7 Tips to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate School

You made it through undergrad and want to progress your career path by joining graduate school. Well, as part of your application process for graduate school, you’ll need to write and submit a personal statement alongside other application materials. A compelling and stellar personal statement can advance you to the top of the admission pile.

Still, writing a personal statement is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, so it’s important to know what to write and how to present it. In the following post, find out what is a personal statement, how to write a graduate school personal statement, and tips to help you write a winning paper.

What is a graduate school personal statement?

A graduate school personal statement is a short essay that an applicant to a graduate school program writes to prove to a university admission committee that they are the perfect candidate to be admitted to a graduate program at the university. The essay contains evidence and examples of your motivation and experience that point to the type of students you are.

Some schools provide a specific prompt for writing a personal statement, while others prefer open-ended essays. Whatever the case, ensure that you write a strong personal statement that demonstrates the value you can bring to the program. Also, avoid general statements and descriptions. Instead, write a strong personal statement that includes specific examples of your achievements, lessons learned, and how you will apply the lessons in your graduate studies.

A personal statement for grad school differs from a statement of purpose for grad school. A statement of purpose includes your academic and career goals, and any credentials attained in the past. A personal statement focuses more on your life experiences and how they’ve prepared you for graduate school.

Key questions to ask yourself before you write a graduate school personal statement

Before you start writing your personal statement, consider the following questions that will help you to clarify what to include in your paper.

1. What outstanding attribute, quality, or skill distinguishes you from everyone else? How did you develop this attribute?
2. Have you ever struggled for something and succeeded? What made you successful?
3. What have you learned about this field already? When did you first choose to follow this path, and what do you enjoy about it?
4. What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
5. What factors in your life have brought you to where you are today?
6. Are there any discrepancies or causes for concern in your application you need to address in the essay?
7. What are your future goals?
8. What are the opportunities and/or challenges you find in your community?
9. Do you identify with one or more cultures? Can you speak more than one language? What has that allowed you to do in life?
10. What is your undergraduate major? Who or what has inspired you to pursue this major?

7 tips for writing a graduate school personal statement

1. Read the instructions carefully

The first step is to research the requirements of the personal statement essay. Find out whether the school has provided a prompt, questions to be addressed, word limit, and formatting guidelines. This is especially important when you’re writing multiple grad school applications. The requirements will guide the framework of everything you will discuss, and what you want the statement to achieve.

2. Pick a few specific points to emphasize about yourself

Highlight unique elements that reveal the kind of person you are and why you’re the best choice for the school. For instance, illustrate unique hobbies or moving personal experiences in the past. Still, ensure that you write about experiences that relate to the program of study. For example, a winning personal statement for graduate school in transportation engineering can include a reference to a trip you took to Japan that made you reflect on efficient train models.

3. Use a professional tone

While you may want to project your personality in your personal statement, respect the formality of the situation and institution by using a professional tone in your essay. However, most students struggle to present themselves effectively and professionally in an essay. If you struggle with writing academic papers or simply want to improve your chances of success, hire professional personal statement writers from CustomWritings who can make the most of the custom information you provide and elevate your personality and professionalism in the eyes of an admissions committee.

4. Start strong and finish strong

All outstanding personal statements for graduate school start off with an interesting and captivating introduction that draws your readers immediately, and ends with a well-written conclusion that highlights all the important points. Remember that admission officers have to read hundreds of personal statements, and have little patience for poorly-written papers. Thus, arrive at your main point early on in the essay, especially in the first paragraph. You can expand the argument in the following paragraphs.

5. Demonstrate your genuine interest and enthusiasm

Graduate school can be very stressful and challenging. The committee will be looking for evidence to show that you are excited and motivated about the course since such students are more likely to successfully complete the program. In your personal statement for graduate school, try to specify why you want to attend the institution. Is it the research opportunities, research programs, or professors at the school? The more specific examples you offer, the more likely you are to impress an admissions officer. Still, offer praise in moderation.

6. Address any gaps of discrepancies

Explain any factors that do not reflect positively on your abilities or could raise questions. For example, address any low grades on your transcripts that relate to the program you’re applying for, especially if they occurred in the last year of your degree. Similarly, discuss any other factors that may have impacted your academic career, including illness, personal hardships that affected your work or grades. Also explain any extenuating circumstances that caused discrepancies between your test scores and grades.

7. Proofread

One of the most important tips for writing a good personal statement is to carefully revise your draft.  Check for problems with the flow and structures of your statement. The best way to proofread is to read the paper aloud several times. Look for awkward phrases, ambiguous statements, jarring transitions, spelling errors, and grammatical errors. You can ask a trusted friend or professor to read and give you suggestions. If there is no specific word count, target to write a short essay rather than a long one.

Writing a winning personal statement doesn’t have to be such a challenge

A winning personal statement demonstrates why you’re exactly the person grad schools want in their program. Provide the admission committee with an authentic and engaging statement that demonstrates unique things about you that they can’t access elsewhere. Smoothen the writing process using the guide provided in this article and create the perfect personal statement.

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