How to Write Personal Statement for Grad School in 2023 | Guide with Examples
If you are an aspiring graduate school student, this blog reaches you on the right time. It contains everything you need to know about how to write a personal statement for graduate school.
It explains what graduate school personal statement is and then take you to the detailed processes of writing it.
So, reading this blog carefully is the best way to clarify your all your doubts regarding the most crucial document called grad school personal statement.
What Is a Graduate School Personal Statement?
Graduate school personal statement is a detailed writeup you prepare highlighting the best qualities of you as an eligible candidate of a grad school program.
Personal statement for graduate school is very crucial in your academic career because it influences the admission officers’ decision regarding your selection.
Why Do You Need a Personal Statement in the Grad School Application?
Personal statement for grad school serves as a primary source of resource for selectors to assess a candidate for the grad school program. It helps the selectors know how closely the candidate is related to the specific academic field.
How Important Is a Grad School Personal Statement?
Your graduate school personal statement is an important document for the following reasons:
- It enables the selectors know how serious you are with your graduate school application.
- It allows selectors to assess your English language proficiency.
- It demonstrates your level of maturity and vision for the future.
- It enables the panel to know whether you will be a true asset to their institute.
- It explains your relation and knowledge in the specified field of interest.
- It is used to determine whether you will be able to gel with your colleagues.
What Do Admission Committee Want to See in Your Grad School Personal Statement?
The primary reason why grad schools ask you to produce a personal statement is that it gives them an opportunity to learn about your motivations and interests. They may also check your writing skills in it.
What Makes a Grad School Personal Statement Perfect?
One is not restricted to write a personal statement for graduate school in a specific way. However, a perfect personal statement would have some shared features such as:
Clarity of ideas
If your statement communicates your thoughts very well to the readers, it does half the job.
Supporting Points
A good personal statement would not only highlight the applicant’s skills but also provide supporting points to prove each of them.
Highlights How Fit You Are
A personal statement that fails to explain why you are a good fit for the program wouldn’t impress the selectors.
Keeping the Right Balance
Whether it is the language used or the points discussed, your personal statement should keep the right balance.
Powerful Writing
It doesn’t mean use of technical words. It means a logically organized, flawless and easy-to-read writing.
Be Mindful of These Ten Questions
Want to know the best way to write a personal statement for grad school? Ask yourself these ten questions and note down your thoughts. Trying to get answers to these questions will help you realize how unique you are and how prepared you are to take up this grad school program.
- What makes your story a unique one?
- What aspects of your story would help selectors assume you are different from other applicants?
- When was the time your interest in this field got ignited?
- How did you go further from your initial amusement in the field to a strong conviction to choose this as your career?
- What did you learn about the field over the years and how? What are your achievements in the field?
- What do you count as your unique skills or strengths that would support you during your grad school?
- Did you involve in any work related to this field? How did it help you enhance your knowledge?
- What are your future plans/career goals?
- What are your weak points – gaps, arrears? How you overcame them? Did they teach you any lesson?
- What is that one strong compelling reason that should make your selectors consider you.
How to Write a Personal Statement for Grad School in 8 Steps?
Given its important role in the admission process, you should have a promising grad school personal statement. Here is how to write a personal statement for graduate school.
Start Early
Personal statement for grad school is not like a leave letter which you can compose in few minutes. It requires planning, execution, modifying etc. So, start at the earliest.
Go Through Specific Directions Carefully
Don’t write your personal statement anyhow. Write it as per the instructions that perhaps your program requires you to follow, for instance the length, format, font, points etc.
Develop Your Narrative
Based on what the program requires you to write, what your field of interest is, what relevant skills or experiences you have, develop your unique narrative for your grad school personal statement.
Find Answer to Why This Program
Rather than from an academic point of you, try to answer ‘what makes you interested in this field and program’ in a very personal perspective.
Prepare an Outline
You have all the important information now and it is time to put them into your paper. Start by making a rough outline. Use your own convenient techniques for the outline – bubbles or boxes.
Write the First Draft
Go through the outline carefully a couple of times to reinforce your insights. Next, begin writing the first draft of the writeup. Don’t try to be perfect at this time.
Proofread and Edit
Read the first draft from start to end a few times. Check if it sounds logical, cohesive and coherent when you read it from start to end. Fix the mistakes.
Seek Feedback
Have a colleague or your professor or a professional read your personal statement for graduate school and give you constructive feedback on it.
Read more here on personal statements:
Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples
Before you start writing, consider reading a sample personal statement for graduate school. This example would give a general idea about the document, its structure, format etc.
Personal Statement for Graduate School
Biological Sciences has always interested me with its explanation of the living world. I was left in awe when I came to know about the cell. On learning about unicellular and multicellular organisms, my curiosity increased. It was during my 12th standard that I learnt about the unending scope of Biotechnology in our life. I was fascinated to know that biology and technology can be combined to produce vaccines, genetically modified crops, etc. On knowing about Bt Cotton, I got interested to know how we can prevent the insect attack by inserting the gene of soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. The wider scope of Biotechnology motivated me to choose a career path in the same.
During my undergraduate studies in Biotechnology, I learnt about the groundbreaking researches going on in this field. The field of genetic engineering and DNA sequencing motivated me to build a research career in this field. 4D printing and tissue engineering motivated me to learn more about the scope of biotechnology in the agricultural domain. When the world was stuck with the Covid-19 pandemic, we witnessed the scope and potential of biotechnology and genetic engineering in the medical field. The development of vaccines and subsequent testing methodologies made me proud to be part of a stream which proved beneficial when world was thunderstruck with a microscopic organism. The research study of Dr. Katalin Kariko` was a groundbreaking achievement in the field of vaccine development.
I wish to build a strong career in the field of research in Genetics. DNA and DNA sequencing has always interested me. Human Genome Project and CRISPR –Cas 9 are some of the leading inventions in the field of Genetics. Discovery of 119-Million-Year-Old Selfish Genes in Yeast is one of the breakthroughs in the field of our understanding of Parasitic DNA and Genome Evolution.
I am sure the field of Biotechnology offers a wide range of areas for my research capabilities. With the advanced knowledge gained from your postgraduate degree course, I can well skim through the potential research field in the area of Biotechnology. Biotechnology is the career I strive and live for. I am sure I will have a potential career in the same due to my inquisitive nature and great interest in research and exploration. After my post graduate studies from your venerated university, I wish to do Ph.D and indulge in research in the genetics branch of Biotechnology.
| Anesthesiology | Emergency Medicine | Neurology | Radiology |
| Dental School | Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Urology |
| Dermatology | General Surgery | Psychiatry | Pediatrics |
| Ophthalmology | Medical School | Nursing Job | Pathology |
Tips for Writing a Unique Grad School Personal Statement
For writing a personal statement that makes your admission go smoothly, follow these simple tips.
Emphasize Relevant Points
Cherry-pick the most relevant and impactful points to give emphasize to in the writeup.
Be Specific
Know that you are writing a personal statement for grad school and hence be specific to its core purposes while drafting it.
Conduct Research
Learn about the program by doing some researches or talking with any alumna who has done the same program in that institute.
Justify Your Gaps
If you have had any gaps, explain what caused it and how you benefited from it or overcame from the lose it caused to your formation.
Strong Intro and Conclusion
Spend more time on the introduction and conclusion. While the intro triggers the reader’s interest, a strong conclusion serves as a good reminder.
Do’s and Don’ts in Writing Personal Statement for Graduate School
Do This
- Make it truly personal.
- Shine light on your future plans
- Do enough homework before writing.
- Follow institute-specified directions
- Include real evidence and examples
Don’t Do This
- Don’t write without a theme or a clear focus
- Don’t plagiarize from any grad school personal statement samples
- Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your personal statement
- Don’t use same personal statement for multiple grad schools
- Don’t write your personal statement as an expansion of your resume.
Popular Graduate Schools Across the World
Are you considering grad school admission abroad? Here are some suggestions for you. Write a customized personal statement for grad school that adhere to the institute’s specific requirements.
- Stanford University
- Yale University
- Princeton University
- University College London
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Hong Kong
- University of Tokyo
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Pennsylvania
Popular Graduate School Programs
Wondering which program to consider for your grad school? Here are programs that might interest you.
- Social work
- Psychology
- Business Administration and Management
- Education Leadership & Administration
- Education
- Public Administration
- Electrical, Electronics & Communication Engineering
- Business/Commerce
- Accounting
- Computer Science
That Brings Us to the Conclusion
We believe that this blog has helped you gain familiarity with some of the core aspects of personal statement for graduate school and how to write it from the scratch.
We are looking forward to your feedbacks and suggestions on this.
Leave them in the below comment section.
