personal statement for special education graduate school

Sample Personal Statement for Special Education Teacher

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

The following personal statement is written by an applicant who got accepted to Masters’s program in special education. Variations of this personal statement got accepted at TUFTS and Boston College. Read this essay to understand what a top personal statement of a special education teacher should look like.

“Quo non Ascendam” – “to what heights can I not rise.” This is the motto of Ethiopia Aviation Academy, my Alma Meta, and my inspiration. Last year, while ascending Adams peak during a voluntary AIESEC internship at Colombo University, Sri Lanka, I saw a poor boy suffering from muscular dystrophy dangerously perched behind the railings at the corner of the tortuous path. “Excelsior,” my Australian, American, Lebanese, and Chinese comrades exhorted me to go on. But I was transfixed by the utter disparity I saw – was it right to give him a coin, or could I have done something else to change his destiny? How lucky I am to have everything on my plate.

My schooling was elite. However, I never disassociated myself from my disadvantaged peers with physical impairments. Every year my mother used to take me to a nearby nursing home (for children with disabilities) to celebrate my birthday. She did so purposefully so that I could count my blessing and be grateful for what I have. The wider gap between the haves and the have-nots became even more pronounced when I visited my native village in rural Ethiopia and interacted with children in our neighborhood. Sometimes I even felt guilty for having so much more than them. I pondered that to alleviate poverty and promote socio-economic development, I needed to provide easy access to education to the less fortunate. I believe this will give me tranquility and a realm of my own.

To become a valuable member of society, I decided to major in special education. Therefore, I enrolled at Bahir Dar University. In my senior year, I traveled to Augustana College (on Global U-GRAD Exchange Program) as a Cultural Ambassador and stayed there for six months. During this time, I gained exposure to the local culture and enhanced my English language and teaching skills. At Laura Wilder Elementary School, I taught courses to special children on how to become adaptive and sociable. Not only this, but I also organized “Ethiopia Day” festivities at Sioux Falls and gave a comprehensive lecture on the society and culture of Ethiopia. Post-presentation, a native exclaimed, “Thank you for showing us Ethiopia in a better way.” Upon my return to Ethiopia, I decided to redouble my efforts in imparting education after being motivated by the exposure at Augustana college.

During my junior year, I realized my life goals after opting to travel for an optional teaching internship with National Commission for Human Development in Swat, now famous for being the hometown of Malala Yousafzai. I worked towards the UN Millennium Development Goal, which envisages an educated society as a foundation for development. For four months, I designed and taught several courses in self-development, communication, and professionalism to women in rural communities. As a result, I felt a lot more empowered.

Subsequently, I became further predisposed to teaching special children. However, at the same time, I realized that I would need further education to achieve my lofty aim of making a more significant impact. While working on various projects involving wide-ranging education policy issues and theories, I was exposed to the benefits and limitations of the teaching sphere. Now, I want to expand my world and learn more so that I can ask better questions and be capable of adapting to the changing world. I believe everyone has a share in shaping the world (no matter how small or big), and by pursuing graduate studies in teaching methodologies, I will be able to provide a beneficial share to the world. It will also help me create the world that I want to live in.

As we neared Adams peak, we started bantering – our words echoed from the valley below. My fatigue disappeared as I witnessed the breathtaking sunrise – such are the fruits of accomplishment. The decent is always easier. I remember children always walking to school and running back home. As we descended, I saw the same disabled boy at the same place near the railing but with a much more satisfying look as his bowl was brimming with coins. I know brooding is not the answer, but he should have been in school. Wisdom lies in knowing what to do next. I know someday I want to be wholly immersed in teaching and formulating educational policies that will send all poor and disabled children to school and higher learning.

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If you’re applying to graduate school, you’ll likely need to write a personal statement. But what exactly is a graduate school personal statement? And what should you write about to give yourself your best shot at admission?

In this guide, we teach you how to write a personal statement for grad school, step by step. But first, let’s go over how the personal statement differs from the statement of purpose as well as what schools look for in a great graduate school essay.

What Is a Graduate School Personal Statement?

A graduate school personal statement is an admission essay that typically focuses on your personal reasons for wanting to enter a grad program and particular field of study. Essentially, you must tell the story of who you are and how you developed your current research interests.

So is a personal statement for graduate school the same thing as a statement of purpose? Well, not always (though it can be). Here are the general distinctions between the two essay types:

• Statement of purpose:  A formal essay that summarizes your academic and professional background, research interests, and career goals. In this essay, you’ll usually explain your reasons for applying to grad school and why you believe the program is a good fit for you (as well as why you’re a good fit for it!).
• Personal statement: A less formal essay that focuses on your passion and motivation for wanting to enter your chosen field and program. This statement is typically more flexible than the statement of purpose, with a bigger emphasis on storytelling. Schools often encourage applicants to discuss (relevant) challenges in their lives and how they’ve overcome them.

Both the graduate school personal statement and statement of purpose are usually anywhere from one to three double-spaced pages long, depending on the program you’re applying to.

Below is a chart comparing the personal statement and statement of purpose:

Usually, the personal statement and statement of purpose are considered two different graduate school essay types.

But this isn’t always the case. While some schools consider the personal statement and statement of purpose two distinct essays, others use the names interchangeably.

For example, Michigan State University’s College of Engineering  considers them two distinct essays, while The Ohio State University uses “personal statement” to describe what is essentially a statement of purpose.

Many schools require just one essay  (and it’ll usually be the statement of purpose, as it’s the more academic one). But some, such as the University of Michigan , ask for both a personal statement and statement of purpose, while others, such as  Notre Dame’s Creative Writing MFA program , want an essay that combines the features of both!

Ultimately, the type of graduate school essay you  submit will depend entirely on where you’re applying.

What Do Schools Look For in a Personal Statement?

Many grad schools require a personal statement in order to learn more about you, your interests, your struggles, and your motivations for wanting to enter a field of study. Through this essay, schools can get to know you on a deeper, more intimate level and learn about you in ways they can’t through transcripts and letters of recommendation alone.

But what specifically do universities look for in a great personal statement for graduate school? Here are some of the most important elements to include in your essay.

A Compelling Story

First off, your personal statement must tell a story. After all, this essay is basically your autobiography: it introduces who you are, your interests and motivations, and why you’ve decided to apply to grad school.

Unlike the statement of purpose, the personal statement should focus mostly on your personal history, from your failures to your triumphs. All experiences should tie back to your field or research area, emphasizing what you’ve learned and what this means in terms of your potential as a grad student.

Since you’re talking about yourself, be conversational in your storytelling: use an authentic voice, open up about your experiences, and maybe even throw in a joke or two. Though you’re still writing an essay for school, it’s generally OK to be a little more informal here than you would in a statement of purpose.

That said, there are a couple of things you absolutely shouldn’t do in your personal statement.

• Open your essay with a quotation. Professors have heard the quotation before and don’t need (or want) to hear it again. Plus, quotations often take up too much space in an already short essay!
• Use clichés. Think of unique ways to tell your story and grab readers’ attention. Schools want to see you can be creative yet honest about yourself, so avoid clichés like the plague (see what I did there?).
• Get too creative. Your goal is to look like a serious, committed applicant—not a wacky risk taker—so write clearly and avoid any unnecessary distractions such as images, colors, and unprofessional fonts.

Most importantly, remember that your graduate school personal statement should focus on your successes. Try to use strong, encouraging words and put positive twists on difficult experiences whenever possible. It’s OK to mention your setbacks, too—just as long as you’re discussing how you ultimately overcame (or plan to overcome) them.

Inspirations for Your Research Interests

Schools don’t only want to see clearly defined research interests but also  why you have these particular interests.   While the statement of purpose elaborates on your professional goals, the personal statement explains what personally motivated you to explore your interests.

For example, in my personal statement for a Japanese Studies MA program, I wrote about my hot-and-cold relationship with the Japanese language and how a literature class and a stint abroad ultimately inspired me to keep learning.

Don’t make the mistake of going way back to the beginning to start your essay. Many applicants open their statements with something along the lines of “I fell in love with psychology when I was ten years old” or “It all started when I was in high school.” But these broad statements lack the creativity and zest needed to secure an acceptance, so avoid them at all costs.

Your Motivation for Applying to Grad School

Your statement of purpose should explain why grad school is a practical next step in your professional life—but your personal statement should focus on what personally motivates you to take this step.

Generally, schools want answers to the following questions:

• Why is grad school an appropriate step for you now?
• How will a graduate degree help you achieve your goals?
• Why didn’t you apply to grad school earlier (if you took time off after undergrad)?
• Were there any struggles or problems you faced that prevented you from applying to grad school before?

Be honest about why you’re applying, both to grad school and the program in particular. In my graduate school essay, I discussed how my passion for Japanese literature and desire to translate it inspired me to seek advanced language training at the graduate level.

Strong Writing Skills

A great personal statement shows that you can write cogently and coherently. After all, strong writing skills are imperative for success as a grad student!

So in addition to telling a good story, make sure you use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Use paragraphs to break up your thoughts, too. Because the personal statement is slightly less formal than the statement of purpose, feel free to play around a little with paragraph form and length.

Also, remember that  good writing doesn’t necessarily equal big words.  You’re writing about yourself, so use words that come naturally to you. Don’t grab a thesaurus and start throwing in a bunch of high-level vocabulary wherever you can; this will make your essay sound less authentic, not to mention stiff.

On the other hand, don’t get too colloquial. You’ll lose respect if you start inserting conversational words such as “gonna” and “gotta.” Therefore, look for the middle ground and write from there.

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Explanations for Any Hiccups in Your Academic Career

Lastly, the personal statement  gives applicants a chance to explain any problems or changes in their academic histories, such as low grades or gaps in education.

Because transcripts and resumes are severely limited in what information they give, schools often use the personal statement to understand your reasons for abrupt changes in your resume and/or transcripts, and to see how you’ve overcome these barriers in your education (and life).

Essentially, a personal statement equalizes the playing field by giving you full rein to explain yourself and emphasize your success over any struggles you’ve had.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Grad School: 9-Step Guide

The personal statement is a fiercely important part of your grad school application. In this section, we teach you how to write a memorable personal statement for grad school so that you’ll have a better shot at getting accepted.

Step 1: Start Early

Personal statements (actually, grad school applications in general!) take a lot of work, so don’t put off writing your essay until the week before your deadline. Rather, try to start working on your essay at least two or three months before your application is due.

You might want to give yourself more time to write it if you’re currently in school or working a demanding job. Setting aside more time lets you work on your graduate school essay routinely without having to squeeze in too many hours each week.

If you only have a month or less until your application deadline, get started on your essay pronto! Though it’s possible to write a personal statement quickly, I recommend carving out more time so that you can put more thought and effort into what you write and how you present yourself. (Doing this also gives others more time to edit your essay for you! We’ll cover this more in later steps.)

Step 2: Read the Instructions

Perhaps the most important step is to read your program’s instructions for the personal statement. Not following these instructions could very well result in a rejection, so always read these first before you start writing! Most programs put their personal statement instructions on their application materials pages.

Your program should give you the following information:

• What type of content your personal statement should include or generally focus on (you might even get an actual prompt to answer!)
• How long your statement should be
• What type of heading, if any, you must include on your statement
• How to save and submit your statement (e.g., .docx, PDF, etc.)

For example, let’s say you’re applying to the History PhD program at UC Berkeley . In this case, your personal statement can’t exceed 1,000 words (three double-spaced pages). You must also answer this prompt :

Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include information on how you have overcome barriers to access in higher education, evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others, evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups.

On the other hand, if you were to apply for an MS in Mining, Geological, and Geophysical Engineering at the University of Arizona , your personal statement would follow these parameters:

Your personal statement is an opportunity to sell yourself, in terms of your research interests, research experience and research goals. Unless you have extensive research experience, most personal statements should be about two single-spaced pages. Your writing should be clear, concise, grammatically correct and professional in tone. You may convey some personal experiences that have led to your current interests or that make you a particularly promising candidate.

Clearly, grad programs can approach personal statements quite differently. Some schools consider them the same as statements of purpose and want a formal focus on academic and research interests, while others want applicants to explain more informally the challenges they’ve overcome to get to this point.

Simply put,  follow your program’s directions exactly in order to give yourself your best shot at admission.  And if any part of the instructions is unclear, don’t hesitate to contact your program!

Step 3: Figure Out Your Angle

Your “angle,” or focus, in your graduate school personal statement will depend on a few key factors:

• What your grad program wants you to write about
• Your field of study and research interests
• How much experience you have in your field

As I mentioned in step 2, it’s extremely important to  read the personal statement instructions for your program. Many times these guidelines will tell you what to include in your essay, thereby clarifying what your overall angle needs to be.

Let’s look back at the example we used above for UC Berkeley’s doctoral program in history. If you were applying here and came from a low-income family, you could discuss how you’ve overcome these financial challenges in your life to get to where you are today.

No matter the prompt, you’ll need to discuss your research interests (to some degree) in your personal statement.  How much you talk about your interests, however, will depend on whether you have to submit a separate statement of purpose. If so, you can focus less on your research plans and more on your passions and motivations for applying.

On the other hand, if your personal statement is essentially a statement of purpose, dive deep into your research interests—that is,  be specific! For example, those applying to English lit programs should think about the works, eras, and writers they want to study, and why.

More broadly, though, try to answer the question of  what you hope to accomplish, either during or after the program. Is there any particular project you want to do? Skills you want to improve? Field you want to break into?

Finally, always choose a positive angle.  Use affirmative words and phrases to highlight both your successes and overall enthusiasm for the program.

Step 4: Ask Yourself, “Why This Program? Why This Field?”

Although the statement of purpose usually answers this question directly, you’ll likely need to address this in your personal statement as well—ideally, with a less academic and more conversational tone.

As you brainstorm, try to come up with answers to the following questions:

• What goals or experiences led you to apply to this program?
• How will this program help you grow on a personal level?
• What made you interested in this field? Why do you want to study it more?
• What are your research interests? How did you develop these interests?
• Are there any particular professors you wish to work with?

Step 5: Make an Outline

Now that you’ve brainstormed some ideas, it’s time to start outlining your essay.

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How you choose to outline your statement is up to you. Some people like drawing bubble charts for organizing their thoughts, whereas others (like myself) prefer to write a list of rough ideas in the general order they want to present them.

Even if you’re not sure whether you want to include something, just add it to your outline anyway. You can always cut it out later as you draft and edit.

Step 6: Draft Your Essay

It’s now time to start writing! Once you’ve got your outline ready, work on expanding what you’ve written into full-fledged paragraphs.

In the beginning, it’s OK to write down anything you feel is relevant, but as you continue to draft, try to look for any extraneous information you can chop.

Remember, most personal statements will be short— usually one to two double-spaced pages—so you don’t want to risk exceeding your program’s word limit. Schools want to see that you can tell a story concisely yet effectively.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a way to open your statement, try skipping around as you draft. Go ahead and jump to a paragraph you have more ideas for—it’s perfectly OK! Just make sure you start to tie all of your ideas together the closer you get to finishing your draft.

On a related note, be careful not to copy any material from your statement of purpose (if you’re required to submit two separate essays). These statements may share a little overlap but should still focus on different aspects of your (academic) life, accomplishments, and goals.

Step 7: Get Feedback

Once you finish drafting, give your essay to people you trust for feedback. This could be a parent, friend, sibling, or mentor (such as a former or current professor).

Ask your editors to give you  specific feedback  on what you can change, both stylistically and technically, to make it more impactful. Ideally, they’ll also note any unclear, awkward, or redundant ideas/phrases and will offer you helpful suggestions for improvement.

If you’ve written a separate statement of purpose, see whether your editors are willing to check that essay over as well so that you can ensure there isn’t too much overlap between the two.

Step 8: Revise & Edit Your Essay

Once you get feedback, revise and edit your personal statement using your editors’ comments as a guide.

For example, if your editors told you your essay lacked detail, look for places in your writing where you can be more specific and that are likely to have a strong impact on the admission committee.

As you revise, keep an eye out for any awkward sentences or extraneous information. Personal statements are usually pretty brief and you don’t want to accidentally exceed the word limit. So when in doubt, take it out!

Step 9: Proofread

The final step is to proofread your draft. Start by using your computer’s spell check function to quickly find any glaring typos and grammatical errors.

Then, proofread your essay one sentence at a time. Since it’s easy to miss errors in your own writing, I recommend editing your essay from back to front (i.e., from the last sentence to the first sentence). Doing this prevents you from glossing over words and lets you pinpoint punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors more easily.

In addition, check that you have page numbers on each page (if required—though I suggest adding them regardless) and a proper heading (again, if required) that meets the requirements of your program.

Before you submit it, see if you can get someone else (preferably one or all of your editors from step 7) to look over your final draft as well.  If anyone spots a problem with your essay, go back to step 8. If you get all thumbs ups, read over your statement one last time and then turn it in without looking back! (Seriously, don’t read it again or you’re going to want to change something.)

The Key to a Great Graduate School Personal Statement

The personal statement is an essential part of your grad school application. Like the statement of purpose, it highlights your research interests, experiences, and goals.

But more importantly, the personal statement showcases  your unbridled passion for your field, lets you reflect on challenges you’ve faced (and subsequently overcome), and answers the overarching question of why you want to attend grad school.

A great graduate school personal statement will normally include most or all of the following elements:

• A compelling story
• Inspirations for your research interests
• Your motivation for applying to grad school
• Strong writing skills
• Explanations for any changes or problems in your academic career

Above, we walked you through how to write a personal statement for grad school. To recap, here are the nine steps to follow:

• Start early—at least two or three months before your application is due
• Read your program’s instructions for the personal statement
• Figure out your angle by brainstorming ideas
• Ask yourself, “Why this program/field?”
• Make an outline using charts, a list, etc.
• Draft your essay
• Get specific feedback from multiple editors
• Revise and edit your essay
• Proofread (and get other people to proofread it, too!)

What’s Next?

Need to write a statement of purpose, too? Waste no time!  Our expert guide offers tons of tips to help you come up with a statement of purpose that’s certain to impress admission committees.

Do your schools require a CV or resume?  If you’re totally lost on where to begin, read our guides to learn how to put together a great CV or resume for grad school. And for extra help, check out our four original CV and resume templates !

What do you need to submit for your grad school application?  Get the scoop on what kinds of materials you’ll need to prepare when applying to grad school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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• Knowledge Base
• Applying to graduate school
• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Killer Personal Statement for Graduate School

How to Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out: The Key Elements Admissions Committees Are Looking For

You’re organizing and preparing to go to graduate school, you’ve narrowed down your list, and now it’s time to tackle your personal statement (sometimes referred to as a letter of intent, personal essay, or statement of purpose). Writing a strong personal statement is essential for your graduate school application and will reflect your passion and potential, but also will show the admissions committee or faculty what sets you apart from other applicants. While students commonly assume their grades or test scores are the most important elements of their applications, the personal statement and recommendation letters often play an equally important role in your admission decision. 

Here are 10 tips to help you think about creating a compelling personal statement that increases your chances of acceptance: 

1. Research your intended program in order to demonstrate fit.

It will be important for you to familiarize yourself with the graduate programs to which you are applying and then articulate in each statement why you’re a good fit for each individual program. In whatever ways are helpful to you, create an organizational tool in order to track each institution's requirements, noting any particular questions or prompts you must address. Understand your intended program's strengths, the types of students the program is looking for, and familiarize yourself with faculty members, research opportunities, and unique features. Show how your interests and experiences align with the program’s offerings, what you can add to the program, and how that program will help you achieve your career goals. 

2. Follow the guidelines and understand any prompts or questions. 

The more you know about your intended graduate program and school, the more you you can showcase what makes you stand out as a candidate. However, there may be specific things asked of you in certain letter requirements, while other schools may be more open-ended. Carefully read and adhere to the application guidelines for each program. Pay attention to word or page limits, formatting requirements, and any specific questions or prompts you need to address. 

Important tip: If you do not need to address specific prompts and all of your programs just ask you to write a personal statement or letter of intent describing your interests and career goals, write individual letters for each program! It will certainly save you time to write one letter, but make sure you at least adjust parts of your letter to include the correct school name and program and address any specific aspects of the program that are relevant to you. For example, if your intended graduate program doesn’t offer research opportunities, but your letter describes your love of research and intentions to conduct research in your graduate program, faculty and admissions representatives may perceive that you did not take the time to understand the curriculum and program outcomes and react unfavorably to your candidacy. 

Even if you’re a stellar student and qualified candidate, most graduate programs want students that are going to be successful and their intentions are appropriately aligned with the program. If the faculty or admissions committee reading your essay feel like your goals aren’t aligned with the program, you’ll hurt your chances of being admitted. The more you can show the reader that you did your due diligence and that you know the program outcomes well, the better you’ll help the folks admitting you see that you’re a great fit. 

And though it may go without saying, make sure you’re addressing the correct school and program in your statement. An incorrect school or program name may signal a lack of attention to detail and impact your chances of being admitted.  

3. Start early and stay organized.

It’s often said that if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. You can never be too early with your own organization, especially when many graduate schools have deadlines and tight timelines. Give yourself plenty of time to write and revise your personal statement. Starting early allows you to brainstorm, reflect on your experiences, craft a well-structured statement, and have it reviewed and edited. This way, you can keep on track for your deadlines and have your letters of intent ready to go.  

4. Highlight your motivations and showcase your experiences.

Graduate programs, and particularly graduate faculty, want to consider students who are excited about the program that they offer. Discuss your passion for your intended program, what motivates you to apply, and how you believe the program aligns with your future career goals. Share relevant experiences such as research projects, internships, work, or extracurricular activities, that demonstrate your commitment and accomplishments in the field. Some institutional prompts will guide you in including some of these details; however, you’ll want to show application readers why your experience, goals, and motivations make you a great fit for their program.  

5. Be specific and concrete.

When you’re thinking about your accomplishments and strengths, use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points. Avoid vague statements and provide evidence to support your claims. There is a big difference between:  

“I have demonstrated my leadership skills through various clubs and activities on campus.”  

“As the president of the university’s Sustainability Club, I organized and led multiple community cleanups on campus and in the surrounding towns, recruited over 100 volunteers, and successfully collected over 3,000 pounds of recyclable materials. Additionally, I initiated a sustainability awareness campaign on campus throughout the residence halls and dining halls, which resulted in a 20% reduction in single-use plastic consumption within six months.” 

6. Discuss your strengths and how they pertain to your intended program.

It goes without saying, but your personal statement gives you a chance to showcase how awesome you are. Emphasize your unique strengths and skills that set you apart from other applicants. Use examples to demonstrate how you’ve utilized these qualities to achieve success. Show the faculty or admissions committee why they should choose you, particularly if your intended graduate program only admits a limited number of applicants. 

Before you apply, consider contacting the admissions office, speaking with faculty, or connecting with student ambassadors at your target graduate programs to learn what traits are most important for successful applicants. Most schools can share what types of students do well in their programs and what faculty are looking for as they admit students. Aligning your strengths with the right programs will help you have the highest likelihood for admission. 

7. Address weaknesses thoughtfully.

Surprisingly, your personal statement may be your only opportunity to address your weaknesses, and you may consider doing so if you feel it’s appropriate. If you have any academic or professional weaknesses, address them honestly and explain how you have learned from these experiences and grown as a result. While this may not apply to everyone, your personal statement may be your only chance to provide an explanation for academic deficiencies to the admissions team or faculty members reading your essay. 

Were you a student in the COVID-19 pandemic and your grades only really faltered in the semester or two you were fully online? Did you struggle in your academic studies as a science major, switch to a new program, and then flourish in your new classes? Did you do have a low GPA when you were a student but you’ve had a successful 20-year career with many accomplishments you can highlight?  

Your reader can usually infer these circumstances looking at your transcript and other materials, but you may consider addressing them directly since you may not get the opportunity to have an interview, particularly if you’re applying to schools and programs that have hundreds of applicants. While you may choose not to address weaknesses in your personal statement, it certainly is something to consider.

8. Know your “why,” but avoid an autobiography.

Some self-reflection may be helpful before you start to work through your personal statement. The faculty or admissions committee will want to know your “why” and this could naturally come out through your career goals, but it is worth really thinking about what is driving you to go to graduate school. It can be helpful to do some introspecting and identify your academic and career aspirations as you start to work through your materials and prepare to apply.  

Clearly articulate your passion for the field and what drives you to pursue graduate studies and your intended program. However, avoid an autobiography. You may be bound by the word or page limits anyway, but don’t miss the opportunity to share a bit about you personally. Did you experience something growing up in your community that drove you to pursue a certain major or internship? Are you working in a job now that you love (or don’t) and this opportunity will allow you to grow or switch to a new path? Carefully and thoughtfully share your motivations, passions, and drive. 

9. Be genuine and authentic.

In a world of digital opportunities at our fingertips, it's easy to take shortcuts while writing your personal statement. Use your statement as an opportunity to sincerely and authentically let your personality and enthusiasm for your graduate program shine through. Avoid using artificial intelligence (A.I). or having anyone else write your letter for you. Faculty and admissions committees can easily identify when letters of recommendation or personal statements are not authentic. If you prepare and stay organized ahead of time, this should be a relatively simple piece of your application that is true to you.

10. Edit, revise, and get feedback.

Write multiple drafts and write beyond the limits, and then edit your essay thoroughly. Don’t worry too much about staying within page or wordcount guidelines. Instead, write freely and then revise and edit down to the page or word limit from there. You'll have a much easier time writing your personal statement if you freely write your thoughts and ideas out on paper to start. 

Once you have a draft of your personal statement ready, ask trusted friends, family members, or mentors to review it and provide constructive feedback. Consider their suggestions to refine your statement further. Read your draft to yourself to help eliminate grammatical errors and ensure that your words flow smoothly. Your statement should have a logical sequence and tell a linear story, and be careful not to repeat similar information throughout your statement. 

After you've refined your statement and reviewed it with others, submit it to your intended graduate programs and take a breath! 

Remember, your personal statement provides an opportunity to present yourself holistically to the admissions committee by showcasing your unique qualities, aspirations, and potential contributions to the graduate program. Be authentic, sincere, and persuasive, and use your statement to share your unique story and academic and career aspirations with the graduate programs to which you are applying. A strong personal statement will show the faculty or admissions reader why you are an undeniable fit for their programs.  

If you have questions about preparing your letter or would like an opportunity to review your draft with a member of our admissions team, please reach out to the Roger Williams University Office of Graduate Admission at [email protected] . 

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How to write your personal statement for graduate school.

Drafting a personal statement for graduate school can be a challenging prospect for even the most confident writers. Your “why” for pursuing a specific career path or for wanting to attend a specific school might be clear in your mind, but can be harder to put into words. Personal topics are often more challenging to structure and can easily go off the rails, meaning you will miss out on hitting key points that will demonstrate why you are a good fit for a particular program.

To make this process less daunting, let’s break it down into actionable steps that will help you shine.

Follow These 6 Steps to Write Your Personal Statement

As you consider your application to William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling program, follow these steps to ensure you hit the mark with your personal statement.

1. Research

Know the ins and outs of the program you are applying to, including the admissions requirements, curriculum and faculty before you start writing. The more you know about the program, the more you can highlight what stands out to you about the program and what seems relevant to your career goals. Note that the faculty members of the William & Mary School Education will be reviewing your application materials. You can get to know the specific faculty members involved with our online program by visiting the M.Ed. in Counseling faculty page .

As you research, you will want to make sure you understand what is being asked of you when it comes to the personal statement. Are there specific prompts you should be answering? Is there a page or world limit you need to be mindful of? Gather this information in the research step. We have outlined the specifics of the personal statement along with the other admission requirements in a useful guide .

It is also important to do your homework about the career you plan to pursue with this degree. What type of counselor do you want to be? Who do you want to work with? You will want to speak about why you want to pursue this career and what you hope to accomplish, and the more you know about your intended career path, the more specific you can be in your writing. Specifics will help your personal statement stand out.

Once you have gathered your external research, it’s time to look inward and reflect. This is the stage where you can put your thoughts on paper without worrying about structure. Review any prompts given and get your ideas around these on paper. Also, think about your career aspirations, past academic, professional and volunteer experience, leadership potential, collaborative skills and propensity to engage in reflective practice.

The guiding questions for your application to the M.Ed. in Counseling program are:

• What has led you to become interested in becoming a _____ (Clinical Mental Health, School, Clinical Mental Health – Military & Veterans) counselor?
• Why are you interested in pursuing your counselor education at William & Mary?
• How will your graduate degree in Counseling at William & Mary help you achieve your career goals?
• What strengths would you bring to your graduate studies at William & Mary?
• What do you think would be the greatest challenge(s) for you in your graduate studies at William & Mary? How would you address the challenge(s)?

Based on these prompts, you can see how the research step pays off, as you can address specifics in the program and in your career aspirations. You also have the opportunity to address your strengths here and in turn what you will bring to the program with those strengths.

Now that you have all of your thoughts on paper (or typed up on your computer), it is time to get organized. There are thousands of articles about how to create an outline online, but this does not have to be a big, formal process. The goal here is to get your notes from the research and reflection steps placed in a logical order that will take your reader from the introduction to the conclusion, leaving them convinced that you will be a great fit for the program.

Generally, you will want to hook your reader in the introduction. This is a great place to share a story that relates to your “why” for pursuing counseling and/or the program. Your body paragraphs will continue on what you have set up in the introduction, giving evidence of why the reviewers should admit you to the program. And then finally, you will wrap everything up in your conclusion.

Take your time with the outline to ensure you are hitting the points you want to cover within the ideal page range. For the William & Mary person statement, we are looking for two to three pages.

You may be surprised how fast this step can go if you have given ample attention to the proceeding steps. With your notes and outline in hand, sit down and tie everything together into a cohesive paper. You have already made it through your undergraduate career (or are in the home stretch to graduation). Lean on the skills you have used to write your papers up until now and trust yourself.

Generally, write your personal statement at a time and in an environment that is conducive to getting the words on to the page. Do you write better at night, or are you more of an early bird? Do you need silence when writing, or do you thrive in a busy cafe while listening to your favorite music? Set yourself up for success in the drafting process and know that getting started is often the most challenging part.

Reviewing your draft can be broken down further into two parts: 1. Reviewing for content, and 2. Reviewing for spelling and grammar.

Enlist someone you trust, whether it be a friend, family member, colleague or supervisor, to review the content itself. Do your ideas make sense and flow and in logical order? Can the reader follow your thoughts? Is the takeaway clear? The reviewer can pinpoint areas where you might have missed a key part of the prompt or did not explain yourself very well. If you are struggling with a certain section, talking through it can be a big help.

Once you have the content nailed down, it is time to proofread. You do not want to leave any careless errors on the page. If you do not consider spelling and grammar as strengths, enlist the help of someone you trust to handle this part of the review. It can be the same person who read for the content review, or someone entirely new. Fresh eyes never hurt when it comes to proofreading. When faculty and administrators read a personal statement, they want to see true excitement and a strong level of professionalism without being distracted by errors.

6. Finalize

Charles “Rip” McAdams, professor of Counselor Education at William & Mary, explained what faculty members are looking for when reviewing an applicant’s personal statement: “The goal is to determine if an applicant's decision to pursue graduate education in counseling reflects a realistic understanding of the professional counselor's role, as well as a genuine commitment to engaging in the rigorous academic and clinical preparation that will be required.”

If you feel you have demonstrated this in your statement, it is time to stop writing. You have put in the work, and after one final proof, your personal statement is ready to be sent off with the rest of your application.

Set Yourself Up for a Successful Application Process

As you prepare to apply for William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling , know that our admissions advisors are always on standby to answer your questions, clarify admissions requirements and review the list of materials we need from you. We have also compiled a number of resources to set you up for success throughout this process.

Visit the main admissions page to find the requirements. Check out our step-by-step How to Apply guide , which walks you through the process of applying through our online portal. You can also view the admissions timeline to get a better idea of how long the application process may take. Additionally, here is a blog post to help you consider what time of year you might want to start your graduate school journey.

We compiled a helpful list of admissions FAQs to assist in this process, but please reach out if you run into any questions. You can schedule a call with an admissions advisor here .

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Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School

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Personal Statements

Preparing a well-written and effective personal statement (sometimes referred to as statements of purpose or personal essays) that clearly articulates your preparation, goals, and motivation for pursuing that specific graduate degree is critically important. You will need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort in crafting these statements. The focus, structure, and length of personal statements vary from program to program. Some will have prompts or questions you need to answer, while others will leave the topic open-ended. The length varies widely as well. Read instructions carefully and make sure to adhere to all parameters laid out in the application guidelines.

Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. The first and most important task is to decide on a message. Consider carefully which two or three points you wish to impress upon the reader, remembering that your audience is composed of academics who are experts in their fields. Your statement should show that you are able to think logically and express your thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Remember that the reader already has a record of your activities and your transcript; avoid simply restating your resume and transcript. Writing your statement will take time; start early and give yourself more than enough time for revisions. If no prompts are given, you can use the questions below to begin brainstorming content to include in your statement; for more information, see our Writing Personal Statement presentation Prezi  and our three-minute video on Writing Personal Statements .

• What experiences and academic preparation do you have that are relevant to the degree you’re seeking?
• Why are you choosing to pursue a graduate degree at this time?
• Why do you want to pursue this particular degree and how will this degree and the specific program fit into your career plans and your long-term goals?
• What specific topics are you aiming to explore and what does the current literature say about those topics?

After you’ve written a first draft, start the work of editing, refining, simplifying, and polishing. Provide specific examples that will help illustrate your points and convey your interests, intentions, and motivations. Is any section, sentence, or word superfluous, ambiguous, apologetic, or awkward? Are your verbs strong and active? Have you removed most of the qualifiers? Are you sure that each activity or interest you mention supports one of your main ideas? Spelling and grammatical errors are inexcusable. Don’t rely on spell-check to catch all errors; read your statement aloud and have it reviewed by multiple people whose opinion you trust. If possible, have your statement reviewed by a writing tutor. For individual assistance with writing your personal statement, consult with the writing tutor in your residential college  or the Writing Center within the Yale Center for Teaching and Learning .

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How to Write a Winning Personal Statement

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•       Resources       Writing a Winning Personal Statement for Grad School

Writing a Winning Personal Statement for Grad School Tips and Advice for Standing Out as a Graduate Program Candidate

Applying to graduate school can be a significant step toward reaching academic and career goals, which can make the admissions process even more intimidating. Along with gathering letters of recommendation, taking exams and submitting transcripts, prospective graduate students typically have to write personal statements to include with their applications. The personal statement is an oft-elusive element of the grad school application, but it fulfills a specific and significant need in the eyes of admissions committees. By learning about the personal statement and its role, getting familiar with this essay's key elements and soaking in tons of advice from an admissions expert, graduate school applicants can prepare to write outstanding personal essays that can help them land spots in their ideal graduate programs.

• What is a Personal Statement?
• Personal Statement Components
• How to Write a Winning Statement

Personal Statement Example

Additional resources, what's the personal statement on a grad school app.

Graduate school applications often have prospective students include personal statements. These help admissions committees get to know the person behind each application. A personal statement is a short essay that introduces a grad school candidate and his or her personal reasons for applying to a particular program. While metrics such as GPA and test scores can give an admissions committee an idea of a student's qualifications, they are impersonal and don't indicate whether a candidate would be a good fit for a given program. "Metrics only show one small part of the entire picture," says career coach and former university admissions representative Meg Radunich. "Graduate programs care about the person behind the standardized test score and grade point average. A personal statement is the only part of the application where a candidate gets to make their own case for what they can add to the cohort of incoming first year students."

Students may get applications that ask for statements of purpose, or statements of intent, as well as personal statements. With such similar names, it's no surprise that many students wonder whether there is a difference. Depending on the program and writing prompt, a personal statement and a statement of purpose may fill the same need in the eyes of the admissions committee. In cases where both are required, however, things can get a little tricky. In general, the statement of purpose focuses more on a student's reasons for applying to that particular graduate program and may address topics such as career and research goals, how his or her academic track record demonstrates qualification for that particular school or program of study and how a given program will impact the student's future.

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By contrast, personal statements usually lend more freedom when it comes to content and form and are intended to give the admissions committee a glimpse into a candidate's personality. This narrative essay combines specific, self-reflective anecdotes with details about past experiences (internships, volunteer experiences, etc.) and a clear delineation of a student's goals and interest in the prospective graduate program to provide a fuller picture of the applicant. This combination, often unaccompanied by an explicit writing prompt or set of instructions, can make even the most practiced essay writers freeze up. Familiarizing themselves with the ins and outs of writing strong personal statements for graduate school can alleviate stress and ease the process of sending out those applications.

Components of a Successful Personal Statement

Because personal statements are individual to the applicant, there is no one-size-fits-all way to write them. However, there are a few key elements of strong personal statements that prospective graduate students should keep in mind as they write.

• Broad Understanding
• Vulnerability and Sincerity
• Awareness of Audience
• Individuality

When writing personal statements, students may feel pressured to tell admissions committees everything about themselves. People are multifaceted, and it seems extra important to hit all your personality highlights and accomplishments. However, the personal essay isn't meant to be an autobiography or a long-form reiteration of the applicant's resume. "One major mistake I see all the time is students who try to tell too much in the personal statement," says Radunich. "Tell one or two specific stories or scenarios really well instead of having a broad focus and attempting to tell your life story. The goal of the essay is to get an interview, one-on-one face time that will you allow you to divulge more. Use that personal statement to tease them just enough so they feel like they need to get you in for an interview to learn the rest of your story."

• An MFA program applicant could build his statement around a sculpture class reluctantly taken during sophomore year of undergraduate study that encouraged him to experiment and ultimately changed his art style and approach. This is more telling and interesting than meandering through a lifelong love of art that began at childhood.
• Students should try to keep the scope of their personal statements within the past few years, as admissions committees are generally most interested in applicants' undergraduate experiences.

The best personal statements have clear purposes and easily draw readers in. Students should be cautious about turning their personal statements into risky or edgy creative writing projects and instead maintain a strong narrative structure using anecdotes for support when necessary. "Everyone loves a coming-of-age story," Radunich says. "Remember that the faculty have a vested interest in admitting students who will be fun for them to work with and watch grow." Applicants should determine which key points about themselves are most important to make and then choose situations or experiences that demonstrate those points. This serves as the main content of the personal statement. It's important that students remember to keep anecdotes relevant to the specific programs to which they are applying and to make it clear how the experiences led them to those programs.

• A prospective engineering student who volunteered abroad might set the scene by writing about how working with members of the local community who had their own innovations based on supplies that were readily available in their area, like flip phone batteries and dismantled mopeds, challenged her exclusively Western understanding of infrastructure and exposed holes in her knowledge.
• She could follow up with brief but concrete examples that showcase both hard and soft skills relevant to her program of study, like how experience as a resident assistant affirmed her desire to help people, and her senior thesis project pushed her to reach out to others and collaborate for the sake of better research.

Along with a focused narrative, grad school applicants should demonstrate for the admissions committee why they want to attend this program and how doing so relates to their place academically, locally and globally. Radunich notes that strong personal statements show that candidates understand the "big picture" of the profession and the true meaning and impact they will have in their communities.

Applicants often feel as if they have to show how highly accomplished and impressive they are in their personal statements, but Radunich stresses the significance of being honest and vulnerable. "It helps the reader connect. Admissions deans read enough essays from 23-year-old applicants who brag about their accomplishments and think they have life figured out." Acknowledging faults or weaknesses shows the committee that an applicant is self-aware, teachable and eager to grow.

• "One medical school candidate I worked with wanted to become a psychiatrist due to her own personal experience with anxiety in high school," recalls Radunich. "Instead of hiding this experience, she owned it. Her personal statement was phenomenal as a result."
• Vulnerability should be presented as something that leads to growth rather than an excuse for doing poorly in certain academic areas.

Strong personal statements demonstrate awareness of audience and how content may be received. Radunich advises applicants to think about their essays from admissions deans' perspectives: What would and wouldn't you want to read it if you were in their shoes? As they write, students should remember that admissions personnel must read many personal statements and sort through thousands of applications. Being conscious of how words or stories may be perceived by those with experiences different from their own can be invaluable to students.

• Radunich cites a time when she worked with a student who wrote about her experience providing medical care in a developing country as part of her medical school application: "The student had good intentions, but in writing she sounded patronizing and even condescending when describing her interactions with patients. She had no idea. Remember that people who see the world differently from you will be reading this essay."

One of the biggest keys to writing a successful personal statement is in the name itself. This essay is meant to be personal and completely unique to the writer. "You have full control over this part of your application," Radunich says, urging students to avoid coming across as desperate in their essays. "Fight the urge to ‘shape shift' into whom you think that program wants you to be. You're not going to be a perfect fit for every single graduate program. Be you, and if a graduate program doesn't get it, you most likely aren't going to be happy in that program for the next three or more years." Many applicants may have similar metrics, but each student has different experiences to write about in a personal statement. Students should commit to their experiences and own them rather than err too far on the side of safety, something Radunich says is a common pitfall.

• "Students also make a mistake when they play it safe and write personal statements that have been played out. For example, medical students tend to cite experiencing illnesses, watching family members struggle with their health or wanting to help people as the reason why they want to become a doctor. Admissions deans have to read thousands of these. Make it personal and offbeat. Give them something new to read."

Applicants must take time to ensure their personal statements are tight and free of errors. Radunich stresses the importance of proofreading. "Do not even bother sending in an application with a personal statement that has spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. This personal statement is a reflection of the quality of work you will submit for the program."

One of the hardest parts of writing a personal statement is getting started. These steps and strategies can help prospective graduate students push through the initial hesitation and get on their way to writing winning personal statements.

• Read the instructions. Some applications provide little in the way of guidance, asking prospective students to expand on why they want to apply to the program or supply information on their backgrounds and interests. Others, however, give specific guidelines on content, format, word count and submission method. It's crucial that applicants read and understand what is expected of their personal statements. It won't matter how beautifully crafted the statement is if it doesn't address the prompt or disregards stated length requirements.
• Self-reflect. Before sitting down to write, students should spend a good amount of time thinking about their strengths and what they want to convey to admissions committees. Radunich says it's essential for students to really dwell on what makes them special. "Take time to reflect on your personal brand. What qualities do you bring to a cohort of graduate students that this program doesn't know they need?" When students are confident in their positive qualities, it can make it easier to convince admissions officers the value they bring to any given graduate program.
• Talk to friends and family. Sometimes figuring out how to write about oneself or what elements to highlight can be tough. Radunich says that this is where friends and family can be extremely helpful. She recommends talking those who know you best. "Ask the people who have been with you throughout your journey to provide feedback on who you are and what they've observed. Use them to provide feedback on what you have to offer a graduate program. How would they describe you in five words? This is your ‘essence self' — what makes you stand apart from others."
• Be authentic. "We hear this all the time, but it's the best advice," says Radunich. "Admissions personnel can smell a phony. They know when you're using words outside of your vocabulary or when you're exaggerating what an experience meant to you. They read thousands of personal statements per year and also see which applicants show up as the people they said they were once they're admitted. Don't sell yourself to an admissions panel; present a polished yet real account of who you are and what you care about. This way, the right school will recognize what you bring to the table."
• Keep it relevant. The focus should remain on why the student is qualified and wants to apply to that particular program. Admissions personnel want to get familiar with their applicants, but they mostly want to make sure they choose students who value the program and have specific reasons for applying. For instance, a student may be drawn to a program because one or two faculty members conduct research that aligns with that student's interests. That is something worth mentioning in a statement. Anecdotes and stories bring a personal element, but it's also important to include practical, academic- and career-focused details, too.
• Get feedback from outside sources. It's helpful for students to ask other people to read their personal statements. As Radunich points out, this can help students see how their statements may be perceived by others, and another set of eyes can help a student determine whether or not the essay is engaging and well-organized. Friends, family members, teachers and writing center staff can all be great resources.
• Use specific examples. Grad school applicants should do their best to avoid using general statements or listing their experiences and qualifications. "Use specific examples and strong storytelling to pull the reader into your life and care about you by the end," suggests Radunich. "For example, if you're applying to medical school, give us one specific, personal story about something that happened while volunteering at the hospital that changed your worldview, challenged you and confirmed your goal of being a doctor."
• Address potential shortcomings. The personal statement is an excellent opportunity for a candidate whose metrics aren't top notch to stand out and plead his or her case. "If the student earned less-than-stellar grades during their undergraduate education," notes Radunich, "(the student) can provide some context in the personal statement." Students may not feel this is necessary or be comfortable with this, but it is an option. Applicants should be cautious about how they address any weak points; explanations should not sound like excuses but should be framed in a way that demonstrates perseverance, improvement or the learning that followed those challenges.
• Use space efficiently. Personal statements are generally pretty short, often ranging between 500 and 1,000 words. This means that filler words and phrases, such as "the truth is," or "it's my personal belief that," take up valuable space that could be used to compel admissions into requesting an interview. It's important to convey a clear image in a few paragraphs, so be both concise and precise. In statements allowing longer word counts, keep in mind that more isn't always better. Admissions committees read thousands of personal essays each year, and longer ones may be at greater risk of being skimmed through rather than thoroughly read.
• Draft, edit, repeat. Depending on the program, a student's personal statement can carry considerable weight. It shouldn't be thrown together at the last minute. Allowing for adequate time to write multiple drafts, edit and thoroughly proofread is a must. Have other people proofread and check for grammar before sending in the application; they may catch errors that were glossed over in earlier drafts.

Writing a personal statement can be intimidating, which may make it difficult for applicants to get started. Having enough time to ruminate and write is also valuable and can give students the opportunity to choose a strong point of view rather than feel pushed to write about the first thing that comes to mind. Radunich emphasizes that students who aren't sure what to write about or how to approach writing about themselves should do some considerable brainstorming and get input from those who know them well. Students are often self-critical, especially in high-stakes situations, and they may not realize the positive qualities they may have that stand out to others.

Radunich also offers tips for getting in the mindset of admissions personnel: "They're reading the personal statement and gauging the candidate's fitness for the program. Can this person deal with stress and persevere? Does he/she have grit? Has this person overcome adversity, and does that give us confidence that they can handle the three demanding years of law school? Can this person handle receiving feedback, or will he/she drop out after the slightest bit of challenge or criticism? Can this student tolerate differing viewpoints and be open to growth?" Considering these questions can help guide students through the writing process.

It may also help students to look at example personal statements and see how these key considerations play out in an actual essay. Take a look at this example personal statement from a prospective grad student.

As I approached the convention hall, I wondered if I had gotten the room number wrong. I couldn't hear any signs of life, and I was losing my nerve to open the door and risk embarrassing myself. As I imagined a security guard striding up and chiding me for being somewhere I shouldn't be, a hand reached past me and pushed the door open, jolting me back to the real world. I peeked in. More hands. Hundreds of them. Hands were flying, waving, articulating, dancing . I was at once taken by awe and fear.

You can do this.

I had never planned on taking American Sign Language, and I certainly hadn't planned on it taking my heart. In my first term of college, I signed up for German, a language I had loved the sound of since I was a child. A week before classes began, however, the course section was cut. In my frustration, I decided I would take the first available language class in the course register. In hindsight, that probably wasn't the smartest approach, but it was a decision that completely altered my supposedly set-in-stone plan of becoming a linguist. The complexities of nonverbal language floored me, and I found myself thinking about hand signs while writing essays on Saussure's linguistic signs. I rearranged my schedule so I could take improv classes to help with my facial and body expressions. Theater! That was completely out of character, but I suddenly found myself compelled toward anything that would help immerse me in ASL and deaf culture.

Except actually getting involved in the community.

I knew going to my first deaf convention would be intimidating. My hands shake when I'm anxious, and nothing brings on nerves quite like throwing yourself into a situation where you are a total outsider. Between my limited vocabulary, quaking fingers and fear-frozen face, would anyone be able to understand me? What was I doing here? I had been studying American Sign Language for nearly three years and had somehow managed to avoid spontaneous conversation with the deaf community, and I was terrified. Workbook exercises and casual conversations with classmates — who had roughly the same ASL vocabulary and relied on the same linguistic crutches as I did — had become increasingly comfortable, but immersing myself in deaf culture and community was something entirely different. I was afraid. However, American Sign Language and deaf studies had captured my heart, and I knew this fear was a huge barrier I needed to get past in order to continue working toward my goal of becoming an advocate and deaf studies educator.

It must have been pretty obvious that I was both hearing and petrified, because I was immediately greeted by someone who, very formally and slowly, asked if I was a student and offered to accompany me. This small gesture is representative of how I became so fond of deaf culture in such a short period of time. The hearing community tends toward posturing, indirect communication and a sometimes isolating emphasis on individualism, and my limited experiences within the deaf community have been the opposite. The straightforward communication that exists in a beautifully nuanced and perspicacious language and the welcoming enthusiasm to grow the community is something I intend to be part of. I am an outsider, and I have much to learn, but I want to do everything I can to encourage understanding and exchange between the deaf and hearing communities and make hearing spaces more inclusive, especially for those who have more experience as outsiders than I do.

My devotion to language and learning about culture through communication hasn't changed, but the path by which I want to pursue that passion has. My foray into deaf studies and American Sign Language may have started as an accident, but no matter how nervous I still get when my fingers fumble or I have to spell something out, I am humbled and grateful that this accident led me to a calling that could have remained unheard my whole life.

Brainstorming is an important step in writing a convincing personal essay, and Coggle may be just the tool to help. Coggle is a mind-mapping app that helps users organize their thoughts in visual, nonlinear ways. Users can easily share with collaborators, such as writing coaches, advisers or friends.

Inspiration may strike at any time. Students can make sure they're prepared to jot down any personal statement ideas, gather inspiration and organize their thoughts with Evernote , a popular note-taking app.

Writing personal statements requires distraction-free writing time. However, most students do their writing on their most distracting devices. FocusWriter is a simple tool that helps mitigate the distraction problem by hiding computer interfaces and substituting a clean, clear digital writing environment.

This web browser add-on makes checking grammar quick and easy. Grammarly scans users' text and provides context-specific suggestions and corrections. Detailed explanations of each suggestion help users improve their writing over time.

This subject-specific book is a guide to writing personal statements for graduate school. It includes tons of tips and examples to help students write their application essays.

Microsoft's OneNote app is one of the most popular among those who like to use outlines to gather and organize their thoughts, but its many features make it a great prewriting tool for writers of all organizational preferences.

Mindomo can help grad school candidates brainstorm and pinpoint key elements to include in their personal statements. The app's mind maps, concept maps and outlines help users easily visualize and organize their ideas.

Students who are looking for an advanced editing tool to help them power through their grad school applications might want to look into ProWritingAid , a comprehensive application that helps with basic and advanced editing and addresses issues in style, word choice and structure.

The academic writing standby, Purdue OWL , weighs in on the 10 essential dos and don'ts of personal statement writing.

The UNR Writing Center offers this extensive, alphabetized list of tips on writing, from academic voice to writing introductions, to help with the writing process. Students should also consider consulting their own undergraduate schools' campus writing centers for help as well.

UNC provides specific guidance for students writing personal statements and other significant academic essays. The guidance on this page is not exclusive to UNC, so students from many different schools may find these tips helpful.

Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences provides this online manual to help students understand and successfully write personal statements and other graduate admissions and scholarship essays. The easy-to-navigate chapters provide many examples and tips to meet a range of criteria.

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How to Write a Graduate School Personal Statement (with example!)

Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Congratulations on finishing your bachelor’s degree, and starting the next chapter! You might be thinking about applying to graduate school, and fortunately, it’s very similar to applying to an undergraduate program. However, it’s probably been a few years since you’ve had to write an application essay, so you might be wondering how to write a personal statement for graduate school. If so, this guide is the perfect resource for you! Keep reading below to find out more, and don’t forget to check out the example of a graduate school personal statement.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is an essay that encapsulates your personal journey and how that’s shaped who you are as an applicant. They are typically 400-600 words, but can be longer or shorter. 

Be sure not to confuse a personal statement with a statement of purpose as they are two different types of admissions essays. Use this as an opportunity to show colleges what you value and what’s turned you into an ideal student for your desired school. 

What should I write about?

Personal statements are your chance to get, well, personal. While you should answer the prompt in its entirety, you should also write about yourself. Bring a personal element into your essay like family or a story of you overcoming an obstacle. 

Ideally, your story should relate to what you’re trying to accomplish at your graduate school of choice. Tie it all together: your personal experiences, your desired major, and your ideal outcome. 

Tips for writing a personal statement for graduate school

It’s important to start your graduate application as soon as you’re able. Usually, the first round of applications receive the best financial aid packages, so start early! 

Starting sooner can also give you the time to outline your essay and get it read over by your support system. You’ll want it all to be perfect, so don’t rush.

Be transparent

Instead of telling admissions what you think they want to hear, be open and honest about yourself. You want them to understand you, and the only way to do that is to show who you actually are. Offer up personal stories or things that genuinely interest you so that you can show off your sparkling personality!

Be original

Graduate programs are often very competitive since there’s a smaller admissions pool. As a result, your essay should be as original as possible to stand out from the crowd. Tell your story in an organic way, and approach the given prompt with an open mind. 

Related : How to write an essay about yourself

Check your work

It’s extremely important for you to proofread and check for correct spelling and grammar throughout your personal statement. Even simply reading your statement out loud can help you catch any errors and make sure your words flow together. You should also consider having mentors or people within your support system read over your essay to ensure your message is clear.

Common mistakes when writing a graduate school personal statement

Reusing your undergraduate essay .

Reusing your first supplemental essay as a template is a big mistake you want to avoid. Years have passed since then, and you’ve learned new skills and grown as a person and a student. 

The experiences you previously wrote might not resonate with who you are today or tell the graduate team what they want to know about you. It may also have grammatical errors that you might not have noticed before, so take a little extra time to start from scratch and create something new.

Repeating what’s in your resume

It’s likely that your graduate school of choice will require you to upload a copy of your resume as part of your application. Therefore, the admissions committee will already know your professional background, so tell them something else about yourself or provide further depth to a job experience. Repeating yourself only tells them one thing, and you want to be the most well-rounded applicant that you can be.

Graduate school personal statement example

Prompt: Please discuss how your experiences, both personal and professional, have led you to pursue a graduate business degree at this time. What are your short- and long- term goals and how will this program and the J. Mack Robinson College of Business help you achieve these goals? (750 words max)

While many of the applications you receive will detail the many ways that person has been the first to do something, I pose a different perspective: hope to be the last. In other words, you might see me as a first-generation college student, but I see the makings of becoming the last generation to worry about generational wealth in my family. 

Though it is true that I would be the first in my family to get my master’s degree, I’m hoping that my future success means I’ll be the last “first.” It’s not lost on me what this title means, but most of all, it signifies the dawn of an era. A dynasty bred from the struggles and achievements of those before it.

These are big shoes to fill, but I’ve never been afraid of a challenge and the things I’ve learned have helped me secure my future. For example, by observing different business models throughout the years, I found a secret about marketing: people love a product that loves them back. In my case, a product that’s always loved me back were books. I’d fallen in love with bookshelves and bookstores alike, so it only makes sense that a culmination of my love of marketing and books is the goal of one day working in book publishing. I want to know the inner workings of book promotion including design decisions and book tours. Eventually, I plan on working at one of the big publishers such as Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, or Macmillan.

Fortunately, I’ve been given opportunities to decide on my own path, which I hope to execute at Georgia State University. This school’s unique curriculum will be an asset to me since there are classes that specifically cater to buyer behavior, and that’s an area of study I’m particularly interested in. The Social Media Intelligence Lab and social media marketing class will hopefully give me an inside look into influencer marketing and its impact on product profitability. According to your mission statement, GSU educates future leaders, and I want to be a part of that.

As a mentor of mine once said, knowledge is meant to be shared, and if it isn’t, it’s control. I hope to build up the people around me with knowledge and experiences as I go out into the professional world just as I hope this program will do for me. If I’m accepted into this program, I plan on using my creativity and drive for not only my success, but for my family’s as well. There may be times I fall short of a goal, but failure isn’t an option. Each benchmark professors put in front of me will be conquered, and one day, I’ll be one of your notable alumni. 

Why this essay works:

• The writer clearly researched the school and understands its values
• The prompt is answered completely and seamlessly
• The applicant knew their goals and thought of ways to achieve them at the college 
• This statement communicates not only what the college gains from this applicant’s admission, but also what the applicant gains
• It’s also well within the word limit

Frequently asked questions about how to write a graduate school personal statement

Do i have to write a personal statement to get into graduate school, how long is graduate school, do i have to take an exam to get into graduate school, scholarships360 recommended.

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Teach.com / Online Education / Education Degrees / Online Master of Arts in Teaching Programs (MAT) / Applying for Your Master’s / How to Write a Personal Statement

Brainstorming

Before you start outlining your statement, ask yourself a few questions to get an idea of what you’ll need to include. Jot down each of the following questions and leave some space to answer them.

• Why do I want to be a teacher?
• How should I address my academic record?
• How can my experiences enhance my application?
• Who is my audience?

Now take a few minutes and come up with some answers to these questions. Don’t spend too much time on this step; just write down your general thoughts. Once you do that, you will be ready to dive in and start writing your personal statement.

The Introduction

Your introduction needs to grab the reader’s attention at once. Remember that they are most likely staring at a pile of applications, and yours will be one of many they’ll read in this sitting. You need to be memorable right from the start. Follow this general form for a solid intro.

• HOOK:  Grab the admissions officer’s attention with a broad, but strong statement about the teaching profession.
• LINE:  Write two to three sentences that develop that idea and narrow it down to focus on you.
• SINKER:  Deliver your thesis. This is where you state specifically why you want to study education at their school.

Begin with a short summary of your educational background. Do not turn this into a resume; just briefly give an overview of your studies in both your major (English, math, etc.) and in your education concentration. If you have any inconsistencies in your academic record, this is where you should address them. Do not give excuses, but if there are reasons why you did poorly in an area, state them here.

The second body paragraph is where you get to tell your story. Why do you want to become a teacher? What inspires you about this profession? What type of teacher do you see yourself becoming? How did your student teaching experience inspire you to continue on this path? Anecdotes are best, but don’t get carried away. Keep it concise and to the point.

Once you have explained who you are and what your professional goals will be, the third body paragraph should explain why you think you are a good fit for that particular school. Hopefully you did some research before applying, and you have some concrete reasons for choosing this college. Tell them your reasons, but don’t go overboard with platitudes. They know what awards they have won and where they rank in the U.S. News college rankings. Be honest and explain what attracted you to their program of study and what you hope to get out of it.

In order to ensure the clarity of your work, each body paragraph should be formatted the same. This way the reader will be able to quickly read without losing track of the point. After the first body paragraph, begin each subsequent paragraph with a transition phrase or sentence, and then provide a clear topic sentence. Support that topic sentence with solid evidence. Finally, provide examples to back up that evidence.

The Conclusion

Conclusions are hard, and they are hard for a reason. Ideally, you have made your case in the body of your personal statement, so you understandably ask yourself, “What else can I say?” Try one of these strategies:

• Widen the focus a bit and validate your thesis without being redundant.
• Project where you see yourself in 10 years after completing your degree and becoming a successful teacher.
• Reaffirm your passion for your subject area.

However you decide to close, do not fall back to your middle school days and simply restate your case in the conclusion. Take some time to craft a closing that will leave them with an overall positive impression.

The Nuts and Bolts of Academic Writing

It is certainly worth noting a few of the technical aspects of writing your personal statement. Many programs will have specific items they want you to cover in your statement. Be sure you have carefully read and then answered their questions. Use a basic font like Times New Roman or Calibri and either a 10- or 12-point font. Always use 1-inch margins and single space your document. The general suggested length is 500 to 1,000 words. Don’t feel like you have to hit the word limit, but don’t only get halfway there either.

More from  Applying for your Masters in Teaching: The Complete Guide

How to Write a Stand-Out Personal Statement for Your Graduate School Application

While deciding to embark on the path to graduate school is an exciting first step toward advancing your career, the application process can sometimes feel daunting and confusing.

One major part of the application that most schools require is a personal statement. Writing a personal statement can be an arduous task: After all, most people don’t necessarily enjoy writing about themselves, let alone at length.

A compelling personal statement, however, can help bring your application to the top of the admissions pile. Below, we’ve outlined what you need to know about crafting a personal statement to make your application shine.

What Is a Personal Statement?

The point of a personal statement is for the admissions board to gain a deeper understanding of who you are apart from your education and work experience. It explains why you’re the right fit for the program and a worthwhile applicant. It’s also an opportunity to highlight important factors that may not be readily available in the rest of your application.

A personal statement is different from a statement of purpose (if you’re asked for that as well). A statement of purpose will touch on your academic and career goals, as well as your past credentials. While those should also be discussed in your personal statement, it’s more about your life experiences and how they’ve shaped you and your journey to graduate school.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Personal Statement

Before you start crafting your essay, there are a few prompts you can ask yourself to help clarify what you want to accomplish.

• What are the key points you want to communicate about yourself?
• What personal characteristics or skills do you have that make you a strong candidate for this field?
• What exactly are your career goals, and how does graduate school play into them?
• What have you learned about this field already? When did you first choose to follow this path, and what do you enjoy about it?
• What do you think is important for the admissions board to know specifically about you?
• Are there any discrepancies or causes for concern in your application you need to address? For example, is there a career and schooling gap, or a low GPA at one point? This is the time to discuss whether a personal hardship may have affected your academics or career.
• Have you dealt with any unusual obstacles or difficulties in your life? How have they affected and shaped you?
• What sets you apart and makes you unique from other graduate school applicants?
• What factors in your life have brought you to where you are today?

Top Tips for Writing a Graduate School Personal Statement

Pick a few points to emphasize about yourself . Introduce yourself to the admissions board. Select key factors about your background that you want the university to know — elements that reveal what kind of person you are and demonstrate why you’re a strong candidate for the school and field of study.

Be very specific . Again, a personal statement is all about communicating what distinguishes you from other applicants. To accomplish that, you need to share specific anecdotes that underscore your statements. If you say you’re a strong leader, present an example of a time you’ve proven that skill through work, school or your personal life. These specific, personal stories provide a deeper understanding of who you are and prove your intentions.

Do your research . Demonstrate what attracted you to the program. If there is a specific faculty member or class that caught your attention, or another aspect of the program that greatly interests you, convey it. This shows you’ve truly researched the school and have a passion for the program.

“Whatever the topic may be, I would recommend writing in a manner that reflects or parallels the institution’s and/or department’s missions, goals and values,” said Moises Cortés, a graduate/international credentials analyst for the Office of Graduate Admission at USC .

Address any gaps or discrepancies . Explain any factors that may have impacted your academic career. If you had an illness or any other personal hardships that affected your grades or work, discuss them. If there is a discrepancy between your grades and your test scores, you can also take the time to go over any extenuating circumstances.

Strike the right tone . While it’s important to give readers a glimpse of your personality, avoid oversharing or revealing intimate details of your life experiences. You should also avoid making jokes or using humorous cliches. Maintain a professional tone throughout your writing.

Start strong and finish strong . As with any piece of writing, you want to draw in your readers immediately. Make sure to start off with an interesting and captivating introduction. Similarly, your conclusion should be a well-written, engaging finish to the essay that highlights any important points.

“ For a personal statement, I think the first and last paragraphs are most important and should always relate the program they are applying to their own experiences and ideas,” Hoon H. Kang, a graduate/international credential analyst with the Office of Graduate Admission, told USC Online.

Proofread, proofread and proofread again . We can’t emphasize enough the importance of rereading your work. Your personal statement is also an analysis of your writing skills, so ensure you have proper grammar and spelling throughout. In addition, we recommend having multiple people look over your statement before submission. They can help with the proofreading (a second person always catches a mistake the writer may miss), give advice about the statement’s structure and content, and confirm it’s the proper recommended length.

Once you’ve considered all of the above and reviewed and edited your personal statement to perfection, it’s time to submit and check off any remaining application requirements, including your resume and letters of recommendation .

Personal statements are arguably one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, so make sure to revel in this accomplishment and acknowledge your successes.

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Write a Compelling Graduate School Personal Statement

Writing a personal statement when applying to graduate school can be daunting. There are a lot of guides that dictate rules on structure, form and content that often do more harm than good. This post offers advice on how to write a personal statement rather than inflexible “rules” that may help you produce your best work by maintain your original voice. The universities are, after all, looking to hear from you.

• Just start writing. For many of us, writing a personal statement can be a torturous process to begin. Once we get in the swing of things, it become a lot easier, but that first sentence is a battle in and of itself. Try not to get too caught up on this first step. If you just start typing, you can always come back to the beginning to edit and refine your writing.
• Be honest, sincere and original. Universities receive thousands of applications every year and appreciate personal statements that reflect personality and sincerity. While it is always worthwhile to read personal statement guidelines, do not feel compelled to stick to a rigid form. If you think you have something interesting to add, or something that will help you stand out as a candidate for the program, add it!
• Be specific. Stay focused on your goals. A personal statement is supposed to illustrate your reasons for pursuing a certain program and it is important to build your narrative around that. Clearly show why you should be a part of this program and try not to get sidelined by tangential anecdotes.
• Monitor the logistics. Be concise and direct. Proofread! Avoid using long, run-on sentences and make sure you haven’t misspelled anything. Small mistakes leave big impressions and can be easily avoided with a little attention to detail.
• Project your enthusiasm. Above all, convey your enthusiasm for your intended field of study as much as possible. Whether this is through writing about your past experiences or by demonstrating a marked interest in a specific area of your field, an informed personal statement will make a strong impression.

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Graduate School Applications

Personal statement guide.

This guide provides an overview of the graduate school personal statement process, the materials required to apply and best practices for how to navigate it all.

A statement of purpose is also known as a personal statement in application essays. Think of it as an opportunity to market yourself and express who you are and what you would bring to a graduate program. This is your chance to stand out in a competitive application process and speak directly to the admissions committee.

• Be sure to answer the prompt if one is provided.
• Find a way to stand out! What makes you different? Focus on your unique experiences and interests.
• “I worked in a special needs classroom for 2 years.” VS “The two years I have spent running a classroom for 15 special needs children, planning fun and educational activities while being sensitive to their individual needs, inspired me to pursue a degree in special education.”
• Explain why you are applying to THIS institution. Show that you recognize the unique qualities of the school.
• Edit the letter for each school to which you are applying. Elements may be consistent between letters, but you should edit your drafts so that the statement for each school is tailored to their program. If the mission, format, or other aspects of the programs are unique, you should review the rest of your letter with a careful eye to make sure it fits each school to which you are applying.
• Address weaknesses, setbacks or gaps in study. It’s likely these issues (such as GPA, missing experience, etc.) will be noticed by application reviewers. This is your chance to provide context and tell them what you have learned from these experiences and how you can apply those lessons moving forward. That said, it’s not a problem if you took or plan to take a break after your undergraduate degree. In your statement, explain what have you been doing since you graduated and how it relates to your future goals.  
• Include relevant work experience from jobs held before, during or after your undergraduate degree if they include experiences and skills that relate to your future graduate study.
• If applying to a research-based program, be sure to describe your long-term research objectives.
• Be specific, and include references to professors you hope to work with based on their research, if applicable.
• Quotations. Use your own words to describe yourself and your goals.
• Mentioning money or your expectation of funding.
• Redundancy: Remember that your resumé and transcripts will also have relevant information, so don’t repeat these basics unless absolutely necessary to the narrative.
• Too many details or overly personal information.
• Poor grammar or spelling errors.
• Start early.
• Be concise and pay attention to word limits and prompts.
• Pay attention to flow: There may be details you want to include, but do they fit into the flow of the statement?
• Ask, “Is this relevant?” when reviewing drafts. Is the information you are including relevant to reviewers assessing your fit or aptitude for the program?
• If no criteria are included in the prompt, use 12-point font, limit your length to 2-3 pages double-spaced and choose a standard font, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Ask everyone to read your draft! That includes your friends, professors you know well, your parents and supervisors. Even if they don’t have experience in your field, they can help catch grammar and spelling issues and tell you when things aren’t flowing or don’t make sense.

There is no one “right” way to structure your personal statement. Below is a guideline that may help you, but it is by no means the template against which your work will be judged. Feel free to change things up or seek out feedback on structure from other sources.

• Who are you? What are your goals and strengths?
• Why would you make for an excellent graduate student?
• Why are you a good fit for the program?
• Provide evidence of the above through your experiences.
• Be detailed and give context.
• Focus on what makes you unique.
• Be thoughtful about what details are interesting and relevant.
• Why this institution?
• Identify faculty members you might want to work with.
• Summarize and close.
• Begin with bullets of words or phrases.
• What experiences, skills and ideas should be included?
• Why will I be successful as a graduate student?
• Why am I a good fit for the program?
• Take those bullets and make them into sentences, add detail and context, keep expanding on this till you have a full draft.
• Don’t worry about word limits, continuity, or making things perfect on your first draft.
• Just write. Include everything you think is relevant.
• What doesn’t fit? Where do you need less detail? Where do you need more? What’s missing?

What do you look for in a personal statement?

• “I'm always glad when the student has done some reading about the department and the graduate program on the web and therefore identifies a good reason for studying with us. To stand out, it's helpful to invest some time in research, so you're applying to programs that would be a good fit.”
• “A clearly defined research topic and plan.”
• “Clarity on direction of research. This doesn't mean I want to see a specific project listed, but a clear direction of what interests the candidate and what they hope to use their degree for.”
• “Genuine interest.”

What are common mistakes students make?

• “Don't try to wax poetic about how important the field is to you. We know that because you're applying. Tell us about yourself, what you've done and why you want to pursue further study. Be specific.”
• “Chronologically record their past study and fail to connect to the research plan that they propose for the graduate study at Binghamton.”
• “Typos, rambling, using words/expressions that are too fluffy.”
• “Just writing a list of accomplishments”
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Last Updated: 4/8/24

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Power in Purpose: How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Grad School

Posted by Shelly Quance on 4/9/24 11:15 AM

You’ve taken the GRE, researched your graduate program options, and started your application process. Now, it’s time to take on a task that you may have been putting off: writing your statement of purpose. 

Yes, your statement of purpose is an important part of your application to grad school, because it’s your chance to showcase your unique voice, experiences, and goals. But, it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. 

In this blog, we’ll highlight the information you need to craft a strong statement of your own. From how it will be evaluated to how it should be structured, read on for the information you need to know.

What Is a Statement of Purpose? 

Your Statement of Purpose — or SOP — shows the admissions committee who you are. It should include information like what drives you and where you want to go in your academic and professional life. While your grades and/or letters of recommendation tell part of your story, your SOP is a personal branding opportunity. In it, you can share things like why you're passionate about your field of study and tell about the experiences that have shaped you. Remember that the goal here isn’t to put your resume in paragraph form. You want the statement to tell your story and explain why you deserve to be part of the university’s community.  Members of the admissions committee should walk away from reading it feeling like they’ve gotten to know you and understanding how you’ll add value to the campus community. 

How Is an SOP Different from a Personal Statement for Grad School? 

In addition to writing your SOP, you may also be asked to write a personal statement. And it’s important to realize that each serves a different purpose when it comes to your application for grad school.   For example, a personal statement is a more general essay that provides insight into your personality, background, and life experiences. A SOP is typically more focused on your academic experience and professional goals. Your SOP might include research interests, why you want to pursue graduate-level studies, and your skills and achievements. It serves as a roadmap for your future academic and professional journey, outlining what you plan to accomplish with your degree. 

How Long Should a Statement of Purpose Be? 

Typically, SOPs are about 500-1,000 words. Some universities provide specific guidelines or word limits for their SOPs, so be sure to carefully review the application requirements for your institution. The main thing to remember is that quality is key. It’s better to have a concise, well-crafted statement than a lengthy one with a lot of unnecessary words. You want to take the time to carefully draft and edit your SOP to ensure it’s clear, engaging, and within the recommended word count.

Laying the Groundwork for Writing a Statement of Purpose

The first step in the SOP process is for you to do some background research on the graduate program you’re applying to. Understanding the specific requirements and expectations of the program is key to crafting a strong SOP. For example, take a look at the program website, attend open houses/events, and talk to current students and alumni about their experiences. Then, take time to reflect on your personal experiences, achievements, and career aspirations. This information will be the content you include in your SOP. Here are some tips to guide your reflection:  Identify Your Motivations. Ask yourself why you’re pursuing graduate studies in your chosen field. Think about the academic or professional milestones that influenced this decision. Highlight Your Achievements. Take stock of your academic achievements, research experience, internships, or other relevant accomplishments. Consider the skills, knowledge, and expertise you’ve gained through these experiences. How have they prepared you for graduate studies? Clarify Your Goals. Think about your short-term and long-term goals in your chosen field. How will a graduate degree contribute to your goals? Identify specific research areas or industry interests you want to pursue, and explain how the program aligns with these goals.

Your Roadmap: A Statement of Purpose Template 

If it helps for you to create an outline before you dig into writing, here’s a general template you can use:  Introduction. Begin with an engaging introduction that grabs the reader's attention and provides a brief overview of your background and interest in the field. This section should set the tone for the rest of your statement. Academic Background. In this section, highlight your academic achievements, coursework, and any research experiences that are relevant to your field of study. Research Interests. Share your specific research interests, and explain how they align with the program you are applying to. Career Goals. Articulate your short-term and long-term career goals and how graduate studies will contribute to achieving them. Fit With the Program. Demonstrate your understanding of the specific program, and explain why you are a good fit. Conclusion. Wrap up your statement by summarizing your key points and emphasizing your enthusiasm for joining the program.

The Beginning: How to Start a Statement of Purpose

A successful SOP will begin with a strong hook that grabs y our readers attention — and makes them want to keep reading. Below are some tips for developing a compelling hook: 

Start With an Engaging Anecdote. Begin with a personal story or experience that motivated your interest in the field.

Pose a Thought-provoking Question . Try beginning with a question that piques the reader's curiosity.

Use a Powerful Quote . Begin with a quote that highlights your passion for your field of study.

Once you’ve finished your hook and introduction, here are some additional tips to help you fill in the other sections of your SOP: 

Academic Background. Discuss your undergraduate education and any specialized courses or projects that have helped your understanding of this field. Highlight any research projects or internships, and how they shaped your research interests and skills. Share any academic honors or scholarships you’ve received.

Research Interests. Describe the specific research areas or topics you’re interested in pursuing during your graduate studies. Highlight your familiarity with the research that program faculty members are conducting — and how their work aligns with your interests.

Career Goals. Explain how a graduate degree in your field will enhance your knowledge, skills, and career prospects. Connect your academic and research goals to future career paths.

Fit With the Program. Highlight the program's strengths, unique features, and resources that attracted you to it. Discuss how the program's curriculum, faculty, and/or research opportunities align with your academic and research interests.

The Closing: How to End a Statement of Purpose and Next Steps

Now, it’s time for your big finish: the conclusion. You want to begin your SOP in a way that hooks the reader. First, summarize your key points and restate your passion and interest in the field.  Then, be sure to also do the following:  Make a Connection to the Program. Remind the admissions committee why you’re a good fit for their program. Highlight any specific courses, projects, or resources offered by the program that align with your academic and research interests. Highlight Your Future Potential. Emphasize how the program will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in your chosen field. End With a Memorable Closing Statement. Craft a closing statement that leaves a strong final impression. This can be a call to action or a powerful reflection on your journey and aspirations. Once the draft is finished, take time to proofread it for grammar and punctuation, and also for clarity (i.e., don’t be afraid to remove words that aren’t necessary).  Then, have other people read your SOP before you submit it, and incorporate their feedback. For example, you might want to share it with friends, mentors, and/or current professors. 

Take Advantage of Campus Resources to Craft the Perfect Statement of Purpose

If you’re currently an undergraduate student at a university, you probably have access to various campus resources that can help you craft a strong SOP. For example, undergraduates at West Virginia University have access to the Purpose Center . The Purpose Center, the only one of its kind to exist on a college campus, serves as a place for connection and self-exploration. The goal of the center is to connect WVU students with resources across campus to pursue the things they’re passionate about and create a safe space for them to discover who they are and the impact they want to have on the world around them.

For example, one of the ways the Purpose Center team supports students is by working with them on identifying their CliftonStrengths .

"I had not previously considered the value of seamlessly communicating my strengths throughout the telling of my story. By [utilizing the Purpose Center], I can produce a statement that provides insight into who I am without explicitly stating it, a skill that will highlight my maturity and clarity." — Joshua Niedermeyer, WVU Undergraduate Student

The team is also available to support prospective WVU students like you. If you’ve started an application and would like to schedule an appointment, send an email to [email protected] .

Interested in learning more about grad school at WVU and the ins and outs of applying? Check out our guide: Everything You Need to Know About Applying to Grad School at WVU.

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Key Competences and New Literacies

From Slogans to School Reality

• © 2023
• Maria Dobryakova   ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9475-5476 0 ,
• Isak Froumin   ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9228-3770 1 ,
• Kirill Barannikov   ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5182-9458 2 ,
• Gemma Moss 3 ,
• Igor Remorenko   ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8775-4248 4 ,
• Jarkko Hautamäki 5

Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia

You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

Head of the Observatory of Higher Education Innovations, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany

Moscow city university, moscow, russia, university college london, london, uk, university of helsinki, helsinki, finland.

• Includes case studies from 8 countries on the competence-turn in the curriculum
• Describes pedagogical approaches to foster 21st century skills
• Outlines the components of environmental literacy

Part of the book series: UNIPA Springer Series (USS)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

Front matter, introduction.

• Maria Dobryakova, Isak Froumin

The World Is Changing, and Education Is Changing with It

A framework of key competences and new literacies.

• Maria Dobryakova, Isak Froumin, Gemma Moss, Norbert Seel, Kirill Barannikov, Igor Remorenko

Canada (Ontario): A Unifying Theme for Canadian Education Is Equity

• Michele Peterson-Badali, Elisabeth Rees-Johnstone, Evelyn Wilson, Bev Freedman, Denese Belchetz, Karen Grose et al.

China: Fostering Students with All-round Attainments in Moral, Intellectual, Physical and Aesthetic Grounding

• Huanhuan Xia, You You

England: Knowledge, Competences and Curriculum Reform—Why the English Case Stands Out

• Gemma Moss, Ann Hodgson, Susan Cousin

Republic of Korea: Cultivating Key Competences

• Junehee Yoo, Euichang Choi, Dongil Kim, Kyunghee So, Chan-Jong Kim, Il Lee et al.

Finland: Improving Pupils’ Opportunities for Experiencing the Joy of Learning, for Deep Learning, and for Good Learning Achievement

• Jarkko Hautamäki, Raisa Ahtiainen, Natalia Gustavson, Risto Hotulainen, Sirkku Kupiainen, Marja Tamm et al.

Poland: The Learning Environment that Brought About a Change

• Maciej Jakubowski, Jerzy Wiśniewski

Twenty-First Century Skills and Learning: A Case Study of Developments and Practices in the United States

• Michael Russell, Henry Braun, Binbin Zhu

Russian Federation: At a Conceptual Crossroads

• Kirill Barannikov, Maria Dobryakova, Isak Froumin, Igor Remorenko

Pedagogical and School Practices to Foster Key Competences and Domain-General Literacy

• Maria Dobryakova, Norbert Seel

A Modern Aspect of Instrumental Literacy: Coding

• Suhas Parandekar, Eugeny Patarakin, Gulcan Yayla

How to Integrate New Literacy in the Curriculum—Example of Environmental Literacy

Maria Dobryakova

How Countries Reform Their Curricula to Support the Development of Key Competences

• Kirill Barannikov, Igor Remorenko, Isak Froumin
• Learning Objectives
• New Literacies
• Canadian Education
• Education in China
• Education in the UK
• Cultivating Key Competences
• Education in Republic of Korea
• Education in Finland
• Education in Poland
• Twenty-First Century Skills and Learning
• Education in USA
• Education in Russia
• Key competencies
• 21st Century Curriculum
• Curriculum Reform
• Transversal Competences
• Functional Literacy
• Digital literacy
• Competence-based Education
• Critical Thinking

About this book

This edited book is a unique comprehensive discussion of 21 st  century skills in education in a comparative perspective. It presents investigation on how eight very different countries (China, Canada, England, Finland, Poland, South Korea, the USA and Russia) have attempted to integrate key competences and new literacies into their curricula and balance them with the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge. Bringing together psychological, sociological, pedagogical approaches, the book also explores theoretical underpinnings of 21 st  century skills and offers a scalable solution to align multiple competency and literacy frameworks.

The book provides a conceptual framework for curriculum reform and transformation of school practice designed to ensure that every school graduate thrives in our technologically and culturally changing world. By providing eight empirical portraits of competence-driven curriculum reform, this book is greatresource to educational researchers and policy makers.

Editors and Affiliations

Isak Froumin

Kirill Barannikov, Igor Remorenko

Jarkko Hautamäki

About the editors

Maria Dobryakova  graduated from the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences and Manchester University (M.A. in Sociology) and defended her Ph.D. in social stratification at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Since 2006 and until 2022 she worked at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, where she headed and coordinated a number of large-scale projects in education, social sciences, as well as publications and translation projects. Prior to that, she had worked at the Independent Institute for Social Policy (as head of publications) and the Ford Foundation (Higher Education and Scholarship program). 

Isak Froumin  headed the Institute of education at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow (Russia)—the first graduate school of education in Russia—from 2009 to 2021. After beginning his career as a principal of Kransnoyarsk University Laboratory School  (Russia), he worked as the Lead Education Specialist at the World Bank, and the advisor to the Minister of Education and Science of Russian Federation. He is a fellow of the International Academy of Education.

Kirill A. Barannikov  is the vice-rector for strategy, Moscow City University. He is working in MCU since 2015 and has led a number of projects over Moscow schools and the university development. Among the most striking projects are the online platform for teachers to create curricula (www.prok.edu.ru), the electronic platform for assessing the quality of the educational environment (www.ecers.ru, www.sacers.ru), internet service for supporting and developing initiatives  (www.zamisli.pro). Over the past ten years, he headed the center for distance education of children with disabilities of the Pedagogical Academy of Postgraduate Education, the center of curricula design and standards of the Academy of Social Management. He coordinated over 40 research projects of the Department of Education of the City of Moscow, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. The main areas of interest are competency models in school education, issues of standardization and curricula design in an international context, change management in schools and universities. 

Jarkko Hautamäki  graduated from University of Helsinki (majors in experimental psychology and social psychology) and defended his Ph.D. Dissertation (Measurement and Distribution of Piagetian Stages of Thinking) in University Joensuu. He became a full professor in Special Education in Helsinki University, served also the dean and founded and directed Helsinki University Center for Educational Assessment. He is the honorary professor of Faculty of Psychology at Moscow State University, member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and member of The Russian Academy of Educational Sciences. His research interests include human development and schooling for thinking, interventions and special education and applying the science of development into schooling. He lives in Helsinki, Finland. 

Gemma Moss  is the professor of Literacy at UCL Institute of Education. She has been the president of the British Educational Research Association (2015–17), was a member of the European Education Research Association Council (2016–18), was director of the Centre for Critical Education Studies at the Institute of Education (2007–11) and was director of the International Literacy Centre at the Institute of Education, UCL (2017-22).  Her main research interests are in literacy as a social practice; literacy policy; knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange; evidence-informed practice and curriculum design; pedagogy and new technologies; primary assessment; and gender and literacy attainment.  Her research includes running multi-site ethnographic case studies, combining quantitative and qualitative methods in innovative ways and using rapid evidence assessment systematic review processes to bring knowledge to bear on contentious questions in education, where funders require rapid answers.  

Igor M. Remorenko  has been holding the post of the rector of the Moscow City University since 2013. He has a Ph.D. and full-doctor degree in Education. From 2009 to 2011, he held the post of the director of the Department of the State Policy and Legal Regulations in Education, Department of the State Policy in Education, Department of the Strategic Development of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation; supervised the top-priority national project “Education” and programs to support the innovative development of the higher education institutes. From 2011 to 2013, he is the deputy minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. He is the author of a number of the scientific publications, two monographs. He participates in the researches in the field of educational policy, development of managerial approaches in education and multiple international and national projects in the sphere of education.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Key Competences and New Literacies

Book Subtitle : From Slogans to School Reality

Editors : Maria Dobryakova, Isak Froumin, Kirill Barannikov, Gemma Moss, Igor Remorenko, Jarkko Hautamäki

Series Title : UNIPA Springer Series

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23281-7

Publisher : Springer Cham

eBook Packages : Education , Education (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-031-23280-0 Published: 23 August 2023

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-031-23283-1 Due: 23 September 2023

eBook ISBN : 978-3-031-23281-7 Published: 22 August 2023

Series ISSN : 2366-7516

Series E-ISSN : 2366-7524

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : VI, 426

Number of Illustrations : 18 b/w illustrations, 27 illustrations in colour

Topics : Curriculum Studies , Study and Learning Skills , International and Comparative Education , Educational Policy and Politics

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