school counseling personal statement samples

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Counselling Personal Statement Examples

Looking for inspiration for your counselling personal statement ? Check out our collection of counselling personal statement examples to get a better idea of what to include and how to structure your statement. 

Counselling Personal Statement

With over 10 years of experience as a counsellor, I believe I am an ideal candidate for a Master’s in Counseling. I am a mature and compassionate counsellor with solid communication skills and a proven track record of helping clients navigate challenges and find resolve.

I want to pursue a Master’s to enhance my knowledge and skills and provide an even higher level of care. The programme will allow me to expand my repertoire of methods and problem-solving skills to better serve clients. The field of counselling is constantly evolving, and continuing education helps ensure I am utilizing the latest research and techniques.

I look forward to exchanging knowledge with peers and conducting research to strengthen my practice.

Through work with adult, elderly and mental health clients, I have developed expertise in areas like risk assessment, treatment planning, and progress reviews. I have a strong foundation as a caring and supportive counsellor and aim to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. I welcome the opportunity to have my skills challenged and strengthened through practical experience in the programme.

I am an enthusiastic, diligent and motivated counsellor dedicated to helping each client achieve success. While the work can be complicated, I have the empathy, active listening skills and adaptability required to understand and convey even complex needs. I tailor my communication to meet the needs of each client and to collaborate with external partners like housing services or emergency responders.

My Muslim and ability to speak Spanish, Hindi and Punjabi allow me to provide culturally sensitive support to clients from various backgrounds. I believe an effective counsellor must commit to constant learning and development. A postgraduate degree in Counseling will provide the knowledge and competence I need to guide clients through difficult situations and choices.

I have a proven track record, relevant experience, and dedication to becoming an even stronger counsellor. I appreciate your consideration of my application and look forward to the opportunity to advance my education through your programme.

Recommended for reading:

• How to Write a Personal Statement for a Master’s
• How to Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out
• UCAS Personal Statement: A Writing Guide And Tips For Success

Counselling Personal Statement Example

I have always had the desire to understand human thoughts, feelings and behaviour. I am driven to answer not just why people act in certain ways but also how they can improve their situations and mental well-being. I aspire to become a therapist or counsellor, helping people overcome challenges and live happier lives. I believe an undergraduate degree in psychology or counselling would provide the necessary foundation, which I would then build upon through a Master’s in Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Through volunteering, I have seen both the psychological impacts of disabilities as well as the benefits of therapeutic activities. At a riding centre for disabled children, I witnessed the fear and anxiety experienced by both children and parents in their daily lives. However, I also saw the joy the children felt while doing horsemanship, an activity that allowed them to express themselves as freely as able-bodied children.

During my time shadowing a health visitor, I witnessed firsthand the emotional toll that postnatal depression and societal stigma can take on new mothers. I aim to help people overcome conditions that inhibit well-being and healthy relationships. My experience with equine therapy has helped me strengthen my skills in interpreting behaviour and finding solutions, which would serve me well as a counsellor.

I have studied sociology at the GCSE and A-level, gaining valuable skills in analyzing people and societies. However, this has inspired me to study individuals in more depth through psychology and psychotherapy . My coursework in sociology, English literature and history has also allowed me to strengthen my skills in essay writing, analysis and structuring arguments.

I believe I would excel in this program due to my ability to show both compassion and critical thinking on a subject about which I am passionate. While some may question why anyone would choose a career surrounded by distress, I see it as an opportunity to create positive change where it is needed most. Misery can only be overcome by facing it, and I appreciate the chance to do so as a counsellor.

With my relevant experience, skills and drive to become an effective therapist or counsellor. I appreciate your consideration of my application and look forward to the opportunity to advance my education in psychology and counselling through your program. 

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How to Write a Personal Statement for a Counseling Master’s

Need to write a personal statement for your counseling graduate school application? This guide will help you craft a standout statement by focusing on your unique experiences and aligning them with your program.

Key takeaways

• A compelling personal statement for a counseling master’s program should narrate personal characteristics, career aspirations, and potential contributions, connecting with the admissions committee beyond academic achievements.
• The personal statement should follow a clear narrative and provide specific examples from academic, professional and extracurricular experiences to demonstrate your readiness for the program, while demonstrating fit by aligning personal values and goals with the program’s unique offerings.
• Start early, stay organized, and maintain a professional tone while writing your personal statement; address any weaknesses thoughtfully and avoid common mistakes such as clichés, excessive praise, or misuse of buzzwords.

Understanding the personal statement

The personal statement is your chance to give admissions officers a clear picture of who you are beyond the grades and jobs listed in your transcripts and resume. It’s a narrative essay that details your personality, career aspirations , and potential contributions to the field of mental health counseling. Crafting compelling personal statements is crucial to making a lasting impression on the admissions team. Think of a personal statement as the thing that transforms you from a collection of data points to a memorable portrait for those reviewing your graduate school application.

Key questions to consider before you begin

As you begin the writing process, make some notes of your past experiences. Here are some prompts to help you brainstorm the contents of your essay:

• What life events made you into the resilient, determined individual you are today?
• How have experiences in your academic background prepared you for grad school?
• Have your career goals changed from what they were during your undergraduate education? Why?
• Has a family member inspired you to take this path, either through their career or personal experiences?
• Can you pinpoint the spark that ignited your passion for counseling, the moment when you realized that it could be your future career?

As you piece together your narrative, consider how these experiences align with your academic and career goals, as well as the broader impact you envision making through your work.

Essential components of a successful personal statement

Perhaps the most intimidating thing about a graduate school personal statement is knowing that you have a lot to communicate in a relatively short essay. You need to thread your personal background with your aspirations, using examples that encapsulate your commitment, and demonstrating a clear fit for the counseling program you’re aiming to join. But if you make an outline and list all the things you want to mention, you can be sure to properly accentuate your unique strengths and also paint a vivid picture of your potential success.

Crafting a clear narrative

Keep in mind that your narrative is not a full autobiography but a focused reflection of your resilience and empathy and the other corners of your life that have informed your desire to support others as a counselor. Share those poignant moments and insights that underscore your drive and passion for helping other people, and ensure that your narrative communicates not just a series of events, but the values and strengths you bring to the program. Don't forget that the personal essay also provides an opportunity to explain any discrepancies you think might come across in your other application materials such as poor grades or professional experiences in an unrelated field.

Using specific examples

Each assertion about yourself should be backed by solid examples. Specific examples, whether they are from your academic, professional, or recreational experiences, provide the evidence that substantiates your suitability for the graduate program.

Perhaps you’ve delved into personal research on mental health initiatives, or you’ve dedicated time to volunteer work that’s enriched your understanding of community needs. These anecdotes are the good examples that will allow the admissions committee to see beyond your transcripts and test scores, into the heart of your commitment and potential.

Demonstrating program fit

Demonstrating fit with the graduate program requires an understanding of the program’s strengths and a clear articulation of how its offerings align with your career aspirations.

For instance, if you’re drawn to Oklahoma City University’s commitment to social justice within their counseling program , mention how your values and experiences resonate with this ethos. Discussing aspects of a particular program that align with your future plans can distinguish you as a worthwhile applicant, genuinely interested in the unique offerings of the program. Most graduate programs will have full curriculums and faculty listed online. Make note of courses that sound exciting , faculty members who are conducting research projects you're interested in, and program outcome statements that align with your career goals, and find a way to mention them in your statement. By highlighting these specific elements, you show that you have done your research and are genuinely interested in the program.

Key tips for writing a personal statement

As you work on your grad school essay, remember these crucial pointers:

Start early and stay organized

Don't underestimate the time it will take you to write your best personal statement. Take the time to brainstorm, self-reflect, and polish your narrative until it shines with clarity and purpose.

Organization is your compass in this process, helping you navigate deadlines, requirements, and revisions with ease. Keep a keen eye on the specifics, such as word counts, spelling of university names, and formatting, ensuring that your personal statement not only meets expectations but exceeds them.

Addressing weaknesses thoughtfully

While your accomplishments will shine in your personal statement, don’t hesitate to acknowledge the challenges that have intermittently clouded them. Addressing weaknesses such as a low GPA or a challenging phase in your academic journey can actually highlight your resilience and capability for growth.

However, tread thoughtfully. Reflect on whether the personal statement is the right place to discuss these issues, and if so, ensure that the narrative emphasizes your positive qualities and the lessons learned, rather than dwelling on the negatives.

Maintaining a professional tone

A personal statement marred by grammatical errors or colloquialisms can weaken the impression you’re trying to make. Be genuine, be yourself, but remember the context. This document is a professional communication with the admissions committee, and as such, it should reflect the seriousness with which you approach this opportunity. While tools like ChatGPT could help you create an outline or can perform a grammar check on your application, avoid using it to actually write. The best personal statements resonate from their authenticity. Additionally, many graduate programs have tools they use to scan for the use of such technology and may count it against you.

Common mistakes to avoid

Beware of starting with clichés or ending with banalities—your opening and closing lines should be as impactful as the core of your statement. Avoid excessive praise of the field, focusing only on academic achievements, and misusing buzzwords. These common missteps can dilute the authenticity of your narrative and leave the admissions committee underwhelmed. Remember, admissions committees are reading hundreds of personal statements, make yours stand out.

Get help writing your personal statement for Oklahoma City University

For those aiming to be part of Oklahoma City University’s online M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, rest assured that guidance is available throughout this process. Admissions outreach advisors are at your disposal, ready to guide you through every step of crafting a personal statement that resonates with the program’s ethos and expectations.

Schedule a call to tap into the wealth of knowledge and support that OCU offers. From writing your personal statement, to putting together your letters of recommendation , to preparing for your interview , their expertise can be the beacon that illuminates your path to a successful graduate school application.

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How to write your personal statement for graduate school.

Drafting a personal statement for graduate school can be a challenging prospect for even the most confident writers. Your “why” for pursuing a specific career path or for wanting to attend a specific school might be clear in your mind, but can be harder to put into words. Personal topics are often more challenging to structure and can easily go off the rails, meaning you will miss out on hitting key points that will demonstrate why you are a good fit for a particular program.

To make this process less daunting, let’s break it down into actionable steps that will help you shine.

Follow These 6 Steps to Write Your Personal Statement

As you consider your application to William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling program, follow these steps to ensure you hit the mark with your personal statement.

1. Research

Know the ins and outs of the program you are applying to, including the admissions requirements, curriculum and faculty before you start writing. The more you know about the program, the more you can highlight what stands out to you about the program and what seems relevant to your career goals. Note that the faculty members of the William & Mary School Education will be reviewing your application materials. You can get to know the specific faculty members involved with our online program by visiting the M.Ed. in Counseling faculty page .

As you research, you will want to make sure you understand what is being asked of you when it comes to the personal statement. Are there specific prompts you should be answering? Is there a page or world limit you need to be mindful of? Gather this information in the research step. We have outlined the specifics of the personal statement along with the other admission requirements in a useful guide .

It is also important to do your homework about the career you plan to pursue with this degree. What type of counselor do you want to be? Who do you want to work with? You will want to speak about why you want to pursue this career and what you hope to accomplish, and the more you know about your intended career path, the more specific you can be in your writing. Specifics will help your personal statement stand out.

Once you have gathered your external research, it’s time to look inward and reflect. This is the stage where you can put your thoughts on paper without worrying about structure. Review any prompts given and get your ideas around these on paper. Also, think about your career aspirations, past academic, professional and volunteer experience, leadership potential, collaborative skills and propensity to engage in reflective practice.

The guiding questions for your application to the Online M.Ed. in Counseling program are:

• What has led you to become interested in becoming a _____ ( Clinical Mental Health , School , Military and Veterans ) counselor?
• Why are you interested in pursuing your counselor education at William & Mary?
• How will your graduate degree in Counseling at William & Mary help you achieve your career goals?
• What strengths would you bring to your graduate studies at William & Mary?
• What do you think would be the greatest challenge(s) for you in your graduate studies at William & Mary? How would you address the challenge(s)?

Based on these prompts, you can see how the research step pays off, as you can address specifics in the program and in your career aspirations. You also have the opportunity to address your strengths here and in turn what you will bring to the program with those strengths.

Now that you have all of your thoughts on paper (or typed up on your computer), it is time to get organized. There are thousands of articles about how to create an outline online, but this does not have to be a big, formal process. The goal here is to get your notes from the research and reflection steps placed in a logical order that will take your reader from the introduction to the conclusion, leaving them convinced that you will be a great fit for the program.

Generally, you will want to hook your reader in the introduction. This is a great place to share a story that relates to your “why” for pursuing counseling and/or the program. Your body paragraphs will continue on what you have set up in the introduction, giving evidence of why the reviewers should admit you to the program. And then finally, you will wrap everything up in your conclusion.

Take your time with the outline to ensure you are hitting the points you want to cover within the ideal page range. For the William & Mary person statement, we are looking for two to three pages.

You may be surprised how fast this step can go if you have given ample attention to the proceeding steps. With your notes and outline in hand, sit down and tie everything together into a cohesive paper. You have already made it through your undergraduate career (or are in the home stretch to graduation). Lean on the skills you have used to write your papers up until now and trust yourself.

Generally, write your personal statement at a time and in an environment that is conducive to getting the words on to the page. Do you write better at night, or are you more of an early bird? Do you need silence when writing, or do you thrive in a busy cafe while listening to your favorite music? Set yourself up for success in the drafting process and know that getting started is often the most challenging part.

Reviewing your draft can be broken down further into two parts: 1. Reviewing for content, and 2. Reviewing for spelling and grammar.

Enlist someone you trust, whether it be a friend, family member, colleague or supervisor, to review the content itself. Do your ideas make sense and flow and in logical order? Can the reader follow your thoughts? Is the takeaway clear? The reviewer can pinpoint areas where you might have missed a key part of the prompt or did not explain yourself very well. If you are struggling with a certain section, talking through it can be a big help.

Once you have the content nailed down, it is time to proofread. You do not want to leave any careless errors on the page. If you do not consider spelling and grammar as strengths, enlist the help of someone you trust to handle this part of the review. It can be the same person who read for the content review, or someone entirely new. Fresh eyes never hurt when it comes to proofreading. When faculty and administrators read a personal statement, they want to see true excitement and a strong level of professionalism without being distracted by errors.

6. Finalize

Charles “Rip” McAdams, professor of Counselor Education at William & Mary, explained what faculty members are looking for when reviewing an applicant’s personal statement: “The goal is to determine if an applicant's decision to pursue graduate education in counseling reflects a realistic understanding of the professional counselor's role, as well as a genuine commitment to engaging in the rigorous academic and clinical preparation that will be required.”

If you feel you have demonstrated this in your statement, it is time to stop writing. You have put in the work, and after one final proof, your personal statement is ready to be sent off with the rest of your application.

Set Yourself Up for a Successful Application Process

As you prepare to apply for William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling , know that our admissions outreach advisors are always on standby to answer your questions, clarify admissions requirements and review the list of materials we need from you. We have also compiled a number of resources to set you up for success throughout this process.

Visit the main admissions page to find the requirements. Check out our step-by-step How to Apply guide , which walks you through the process of applying through our online portal. You can also view the admissions timeline to get a better idea of how long the application process may take. Additionally, here is a blog post to help you consider what time of year you might want to start your graduate school journey.

We compiled a helpful list of admissions FAQs to assist in this process, but please reach out if you run into any questions. You can schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor here .

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Effective Guide: Personal Statement for Mental Health Counseling

Table of Contents

A personal statement is a reflection of a person’s life and experiences. A personal statement for mental health counseling should be no different. It showcases your skills, values, and motivations while providing insight into your thinking process.

This document highlights why you are interested in becoming a mental health counselor. This document can also give potential employers an idea of the type of individual they could be working with. As a result, it may increase their interest in interviewing you.

This article provides an effective example of a personal statement for mental health counseling. It also offers tips to help you draft one that draws the reader’s attention.

What Is a Personal Statement for Mental Health Counseling?

A personal statement for mental health counseling is a document to set out your reasons and qualifications for wanting to become a counselor. This document can provide admission committees with insights into an applicant’s motivations, experience, and professional goals . A well-crafted statement can be instrumental in helping an individual secure admission into a graduate program in counseling.

How Do You Write a Mental Health Personal Statement?

A personal statement focuses on the purposes of your mental health counseling skills, academic and experience background, and how they relate. It also highlights your career goals that are related to mental health counseling. When writing your personal statement for mental health counseling, keep the following tips in mind:

Be As Specific As Possible

Think about what has led you to want to become a counselor. Highlight why you are interested in working with people who experience mental health challenges. Be specific!

Highlight Your Experiences

Focus on your experiences (both academic and professional) that have prepared you to work with this population. What did you learn from these experiences? How did they help shape your understanding of mental health?

Provide Real-Life Examples

Use concrete examples from your own life to illustrate how you have been affected by or interacted with people who experience mental illness. This will help convey that you understand firsthand the struggles faced by those living with a mental illness.

Keep Your Tone Polite and Non-Judgmental

Make sure your tone is respectful and compassionate throughout the entire statement. Mental health can be sensitive, so it’s essential to come across as supportive and non-judgmental.

Personal Statement Example for Mental Health Counseling

Below are two examples of a mental health counseling personal statement that you can use to write your own:

I have always been passionate and eager to learn more about mental health counseling. Having experienced depression and anxiety first-hand, I understand the importance of seeking professional help. I believe in utilizing evidence-based practices to help individuals cope with mental health challenges.

My interest in mental health counseling began while I was an undergraduate at UCLA. I took a course on abnormal psychology there, which sparked my curiosity about how people experience mental illness. In addition to pursuing my education in psychology, I have also gained extensive experience working with diverse populations within clinical settings. I worked in outpatient clinics and schools in the inner city of Los Angeles area communities where resources are scarce. This hands-on clinical training and my academic background uniquely prepare me for a career in mental health counseling.

Beyond possessing the necessary skill set, what drives me to pursue this field is the privilege it affords me to connect with others. It helps me build trusting relationships that can foster change down the road. It’s incredibly fulfilling for me to see clients make progress and reach their goals. It might be overcoming major life transitions or managing chronic conditions like depression or anxiety disorders.

After years of exploring options, it became evident that becoming certified as a counselor would allow me to provide personalized care using my skills. As I study at [university name], I hope to use the knowledge I have accumulated over the years to better understand mental health counseling. I picked this path to realize a lifelong dream of mine: being one of the top mental health counselors.

I would like to pursue a Master’s degree in Counseling at [University Name] with an emphasis on Mental Health. I firmly believe that counseling is one of the most effective ways to help people struggling with mental health issues.

My interest in this field began during my undergraduate studies. I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for a professor who studied schizophrenia. This experience gave me valuable insight into the different aspects of mental illness and how they impact patients and their families. It was also during this time that I realized how passionate I am about helping people with these kinds of challenges.

In addition to my academic background, I have extensive experience working directly with clients suffering from various mental illnesses. For years, I worked as a case manager for an organization that provides support services to mentally ill adults living independently in the community. In this role, I was responsible for assessing each client’s needs and developing individualized care plans accordingly. In many cases, this involved providing counseling services myself.

I feel confident that my skills and experiences make me well-suited for a career in mental health counseling. But even more importantly, I am passionate about providing significant assistance to those suffering from mental illness. And I eagerly wish to pursue a Master’s degree in Mental health counseling at [University Name] to be more competent in the field.

To get your spot in a coveted counseling program or job, you need to write an effective personal statement in the application process. This article provides valuable tips and examples to help you craft a personal statement that impresses the admission committee.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Personal Statement of Purpose for Counseling Psychology PhD and PsyD Applications

All counseling psychology doctoral (PhD or PsyD) programs require applicants to submit one or more written essays about why the applicant is interested in and qualified to enter that graduate program.

Each program calls these essays by different names, including “Personal Statement”, “Statement of Interest”, “Statement of Purpose”, “Statement of Professional Goals”, “Career Goals Statement”, “Personal Essay”, and various combinations of those terms. Programs may have you write a single statement or multiple statements (e.g., Personal Statement plus a Diversity Statement).

Writing a good statement is one of the hardest parts of applying to counseling or clinical psychology graduate programs.

One of the things that makes it hard to apply is the ambiguity and mystery that surrounds statements: what should I talk about? How long should it be? Do I talk about my experiences and interests in research, applied psychology (e.g., helping others by being a supportive listener), working with diverse groups of people, or what?

To help prospective applicants to counseling psychology doctoral programs, members of the HAMMER Lab analyzed what programs told applicants they should write about in their statement.

Check out our Counseling Psychology PhD and PsyD Personal Statement of Purpose Questions google spreadsheet to see the detailed analysis. See the bottom of this page for how we went about collecting data.

Before we review the take-home points of our analysis below, a brief reminder: be sure to check out my other  Psych Grad School  resources using the menu above, such as  Graduate School Advice ,  Counseling Psychology Faculty Research Interests List ,  Best Doctoral Programs in Counseling Psychology , and  What the Ideal Graduate School Applicant Looks Like .  I also recommend completing the  Mental Health Professions Career Test , which will give you interest scores on 21 different mental health occupations, including counseling psychology and clinical psychology. Lastly, if you are an undergraduate student, consider applying for my  Social Justice Advocacy Internship .

Take-Home Points

Below are the key results from our analysis, the take-home points that every applicant should keep in mind:

• Most programs provide provide a suggested or required statement page or word length in their instructions. The most common request is 2-3 single-spaced pages . On the shorter end, some programs restrict applicants to 500 words maximum.
• 90% of the counseling psychology doctoral programs we sampled (N=50) instruct applicants to talk about their professional goals and career aspirations. In other words, no matter what programs you apply to, you should discuss this in your statement. Specifically, you should talk about your professional goals and how getting the specific doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) at that specific program (given the unique strengths and opportunities afforded by that program) will facilitate these goals.
• 52% instruct applicants to talk about their background and relevant experiences but may not clearly specify the type of experiences the applicants should discuss. (Many programs do specify the type of experience to talk about; see bullet points below.) As a rule of thumb, when applying to PhD programs, you should be ready to discuss research, applied (i.e., helping, listening, counseling, clinical), and multicultural experiences. When applying to PsyD programs, you should prioritize discussing applied and multicultural experiences (you can mention research too, especially if that program specifically requests it).
• 52% instruct applicants to clearly indicate why they want a counseling psychology doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) specifically. In other words, why not a clinical psychology degree, counseling psychology master’s degree, or a master’s in social work degree instead? Some PhD programs often want to know why you are specifically interested in the PhD instead of a PsyD (and vice versa). Even when a program does not ask you to address this specifically, I recommend always discussing how that particular degree will help you work toward your career goals.
• 59% of PhD programs (13% of PsyD program) instruct applicants to talk about why they are interested in that program specifically (versus similar programs at other institutions across the country). As a faculty member at University of Kentucky’s counseling psychology PhD program, I understand that people who apply to our program are also applying to other programs. (I always advise students to apply to 7 to 10 programs across the country that fit their professional goals, since getting into a given doctoral program is hard and you need to apply to multiple programs to maximize your chances of being offered admission.) However, even if an applicants is applying elsewhere, I still want to know “why us?”. I want to know that the applicant has carefully considered the strengths and opportunities that our program has to offer and has applied because of those unique attributes. If an applicant does not mention specific aspects of our program, then I don’t know if they are truly interested in our program or are just treating us as a “safety school” or “backup plan”. Since finding the right graduate program is more about “fit” between applicant and program rather than “being the best applicant”, I want to hear how the applicant sees themselves uniquely fitting with our program. Thus, even when not asked explicitly to address this, I recommend always discussing what attracts you to that particular program.
• 41% of PhD programs (13% of PsyD programs) instruct applicants to talk about their research interests. This serves two purposes. First, because PhD programs train students to be both scientists and practitioners (and some also train people to be advocates), the doctoral admissions committee want to see that a student has thoughtful research interests (not too broad, not too specific, and sufficiently flexible given that students are still early in their professional development) and is serious about wanting to get additional research training as a doctoral student. Second, some PhD programs prefer to admit students whose research interests overlap with the research interests of one or more program faculty members. More on that in the next bullet point. I recommend always discussing your research interests when applying to PhD programs even if not explicitly asked to do so by the program’s application instructions.
• 27% of PhD programs (0% of PsyD programs) instruct applicants to talk about how their research interests fit with the research interests of specific program faculty members. These programs tend to use an “apprenticeship model of research mentorship”, meaning that doctoral students apply to work under a specific core faculty member in that program, who will work closely with them to train them in the theories and techniques used to do research on the topics of interest to that faculty member. The expectation usually is that the student will help that professor out with the professor’s program of research while the student is enrolled in the program (and that the professor will help the student start to build the student’s own line of research, which will usually be topically related to the professor’s line of research). Therefore, programs that use this apprenticeship model often value selecting an applicant for admission based, not only on that student’s fit with the wider program, but on how well that student fits with a particular professor’s research team. Our counseling psychology PhD program at the University of Kentucky uses this apprenticeship model and this is why we explicitly ask all applicants to pick one (two at the most) professors with whom they could fit research-interest-wise. However, while only 24% of programs explicitly instructed applicants to address research fit with a professor, some programs implicitly expect you to address this . This is part of the “hidden curriculum” of graduate school–sometimes people expect you to know certain things, but you won’t unless you have a mentor who clues you in to this insider knowledge (or you happened to read it on the internet or a how-to guide). The tricky part is that you won’t always know if a given program wants you to talk about research fit with a professor. When the program’s website or application instructions does not provide clear guidance, I recommend that you make a case in your statement for how your research interests fit well with the research interests of one (maybe 2) of the professors in that program. Bear in mind that some programs do not use an apprenticeship model and instead select students based on overall fit with the program rather than research fit (they will often make this clear on their website/instructions), in which case you don’t have to spend time in your statement articulating research fit.
• 24% of PhD programs (13% of PsyD programs) instruct applicants to talk about their research experiences and qualifications. Even if a given PhD program does not explicitly request this information, you should always talk about this, as it’s an implicit expectation. However, make sure you are not just restating the information you listed under the “research experiences” section of your CV.
• 16% instruct applicants to talk about their past experiences with diverse people or cultures. However, even when a program does not explicit ask for this, I do recommend that you talk about this when discussing past research/applied/professional experiences. My anecdotal experience suggests that most programs like to see evidence in your application that you have experience working and/or living alongside people who share both cultural similarities and differences from you in terms of race/ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, (dis)ability, religion, etc. However, because some people grew up in culturally homogeneous places (surrounded by people with similar cultural identities), what’s even more important than past experience with diversity is a genuine desire moving forward to (1) learn about yourself as a cultural being with multiple identities that may carry privilege and marginalization, (2) learn to work productively with colleagues and clients who are both similar and different from yourself, and (3) learn about how interlocking systems of power influence your life and the lives of others (e.g., racism, sexism).
• 16% instruct applicants to talk about their interests, beliefs, aspirations, and/or contributions to social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, etc. This is related but different from the “past experiences with diversity” aspect mentioned above. These pieces go beyond past experience and capture what you value and how you (plan to) contribute to making the world a more just place. This is increasingly at the heart of counseling psychology as a specialty. As with the prior bullet point, even though a minority of programs explicitly instruct applicants to address this in their statement, my anecdotal experience is that most programs want to see you incorporate this into how you talk about your experiences and goals related to both research and practice.
• 26% instruct applicants to talk about their past applied (i.e., helping, listening, counseling, clinical) experience. All counseling psychology doctoral programs train their graduate students to be talk therapists, which requires being a good listener, showing empathy, problem solving abilities, a willingness to tolerate ambiguity, an openness to both positive and constructive feedback, and demonstrating cultural humility and sensitivity. To determine which applicants show promise as future psychotherapists and would therefore be suitable for admission into the doctoral program, one thing we consider is your past applied experience. Faculty want to see that you have (1) some practice with basic helping skills, (2) at least one letter of recommendation from a supervisor of one of your helping experiences that states that your helping skills are good and that you show promise as a future talk therapist, and (3) a clear track record of wanting to further develop your helping skills by seeking out relevant opportunities. Talking about your past applied experience in your statement is one way we can gather evidence about #1 and #3.
• 25% of PsyD programs (6% of PhD programs) instruct applicants to talk about their theoretical orientation, their understanding of mental illness, and/or their understanding of how people heal and change. An applicant’s answer to these questions can provide hints to faculty about how sophisticated that applicant’s clinical abilities may be. These are hard questions to answer well without having taken graduate-level therapy coursework, and more sophistication will be expected of applicants who would be joining the doctoral program after having completed a talk-therapy-related master’s degree than would be expected of applicants who joined the doctoral program after having completed only a bachelor’s degree. Most programs do not ask about this topic and there is not an implicit expectation on behalf of programs that you address this in your statement.
• 16% instruct applicants to talk about their professional strengths and/or weaknesses. Most programs do not ask about this topic and there is not an implicit expectation on behalf of programs that you address this in your statement. For those programs that do, remember that you need to strike a balance between “selling yourself” appropriately in terms of strengths and not sounding arrogant when doing so. Likewise, some weaknesses are going to be socially acceptable (e.g., typical areas of growth for new graduate students like managing mild perfectionism) whereas others will cast a shadow on your application (e.g., poor interpersonal skills, cultural insensitivity, difficulty with time management, difficult with autonomous functioning), even if they are true. While you might not need to talk about strengths and weaknesses in your statement, it’s likely you’ll have to talk about this during interviews, so make sure to put some thought into this before going on interviews.
• 38% of PsyD programs (10% of PhD programs) instruct applicants to address how the program will benefit them. This question is a combined way of asking the 3 questions of “What are your professional goals?” and “Why do you want a _____ degree specifically” and “Why are you interested in our program specifically?”. Regardless of whether a program explicitly asks this or not, there is an implicit expectation that your statement always address how your completing this chosen program will bring you closer to achieving your career goals.

In regard to our data collection strategy, our team used APA’s list of accredited counseling psychology doctoral programs (both PhD and PsyD, both counseling psychology and “combined” programs, N=84 at the time of data collection in September of 2019). We navigated to each program’s “how to apply” page to look at what instructions they provided regarding what the student should talk about in their statement(s). We copied and pasted this information into in the Counseling Psychology PhD and PsyD Personal Statement of Purpose Questions google spreadsheet. You’ll notice that we de-identified what instructions come from which program, as the point of this analysis is to get an overall snapshot, rather than to learn about a specific program (you’ll want to see the program website for that info). Some programs did not provide this information on their website but required applicants to create an account in the application portal in order to access the instructions; for our purposes, we did not include these programs in the analysis. Thus, readers should bear in mind that our analysis is based on a subset of programs that is not guaranteed to be representative of all programs. Our final sample was N=50, of which n=42 were PhDs and n=8 were PsyDs. We analyzed the set of instructions to look for topical themes (e.g., career goals), which we then coded for across programs so that counts and percentages could be created. We also calculated descriptive statistics broken down by program type (PhD vs PsyD).

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Counselling psychology personal statement example.

As I sit here at my desk, trying to figure out how to write a brilliant essay to be better recognized throughout this application process, I have come to realise that this is what life is about.

We are all given a blank sheet in the beginning. What we choose to put on this blank sheet determines our outcome. The life experiences that have “filled my pages” have shaped me into who I am today. My endurance of difficult times and my willingness to persevere in the face of obstacles makes me unique.

I come from a single parent home. My parents have been divorced since I was two years old. My father stepped in when he had to throughout my childhood, but it was my mother who raised me.

I remember numerous days living in one room, wondering “How long life will be like this?” and “Why does everyone else have a completed family and living in one area?”. All while my mother and I moved to numerous locations in an attempt to survive in the face of divorce.

During this time, I attended an elementary school where I was placed in a special education program. Teachers and rest of the staff told my mother that I had a learning disability and my knowledge capacity was limited. She never believed them. My mother believed that I was capable of doing anything. She never gave up on me. She believed in me.

As soon as I was given an opportunity in the main stream I never looked back. I set out to prove those who doubted me wrong with every chance I was given. And now, I am able to say that I will be a college graduate in six months. It is both a personal triumph as well as for my family.

When I first entered the university setting after community college I had a rough time at first. It was my first time being away from home.

Additionally, there were many family issues occurring at the time. As such, my marks did not reflect my full potential. But as my transcript shows, my grades steadily improved every semester and will continue to do so on a graduate level if allowed to continue.

I have a diverse ethnic background. This enables an understanding my part regarding the social issues that are so pertinent today. I am part El Salvadorian and part Irish.

The community that I am from on Long Island, New York, was extremely diverse and full of people from different social classes. Having many diverse groups in one community paves the way for discrimination, which I unfortunately experienced in my childhood. However, because of my background, I have a much needed perspective.

I have a deep understanding of discrimination as well as an interest in learning more about racism and how it has developed. I am hoping to work with families of different ethnic backgrounds because I feel my past experiences and my college education have helped me to understand the challenges that minorities face, and a great understanding of how a culture affects a way of life along with family values.

I am also extremely family oriented. I utilised these skills during the difficult times of my own childhood when they were desperately needed. Divorce is a family issue. I want to extend help to families in similar situations.

I believe I am right for the Counseling/Psychology field. I believe that my life experiences have given me the compassion needed. I am passionate to help people. I know I can make a difference if given the chance.

Syracuse University is clearly the place to start. The “Family and Marriage Therapy Program” at Syracuse University will help me to pursue my dream.

I know this is a great institution full of great faculty that will provide me the tools I need to pursue such a career. As this Marriage Family and Marriage Therapy Program” is recognised as a culturally sensitive therapy, there is a great connection between what is offered and what I would like to accomplish with my education and career.

My overall goal is to pursue a PhD after completing the Master Program. I hope to one day open my own psychology practice.

I know if given the chance I can achieve much and help many.

All I need is for someone to believe. I won't let you down.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by esjojo23 for application in 2008.

esjojo23's Comments

just looking for some feedback.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Sun, 13/01/2008 - 14:08

Very personal. i thought it was quite good though, i believed all u said was genuine. Did You get in?

Great job.... but also

Sat, 26/01/2008 - 03:50

Great job.... but also wondering did you get in?

Heartfelt statement

Fri, 28/03/2008 - 23:24

I think you did a great job. Your were honest, as everyone should be but yet it did not come off as if you were laying it on thick. So did they at least contact you for an interview?

a little self pitying and (i

Tue, 12/08/2008 - 14:40

a little self pitying and (i know it's a personal statement) but this i felt this was too personal. but at least it's original! i hope you are doing the course you wanted and are enjoying Uni life

Sat, 25/10/2008 - 11:53

I'd take you in if i'm the admission tutor. Your PS is genuine and it shows you have deep interest in the course.

Tue, 16/12/2008 - 18:33

After reading your personal statement i feel more inspired. Your statement was very inspirational and has helped me get through tryin to write my own for couselling. I hope u reach where u would like 2b when in the future because u deserve it.

God Bless U XX

I thought that the opening

Tue, 08/09/2009 - 21:40

I thought that the opening was pretty good although it sounded like it belonged more in a philosophy statement. Maybe you should study philosophy instead.

Tue, 23/07/2013 - 22:29

I think this is a real great article post.Really thank you! Fantastic.

Add new comment

100+ Grad School Personal Statement Examples

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field | personal statements samples by university.

In this Article

Importance of a Strong Personal Statement

Purpose of this blog post, length and format, tone and style, general tips for success, computer science and engineering, economics and finance, management and business, healthcare and medicine, environment and sustainability, public affairs, international relations and politics, architecture, arts and film, mathematics and statistics, religion and philosophy, phd personal statement examples, scholarship & fellowship personal statements, word count-specific personal statements, prompt-specific grad school personal statements examples, academic achievements and experiences, research experiences, work and internship experiences, volunteer and community service, personal growth and overcoming challenges, future goals and career aspirations, research the program and faculty, emphasize alignment with program objectives, highlight unique program offerings, overused phrases and clichés , excessive self-praise, lack of focus or organization, consulting mentors, and advisors, incorporating feedback and refine, introduction.

A personal statement is essential in the graduate school application process, as it plays a significant role in shaping the admissions committee’s perception of you. In fact, a survey conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools revealed that 64% of graduate admissions officers consider the personal statement to be the most crucial factor in the admissions process. Furthermore, according to a study by Kaplan Test Prep, a well-crafted personal statement can boost an applicant’s chances of acceptance by up to 50%.

The personal statement’s importance stems from its ability to create a lasting impression on the admissions committee. 

Consider this: the admissions committee (adcom) does not know you personally. They have never met or spoken to you, nor have they ever interviewed you. They only know you through quantifiable aspects such as your GPA, test scores, and work experience. However, they lack insight into your thought processes, aspirations, background, and personal experiences. In essence, they need to connect with you on a personal level. The personal statement serves as a bridge, enabling the adcom, who are human beings themselves, to gain insight into your personality, motivations, and aspirations beyond your grades and test scores.

Time and again, adcoms at top universities emphasize the critical role of personal statements in their decision-making process. Drafting a personal statement is your opportunity to market yourself, showcasing your unique qualities and demonstrating your genuine interest in their program. By investing time and effort into creating a powerful personal statement, you can significantly enhance your chances of securing a place in your desired graduate program.

In this blog post, I will be sharing over 100 authentic graduate school personal statement examples from successful applicants across the globe who have secured admission to prestigious programs in the United States and across the world.

These samples encompass a wide range of fields, including MBA, Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Social Work, and originate from esteemed institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. You will find examples of personal statements for various degrees, including MSc, MA, LLM, Residency, MBA, and PhD programs. You will also find examples of statements written by applicants who obtained fellowships, and scholarships. By sharing these diverse examples, I aim to achieve the following goals:

• Inspiration and guidance: I want to provide you guys with a wide range of personal statement examples to serve as inspiration and offer guidance for making your own statements.
• Addressing common topics: These samples will cover all the common personal statement elements, helping you understand how to effectively discuss your academic achievements, research experiences, work history, volunteer work, personal growth, and future goals.
• Tips for success: The post will also provide helpful tips on tailoring personal statements to specific graduate programs, avoiding common pitfalls, and seeking feedback to improve the final draft.
• Empowerment: Ultimately, the goal of sharing these for free is to empower you guys to create compelling and unique personal statements that will increase your chances of being accepted into your dream graduate program.

By providing this comprehensive resource, I hope to demystify the personal statement writing process and equip you with the tools and inspiration necessary to craft a captivating narrative that reflects your unique journey and aspirations. 

Personal Statement Basics

When writing your personal statement, it’s crucial to pay attention to three key areas: length and format, tone and style, and general tips for success.

It’s important to create a well-structured personal statement that adheres to the specified word count and follows proper formatting guidelines. Some programs, particularly MBA programs, might not request a single personal statement. Instead, they may pose several questions and require you to write a brief essay for each one. Such programs typically break down a personal statement into multiple short questions, expecting essay responses tailored to each query. 

As a result, it’s crucial to carefully read the guidelines before you start writing, as students often mistakenly create a single personal statement and try to tweak it for various programs without realizing that different requirements exist. By doing so, they lose time and waste considerable effort and energy. 

Adhering to instructions and responding appropriately will leave a positive impression on the admissions committee. To accomplish this, consider these key aspects:

• Word count: Most graduate programs provide guidelines on the desired length of personal statements, typically ranging from 500 to 2,000 words.Adhere to these limits to show that you can follow instructions and communicate concisely.
• Formatting: Use a clear and easy-to-read font (e.g., Times New Roman or Arial) at a standard size (e.g., 11 or 12 points) with 1-inch margins. Ensure your document is well-organized with paragraphs and headings where appropriate.
• Structure: Start with a strong opening paragraph that hooks the reader, followed by body paragraphs addressing the key topics, and conclude with a memorable closing paragraph that reinforces your main points. This structure will ensure a cohesive and engaging narrative that effectively communicates your experiences and aspirations to the admissions committee.

In terms of tone and style, your personal statement should strike a balance between professionalism and authenticity to effectively convey your unique experiences and perspective. To accomplish this, consider the following aspects:

• Professional and confident: Adopt a professional tone in your writing, using clear, concise language. Be confident in presenting your accomplishments without being overly boastful.
• Authentic and personal: Avoid overly formal or academic language that may make your writing feel impersonal. Showcasing your authentic self will help the admissions committee connect with you on a personal level.
• Engaging storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to make your personal statement more engaging and memorable. This can include anecdotes, vivid descriptions, and a strong narrative structure. Starting with a quote that is relevant to your story is also a good way to begin your personal statement.

Lastly, adhering to tried and tested tips can greatly improve your personal statement, ensuring you present a polished and compelling narrative that effectively showcases your strengths and aspirations to the admissions committee. Some general advice is as follows::

• Start early: Give yourself ample time to brainstorm, write, revise, and seek feedback on your personal statement. On average. Grad school applicants spend 20+ hours in perfecting a personal statement of 1000 words. Moreover, they have their personal statement reviewed and redrafted 5 times on average.  
• Be focused and organized: Clearly structure your personal statement, addressing the main topics and ensuring your narrative flows logically from one point to the next. A well-organized statement will demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and coherently.
• Proofread and edit: Carefully review your personal statement for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Use free tools like grammarly to remove any unwanted errors in your writing.
• Seek feedback: Share your personal statement with your mentors, or peers, to gather valuable feedback. I especially recommend that you show your essay to someone who has already gone through the process successfully as they know the ins and outs well. Then, incorporate this feedback to refine and strengthen your final draft.

To help you get started and see everything that I just discussed in action, here is a list of 100+ personal statement examples from successful graduate school applicants.

Grad School Personal Statement Examples by Field of Study

• Example Personal Statement Computer Science (Admitted to Oxford with Low GPA )
• Example Personal Statement Computer Science (Admitted to Stanford )
• Example Personal Statement Computer Science (Admitted to Cambridge PhD )
• Example Personal Statement Artificial Intelligence (Admitted to UCLA)
• Example Personal Statement Machine Learning (Admitted to Duke )
• Example Personal Statement Data Science and Analytics (Admitted to CMU )
• Example Personal Statement Data Analytics (Admitted to Georgia Tech )
• Example Personal Statement Advanced Analytics (Admitted to NCSU )
• Example Personal Statement Mechanical Engineering (Admitted to USC , Imperial )
• Example Personal Statement Economics (Admitted to LSE )
• Example Personal Statement Economics (Admitted to Oxbridge )
• Example Personal Statement Finance (Admitted to MIT Sloan )
• Example Personal Statement Financial Engineering (Admitted to UC Berkeley )
• Example Personal Statement Financial Engineering (Admitted to UCLA )
• Example Personal Statement Accounting & Finance (Admitted to Michigan University)
• Example Personal Statement Investment Banking (Admitted to UPenn )
• Example Personal Statement (Admitted to Georgetown )
• Example Personal Statement (Admitted to Harvard LLM )
• Example Personal Statement (Admitted to Northwestern )
• Example Personal Statement (Admitted to NYU , Duke )
• 8 MBA Personal Statements (All IVY LEAGUES )
• Example BA Essays ( INSEAD )
• Example MBA Essays ( Kellogg Northwestern )
• Example Personal Statement Operations Management (Admitted to MIT PHD)
• Example Personal Statement Management (Admitted to Duke )
• Example Personal Statement Marketing (Admitted to NYU , Cornell )
• Example Personal Statement Business Analytics (Admitted to MIT , CMU )
• Example Personal Statement Management & Analytics (Admitted to LBS )
• Example Personal Statement Project Management (Admitted to UT Austin )
• Example Personal Statement Logistics & Supply Chain (Admitted to Boston . Penn State )
• Example Personal Statement Supply Chain Management (Admitted to MIT )
• Example Personal Statement Teaching ( Scholarship US State Department)
• Example Education Personal Statement (Admitted to UPenn , NYU , UCLA )
• Example Personal Statement Education Policy (Admitted to USC )
• Example Personal Statement Special Education Teacher (Admitted to TUFTS )
• Example Personal Statement of an Aspiring Teacher (Admitted to American University )
• Example Personal Statement Residency in Internal Medicine (Admitted to ASU )
• Example Personal Statement Counseling (Admitted to Harvard , Yale )
• Example Personal Statement Psychology (Admitted to NYU Steinhardt)
• Example Personal Statement Nursing (Admitted to Duke , Ohio)
• Example Personal Statement Public Health (MPH) (Admitted to Columbia , Emory)
• Example Personal Statement Social Work (MSW) (Admitted to Columbia )
• Example Personal Statement Veterinary (Admitted to UC Davis , CSU , Edinburgh)
• Example Personal Statement Biochemistry (Admitted to Johns Hopkins )
• Example Personal Statement Biology (Admitted to JHU )
• Example Personal Statement Anthropology (Admitted to Stanford )
• Example Personal Statement Environment and Sustainability (admitted to Stanford , CALTECH )
• Example Personal Statement Environmental Sustainability and Energy Management (Admitted to Yale , Duke )
• Example Personal Statement International Relations (Admitted to Columbia , Cornell )
• Example Personal Statement Political Science (Admitted to Duke , UCLA , NYU )
• Example Personal Statement Public Administration MPA (Admitted to Columbia , Harvard )
• Example Personal Statement Public Policy MPP (Admitted to Harvard , Brown , Erasmus Mundus Scholarship )
• Example Personal Statement Architecture (Admitted to Cambridge , Cornell , Yale )
• Example Personal Statement MFA (Admitted to New School and Rhode Island )
• Example Personal Statement in Filmmaking (Admitted to New York Film Academy )
• Example Personal Statement Fashion and Textile (Admitted to Parsons , Royal College of Arts )
• Example Personal Statement Math (Admitted to Oxbridge )
• Example Personal Statement Statistics (Admitted to NCSU , Cornell )
• Example Personal Statement Religious Studies (Admitted to Columbia , Harvard )
• Example Personal Statement 1 (Admitted to MIT )
• Example Personal Statement 2 (Admitted to Cambridge )
• Example Research Statement (Admitted to JHU )
• Example Statement of Research Interests (Admitted to Scripps )
• Example Statement of Objectives (Admitted to MIT )
• Example Personal StatemenT MS leading to Ph.D. (Admitted to Notre Dame )

These essays are written by applicants who are seeking financial aid or funding to support their graduate studies. In most cases, the program does not require a separate essay or application for the scholarship or fellowship, but in a few cases they do.

Most external donors do require a separate application such as the Fulbright program.

The purpose of these essays is to convince the selection committee that the applicant is the best candidate for the scholarship or fellowship.

• Scholarship Personal Statement Example (Won $250,000 Scholarship )
• Scholarship Personal Statement Example (Won Erasmus Mundus Scholarship )
• Fellowship Personal Statement Example (Won MIT Sloan Fellowship )
• Scholarship Personal Statement Example 1 (Won Fulbright Scholarship )
• Scholarship Personal Statement Example 2 (Won Fulbright Scholarship )

Word Count-Specific Personal Statements have a specific word count limit, which must be adhered to by the applicant. These are often required as part of graduate school applications, where the admissions committee wants to ensure that all applicants are providing the same amount of information and not exceeding or falling short of the specified word count.

Writing a word count-specific personal statement can be challenging, as applicants must balance providing enough detail to adequately convey their story and goals, while also being concise and staying within the specified limit. However, meeting the word count requirement is essential for demonstrating an applicant’s ability to communicate effectively, follow instructions, and prioritize information.

Here are a few examples of word-count specific personal statements.

• 100 Word Personal Statement Example
• 150 Word Personal Statement Example
• 200 Word Personal Statement Example
• 250 Word Personal Statement Example
• 300 Word Personal Statement Example
• 400 Word Personal Statement Example
• 500 Word Personal Statement Example
• 600 Word Personal Statement Example
• 700 Word Personal Statement Example
• 750 Word Personal Statement Example
• 800 Word Personal Statement Example
• 1000 Word Personal Statement Example

Prompt specific personal statements are statements that are tailored to answer a specific question or prompt in a personal statement. These statements are typically used in graduate school applications, especially MBA apps. These essays usually have a word-limit as well.

The purpose of a question specific personal statement is to demonstrate to the admissions committee that the applicant has the skills, knowledge, and experience required to succeed in the program. By directly addressing the prompt or question, the applicant can provide a focused and coherent response that highlights their relevant qualities and accomplishments.

For example, if a prompt asks an applicant to discuss their leadership experience, a question specific personal statement would focus on describing specific instances where the applicant demonstrated leadership skills and qualities, such as problem-solving, decision-making, and effective communication.

Here are some samples on Question or Prompt Specific Personal Statements.

• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on Career Goals
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on Values that have Influenced You
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on Leadership
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on Describe a Challenge you Faced and How you Overcame it?
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on My Passion in Life
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement on Why do you want to become a doctor?
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 1 ( Responses to 6 Prompts for Fellowship)
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 2 ( Responses to 5 Prompts for Duke)
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 3 ( Responses to 3 Prompts for MIT)
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 4 ( Responses to 4 Prompts for LBS)
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 5 ( Responses to 4 Prompts for UC Berkeley)
• Prompt-specific Personal Statement Example 6 ( Responses to 4 Prompts for MIT)

Addressing Common Personal Statement Components

In this section, I will explore the various components that commonly make up a well-rounded personal statement.I have also discussed these in a lot more detail in a blog post here . In that post, I have also shared various examples of personal statements that show how you can put these components in an essay form. Furthermore, that blog post also introduces an 8-point framework designed to assist you in evaluating and rating your personal statement draft.

When applying for graduate programs that are academic in nature, such as PhD, Master of Science, or Master of Arts, it’s essential to emphasize your academic achievements and experiences in your personal statement. To effectively showcase your educational background, you can do the following:

• Highlight relevant coursework: Discuss courses that have prepared you for graduate study and demonstrate your passion for the subject.
• Showcase your academic accomplishments: Mention awards, honors, high GPA, or scholarships you’ve received, and explain their significance.
• Share influential academic experiences: Describe any conferences, workshops, or seminars you’ve attended, and explain how they’ve shaped your understanding of your field.

When applying for research-oriented programs such as PhD, post-doc, or research-based masters, it’s crucial to emphasize your research background, experiences, and achievements in your personal statement. To effectively highlight your research accomplishments, consider including the following in your personal statement:

• Describe your research projects: Outline the relevant research you’ve conducted, including the objectives, methodology, and results.
• Emphasize your role: Detail your specific contributions (co-contributor, co-author, lead researcher) to the research project, highlighting your skills and expertise.
• Discuss the impact: Explain how your research has contributed to the field (maybe you got published in a journal, got a patent or published a white paper). You can also discuss how it influenced your career goals.

When composing your personal statement, it’s a good idea to show your work and internship experiences, as they highlight your practical skills and dedication to your chosen field. These experiences are especially significant for those applying to professional programs such as MBA, Project Management, and Masters in Engineering. 

However, they can also add considerable value to applications for academic or research-based programs. To effectively emphasize your work experiences and their relevance to your graduate studies, take into account the following aspects:

• Detail relevant experiences: Discuss any internships, part-time jobs, or full-time positions related to your field, highlighting the skills you’ve gained.
• Demonstrate transferable skills: Show how your work experience has equipped you with valuable skills (e.g., teamwork, leadership, problem-solving) that can be applied to your graduate studies.
• Share meaningful moments: Describe any significant projects, accomplishments, or challenges you’ve encountered during your work experience that have shaped your perspective or goals.

In your personal statement, highlighting your volunteer and community service experiences can be a valuable addition, particularly for programs that emphasize social impact or community engagement, such as social work, public health, or education.

These experiences demonstrate your commitment to making a difference, and they showcase your ability to apply the skills and knowledge gained in real-world situations. Additionally, they reflect your extroverted nature, openness to new ideas, and willingness to engage with people from diverse backgrounds. 

Emphasizing your involvement in volunteer work and community service not only reveals your personal growth and alignment with your field of study but also highlights your ability to work collaboratively, appreciate different perspectives, and contribute positively to society. To give you some idea, you can demonstrate your service to the community by doing the following in your personal statement:

• Showcase your involvement: Discuss volunteer work, community service, or extracurricular activities you’ve participated in that are relevant to your field of study or personal growth.
• Emphasize personal growth: Describe the impact of these experiences on your personal development, such as gaining empathy, cultural competence, or leadership skills.
• Connect to your field: Explain how your volunteer or community service experiences relate to your graduate studies and future career aspirations.

By sharing the obstacles you’ve faced and the lessons you’ve learned from them, you demonstrate your resilience, adaptability, and motivation. Connecting these experiences to your academic and career goals will further emphasize your determination to succeed in your chosen field and your readiness for the rigors of graduate study. Here are some ideas to get you started with this:

• Share your story: Discuss any personal challenges or obstacles you’ve faced and how they’ve shaped your character, values, or motivations.
• Demonstrate resilience: Explain how you’ve overcome these challenges and what you’ve learned from the experience.
• Relate to your academic and career goals: Show how your personal growth and experiences have influenced your decision to pursue graduate studies and your future career aspirations.

Your personal statement should also address your future goals and career aspirations. You should discuss both your short-term (3-5 year) and long-term (10-15 year) goals in your grad school personal statement. 

Explain the motivation behind them, and connect these goals to the graduate program you’re applying to. This will show that you have a clear plan for your academic and professional journey, and that the program is an essential stepping stone toward achieving your goals. Here is a helping hand that will assist you include this element in your essay.

• Outline your short-term and long-term goals: Discuss your objectives for both your graduate studies and your future career, demonstrating a clear vision of your path.
• Explain your passion and motivation: Share the driving forces behind your goals, showcasing your enthusiasm and dedication to your field of study.
• Connect your goals to the graduate program: Illustrate how the specific graduate program you’re applying to will help you achieve your academic and career objectives.

Tailoring your Personal Statement for Specific Schools

One common mistake that applicants make is submitting a generic personal statement to multiple programs. This can significantly reduce their chances of admission. 

Universities appreciate when applicants have taken the time to research the specific program, courses, faculty, and research facilities, demonstrating genuine interest and effort. 

While it’s acceptable to have a core personal statement that outlines your personal story, achievements, and interests, it’s crucial to tailor part of the essay to the particular program you are applying to. By customizing your personal statement, you show the admissions committee that you’ve done your homework.

Here I have some suggestions for you that you can use to tailor your personal statement for the specific program.

To tailor your personal statement for specific schools, it’s essential to thoroughly research the program and faculty at each institution. This involves exploring the program’s curriculum, core and optional course offerings, summer internship placement opportunities, industry-affiliated projects that are available, faculty research interests, and the school’s overall reputation in your field. By understanding these aspects, you can demonstrate your genuine interest in the program and highlight how your background and goals align with the faculty and coursework offered.

Once you have a solid understanding of the program and faculty, emphasize the alignment between your own values, objectives, and the program’s values and objectives in your personal statement. This can include showcasing your commitment to the program’s core principles, highlighting your passion for the program’s focus areas, and demonstrating your enthusiasm for working with particular faculty members on research or projects that align with your interests.

Each graduate program may have unique offerings that set it apart from others, such as specialized courses, research centers, or industry partnerships. In your personal statement, highlight these distinctive features and explain how they will benefit you. By doing this, you show the admissions committee that you have carefully considered the program’s offerings and have a clear understanding of how they will contribute to your academic and professional growth.

Personal Statement Pitfalls to Avoid

When writing your personal statement, you should be watchful of common traps that can diminish the impact of your narrative. Avoiding these mistakes will help you create a nice, well-rounded and unique story that will stand out to the adcom.

I have also discussed these in a lot more detail in a blog post here . In that post, I have also shared various examples of personal statements that avoid these traps and some that fall for them.

Here are some critical pitfalls to avoid:

Avoid relying on common phrases or clichés in your personal statement. Nearly all the personal statement templates use clichés like, such as “I’ve always known that I wanted to…”, “I have a thirst for knowledge.”, “I want to give back to society.”, “Ever since I can remember…”. These can make your writing appear as copy paste, dull and boring. Instead, you should try to be creative and unique and use expressions that genuinely reflect your own individual experiences and motivations.

While it’s essential to showcase your achievements and strengths, be cautious not to overdo self-promotion. Overly boastful or self-aggrandizing language can be off-putting to the reader and you could come across as arrogant and self-conceited. Focus on presenting your accomplishments and experiences in a balanced and authentic manner, highlighting the impact and the lessons learned from them. In short, stay humble.

A disorganized or unfocused personal statement can make it difficult for the admissions committee to grasp your main points or understand your narrative. Ensure your personal statement is well-structured, with clear coherence between paragraphs and a logical progression of ideas. Stay focused on only talking about experiences that are relevant to your field of study. However, if you want to talk about something that you feel is important for the application but is not relevant to the chosen program, just touch upon it in your essay.

Again, I would recommend you to go through this post where I have delved deeper into the things you should avoid. Additionally, in that post I have also provided you with a 7-point framework that you can use to circumvent the common pitfalls often encountered in personal statements.

Seeking Feedback and Revising Your Personal Statement

Before submitting your personal statement, it’s essential to seek and incorporate feedback. Applicants who create successful personal statements spend 20 hours on average on creating the perfect essay. You should consult mentors, advisors, and peers, to refine your narrative. This section will guide you through the process of seeking feedback and making revisions to optimize your personal statement.

Seek input from individuals who know you well and have experience with the application process. I would also recommend that you should ask feedback from people who have successfully gone through the process in the past. Their feedback can help you identify areas for improvement, and ensure your narrative aligns properly.

After receiving feedback from various sources, take the time to thoughtfully consider their suggestions and incorporate them into your personal statement. Remember that not all feedback may be applicable or useful, so use your judgment to determine which revisions will enhance your narrative. Continue refining your personal statement through multiple drafts, ensuring your final version presents a polished and compelling story that showcases your strengths and aspirations.

I hope that these 100+ personal statement examples for graduate school and all the associated tips will provide you with the inspiration, guidance, and ideas you need to create a captivating narrative of your own. As you embark on this journey, remember that dedication, self-reflection, and resilience are key to putting up a persuasive narrative. Remember, there is no short-cut to success. Good luck, and we can’t wait to see where your academic journey takes you!

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Preparing your personal statement for graduate school applications

Nearly all doctoral programs and many master’s degree programs in psychology require submission of a personal statement as part of the application package. In my experience advising students as well as serving as a graduate dean for many years, few things in the application process cause students as much anxiety and prompt so many questions.

Why so much concern? Several reasons. First, what we generically call the personal statement goes by different names at different institutions: “statement of goals,” “purpose and interests” and a host of other terms. Second, institutions have varying requirements for length and specific topics. Third, you have to compose it from scratch, in contrast to your transcript (which the registrar sends), your letters of recommendation (which other people compose) and any required test scores (which the testing agency sends).

Here are answers to students’ four most common questions.

Is the personal statement important?

Absolutely yes. Summaries of research on what is important in the application process, particularly for doctoral programs, show that the statement of purpose plays a key role in admission decisions — often more important than such standbys as your GPA and GRE scores. Admission committees really do pay attention. Each program in APA’s (2018) Graduate Study in Psychology  provides a rating of the importance of the statement of purpose, so you can check for your target programs. This is where you display your:

• Fit with the program.
• Especially desirable qualifications.
• Clarity of plans.
• Writing skill. 

Do I use the same one for all?

Absolutely not. Customize your statement for each program to which you apply. Each program will provide a brief description of what it wants in the applicant’s statement of purpose, the length and topics. One program may want 500 words covering topics A, B and C. Another program may want 1,500 words covering topics A, B, D and E. Pay attention to these directives. If, as program director, I want the latter and you give me the former, you have just done yourself a great disfavor — and irritated me. If you are applying to many programs, make a little spreadsheet showing what each program wants in the statement. Then, cross-check your customized statements against your spreadsheet.

What do I include?

Despite the latter advice about customizing, many programs ask about similar topics. The most common topics include your professional/career plans, academic objectives related to a particular program, research experience and other applied experience (for example, internships). Doctoral programs (but not usually master’s programs) often ask for your interest in or fit with particular faculty members (just two or three — not everyone). Of course, that fit relates to your objectives and the faculty members’ areas of expertise/research.

Because these topics appear frequently in programs’ requests, a useful strategy calls for developing a boilerplate statement covering the latter topics. Thus, you don’t have to start from scratch for every program. Construct the boilerplate, the common statement, first. Get it in good shape. Then customize it as needed for different programs.

You should certainly have a paragraph or two focusing on what you want to do in terms of career goals, academic specialty and research interests. And sift through your experiences to see which might set you apart and make you especially attractive as a candidate. Perhaps you have a strong research record, an exceptionally meaningful field experience or a few advanced undergraduate courses. Maybe all three of these.

When writing about your goals and experiences, aim for precision and detail. Avoid generic statements (“I have a lot of research experience,” “I did an internship”). Provide details, as space permits. What exactly did you do in your research, and what did you learn from it? What did your internship entail, and, again, what did you learn from it?

While on the topic of what to include, let’s identify a few things to not include. Norcross and Sayette (2016) call these the 3 Hs: humor, hyperbole, hard luck . No jokes or funny stories in the personal statement. Watch out for hyperbole in your statement: I’m the most qualified; I had the greatest major; I never have interpersonal conflicts. And don’t describe your own depression, substance abuse or family turmoil. Appleby and Appleby (2007) included such items among their “kisses of death” for applicants’ personal statements.

Will you read it for me?

The answer will vary for different faculty members and your relationship with them, but many will be happy to help. Please, however, do not ask a faculty member to read your first rough draft. Get it cleaned up. No half-sentences, no typos. Your institution may have a writing center that will prove helpful. When you have it in pretty good shape, ask a faculty member for feedback. 

Finally, proofread your statement before hitting the submit button. Remember, it’s used partly to evaluate your writing skill.

Watch this free video series for more information on graduate school applications.

American Psychological Association. (2016). Graduate study in psychology: 2017 edition . Washington, D.C.: Author.

Appleby, D.C., & Appleby, K.M. (2007). How to avoid the kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Eye on Psi Chi, 11 (3), 20-21.

Norcross, J.C., & Sayette, M.A (2016). Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology: Revised 2016/2017 edition . New York: Guilford.

About the author

talks fertility & genetic counseling

• katieleecgc
• Oct 27, 2021

Personal Statements 101

Today on my YouTube channel, Katie Lee CGC Talks Genetic Counseling, I discuss tips to write an excellent personal statement for genetic counseling graduate school.

Check out my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBfljxcIvko

For many applicants, writing a personal statement is one of the most challenging steps of the application process. These three tips will help you get started with that pesky personal statement (or 10).

TIP #1 : BRAINSTORMING

The first and most important step to writing an impactful personal statement is identifying poignant examples to include. You should plan to spend at least a couple of hours brainstorming personal experiences that will illustrate how or why you will be an excellent genetic counselor. You should think about experiences that have taken place through working, volunteering, shadowing and in your personal life as well. You may identify experiences where something about genetic counseling really clicked for you or where you demonstrated a characteristic that will make you an excellent student of genetics or counselor, or perhaps an experience that you learned from that ties back into genetic counseling.

If you are preparing to apply for this cycle, set a timer for an hour and journal out some of the experiences that come to mind in detail. Repeat for another hour after taking a short break. Don’t skimp on your reflections of these experiences.

If you are applying in a future cycle, I recommend that you start a google doc or journal where you record relevant experiences that could be used in your personal statements. You will thank yourself later for having detailed experiences to use in your PS and interviews.

Check out my YouTube video for an example that I pulled from my experiences that I think would make for an impactful personal statement. The experience does not need to be groundbreaking, but you should demonstrate your self-reflection and what was learned or can be taken from the experience.

A very common mistake first time applicants make is that they simply summarize their CV in the personal statement. The personal statement should contain detailed and specific examples of experiences that may be included on your CV, but the details should be completely novel.

TIP #2 : RESPOND TO THE PROMPT

When writing your personal statement it is very important that you answer the specific prompt provided. Each GC program will provide a prompt which will include questions they want you to cover. Most programs will also list length and formatting requirements on their program website. For bonus fun some programs don’t list any requirements, which may mean a length is not specified. Check with the program if you have checked for this information at least three times and you cannot locate the details on their website.

Take a look below at three prompts from three GC programs for the 2022 application cycle. Notice that while the prompts certainly overlap, different programs have requested that you touch on slightly different topics. Stanford’s prompt asks that you describe future career plans; this is not mentioned in the Sarah Lawrence or Augustana prompts. Augustana’s prompt specifically asks about your exposure to genetic counseling and how the exposure has prepared you for a career in genetic counseling. SLC’s prompt is more general and requests that you describe any experiences that have shaped your interest in genetic counseling. So while the prompts all sound very similar on the first read through, many do guide you to write about specific examples and topics. Read carefully! You should not write one generic prompt and use it for all programs. However, you can write a generic prompt and modify the length, specific examples, and number of examples and make it work for most programs.

Stanford’s Prompt:

The Statement of Purpose should succinctly describe your reasons for applying to the genetic counseling program, your preparation for this field, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the review committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for genetic counseling. Please limit your personal statement to 2 pages. We prefer double spaced submissions.

Sarah Lawrence’s Prompt

Please submit a personal statement describing how your academic, extracurricular, and life experiences have shaped your interest in genetic counseling and prepared you to be successful both in graduate school and the profession.

Augustana’s Prompt

You must upload a personal statement--1250 words or less--highlighting your motivation to become a genetic counselor and emphasizing your prior and current experiences and exposure to genetic counseling, and how both have prepared you to enter and will benefit you in the profession.

TIP #3 : PICK EXPERIENCES THAT HELP YOU STAND OUT

Once you have your experiences listed and understand exactly what the prompts from your programs of interest are asking for, pick the experiences that set you apart the most from the average applicant while answering the prompt. Make sure you select experiences that help you stand out and display characteristics that make up a strong applicant.

HOW TO GET STARTED

I recommend pasting all of the prompts for your schools of interest in a google doc and outlining what you plan to touch on for each personal statement. If you can identify multiple prompts that are very similar in length and topics, group them together as one and refine after you get a draft down.

Once you have outlines for each prompt, start with whichever prompt feels the easiest. Copy and paste the most relevant experiences from the brainstorming/journaling session in step 1 and either expand or cut down the length and level of details depending on the prompt and the length requirements. Begin to think about how to make your personal statement a cohesive story with an introduction and conclusion as you edit the meat.

The hardest part of the personal statement is just

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Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Applying to dental school can feel daunting enough, let alone when you need to start your statement, but we're here to help you every step of the way. Inspira’s dental school personal statement database gives you an inside scoop on what top statements look like and offers inspiration to create a personal statement that stands out to the admissions office!

How Does the Dental School Personal Statement Examples Database Work?

To access our database, all you have to do is provide your name and a valid email address. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have access to +15 unique and successful dental school personal statement samples from the country's top schools. Whether you’re just beginning or working on your conclusion and don’t know how to bring your story full circle, this resource will benefit you.

Tips for Ensuring Your Statement is Impactful

Simply provide your first and last names and a valid email address to access our database.

Once submitted, you'll gain access to our successful vet school personal statement samples—a valuable resource to guide you in writing your own statement.

Take a look through our database and use these examples to create a personal statement that stands out to the admissions office!

Tips for Ensuring Your Statement is Impactful 

1. show, don't just tell.

Rather than simply listing your strengths or great qualities, demonstrate them through concrete examples and anecdotes. Show how you've applied your skills in situations, how you’ve grown from an experience and how these experiences have shaped your journey toward dental school.

2. Emphasize Your Distinctive Perspective

Within your personal statement, highlight what makes you stand out. Your first step is identifying your special qualities, experiences, or perspectives that will differentiate you from other applicants. Allow the admissions committee to get to know you on a human level.

3. Explicitly Address “Why Dentistry”

You must clearly articulate to the admissions committee why you want to become a dentist. Speak to the specific aspects that inspire you. This could look like providing comprehensive patient care, advancing dental research, or even advocating for equitable access to oral health to an underserved community or group.

Here are frequently asked questions about dental school personal statements.

1. What Should Be Included In A Dental School Personal Statement?

A dental school personal statement should explain why you are passionate about dentistry. It should also highlight relevant experiences demonstrating your readiness, understanding of the profession, and personal qualities that make you a strong candidate.

2. How Do Personal Experiences Enhance A Dental School Application?

Your personal experiences enhance a dental school application by demonstrating your commitment, responsibility, and passion. They provide concrete, authentic examples of your skills, character, and readiness for the challenges of dental school.

3. How Long Should A Dental School Personal Statment Be?

Your dental school personal statement should be double-spaced, one page long, and not exceeding 4,500 characters. It should give dental schools a clear understanding of who you are outside of the numbers and statistics.

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