I need to write a personal statement. Now what?!

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 process improves efficiency and allows exploration of the heart of the matter - what distinguishes you?

At the outset, I ask people to think/write about the following prompts:

1. Why this graduate degree?

2. What have you done to prepare? (Think broadly about this one—academics, extracurriculars, “soft skills” that enhance your success, etc.)

3. Why will you thrive in this field? What inherent and learned skills do you bring?

4. What do you want to accomplish with this degree? (Begin sharing a vision of what you can do once the degree is in hand.)

5. What’s the hook you’ll grab the reader with? (We humans love and connect with stories. What’s the one you’ll tell that keeps your reader engaged? Ideally it connects tightly to #6 below…

6. What is the identity of the piece that distinguishes you from your peers (More on this below, but remember a personal statement is a character piece; this is not a time to write an annotated resume (you’re already submitting a resume!))

Do a free write in response to the above prompts for an hour. Step away from what you wrote and revisit it later. Share it with a trusted, knowledgeable person who can help you identify the kernels that are worth cultivating.

The goal is always the same: tell a story about why you’re here and what you’ll accomplish with this degree. What separates fine personal statements from winning ones is #6—an "identity" might also be called a thesis, narrative thread, unifying element, etc. This identity should be present in the opening and closing and have touchpoints throughout.

Other tips..

1. Once you've got your identity and some ideas from your free write, proceed to an outline.

2. Once you have an outline, write a draft.

3. When you’re comfortable with your draft, seek feedback. Don’t send it to people who like you; send it to those who can help you, which ideally means those with knowledge of the field - like us! ;)

4. Keep refining until the uniqueness of you shines through.

The process won’t be painless, but it can be streamlined and minimally miserable ☺