What is then a personal statement?
If you are applying for nationally competitive scholarships, for graduate school, or for a number of post-graduate service or employment opportunities, you have seen the vaguely phrased request; in one form or another, it comes down to “tell us something about yourself.”
If you are applying for nationally competitive scholarships, for graduate school, or for a number of post-graduate service or employment opportunities, you have seen the vaguely phrased request; in one form or another, it comes down to “tell us something about yourself.”
A personal statement is:
- A picture. Your personal essay should produce a picture of you as a person, a student, a potential scholarship winner, and (looking into the future) a former scholarship recipient.
- An invitation. The reader must be invited to get to know you, personally. Bridge the assumed distance of strangers. Make your reader welcome.
- An indication of your priorities and judgement. What you choose to say in your statement tells the firm/committee what your priorities are. What you say, and how you say it, is crucial.
- A story, or more precisely, your story. Everyone has a story to tell, but we are not all natural storytellers. If you are like most people, your life lacks inherent drama. This is when serious self-reflection, conversation with friends, family, and mentors, and permission to be creative come in handy
Most importantly, a personal statement is authentic. Don’t make the mistake
of trying or guess what the firm or committee is looking for, and don’t write what you think
they want to hear. They want to know you.
So, what must you include in the personal statement? An effective personal
statement will answer the following questions:
- Who am I?
- Who do I want to be?
- What kind of contribution do I want to make, and how?
- Why does it make sense for me to work or study at Oxford (or York, Cambridge,Sussex)?
Remember the goal: grab the readers’ interest, and make them want to meet you
for an interview. Get a sense of the experiences and dreams you wish to share,
then examine them for a helpful means of making sense of it all. You will find your
story; and if you share it honestly, you will have written a personal statement.
Examples of Statements, Purdue OWL University
1 comment:
We have to write a concise(short and brief) personal statement whether we are applying for graduate school or for a scholarship program. At the end we must include a conclusion. personal statement for a scholarship
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