One of the most important steps to writing a effective and successful personal statement is making sure you have done your research
One of the most important elements to writing a successful personal statement is the research that goes into it; this is not something that you can sit down and fire off in an hour. A good personal statement takes quite a bit of research before your pen even hits the paper.
After going through these tips you should have:
- a clear idea of what the schools you are interested in are looking for in a personal statement
- an understanding the programs and professors you are most interested in
- a solid set of reasons why each of the schools you want to attend could arguably be the "best" choice for you and your continued research
Getting Started
- Understand the question. Some schools will have different requirements for what they wish for you to cover in the personal statement. Be sure to include all of them. You may even use the requirements as a preliminary outline as you get started on the process.
- Read the personal statement requirements for each school you intend on applying to. Most schools have their applications online these days. Each one has different requirements for file sizes, page lengths, headers, and file names. One wrong move here, and you're statement might not even make it to someone's desk.
- Research the school that you are applying to. Read carefully the materials that are provided on the school, the program you are interested in, and any affiliated research institutes through websites or other materials. Part of your job here is to explain why this school, more so than any other, is the right fit for you.
- You may want to do a SWOT analysis(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) so that you can more effectively describe why each of your choices is the ideal choice for you. Making a chart with the schools you are interested in and your reasons for wanting to go to them is a great way to organize this information. This exercise will also make your reasoning clearer to you as well.
- Research the abstracts of the professors in your field. Not only do you need to be able to justify why one school is the right fit, you may even have to go as far as justifying why one person within your field is the ideal professor and/or adviser for you and your research.
- Email questions you have about the school or writing a personal statement to your advisers or the graduate advisers of the program you are interested.
- If you are confident in your research goals, you may want to write the department head or your professor of choice with an intelligent question about your plans. Caution: This is a risky move. It's a great way to get your name noticed for good or bad. You may want to pass your email onto your undergraduate adviser or someone writing a recommendation for you first.
Keep all of this research well organized as you move into the brainstorming phase of writing your graduate school application and then as you write your essay.
For more information and tips on writing a winning graduate application essay, check out:
The copyright of the article Researching Grad Application Essay in Graduate Schools is owned by Timothy Dzurilla. Permission to republish Researching Grad Application Essay in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
