Personal statement

Writing a good personal statement is customized. For each institution you apply to, you will need to write a different motivation, as the requirements vary from institution to institution and from field to field. For some studies, it is enough to write a two-page essay stating why you want to enter a graduate program. Other studies require you to write five or six different essays that address your motivation for entering a graduate program, your strengths and weaknesses, or significant accomplishments you have made. It is particularly the business schools that may require more than one essay.

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of your application to an American graduate program. In it, you justify why you want to pursue a graduate program and, in particular, why you want to pursue it at that institution. It is the part of the application in which you can show who you are and what sets you apart from all those other applicants who are also applying for that particular program. On the basis of this essay, it will be assessed whether you are able to clearly and distinctly put your thoughts on paper and whether your study or research interests match those of the department’s staff.

Prefer to watch a webinar? To the right you can watch our webinar with Boise State University. The webinar discusses in detail what makes a good essay.

Guidelines

There are no set guidelines that a personal statement must meet. You will be more successful, however, if you follow the following directions:

Make connections

With the personal statement, you want to convince the selection committee of your qualities. Thus, the statement should contain information about you as a person, but it is explicitly not intended to be a general autobiographical life story or curriculum vitae. The personal information provided should be clearly related to your study plans and motivation.

Be authentic

The statement will be read by experts in your field. Members of the selection committee are not waiting for generalities and obvious statements related to their field; they are interested in potential new and surprising insights from potential candidates.

Explain ambiguities

Use the statement to explain possible ambiguities that have emerged from the other documents that are part of the application. For example, if you received lower grades during a semester, as evidenced by your transcript, you can indicate in the statement what caused this. Where possible, try to give negative reasons a positive spin.

Avoid generalities

Statements such as “the university has a good international reputation” or “the institution is number one on this or that ranking list” are too general to be convincing when you want to state why you want to study at a particular faculty. Instead, be as specific as possible and state, for example, the reasons why you want to work with certain academic staff or why the approach to research appeals to you so much.

Formulate sharp conclusions

Be as specific as possible in your conclusions. Use words like ‘significant’, ‘challenging’, ‘invaluable’ or ‘useful’ only if they really relate to personal experiences. Avoid phrases such as: ‘I can contribute…’, ‘…meant a lot to me’ or ‘…is appealing to me’.

Delve into the questions

There are institutions that require candidates to answer some specific questions. Study these questions carefully before writing the essay in which you answer all of them.

Be engaging and concise in your writing

Be to the point and concise. Make sure you hold the reader’s attention. Do not exceed the requested number of words or pages.

Pay attention to language and design

Pay attention to the design of the essay. Write English with as few errors as possible. However, if you scored low on the TOEFL, it will not seem credible if your personal statement is written in perfect English.

Content of your personal statement

  • motivation for pursuing the study in question
  • commitment to the field of study
  • expectations of the study program
  • expected career opportunities after completion of the study
  • main fields of interest in relation to your choice of study
  • research or work experience
  • previous studies
  • long- and short-term goals

Assessment of personal statement

  • ability to clearly and distinctly express thoughts and ideas
  • writing skills
  • personal insights
  • creativity and originality
  • what sets you apart from other candidates applying for the same program and why you want to study at the faculty in question

Research statements

Some universities would like you to write a separate research statement. In a research statement, you get the chance to go into some detail about your specific research interests. A well-written research statement convinces the admissions committee that you have interesting ideas that you can actually implement in the department.

Research statements are read by faculty members, members of the admissions committee and, in some cases, alumni. Remember that you are writing for multiple audiences. Show that you have the necessary knowledge, but write the statement in such a way that everyone understands what it is about and also describe why your research is important and relevant, both within your course and in a broader context.

If you have to write a separate research statement, you can focus more on your personal development in your personal statement.