Concerned about making your graduate school personal statement impressive?
Since grad school qualification has become a prerequisite for career enhancement, it’s important that you choose a program that truly defines your aptitudes and ambition.
So, you must illustrate them convincingly when you write a personal statement for graduate school.
Through this detailed blog, we will help you understand:
- What is a personal statement for graduate school
- How to write a Personal Statement for Graduate School
- Personal statement for graduate school examples
What is a Personal Statement for Graduate School
A personal statement for graduate school is a requirement which should accompany your application for admission to graduate school programs. In this program, you will convey what makes you ideal for the program and what values you can contribute to the institute.
What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?
If you inspect the common characteristics of a couple of approved personal statement for graduate school sample essays, you will notice the following characteristics in them. Those are the qualities that will make your document unique and better than an average one.
Simple and vivid narrative:
Simple and vivid narrative will ensure that every message you want to convey is rightly communicated to the reader. This will go a long way in impressing the reader.
Compliance with requirements:
Universities are particular about verifying the compliance of your personal statement. They will check whether you have answered their questions, and formatted them correctly.
Accuracy in writing:
Given its hefty weight among the admission criteria, it’s important to include a 100% accurate graduate school personal statement in the application. No grammatical or spelling errors are entertained.
Tailored for the purpose:
Generical personal statement is a big no. Customize your document as per the grad school program features, your unique experiences, background, what you expect to learn from the program etc.
Supported by evidence:
Be it your achievements in senior secondary school or participation in extracurricular activities, make sure that you support each of them with clear evidence. If they look suspicious, your selectors may decide to verify them.
How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School?
The following steps will help you write your personal statement from the scratch. Follow each step carefully to write it.
Write the introduction: | The most confusing part is how to start a personal statement for graduate school. The answer is simple. Start by giving a brief bio of yourself and explain what makes you apply for this specific graduate study program. Make the introduction catchy so that the reader won’t skip it. |
Write the body: | Divide the body of your personal statement into multiple parts. You must restrict each paragraph to discuss particular points. Below is recommended body paragraph structure for your write-up. |
Body para 1: | Elaborate your motivation for choosing this higher study program. |
Body para 2: | Give a background of your education and experiences. |
Body para 3: | Explain your reasons behind choosing a particular college or university and country. Reason out how the institute would help you in the grad school training. |
Body para 4: | Speak about your future plans after completing the graduate school program. |
Write Conclusion: | Close your document by summarizing all your points into one or two sentences. Convey that you are looking forward to getting admission at this institute which will be a turning point in your career. |
Keep recommended length: | Ideally, you can write your personal statement in about 500 to 750 words or 2500 to 3750 characters. It is not recommended to exceed or come short of this length. |
Proofread and finalize: | After you are done with the writing, go through your personal statement several times and ensure that no mistakes are in it. Also, validate your write-up against a sample personal statement for graduate school and verify that all points are included and that a proper structure and format are maintained. |
Pro Tip: Make it a point to understand the unique characteristics, mission, vision and course structure of your preferred graduate school and customize your personal statement as suitably as possible. This will improve your admission chances.
Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School
Here are a couple of personal statements examples for graduate school for you to go through before writing. Don’t copy or let yourself get influenced by the points. Rather, use the samples to understand the writer’s personality, writing tone, and perspective and figure out how you can evolve your own.
During my teenage life, I went through circumstances that motivated me to explore assistive technologies for children with special needs. The impact was so intense, that decided to establish a career that would enable me to develop accessible and inexpensive adaptive technologies for these kids. The ABC program in engineering that your college has been preparing aspirants for such dynamic roles over the years. I would like to be a part of this academic environment, focusing on the various needs of disadvantaged communities. Deploying the right kind of technology, I wish to enhance the lives of those children, while embracing a dynamic career in the coming years.
My academic gift in science and mathematics enabled me to explore futuristic technologies while I was still in school. Nurturing my affinity with technology throughout my academic life, it was in high school that I decided to channelize my efforts to work on assistive technology. However, the community or academic environment I was subjected to lacked resources and money. I have been lucky to have enjoyed the support and mentorship of my teachers. I was 15 years old, when my younger sister entered school for elementary education. It was then, that I realized the importance of a powerful and supportive educational program for such kids. Although she received considerable support from the administration and her teachers, the lack of funding made it difficult for her to get access to the necessary technology.
I consider my sister to be lucky. With the determination of our parents and her school’s support, she eventually got access to the necessary resources. However, during my hours of self-reflection, I wonder that not all kids are as lucky as my sister. I also realized how expensive innovation can be. This should not be the fate of people who need access to such technology. Evidently, I would like to channelize my efforts to bring down the cost of technology development. When this is passed down to the kids who need help, they would be significantly benefitted. My creative way of thinking, technical flair and willingness to help others made me opt for this course. My motto is to make assistive technology available at inexpensive rates. This would make it possible for schools to make this kind of technology available to needy children. Eventually, it can significantly benefit families with such kids as well.
This explains why I studied engineering at XYZ University during my graduation. I topped my batch and got the opportunity to head the engineering department in a research project. In this project, I worked on enhancing the physical mobility of people experiencing disorders in functional movements. The results obtained from this particular project were published in our Medical Engineering journal, which was reviewed by our peers. It was also during my graduation that I completed an internship in one of the major companies manufacturing medical devices in my hometown. It was a valuable learning experience for me to master industry knowledge in association with established professionals. Their guidance and mentorship leveraged my understanding of the industry professionally and personally.
It would be a pleasure for me to integrate myself into the dynamic learning environment at your esteemed institution. I, therefore, would like to study this advanced program at your university and deliver my best, if given a chance. My objective is to come up with cost-effective assistive technology for the pedagogy in our country. The rigorous academic program that your university provides would transform my career. Eventually, I aspire to be a part of the sophisticated learning environment at your esteemed university.
What is a Graduate School?
Many students find themselves confused when they hear the terms graduate education or grad school personal statements. Grad school is a term that generally refers to graduate education or postgraduate education. It is an advanced-level academic program that students with a bachelor’s degree can apply. Professional degrees, diplomas, certifications or any other qualification that requires a bachelor’s degree as the eligibility can be broadly put under the classification grad school.
How Does Graduate Education Differ from Undergraduate Education?
During undergraduate education, students are taught multiple subjects and disciplines. There is no focus on a particular subject. This is rather a time for them to identify their passion and career choices. Upon completing the undergraduate program, they can opt for graduate education in a specific subject that truly goes with their passion, skills and interests. In short, graduate education is focused on a particular subject while undergraduate education is not.
Five Expert Tips for Writing the Best Graduate School Personal Statement
Your personal statement for grad school should help you strike a chord with the reader. How would you do that? Here are five useful tips that professional writers mostly use.
Address your gaps:
Any gaps or too obvious negative aspects like a poor grade in the GPA must be explained in the personal statement. However, you don’t have to sound apologetic about those negatives. Try to highlight any other aspect in which you excelled during the same period.
Do ample research:
Don’t start to write a personal statement without doing ample research in the grad school program that you are taking up. Showing that you are well-researched and have a clear focus on where to head will quickly impress the admission officers
Maintain focus:
Try to keep the attention stay put on the actual goal of your personal statement, which is to sell you to the admission committee. Keep the focus on yourself and on telling how strongly you identify with the chosen higher study program.
Sound positive:
Don’t write even a single sentence that shows your lack of confidence, regret for something you did in the past etc. Always show that you are proud of what and who you are and what your choices are.
Filter out irrelevant points:
Personal statement needs to be a precise document. It means you don’t have a lot of space in it to write about everything. It is important to filter out all the irrelevant points and keep it stuffed with the most relevant aspects about you.
Personal Statements for the Best Courses in Graduate School
Graduate School is a dream of anyone who wishes for a foreign education. And an excellent Personal Statement can be your trump card to confirm your admission. Before you start with the process of writing, it is always better to refer to some Personal Statement examples for Graduate School, and this will give you a comprehensive idea on how to draft a Personal Statement for Graduate School.
Psychology
Being one of the top courses to study from a Graduate School, Psychology is often a highly demanded course, and a graduating from a Graduate School offers one with great academic and career exposure. A Personal Statement must reflect your passion and interest for the course. And if you are struggling to craft a compelling Personal Statement then it is recommended that you refer to some examples of personal statements for graduate school in psychology.
Taxation
Your Personal Statement for Graduate School Taxation must be able to convey your enthusiasm for the course by describing your subject knowledge, relevant professional exposure, motivation for the course, etc. So try to include some snippets about your knowledge and passion for Taxation.
Counseling
Personal Statement for Counselling courses must reflect your interest in a career in Counselling. Rather than stuffing your personal statement with facts, try to include instances that can best describe your capability and motivation for a career in Counselling. Referring to examples of personal statements for graduate school in counseling, will give you a clarity on how to create an impeccable Personal Statement for Counselling.
Education
A career in Education is both promising and attractive. Anyone with a passion for academics and teaching can select a profession in education. And your Personal Statement for Education is a great way to impress Admission Officials by explaining your suitability for a career in teaching. Refer to our examples of Personal Statements for Graduate School in Education to get a clear understanding of how to make a strong Personal Statement for Education.
Engineering
Your Personal Statement for Engineering should reflect your technical proficiency and enthusiasm for the branch chosen. It should be able to communicate how you are a right candidate for the course at the particular university.
Social Work
As one of the courses with high societal relevance, a career in Social Work enables one to work closely with people from all strata of life. As a prerequisite for graduate school admission, a Personal Statement for Social Work should be able to substantiate your decision to choose a career in Social Work.
Best Countries to Study Graduate School
There are a lot of countries today which are best for grad school programs. While some countries are good for science subjects, other countries are ideal for art subjects. Choose a country where you can find internships and hands-on experience in the subject easily. Here is a list of countries for your consideration.
- UK
- Spain
- Italy
- Germany
- New Zealand
World-renowned Graduate Schools
Take a look at the below list of globally ranked top ten grad schools. Getting admission to these institutes will depend on a few factors such as your GPA, personal history statement for graduate school and IELTS score.
- University of Chicago
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Toronto
- McGill University
- University of British Columbia
Top Graduate School Programs
Not sure which subject to choose for your grad school program? The below list will give you some ideas. You will require to have studied the core subject as your elective in the undergraduate program to get admission to some of these programs. However, if you write a personal goal statement for graduate school that convinces the selection committee about your motivation, you will have better chances.
| Business and Management Finance and Accounting Education Leadership Environmental Science Fine Arts Nursing Physician Assistants Public Health Pharmacy Health Care Management Economics | Philosophy Dental Studies Medicine Veterinary Medicine Chemistry Computer Science Engineering Information Technology Psychology Social Sciences, and Social Work |
Conclusion
Were you able to write an impeccable personal statement for graduate school with the tips and strategies we shared in this blog?
Always remember one thing. Don’t wait until the last minute to write. If you start working on it a bit earlier, you will get sufficient time to proofread and minimize the mistakes in your document.
And in case you come across any doubts or questions while writing your personal statement, you know what to do next. Simply let us know what causes your trouble in the comment section below and we are at your disposal right away.
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