A personal statement is a document written as part of your application to graduate or professional schools.
Questions about your personal statement? Read any instructions or guidelines. If there are no specific guidelines, think about what the committee would be looking for in potential candidates.
Review available examples of personal statements:
Adapt your personal statement to the institution that you are applying to. Research the school, the department, and the faculty you will be working with.
UTSC hosts graduate school fairs at certain times throughout the year. Stop by the stall of your desired school and ask the representative about what they look for in candidates.
For more information on when the fairs occur, consult the AA&CC website.
Reflect on what makes you unique and a good fit for the program. Brainstorm your attributes, skills and experiences.
Start by talking about yourself. Ground the reader in who you are before discussing why you chose the school you did and what you want to do with this degree in the future.
Edit and revise multiple times. Go through your statement in three stages:
- Content: Focus on the content of your statement without worrying about structure or grammar mistakes. Does your story make sense? What impression would it make on a complete stranger?
- Structure: Ensure that what you want to say is well delivered. Writing a reverse outline of your points for better flow and to accentuate different parts of your statement. Do you have good transitions between paragraphs? Is there a firm direction to your statement?
- Grammar: Perfect grammar is almost a necessity for personal statements. Edit and revise carefully for clarity and as needed. Consult grammar handbooks such as Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
Once you have edited your first draft, seek feedback from peers, professors, AA&CC or contact University of Toronto Writing Centres at UTM, St. George, or UTSC.
Take the feedback you’ve received and use it to improve your statement. Refer back to step 5 to edit your work again. This cycle of feedback and revision can continue until you feel you should submit the statement.