The personal statement, or a statement of purpose, is an essay written for admittance into a graduate program. Grad school prompts vary, but usually fall into one of two categories. The first is a comprehensive, general, tell-us-about-yourself prompt. (Who are you? And how does our program align with your goals?) The second type asks you to address specific questions. It is imperative that you write a tailored essay for each graduate school application. We dissuade you from sending a one-size-fits-all personal statement.
Personal Statement Tips
- Set aside time to complete your personal statement. We recommend at least two months. One month to write it, and another month for multiple critiques and revisions.
- Address the entire prompt in your personal statement
- Be personable, original, and memorable— yet concise and to the point
- Avoid sounding formulaic, generic, or trite. For example, “Ever since I was a little human I have always wanted to be a….”
- Hook the reader from start to finish. If not, there is no guarantee your reader will thoroughly read your entire essay.
- Demonstrate your knowledge of the grad program within your personal statement
- Make certain your essay is free from grammatical and typographical errors
- Have your essay reviewed by multiple editors. Career advisors, professors, leading industry professionals, UROC staff, and CCC tutors can be members of your editorial team.