aside.

If you’re really struggling to assess what your greatest qualities and achievements are then you should round up a few friends, family members, or even your teachers and ask for their objective support. They will be able to give you a unique and informed perspective that you can go on to use as the basis of your personal statement.

As well as outlining your achievements, you should also use your personal statement as a place to reflect on those achievements: how have they helped you grow? How have they impacted your life, your attitude, and your goals? Many students make the mistake of using their personal statement as a laundry list of accomplishments, but what you have learnt from your experience and your achievements is just as important. Let this level of self-awareness shine from your piece.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

As we’ve already mentioned above,  the maximum length that your personal statement  should be is either up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever of these is shorter. The line count is likely to be your biggest concern, as when you add line breaks between your paragraphs (and you should, to make your personal statement easy to read) this will limit your word usage further. But should you be planning to fill all of this space, or do university admissions officers like personal statements that are short and to the point?

When you’re putting your personal statement together, common advice is not to think about the word count at all, at least initially. Just write what you feel is important, and then you can edit and polish your piece with the word count in mind at a later stage. The most important thing is that your personal statement clearly reflects why you’ve applied for your chosen course, why you’re the perfect applicant for the course, and what makes you so unique. Cut any sentences that aren’t adding value or aren’t contributing to answering these vital questions.

A good rule of thumb is to dedicate 60% of your content to focus on your suitability for your chosen course, 30% of your content to outline any relevant work experience or hobbies that may add value, and the final 10% to share your career aspirations. If you think you can fit this into a relatively short word count then there’s no need to use every available word of the limit, although if you are applying to study an essay subject you should aim to present a longer personal statement in order to showcase your essay writing skills.

The length of your personal statement is less important than ensuring that it addresses the important questions about your suitability for the course, is free from errors or spelling mistakes, and is written in a way that will engage and attract attention for all the right reasons. Writing a personal statement isn’t easy, but it is the final hurdle that stands between you and your chosen university course. Give it the time, attention and respect that it deserves.

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A 10-Step Guide to Writing an Outstanding Personal Statement

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Applying to college can be daunting, especially when it comes to writing a personal statement. This essay showcases not just your writing skills but also your unique personality, achievements, and aspirations. Understanding that while grades are crucial, a personal statement often becomes the differentiating factor in your application. To navigate this essential component, we’ve compiled a ten-step guide, replete with examples, to ensure your personal statement leaves a lasting impression on admissions officers.

Applying to college can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to writing a personal statement. This essay not only showcases your writing skills but also highlights your unique personality, achievements, and aspirations. While it may seem unnecessary, tedious, time-consuming, and just another tick-the-box, know that as each application is processed, grades are just one of the criteria of selection, more often than not a personal statement becomes the differentiating factor.

To help you navigate this crucial component of your application, we’ve compiled a ten-step guide, complete with inspiring examples to ensure your personal statement makes a lasting impression on admissions officers.

• Start Early and Brainstorm Begin the process early to give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm. Reflect on your experiences, achievements, and motivations. Think about what makes you unique, both in terms of personality and life experiences.
• Understand the Prompt Make sure you clearly understand what the college is asking for. Each institution may have different prompts or questions. Tailor your response specifically to each prompt, ensuring you answer it fully and directly. Be comprehensive and succinct in your answers, choosing words that convey your candidature the best.
• Create an Outline Draft an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a coherent flow of ideas. This will help you structure your statement effectively, making sure every part contributes towards presenting a compelling narrative.
• Exhibit, Don’t Tell Use specific examples to demonstrate your qualities and achievements. Instead of stating that you’re a great leader, describe a situation where you demonstrated leadership. This method makes your statement more engaging and believable.
• Focus on Your Strengths While it might be tempting to cover a wide range of subjects, focusing on a few key strengths or experiences can have a stronger impact. Depth over breadth is crucial in personal statements.
• Be Authentic Admissions officers can tell when a statement is genuine. Write honestly about your experiences and passions and let your natural voice shine through. Authenticity is key to making a personal statement stand out.
• Get Feedback After drafting your statement, seek feedback from teachers, mentors, or friends. They can provide insights on clarity, grammar, and the overall impact of your essay. They all have a perspective of you from an external viewpoint, so do not skip this step.
• Revise and Edit Use the feedback to revise your statement. Look for areas where you can clarify your points, eliminate redundancy, and correct grammatical errors. This step is crucial for polishing your final submission.
• Keep It Concise Adhere to the word limit. Being able to express your thoughts concisely and effectively is a skill appreciated by admissions officers.
• Final Review Before submitting, do a final review. Read your statement out loud to catch any remaining errors or awkward phrasing. Make sure it sounds natural and is easy to read.

Examples of Exemplary Personal Statements:

Example 1: The Innovator Jane’s personal statement begins with a vivid description of her tinkering with a broken radio at age eight, which sparked her interest in technology. She intertwines her personal journey with her academic achievements, such as leading her school’s robotics team to a national competition. Jane uses specific examples, like designing a new robot navigation system, to demonstrate her passion and skill in engineering.

Example 2: The Community Leader John opens his statement with a powerful recount of organizing community relief efforts during a local flood. Highlighting his role in mobilizing volunteers and coordinating with local authorities, he demonstrates strong leadership and commitment to his community. His narrative includes feedback from the community and the personal growth he experienced, providing a well-rounded view of his character.

Example 3: The Attentive Listener Emma’s personal statement explores her profound appreciation for music and its role in shaping her interpersonal connections. She describes an afternoon spent sharing playlists with a group of international students, which turned into a deep discussion about cultural expressions through music. This experience not only highlights her listening skills but also illustrates her ability to forge meaningful relationships through shared interests.

Example 4: The Compassionate Leader David writes about his high emotional quotient and how it spurred him to lead a community initiative focused on animal welfare. His personal statement recounts organizing local workshops to educate people about animal kindness and launching a successful campaign for a local shelter. David’s story reflects his empathy and leadership in translating compassion into actionable community improvement.

Commentary: Every life is extraordinary; it’s how you narrate your story that captures the reader’s eye. Your personal statement should reflect your unique experiences and aspirations.

Conclusion:

In crafting your personal statement, remember, you don’t have to be extraordinary in the usual sense—honesty and transparency are key. Be a dreamer of the art of the possible; dream as big as you can and let those dreams articulate themselves in your words. This approach not only reveals your true self to admissions officers but also shows your potential to contribute meaningfully to their academic community. Start your adventure today! Use these steps as your guide to find the university that best fits your future goals. Dream big and achieve even bigger.

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5-Point Scorecard To Make Sure Your Personal Statement Stands Out

For seniors applying to college, the personal statement plays a significant role in your application. This essay, typically between 500 and 650 words, is crucial in the holistic review process for college admissions. As James Nondorf from the University of Chicago emphasizes, "The most important part of any college admissions essay is to write something you believe truly represents your unique voice—something that, beyond demonstrating your competencies as a writer, also displays your ability to be a creative and critical thinker and to make unique contributions to an academic community."

This essay is your primary opportunity to communicate aspects of your personality, perspectives, and relationships that a resume alone can't convey. It’s your chance to give the admissions committee a sense of who you are and how you see the world. Tamara Siler from Rice University adds, "Sometimes an essay can be the conduit for a student to reveal something to the admission committee that we would never have thought to ask. In terms of selective admission, personal statements are very important in adding needed texture to an application file."

Students are accustomed to writing academic papers with clear prompts, specific expectations, and a rubric outlining how to earn full credit. Personal essays are different. The prompts are open-ended, and the expectations can seem frustratingly vague. Embrace this freedom of thought—it's representative of what college will be like, and it's a fantastic opportunity to showcase your individuality.

Once you've completed your draft, how can you ensure your essay stands out? We’ve developed a supportive 5-point scorecard to help you assess your personal statement:

Students should give themselves a score of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for each criterion on the scorecard. Aim for a total score of at least 20.

When scoring your essay, focus on the following aspects:

• The student is the main character. If you spend most of the essay talking about someone else or the technical details of a project, you may miss the chance to share important information about yourself. To earn a 5, ensure your essay reveals how the other person or the project impacted you, why you chose to pursue it, and how the experience influenced you.
• Values and unique characteristics. An effective essay gives the reader insight into your most important qualities and values, such as resilience, kindness, creativity, persistence, empathy, curiosity, or courage. Does your essay provide a focused, in-depth look into a few specific characteristics with engaging examples? If so, give yourself a 5.
• The essay focuses on recent experiences rather than (or in addition to) childhood experiences. Colleges are interested in what you’ve done in high school and who you are now. It’s fine to link childhood experiences to recent ones, but spend the majority of your essay on recent experiences. If your essay does that, give yourself a 5 here.
• The essay demonstrates learning, growth, or movement. The most interesting movies and books show character change and development. The same is true for an effective personal essay. To earn a 5 in this category, ensure your essay includes self-reflection about what you learned from an experience, how you’ve grown, and how you’ve applied what you’ve learned in new situations.
• The essay moves into the future. How will the qualities and values highlighted in your essay help you in college or your future career? A 5 in this area means you’ve spent a part of your essay, typically near the end, reflecting on how what you’ve written about will allow you to contribute or succeed in the future.

Use this scorecard to ensure your personal statement showcases your best self. If you score below a 5 in any of these areas, consider revising the essay to improve your score. Remember, you don't need to achieve a perfect score—the goal is 20 or above—but the higher you score, the more likely you are to have an engaging essay that stands out. A well-crafted essay can make a significant difference in the competitive college admissions process, and this scorecard is a helpful tool to guide you toward success. T he personal statement is more than just another essay; it’s an opportunity to share your unique story and stand out to admissions committees. As Heath Einstein from Texas Christian University reminds us, "Ultimately, be yourself, and that will be good enough." Take the time to refine, revise, and ensure it truly reflects who you are.

College admissions officers emphasize two critical aspects that make a difference in great essays: authenticity and personal voice, and reflection and insight. Authenticity and personal voice are essential because admissions officers want to hear directly from you. They look for essays that showcase your unique voice and personality, reflecting your true self rather than a polished version created by others. As Christoph Guttentag from Duke University notes, "Students are often so focused on writing beautiful pieces of prose that they fail to answer the question and do not write authentic, meaningful personal statements. The hook gets in the way; the writing gets in the way." Equally important is reflection and insight. Essays that demonstrate thoughtful reflection and self-awareness are highly valued. Admissions officers want to see how you think, what you’ve learned, and how you’ve grown.

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