How to Write a Personal Statement? A Guide From Experts

06 Apr 2023 1975 share it:

If you are a student applying for admission or scholarship, or a graduate seeking a job, you must have come across the term ‘personal statement.’ It is required by universities mainly to gain admission into their programs and at times by employers, along with your resume. Although it is a prevalent document, students do not know about it because of improper training. This is why they surf the internet to get an answer on how to write a personal statement for university. To draft any document, you must know its meaning and purpose beforehand. Read this blog for better insights and clarify even your minute doubts.

Meaning and Purpose of a Personal Statement

Let’s dive deep into the personal statement to understand its meaning and purpose.

What Is a Personal Statement?

Ever applied for a scholarship, graduate school, or employment opportunity?

If yes, you might have encountered the concerned institutions asking for a document to describe or tell about yourself. It means they are asking for your personal statement.

A personal statement is a brief summary that helps the selection committee to know more about you. It describes your skills and highlights to the interviewer why you can be a good choice for the vacant position. It works best because the authorities get a gist about your personality before they schedule an interview. You become the focal point as you indirectly sell your skills and intelligence. Now that you know at least the definition of a personal statement, read the upcoming paragraph to understand its purpose. Moreover, it guides you on how to write a personal statement for university.

Purpose of a Personal Statement

Most universities accept GPAs, letters of recommendation, and personal statements for entrance to the academic world. There are plenty of applications that the committee goes through, but the first two papers do not provide a point of differentiation. On the other hand, a personal statement reflects your personality. It gives an insight into your traits and increases your chances of admission into your dream world. How to write personal statement for university in a lengthy way is a common query. Here is a section clarifying your doubts regarding the same.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

Typically a personal statement is precise. It means neither you have to exaggerate the information nor you should explain it concisely. You should maintain a balance between both. Therefore, keep your content between 500-1000 words to write a personal statement for university. If you go beyond 1000 words, it can bore a reader. On the other hand, if you keep it less than 500 words, it will not cover all the details. If a problem arises in extending the information, prepare a rough draft at the start. It gives guidance and does not break the flow. If the words stretch, cut short the areas that contain unclear or unnecessary information. Now you know the fundamentals or reason behind submitting a personal statement, let’s move on to understand how to write a good personal statement for university.

How to Plan for Writing a Personal Statement?

Do you know what to do when something unexpected comes along your way, not only in university, but at any stage of your life?

If not, the first step is to stay calm and plan how to deal with the situation. Similar happens in the case of personal statements. If you do not know what to write on a personal statement for university,it is advisable to create an outline. It will provide you with the right direction because you are clear with the fundamentals. But before preparing a blueprint, here is a list of a few things; you must consider.

• Carefully read the question or the information they are asking for, as your points should have a flow.
• Research the topic in-depth to write effectively. Your goal should be to deliver an attention-seeking paper.
• Research the university you are applying for to get acquainted with its core values, mission, and vision to submit an exemplary paper.
• Ask yourself why you want admission into this specific university. It will help you shape your write-up.

Once you consider these points, you have successfully established a base for how to write a personal statement for university. Now you are ready to move on to the writing part of it.

Also Read: Guide on Criminology Personal Statement with Examples

An Insight into Writing a Personal Statement (What & How)

Are you confused about how to write a personal statement for a university?

The upcoming section discusses every minute detail that will probably answer all your hows and whats.

How to Write a Personal Statement?

Whenever one starts to write an important document, it is usual to get a creative block. Usually, one struggles to conjure up all the things that one needs to include in a personal statement. What format to follow? What kind of language to use? What to write in a personal statement? There are a million such questions looming in mind. You need to address each one of them separately to write efficiently. Here are the three major things that require your attention on how to write a good personal statement for university application.

Language

Your tone is as crucial in a written document as it is in spoken language. Setting the tone right is very important. Here are few things that you should pay attention to:

• Always maintain a formal tone and language.
• Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Don’t use complex or extravagant sentences. Stick to simpler language to ensure clarity and readability.
• Keep the tone enthusiastic and positive.
• Your opening paragraph should be engaging with hook words.
• Proofread your statement several times to check for any mistakes. Get a third person to do it as well.

Structure

The structure provides the framework for what to write in a personal statement. Here are some things you should consider:

• First and foremost, adhere strictly to the word limit.
• Apply maximum creativity to the introduction part as it is the make-or-break part for most personal statements. Avoid using cliched statements like “I always wanted this job” or “ I always wanted to get into this prestigious university.” Say these things without being blunt or sounding corny.
• Your body should be engaging along with being informative.
• The conclusion part must be clear and concise. It should sum up and reflect on the main points.
• Keep the sentences short up to 25-30 words.
• Provide evidence for all the things you claim. For example, to say that you are sincere, provide an anecdote or habit to justify it.

There is no fixed structure on how to write a personal statement for university. You can write it in a general essay format which has an introduction, body, and conclusion. The paragraphs in the body will vary based on the word limit and content. You can even break up your content and present it using subtitles if that feels appropriate. Let's jump onto the next section to understand the elements that will make your statement stand out.

What to Write in a Personal Statement?

Apart from how to write a personal statement for university, what to include becomes an issue; therefore, include these pointers.

Paint a Picture of Yourself:

The central purpose of a personal statement is to provide the institution you are applying to with a brief description of yourself. Make sure to mention every significant thing about yourself to write a personal statement for the university. You are the artist here, and you can creatively present yourself.

Indicate Your Priorities, Judgments, and Opinions

Your personal opinions, judgments, and priorities tell a lot about you without being blunt. They are indicative of many aspects of you that you may not present yourself consciously. These are the things the selection committee usually looks for as it is the non-constructed, more honest part of your personal statement.

Strong Reasons Why You Should be Accepted

Explain why you want to study at the institution, how it will enhance your career, and how you will contribute to the institution, back each of these up with ample evidence.

Mention Your Key Skills

You should highlight your skills like critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and research, through the write-up. But don’t be straightforward about it; imply them in a subtle way through a story or experience- this serves as evidence of your skills.

Relevant Accomplishments

You can mention all significant projects or papers you have worked on, relevant competitions you have taken part in, and other such accomplishments. However, mention only relevant and significant ones. Successfully drafting your achievements is not easy in the case of any academic paper; thus, you can use our essay typer tool.

Experiences Outside of Your Field

You don't have to highlight only things relating to your field. You can share a significant personal experience that helped shape you or taught you something.

Your Goals and Ambitions

Your personal statement should contain clearly where you see yourself in the future. Based on this, the institution can decide whether these goals align with theirs or not. Now, that you know how to write a personal statement for university, there can still be a possibility to commit errors. To avoid them, read the upcoming section for better insights.

Mistakes to Avoid While Writing a Personal Statement

Since most people are not clear on how to write a personal statement for university they tend to interpret it themselves and write according to that. It means that there is a high chance of mistakes. Here are some common mistakes people make while writing a personal statement that you should avoid:

Too Much Focus on Accomplishments

Remember that your personal statement is not your resume. Most people tend to make the mistake of thinking that your accomplishments should be the prime focus of your personal statement. The committee doesn't want to read a paper about your accomplishments but wants to learn about you beyond that.

A Request

Don’t make your personal statement a request letter to get selected. Don’t try to present it blatantly as to why you deserve it more than other candidates and go on justifying that. Especially don’t use your struggles as the main reason for your candidature.

Trying to Write from the Committee’s Perspective

Don’t waste your time trying to interpret what the committee’s perspective is. And don’t go about writing a statement focused on this interpretation, as it is always hard to guess these things, and at the end, your write-up will likely look manicured and ungenuine.

Being too Formal

Students are always used to writing everything formally. Generally, an academic paper doesn’t allow you to use “I” in them or present personal opinions or perceptions, but keep in mind that your personal statement is not an academic paper. Although you are expected to maintain a decent formal tone, you are encouraged and expected to present yourself. The right tone is essential while you are working on any academic paper. Therefore practice and learn essay writing skill for best results.

Journal Entry

Not being too formal doesn't mean that you adopt a casual tone. As mentioned above, you have the liberty of expressing yourself, but a decent formal tone needs to be maintained while doing so. Don’t make it a journal entry where you are recounting a personal experience. It might be a tricky situation to work on, but seeking help from an essay writing service can be the best solution.

The Present Personal Information

As already discussed, you are encouraged to share any relevant personal experiences, but you need to be conscious of the ones you share. Make sure you are comfortable with the ones you provide, as you can expect them to be discussed in the interview, which follows. Ensure you don’t share any illicit essay example that you find thrilling or quirky, expecting it would make you stand out, as you could get in trouble for it. With this information, we are sure all your doubts get answered. If not, consider Assignment Desk, for the best personal statement.

Want to Get a Custom-Made Personal Statement? We Can Help!

A personal statement might seem like a lot of work, and it is. As discussed above, it can be an all-deciding factor for your application most of the time; hence, students get very anxious while writing it, and that is pretty normal. They tend to get major writer’s block when writing it because they do not know how to write a personal statement for university. Worry not! In such situations, Assignment Desk is always at your aid. You can get custom writing service from experts that will get you closer to your dream college/job. When you order a personal statement from us, these are the features you get:

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