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WritingaStrongPersonalStatementforGraduate

School

UNLUndergraduatePsychologyOrganization&PsiChiCarolynBrown-Kramer,PhD

AssistantProfessorofPrac=ce,UNLDepartmentofPsychology

Presenta=onadaptedfromresourcesfrom:Dr.LindaSpencer,NewMexicoStateUniversity

Dr.MichaelSpivey,UniversityofCalifornia,MercedDr.JamesE.Raynor,FayeOevilleStateUniversity

MinorityAssocia=onofPre-HealthStudents,UniversityofOklahoma

Whatisapersonalstatement?•  A.K.A.“ProfessionalStatement”or“StatementofPurpose”•  Introduc=ontoyouasacandidateforgraduateschool•  Yourchanceto“sellyourself”bytellingyouruniquestory•  Maturity,self-knowledge,purpose,drive•  Abilitytosucceedingraduateschoolandbeyond•  Wri=ngskillsandar=culateness•  Yourfitwiththeprogram/mentor

•  NOTjustarehashofyourCV

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Twotypesofpersonalstatements1.  General,comprehensivepersonalstatement

2.  Responsetoaspecificques=onposedbythereviewcommiOee

•  Ex:“Theunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving.”-Plato.Inlightofthisquota=on,pleasediscussadecisionyouhavemadewhichhashadaprofoundinfluenceonyourpresentcircumstances.Inhindsight,wouldyouhavemadeadifferentdecision?Pleaseexplain.(HaasSchool/Berkeley)

•  Ex:Howwouldyoucharacterizetheeffectsofyourcontribu=onstothegroupsororganiza=onsinwhichyouhavepar=cipated?(Yale)

Questionstoaskyourselfbeforeyouwriteyourpersonalstatement(fromPurdueOWL)•  What'sspecial,unique,dis=nc=ve,and/orimpressiveaboutyouoryourlifestory?

•  Whatdetailsofyourlife(personalorfamilyproblems,history,peopleoreventsthathaveshapedyouorinfluencedyourgoals)mighthelpthecommiOeebeOerunderstandyouorhelpsetyouapartfromotherapplicants?

•  Whendidyoubecomeinterestedinthisfieldandwhathaveyoulearnedaboutit(andaboutyourself)thathasfurthers=mulatedyourinterestandreinforcedyourconvic=onthatyouarewellsuitedtothisfield?Whatinsightshaveyougained?

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Questions,cont.•  Howhaveyoulearnedaboutthisfield—throughclasses,readings,seminars,workorotherexperiences,orconversa=onswithpeoplealreadyinthefield?

•  Ifyouhaveworkedalotduringyourcollegeyears,whathaveyoulearned(leadershipormanagerialskills,forexample),andhowhasthatworkcontributedtoyourgrowth?

•  Whatareyourcareergoals?•  Arethereanygapsordiscrepanciesinyouracademicrecordthatyoushouldexplain(greatgradesbutmediocreGREscores,forexample,oradis=nctupwardpaOerntoyourGPAifitwasonlyaverageinthebeginning)?

•  Haveyouhadtoovercomeanyunusualobstaclesorhardships(forexample,economic,familial,orphysical)inyourlife?

Questions,cont.•  Whatpersonalcharacteris=cs(forexample,integrity,compassion,and/orpersistence)doyoupossessthatwouldimproveyourprospectsforsuccessinthefieldorprofession?Isthereawaytodemonstrateordocumentthatyouhavethesecharacteris=cs?

•  Whatskills(forexample,leadership,communica=ve,analy=cal)doyoupossess?

•  Whymightyoubeastrongercandidateforgraduateschool—andmoresuccessfulandeffec=veintheprofessionorfieldthanotherapplicants?

•  WhatarethemostcompellingreasonsyoucangivefortheadmissionscommiOeetobeinterestedinyou?

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Principlesofwritingagoodpersonalstatement1.Tellastory•  Thinkintermsofshowingordemonstra=ngthroughconcreteexperience.OneoftheworstthingsyoucandoistoboretheadmissionscommiOee.Ifyourstatementisfresh,lively,anddifferent,you'llbepujngyourselfaheadofthepack.Ifyoudis=nguishyourselfthroughyourstory,youwillmakeyourselfmemorable.

2.Bespecific•  Don't,forexample,statethatyouwouldmakeanexcellentdoctorunlessyoucanbackitupwithspecificreasons.Yourdesiretobecomealawyer,engineer,orwhatevershouldbelogical,theresultofspecificexperiencethatisdescribedinyourstatement.Yourapplica=onshouldemergeasthelogicalconclusiontoyourstory.

3.Concentrateonyouropeningparagraph•  Theleadoropeningparagraphisgenerallythemostimportant.Itisherethatyougrabthereader'saOen=onorloseit.Thisparagraphbecomestheframeworkfortherestofthestatement.

Principlesofwritingagoodpersonalstatement4.Tellwhatyouknow•  Themiddlesec=onofyouressaymightdetailyourinterestandexperienceinyourpar=cularfield,aswellassomeofyourknowledgeofthefield.ToomanypeoplegraduatewithliOleornoknowledgeofthenutsandboltsoftheprofessionorfieldtheyhopetoenter.Beasspecificasyoucaninrela=ngwhatyouknowaboutthefieldandusethelanguageprofessionalsuseinconveyingthisinforma=on.Refertoexperiences(work,research,etc.),classes,conversa=onswithpeopleinthefield,booksyou'veread,seminarsyou'veaOended,oranyothersourceofspecificinforma=onaboutthecareeryouwantandwhyyou'resuitedtoit.Sinceyouwillhavetoselectwhatyouincludeinyourstatement,thechoicesyoumakeareokenanindica=onofyourjudgment.

5.Don'tincludesomesubjects•  Therearecertainthingsbestlekoutofpersonalstatements.Forexample,referencestoexperiencesoraccomplishmentsinhighschoolorearlieraregenerallynotagoodidea.Don'tmen=onpoten=allycontroversialsubjects(forexample,controversialreligiousorpoli=calissues).

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Principlesofwritingagoodpersonalstatement6.Dosomeresearch•  Ifaschoolwantstoknowwhyyou'reapplyingtoitratherthananotherschool,dosomeresearchtofindoutwhatsetsyourchoiceapartfromotheruniversi=esorprograms.Iftheschoolsejngwouldprovideanimportantgeographicalorculturalchangeforyou,thismightbeafactortomen=on.

7.Writewellandcorrectly•  Beme=culous.Typeandproofreadyouressayverycarefully.ManyadmissionsofficerssaythatgoodwriOenskillsandcommandofcorrectuseoflanguageareimportanttothemastheyreadthesestatements.Expressyourselfclearlyandconcisely.Adheretostatedwordlimits.

8.Avoidclichés•  Agraduateschoolapplicantwhowritesthats/heisgoodatscienceandwantstohelpotherpeopleisnotexactlyexpressinganoriginalthought.Stayawayfromoken-repeatedor=redstatements.

PersonalStatementDo’s•  Answertheques=onsthatareasked•  Maketheintroduc=on“pop”•  Ifyougetboredreadingit,theywilltoo!

•  Staywithinthelengthlimits(typically1-2pages)•  DescribeSPECIFICexperiences•  Formconclusionsthatexplainthevalue/meaningofyourexperience•  E.g.,Whatyoulearnedaboutyourself,yourfield,oryourfuturegoals

•  Usethefunnelapproach–startbroad&becomemorespecificasyougo

•  Talkaboutyourresearchinterests•  Closebyreferringbacktoyourmaintheme•  CHECKFORSPELLINGANDGRAMMATICALERRORS!•  Readatleast3=mes•  Readaloud•  Haveothersreadit•  Takeittotheuniversity’sWri=ngCenter

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PersonalStatementDon’t’s•  Sendthesamepersonalstatementtoeveryschool•  Includehighschoolachievements(unlesstheyareabsolutelyremarkable!)

•  Treatitasalist/resumeofyouraccomplishments•  Focusonextracurriculars,lifehistory,hobbies,generalworldview•  Over-shareaboutyourpersonalhistory(THERAPY!)•  “Stuff”yourpersonalstatementwithbigwordsorunnaturalphrasestoshowoffyourGREverbalskills

•  Talkaboutcontroversialorpoli=caltopics•  Useclichés•  Overexplain•  Bedefensiveorapologe=cforweaknesses

DONOTLIE!!!

10 Characteristics of a Successful Applicant

Demonstratesapassionfortheprofession

Balancesmul=plepriori=es

Hasasignificantroleinameaningfulresearchproject

Demonstratesstrongleadershipandini=a=ve

Demonstratesstrongethicalvaluesandprofessionalstature

SubmitsstrongleOersofrecommenda=on

Iswell-acquaintedwiththeadmissionsprocessatschoolsbeingconsidered

Knowsstrengthsandfitofins=tu=ons

Demonstratesclearcareergoals

Appliesearlyandtomorethanoneschool

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AdditionalResources•  PurdueOWL:Wri=ngthePersonalStatement•  hOps://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01

•  IUPUIGuidetoWri=ngaPersonalStatement•  hOp://psych.iupui.edu/sites/default/files/

guidetowri=ngapersonalstatement_1.pdf•  Samplepersonalstatements:•  hOp://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/_files/PDF/diversitypdfs/Personal-

Statements%20Workshop.pdf•  hOp://www.shsu.edu/mcnair-scholars-program/documents/

ExamplesofPersonalStatement.pdf•  hOps://www.plymouth.edu/department/psychology/files/2013/06/

SOP_clinicalpsych.pdf•  hOps://www.plymouth.edu/department/psychology/files/2013/06/SAMPLE-

STATEMENT-OF-PURPOSE-FOR-PSYCHOLOGY.pdf•  hOp://www.ooci=es.org/heartland/flats/5353/classes/essays/essay2.html•  hOp://www.ooci=es.org/heartland/flats/5353/classes/essays/essay3.html•  hOp://www.ooci=es.org/heartland/flats/5353/classes/essays/essay4.html