1. The Personal Statement
Dr. Leigh Ryan
University of Maryland Writing Center
The Personal Statement

2. The personal statement is…
An opportunity for you to introduce yourself,
stand out among thousands of applicants,
and show your unique background & experiences
Allows personal expression
Provides greater intimacy with the applicant
Shows applicant’s ability to communicate through writing
Provides applicant an opportunity to show specific interests, knowledge, and reasons for applying
Your reader is: A human being with personal, political, and cultural sensitivities

3. Read the prompt a few times !
where Should You start?
Read the prompt a few times !

4. Prompts may be specific . . .
What is your intended major? Explain how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, participation in organizations and activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.
Describe a person who has influenced you and explain how that person has helped to make you the kind of person you are today.
Describe a person who has influenced you and explain how that person has helped to shape your dreams and aspirations.

5. Discuss a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
Choose an issue and apply the sponsoring organization’s principles to how one should approach that problem.

6. vague, or general . . . Where is Waldo, really?
What is an unusual way in which you have fun?
Think of things that fascinated you when you were ten. What has endured?
Discuss the word [ ].
Write a personal statement.
Success, happiness, focus

7. Getting started Here are two suggestions. . .
One: Check out the School or Company website
Two: Brainstorm

8. You can find a lot of clues on a school’s website…
Read the “Admissions” webpage
Notice the links to find information for new students
Pay attention to information that is repeated—it’s probably important!
Schools may stress certain aspects like team work, diversity, community service, etc.

9. What to look for… Images and information that are repeated or in bold.
The language used. Formal or conversational, or a balance?
How the school/internship is advertised (what they are most proud of, what represents them best as a school/company).
Point one: sometimes we overlook the fact that website construction is very purposeful—they use specific images and highlight certain information for a reason. We’ll look at UMD’s website in a moment as an example.
Point two: typically you’ll find that the language is a balance, but we’ll see for ourselves in a moment.
Point three: you want to pay attention to what the school thinks are its most valuable assets. Why? Because they want you to somehow exemplify them if you want to attend that school! We’ll come back to this idea later.

10. Brainstorming Brainstorming = generating ideas.
“Brainstorming” means something different to everyone
Lists
Charts
Freewriting
Talking
What is your brainstorming style…?
The main goal of brainstorming no matter what technique you use is to GENERATE IDEAS.
Main points: maybe you do these things without even realizing it! Try to think about what they are. If you already know, good for you.

11. What sets you apart from the crowd?
Things to consider:
Work experience
Internship experience
Career goals
Unique skills
Overcoming unusual obstacles
Special Talents
Community Service
Family background
Everyone has a story. How you tell yours is what makes all the difference.
Once you figure out what the school thinks is important and what they’re looking for in their applicants, it’s time to get personal and start thinking about what makes you unique and talented and stand out from the crowd.
Right now, think about what makes you unique—maybe you can do something that most people can’t, or maybe you’re really good in a specific subject, or maybe you’re especially good at playing sports. Take a couple minutes right now and brainstorm using lists or charts or just freewrite!

12. Do’s: Be yourself—readers can tell if you aren’t being honest.
Be positive—do NOT bring up shortcomings. Advertise good qualities.
Focus on one or two themes instead of mentioning several.
Make claims about yourself and support them.
Get feedback—ask a friend, family member, or adviser to read it and make suggestions. (Maybe even more than once!)
Don’t be negative either. Focus on positive things.
Strategies

13. Don’ts: Don’t let anyone else write your personal statement for you.
Don’t restate your resumé in paragraph form.
Don’t be trite or use clichés.
Ex: “Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a doctor.”
“I want to be a teacher because I like to help people.”
Strategies

14. More Don’ts: Don’t inflate or aggrandize your accomplishments.
Don’t tell readers what they already know about their school.
Ex: “University X is well known for its engineering department.”
Strategies

15. Making claims Show how your background and experiences have…
Increased your knowledge of x, y, & z
Broadened your understanding of x, y, & z
Improved your ability to work with others
Improved your communication skills
Improved your time management skills
Etc.
Emily – students with disabilities who were bullied - rode horses and was in a program that worked with children w/ disabilities

16. Illustrating claims
Use vivid descriptions. Focus on experiences. Tell a story. Make experiences significant to your readers by linking them to the prompt/mission statement.

17. Connecting The dots
Connect personal examples to your perspective on school/internship
Make sure examples speak about your character and values
Remember your audience

18. Points to remember THOUSANDS of applicants
Make yourself stand out: show positive qualities and important experiences
Carefully read websites
Brainstorm before you start writing!

19. What to expect when writing
Lengthy process
Ideally, give yourself WEEKS to write. Many people allow several months.
Multiple drafts
Plan to go through many drafts, easily 5-10 versions, for the best drafts.
Teamwork
Build a group of trusted, respected readers who can offer honest, productive suggestions.

20. Know your audience
Writing the essay with your readers in mind is essential for success.
The typical reader is
A faculty member in your field(s)
Someone with many other essays to read, and probably crunched for time
A human being with personal, political, and cultural sensitivities

21. Accommodate your audience
Organize
Answer the prompt concisely, directly
Anticipate a reader who might not read to the end
Most important  least important
Say what they need to know right away
Show knowledge of field
Prefer the specific to the general
Be creative and engaging, but stay on topic
Watched lots of “law and Order”

22. Common mistakes Disregarding the prompt
Make sure to answer the questions
Avoid generic statements
Being too brief and superficial
Focusing too much on the future instead of highlighting what you’ve done in the past
Stating rather than evaluating
Show, don’t tell

23. Revise & proofread!
Spelling & grammatical mistakes will count against you!
Read the statement aloud to catch mistakes.
Have a friend, advisor, or family member read it for you.

24. A GOOD RESOURCE: Purdue’s OWL (Online Writing Lab) http://owl. english

25. Questions?