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Personal Statements & Job Application Essays

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Advice and Perspective

  • Show 鈥� don鈥檛 tell!
    • This is by far the most important thing we can do!
    • This means not just saying who you are and what you have done, but demonstrating.
  • Be specific.
    • General phrases are vague, and could have been written by anyone.
    • Describing specifically what you鈥檝e done and what you鈥檝e learned breathes life into your writing 鈥� now it will speak with your unique voice.
  • Keep it recent.
    • Avoid mentioning (or if you must mention, avoid dwelling on) events and experiences that occurred earlier than the last 4 years.
    • Although it may seem like you were meant to be a doctor since you were five years old, the reviewing committee doesn鈥檛 want 5-year-olds in med school. Focus on the person you are now, and the recent experiences that have made you that person.
  • Give yourself room to breathe in early drafts.
    • Always write more to begin with: it is easier to trim a rich, expansive piece of writing than beef up a lean, skimpy one.
    • Write as if you鈥檙e writing in a journal that only you will see, not to a scary review committee. Again, you can always to edit your tone to be more formal later, but it will be harder to inject enthusiasm into a dry piece of writing.

Addressing Common Issues

A. If this sounds like you鈥�

  • 鈥淭his is totally different from what I鈥檝e done before.鈥�
  • 鈥淢y experiences have been really varied鈥揾ow do I make them organized and
    肠辞丑别谤别苍迟?鈥�

Try this in your writing鈥�

  • Selection: describe how exploring these other options and ultimately choosing not
    to continue with each has made you sure of what you are about to do now.
  • Synthesis: pick one part (e.g., skill) from each experience and describe how they
    come together to suit the new goal you鈥檙e aspiring to.

B. If this sounds like you鈥�

  • 鈥淲hen I read through, it feels like a list and not a story.鈥�
  • 鈥淚鈥檓 afraid of leaving out something important if I don鈥檛 talk about everything.鈥�

Try this in your writing鈥�

  • Highlighting: which of the things you list gets you the most excited? Focus on this one alone as the best example.
  • Reorganization: consider moving certain experiences from your statement to your resume or other materials you鈥檙e submitting.

C. If this sounds like you鈥�

  • 鈥淚 feel like I have to explain why I鈥檓 not doing something else.鈥�
  • 鈥淚 do care about this position, but one of my main motivations is money/the trip to
    Europe/another line on my resume/not knowing what else to do.鈥�

Try this in your writing鈥�

  • Tone Change: don鈥檛 defend your choices鈥搈otivate them. When you find a sentence that鈥檚 defensive or explanatory, edit the wording so you鈥檙e focusing on the positive, exciting side.
  • Motivation: it鈥檚 not unusual to be driven by many motives, some of which you wouldn鈥檛 want to say to a reviewer鈥檚 face. Step away from your draft and revisit the experiences that have excited you about this topic either privately on paper or in conversation with a friend, family member, or Writing Studio consultant can help you rediscover your finest motivations.

Last revised: November 2022 |聽Adapted for web delivery: November 2022

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