A personal statement (or letter of interest) is one of the most important components of your graduate school application. It gives you the opportunity to showcase your motivations, academic background, career goals, and why you’re a good fit for the program.
In this section, we'll offer tips on creating a strong personal statement or letter of interest that highlights your qualifications and your passion for pursuing graduate studies.
Personal statements are also known as "letters of interest," "statements of purpose," or "application essays."
No matter the name, their goal is clear: to present yourself thoughtfully and persuasively to the admissions committee.
When writing a personal statement, two questions should guide your response:
Expand each section to learn more tips to help you craft a clear, compelling statement:
Your personal statement serves multiple purposes:
While each graduate program may have specific prompts or guidelines for the personal statement, most statements include similar core elements. Here's a breakdown of what to consider when drafting your personal statement: