Graduate School Statement Template Page 2
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Your intended future use of your graduate study. This will include your career goals and
plans for the future.
Your special preparation and fitness for study in the field. This is the opportunity to join
and correlate your academic background with your extracurricular experience to show
how they unite to make you a special candidate.
Any problems or inconsistencies in your records or scores, such as a bad semester. Be
sure to explain in a positive manner and justify the explanation. Since this is a rebuttal
argument, it should be followed by a positive statement of your abilities. In some
instances, it may be more appropriate to provide this information outside of the personal
statement.
Any special conditions that are not revealed elsewhere in the application, such as a
significant (35 hour per week) workload outside of school. This, too, should be followed
with a positive statement about yourself and your future.
You may be asked, "Why do you wish to attend this school?" This requires that you have
done your research about the school, and know what its special appeal is to you.
Above all, this statement should contain information about you as a person. They know
nothing about you unless you tell them. You are the subject of the statement.
Determine your approach and style of the statement
There is no such thing as "the perfect way to write a statement." There is only the one that is best
for and fitting for you.
There are some things the statement should not be:
Avoid the "what I did with my life" approach.
Avoid the "I've always wanted to be a " approach.
Avoid a catalog of achievements. This is only a list of what you have done, and tells
nothing about you as a person. Normally, the statement is far more than a resume.
Avoid lecturing the reader. For example, you should not write a statement such as
"Communication skills are important in this field." Any graduate admissions committee
member knows that and is not trying to learn about the field from the applicant. Some
statements do ask applicants about * their understanding of the field.
These are some things the statement should do:
It should be objective, yet self-revelatory. Write directly and in a straightforward manner
that tells about your experience and what it means to you. Do not use "academese." This
is not a research paper for a professor.
It should form conclusions that explain the value and meaning of your experience, such as
what you learned about yourself and your field, your future goals, and your career plans.
Draw your conclusions from the evidence your life provides.
It should be specific. Document your conclusions with specific instances, or draw your
conclusions as the result of individual experience. See below a list of general words and
phrases to avoid using without explanation.
It should be an example of careful persuasive writing. Career Center Counselors can help
you determine if this is so by reviewing your draft statement.
It should get to the point early on and catch the attention of the reader.
The Writing Center: Writing a Grad School Personal Statement
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