Are you an aspiring psychologist?
Be informed that a personal statement could be the next important step in your career. Since admission to an advanced degree program in psychology involves tough competition, it is imperative to prove your eligibility and suitability for the program to the committee in a convincing manner.
Your psychology personal statement is your major weapon to do that.
In this blog, we are piecing together all the important aspects of this document.
You will find:
- The easy steps for writing a personal statement about psychology
- Psychology Personal Statement Examples
- Psychology Masters Personal Statement Writing Tips
What is Psychology? What Does a Psychologist Do?
Psychology is a branch of social science which primarily deals with the study of the human mind, behaviour, various functions of the mind and how one’s behaviour is influenced by these functions.
The key responsibilities of a psychologist include:
- To diagnose and analyse mental health issues of individuals by working closely with them
- To conduct counselling, psychotherapy, and similar practices to help individuals deal with their mental health issues
- To help people with several pain, eating behaviour or sleeping difficulties often resulting from chronic health conditions.
- To carry out psychological tests and assess an individual’s personality traits, career choices and cognitive abilities.
What is Psychology Personal Statement? Why Should You Write One?
Psychology personal statement helps the admission panel to understand how closely your personality, strengths, skills, and experiences are linked to the higher study program in psychology that you have chosen.
- A well-written psychology personal statement is a demonstration of your professionalism
- The writing tone of your personal statement reveals a lot about your personality and attitude
- Through your personal statement, you can help the selectors review your credentials
- It is possible to prove your achievements by illustrating the evidence via a perfect personal statement
- A good personal statement on psychology distinguishes your application from the rest
How to Express Yourself in a Compelling Way Through Your Psychology Personal Statement?
There is no better way to express yourself before a face-to-face interview than through your personal statement on psychology.
This document allows you to talk about every relevant aspect of yourself with solidifying evidence.
You will be illustrating your suitability for the program based on the following points:
- Your relevant experiences in psychology
- Your proudest achievements in psychology or any relevant areas
- Your strengths and skills and how you can put them into practice during your training
- Your long term and short-term plans and how the program will help you in their materialization
How to Write a Personal Statement About Psychology?
The following are some useful steps that can help you write a case-specific psych personal statement.
Read the guidelines carefully
Almost all universities will provide students with application guidelines. It will contain directions for personal statement writing as well. Read the guidelines carefully to understand what they expect you to write.
Identify your points
Using the personal statement prompts, jot down all points you want to include in your personal statement. For each point, you need to use evidence or examples. Note down those as well so that you have everything handy while writing.
Make your outline
Next, you need an outline. It can be a loose one which tells in what order the points are being discussed. Elaborating on the outline is easier as compared to writing your essay from the scratch without any basis.
Develop the outline
Start with the introduction. The outline tells you which personal experience you must narrate here. Next, go to the body paragraphs and modify each point – experience, goals, motivation etc.
Finalize your document
The last process in your personal statement writing is refining it. Read your essay word by word and see whether complicated words can be replaced by simpler ones. Also, keep your eye out for mistakes and rectify them all.
How Should the Paragraph Structure Be in a Psychology Personal Statement?
Your personal statement should follow the structure of a formal essay. It should begin with a clear introduction, progress with body paragraphs, and then end with a solid conclusion.
Introduction: | The introduction should have a catchy opening line that opens your story and then progresses to give hint about what the document is going to be about. |
Body: | Divide the body of your personal statement into multiple paragraphs. |
Paragraph one: | Reasons for choosing psychology. |
Paragraph two: | Academic/professional backgrounds and how they are relevant. |
Paragraph three: | Achievements with examples and how they can be of your merit. |
Paragraph four: | Involvements in extracurricular activities and what make them relevant to you in the context of psychology higher study. |
Paragraph five: | Future plans. |
Conclusion: | Write a conclusion that can stay in the mind of the reader. You can achieve this by reiterating everything in one or two sentences and showing your sincere gratitude to the selection panel for taking the time to go through your statement. |
How to Write Psychology Personal Statement Opening Sentence?
The first impression is the best impression. Through a very good opening line, you can create a good first impression for your personal statement.
- Start with a catchy line that intrigues the reader to read on
- Leave your personal touch in the first line by linking it to a personal story or incident
Psychology Personal Statement Examples
The mystery of the human mind appeals to my intellect to an extent that shaped my professional profile significantly. Rationalized with the ideology of helping people in need of mental support, I decided to major in psychology. Here I stand today, ready to delve into a program that would take my skills to the subsequent pedestals. I believe that every individual face struggle at some point in their lives or the other. Studying psychology during my graduation bestowed me with a deeper interpretation of my behaviour and mind.
I have always been intrigued by the functioning of the human mind. It is exciting to venture into the mechanisms that influence the feelings, thought processes and behaviours of individuals. During my leisure hours, I enjoy learning various psychological disorders and abnormality modes, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and so on. Now, that I have already earned my Bachelor’s degree in psychology, I believe it would be the right time to go for a specialized Master’s degree in the area of my interest.
Since I am well-versed with the basics, I can seamlessly align my fresh skills with the existing knowledge. As a part of my graduation program, I already studied cognitive psychology and educational psychology. My core areas of interest revolve around clinical psychology. Besides, I have worked extensively on statistics and research methodology. The latter appealed to me acutely, and I am familiar with conducting researches and various methodologies involved in research. Gaining fresh insight into new perspectives of psychology gives me a pleasure that no other pursuit can complement. Being an avid learner, I find it interesting to acquire scientific evidence on different research methods and psychological theories that affect mental health.
During my internship at Insight Clinic for Psychiatrists, I served as a special educator for kids experiencing cerebral palsy, learning disability, mental retardation, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This internship bestowed me with relevant knowledge on childhood obstacles and disorders that kids face as they grow up. Next, I came across the personal theories, physiological psychology, positive psychology and psychological testing during the second semester. Particularly, I took special interest in Alfred Adler’s Individual psychology, as he talks about superiority and inferiority complexes. Besides, I got to know about birth order and its impact on the lifestyle. In the process, I gained a detailed insight on the influence of personality on human behaviour. Besides, I worked on a practical paper, titled ‘Assessment of Personality’. Here, I was exposed to various types of personality tests. These include locus of control, Eysenck personality questionnaire, Draw a person test and Neo five-factor inventory, among others. It was during my third semester, that I learnt psychological intervention, psychopathology and counselling psychology. Psychotherapy appeared to be very interesting to me, as I got to know about various psychological disorders, their diagnosis, effect and symptoms. Gradually, I became included towards the association between different environmental and biological aspects that may induce disorders.
The brief professional exposure that I gained presented me with the opportunity to carry out different psychometric tests, like LD checklist, Seguin Form Board and Coloured Progressive Matrices. It was around this time, that I observed a number of behavioural therapies, sessions for counselling children with special needs at home, parent counselling and guidance, etc. Evolving over the years, I gained first-hand experience treating patients with learning disability, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, hearing impairments, autism and multiple handicaps.
In the coming years, I would like to integrate myself deeper into clinical psychology. The best thing about this domain of psychology is that, I come across patients with unique problems, considering each of them has a unique background. It would be a great experience for me to be a part of this profession, where I can explore the human minds. Besides, I would find it a gratifying experience to guide and assist people through different techniques of counselling, channelizing my empathy. On completing my Master’s program in psychology, I look forward to complete a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology and practice as a clinical psychologist. My adaptable and caring nature makes me suitable for such a profession. A berth in your esteemed university for the Master’s program will significantly help me realize my career goals.
We have added a sample here for you to review. To download your copy of the psychology personal statement samples PDF, click the button below.
What to Learn from The Sample?
Psychology personal statement examples are a source of reference for several useful pieces of information.
Here are the reasons why study psychology personal statement samples.
- To understand the specific tone of personal statement writing
- To figure out how to structure the paragraphs
- To learn how to compose the opening line in the introduction
- To learn about various conclusion methods
Clinical Psychology Personal Statement Examples
Expert Tips for Writing Psychology Personal Statement
A unique and professional approach is needed to make a strong personal statement, particularly when you write it for specializations, for instance, forensic psychology personal statement.
Here are some psychology personal statement tips tried and tested by experts.
Choose words and expressions carefully:
Don’t be tempted to use complicated words or cliched expressions. Use simple words and contextually relevant expressions.
Leave your personal touch:
From the opening sentence to the last line, don’t forget to reflect on yourself in your personal statement. Write from the heart, not from the mind.
Write a draft before the final:
Try writing the first draft without overly thinking about the structure or grammar or format. This initial loose writing will be a good exercise before the final writing.
Read in-depth on psychology:
You are trying to get admission to a psychology program. The admission panel wants to know how much you now.
Don’t use quotes to impress:
The use of quotes in personal statements has become too cliched and many admission officers perceive it as a downer.
Top Universities to Consider for Psychology Programs
- Stanford University
- University of Cambridge
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Yale University
- Harvard University
- University of Oxford
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
- University College London
Most Chosen Specializations in Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Child Development
- Experimental Psychology
- Engineering Psychology
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- Counselling Psychology
- Behavioural Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Sports Psychology
Before We Wind Up…
Did we help you in clearing up all your doubts and questions about how to write an effective psychology personal statement? We would like to know what you think.
We are also eager to know if you have any suggestions or feedback for us. The comment section below is for you to write your thoughts. Don’t hesitate to use it.
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