PERSONAL STATEMENT WRITING

You may need a personal statement,

letter of intent, or statement of intent, such as “Why are you applying to this
or statement of purpose when applying program?”, “What are your long-term
for graduate and professional school career goals and how will this program
programs. These documents challenge help you accomplish these?”, or “What
you to concisely outline your strengths, experiences have you had that will make
goals, experiences and qualifications you successful in this program and in the
while demonstrating effective writing career field?” To stay on topic, read the
skills. This process is going to take a while, prompt carefully before you begin, and
303 MARTIN HALL | (334) 844-4744 | CAREER.AUBURN.EDU
so start writing well in advance of the refer back to it as you write.
deadline.

What Makes You Unique?:

Often confused with personal statements,
Reflect on what makes you stand out
a cover letter contains many of the same
from other candidates. Consider your
elements, but it is presented in a business
background and what led you to this
letter format and is usually shorter and
field, as well as any unique experiences/
more specific to a job than a personal
skills you have gained thus far. For
statement. Cover letters are typically used
example, describe how an important
for job and internships, not for graduate
family member or a volunteer experience
school.
influenced your decision to pursue a
particular career, or how you gained
PREPARATION a useful skill in a campus leadership
position or part-time job.
Before you begin writing, gather
documents such as your transcript,
resume/CV, and application requirements. Depth Over Breadth:
Take note of applicable job/internship/ Avoid writing long lists of your
volunteer/involvement/research experiences. This is your opportunity to
experiences, accomplishments, skills, and provide context to your resume/CV rather
personal qualities. Have conversations than rehash all of the experiences you
with those who know you well about what have had. Choose your most influential
skills, experiences, and qualities make you and relevant work, internship, volunteer,
uniquely suited for graduate studies. academic, and/or research experiences
you had, and share what you gained from
them and how you contributed to the
WRITING
organizations. While personal statements
Throughout the writing process, vary in length requirements, they are
remember these guidelines: typically limited to 1-2 pages. Be mindful
of any superfluous details and condense
as needed.
Review the Prompt:
Personal statement prompts typically
ask you to answer a few questions,

303 MARTIN HALL | (334) 844-4744 | CAREER.AUBURN.EDU

 position. Think about the conclusion
GENERAL303
FORMAT
MARTIN AND
HALL CONTENT
| (334) 844-4744 | CAREER.AUBURN.EDU
as similar to answering the interview
Although requirements for personal question, “Why should we accept you
statements vary and you should follow the into our program?”. Summarize how your
prompt accordingly, below you will find a skills, experiences, and interest make you
typical outline for these documents. a good fit, and reiterate your interest in
the program. You might also mention
how this degree is a step towards a long-
Introduction: term goal, or how your research interests
The first paragraph sets the tone for the are similar to those of the faculty.
essay. You may choose to introduce a
theme or a brief and relevant snapshot of FORMAT
your personal background. Avoid using • Single-spaced or 1.5 spacing
a famous quote; these should be your • Left allign all lines
words, not someone else’s. Then, connect
• 1-2 spaces between each paragraph
the story to the program, and share
WHY you are applying to this particular • Typed in an easy-to-read, 11-12 point
program. Mention the specific name of font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri)
the program, as well as the title of the • 0.75”-1” margins
degree, such as Master of Social Work or
• Include your name at the top of the
Master of Science in Biological Sciences.
page(s)
Be sure to double check the exact spelling
and format of the degree title. If you can
only submit one personal statement REVISING
through an application platform that will
be sent to multiple schools, only mention Give yourself plenty of time to revise and
the type of program you are seeking, such edit your document. Check spelling, word
as a Master of Science in Communication count, grammar, sentence structure,
Disorders. alignment with the prompt, and general
writing style. Do not rely solely on spell-
check. Read through the essay yourself
Supporting Paragraphs: out loud and revise any areas that are
difficult to understand, overly wordy,
The middle paragraphs should answer
or include unnecessary or irrelevant
specific questions from the prompt. Each
detail. Have others (University Career
paragraph should be focused and support
Center, Auburn University Writing Center,
a topic sentence. Keep your examples
professors, family, mentors, supervisors,
relevant to supporting your qualifications.
etc.) review it as well, and bring the
Consider providing context to items on
prompt with you when you have it
your resume/CV rather than rehashing
reviewed.
the specific details. Think about the big
picture and summarize.
Make sure that the overall tone is positive,
you clearly explain your interest in the
Conclusion: program and your desired career, and you
In the last paragraph tie together the demonstrate your ability to succeed in a
various examples and claims you have graduate program.
raised in the essay, and reiterate your
interest in this specific program or

303 MARTIN HALL | (334) 844-4744 | CAREER.AUBURN.EDU