Of all the topics I discuss with aspiring graduate students, personal statements tend to incite the most dread. Many people prefer not to talk or write about themselves, and the task of capturing the arc of one’s life along with their values and ambitions in about a page is daunting. My advice is always the same: break it down into pieces and chip away at it, one piece at a time. Personal statements are really difficult to write start-to-finish in one sitting; an effective pr