How to Write a Personal Statement with AI

A graduate degree can help you advance in your career by adding qualifications and credentials. Besides that, it can also help you enhance your knowledge in whatever field you’re in.

What you’ll need when applying for graduate school:

• Undergraduate transcript
• Standardized test scores
• Recommendation letters
• A personal statement

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to write a personal statement for graduate school.

What’s the Purpose of a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is what helps you introduce yourself to a selection board or committee. It helps them determine whether you deserve an interview. If they do invite you, they’ll base their interview questions on this personal statement.

What Makes a Great Personal Statement?

A great personal statement is one that focuses on you and not what you’ve accomplished. The selection board is usually interested in how those accomplishments have influenced your intellectual development and perspective.

A strong personal statement will also showcase your excitement and motivation to take on the new journey. This is something selection committees look for because they understand how stressful and challenging graduate life can be.

How is a Personal Statement Different from a Statement of Intent?

A statement of intent is more like a cover letter. It is a formal statement you ideally address to a selection committee regarding your application. A statement of intent or interest for graduate school is to offer an overview of all your accomplishments and goals.

On the other hand, a personal statement is more like an essay rather than a letter. It is meant to showcase who the applicant is on a personal level, and why you make a good fit for the graduate school. A personal statement basically speaks to what the applicant wants to pursue and why.

Goals of a Personal Statement

A personal statement is an applicant’s primary writing sample. It helps demonstrate the writing ability of the applicant on a more personal level.

The goals of a personal statement are to:

Tell Your Story

This is where you should tell your story and show how your unique experiences and qualities have affected your intellectual development and perspective. Focus on subject matters and topics that are special to you.

This is basically a personal essay, so it should be able to provide the selection committee with a picture of who you really are.  

Demonstrating Your Fit with the Program or Field

You need to give persuasive and rational reasons why you’re a great fit for the graduate program. Demonstrate how the graduate program structure will allow you to concentrate on particular topics..

Highlighting Your Goals and Aspirations

Highlight your experiences and aspirations related to what you’re trying to study. Try to remain as relevant as possible. Find interesting ways to emphasize your uniqueness. Talking about the obstacles you’ve overcome and problems you’ve solved is always a good idea.

How to Write A Personal Statement for Grad School

Here are some of the tips and tricks you can use to get your personal statement to the top of the list.

Researching the Program’s Requirements

Find out things like whether there’s a specific format you need to follow when writing your personal statement. You need to research the whole program and understand its core priorities and values.

Some graduate institutions will even provide candidates with prompts they can use, for example, “Write about the accomplishment you’re proudest of?”

Crafting a Strong Opening

You want to start strong and draw in the reader immediately. This is common in most great pieces of writing. Make sure to have an introduction that’s both captivating and strong. This will help excite the reader about what’s to follow and will encourage them to read the essay with an open and positive mind.

Regarding personal statements, the first paragraph should always relate the graduate program to your own ideas and experiences. Be crystal clear about why you’re interested in the program and why your goals and aspirations help make you a great fit.

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

Just like how you should start, you should also end the statement with a strong conclusion. The conclusion might just be the last time they’ll be reading or hearing about you as a person and why you’d make a good student.

The conclusion should be as engaging and captivating as the introduction. Use the ending to highlight all the important points you wrote in the essay.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Different Applications

You can use a personal statement for many other things besides graduate school. Here’s how to write personal statements for different applications.

How to Write a Personal Statement for a Job?

When it comes to writing a personal statement for a job, it’s all about selling yourself and what makes you better than all the other candidates. In this statement, you’ll need to highlight your skills and competencies, and show how they’ll make you a positive addition to the team.

How to Write a Personal Statement for University?

A personal statement for a university is usually around 4000 – 5000 characters, so you need to grab the admissions from the start. You need to choose your words wisely all throughout the statement. Be bold and highlight all your best achievements and link them to how they make you a great fit with the institution.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Financial Aid Appeal?

Ensure the essay follows a logical structure. Try to consider how it sounds to a reader who does not know you. Also, be careful with clichés and humor. This is not the time to be funny. Money matters are often more serious affairs.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Research Programs?

In this personal statement, you’re going to have to show the reader why you want this specific topic of research. You’ll have to find ways to explain to them the aspects of the research topic that interests you so much. Highlight the abilities and skills you have that are relevant to the topic.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Study Abroad Programs?

Here you’ll have to specify why you want to study abroad. This personal statement should be all about why studying abroad will be more advantageous and why you think this arrangement would be the best fit for both you and the school. Talk about your career goals and how starting abroad will positively impact your career trajectory.

How to Format a Personal Statement?

The best way to go about formatting is by starting with an outline. Drafting an outline first will help you organize your ideas.

Personal Statement Outline

Personal statements usually have a pretty basic outline. In fact, it has the same structure as the essays one writes in high school. A personal statement should have the:

1. Introduction – This should be a few sentences to a paragraph. It’s an overview of what the reader should expect.
2. Body – This part usually has around two to five paragraphs, which should have a logical sequence. Each paragraph should flow naturally from one to the other. Each should start with a “topic sentence.”
3. Conclusion – The conclusion should highlight and bring together your most important points. You should clearly make your argument and show the reader what you want them to leave with.

Tips for Making Your Personal Statement Visually Appealing

Here are some of the ways you can make your personal statement more visually appealing.

1. Summarizing your career trajectory. Write a summary of your past, present and potential future. This will help draw in the reader more.
2. Use “first person” language. Speak to the reader clearly and directly through the personal statement.
3. Yes, the personal statement is all about you, but avoid using “I” too much.
4. Don’t be too boastful or modest. Let your facts speak for themselves.
5. Don’t make your paragraphs too long. Paragraphs that are short and sweet are something most readers appreciate.
6. Have a clear format you can follow from start to finish.

How Long is a Personal Statement?

While every graduate institution will have its own set of rules and regulations, a personal statement for graduate school should generally fall between 500 and 1500 words. This is approximately one to one and a half pages.

With that said, it’s important to check whether the school has specific requirements. If so, it’s important to follow these length guidelines because it could cost you your admission. Make sure you cover all your key points while staying within length guidelines.

What Topics Can I Write About? Here Are a Few Questions You Can Answer to Get Started

There are many things you can focus on when writing a personal statement. Here are some of the things you should ask yourself to help you get topics for your personal statement:

• Who/what have been your intellectual influences?
• What led you to choose your academic field or career path?
• What relevant academic, research or work experience do you have?

Some Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

The most common personal statements for graduate school:

Personal Statement for Law School

Personal statements for law schools act as the proxies for interviews. This is the only chance the selection board can get a chance to know the real you before they invite you for an interview. You need to be personal and show what makes you the best fit. 

Personal Statement for Medical School

In this statement, you want to show that you have a genuine interest to study medicine and what motivated you to want to join this noble profession. Highlight both your strengths and weaknesses, and show why they’ll help make you a great doctor.

Personal Statement for Nursing School

Just like with medical school, this statement should show why you want to study nursing. Explain to the selection committee why you’re best suited to becoming a nurse.

Personal Statement for Residency

A personal statement for residency should highlight your experiences in graduate school and how you’re ready and look forward to the practical aspect of things.

Conclusion

As you know, AI technology is here to stay and it will only get better. As of now, it can already write certain things for you, one being your personal statement. 

If you think you might need help writing your personal statement for graduate school, why not consider using TaskLab AI to assist you?