The personal statement is important when you wish to be admitted to a graduate program or scholarship. When well written, this document provides essential information about the student, which should be written in a creative and thoughtful way. Since this part of the application process can be so crucial, you should write and refine it in depth before sending it. Notice that your personal statement must contain a maximum of 47 lines and 4,000 characters, so try to get to the point !

State a clear objective

The first paragraph of the personal statement should summarize all its content and give the reader a clear idea of what to expect in the rest of the document.

This first paragraph should contain only one to three sentences, in which you should indirectly indicate that you are submitting a personal statement for the program you have chosen.

Your introductory sentence could look like this example: “I am writing this letter to express my interest in XYZ University’s ABC program. ยป

Summarize your reasons

In the body of the personal statement, you must tell the admissions board why you think this university and its program are your best assets.

Consult the notes you have made on your motivations and qualifications.

Explain why you are the ideal student. Try to describe your previous academic and professional experiences in the program you are interested in. Provide factual information, but show how these facts have impacted your life.

Explain why you chose this university, program and location. Many university schools are more likely to accept student who are passionate or motivated. Explain how the content of the courses has fascinated you, strengthened your determination or curiosity.

Describe your career goals and explain why you think the program in question offers you the best opportunity to achieve them. You can refer to the main assets described in the programme form without quoting them directly.

Indicate what makes you interested in the university. If you are an international student, you must also explain why you want to study in the country you have chosen.

Describe your main qualifications

While demonstrating why you are the ideal student for the program, you will need to identify your academic experiences, personal qualities and other related experiences. Emphasize the points that most directly relate to the program itself.

Support your writing. Whenever you mention one of your qualities, you must qualify it in appropriate terms. It is very easy to say that you are a hard worker: you must rather prove it with examples of experiences.

Don’t brag. You should not go to great lengths to appear humble, but also avoid writing anything that gives the impression that you are arrogant or overconfident. To do this, focus mainly on concrete facts, without making a subjective analysis.

Reaffirm your point of view

In closing your personal statement, briefly repeat your willingness to follow the program before concluding.

The last paragraph should be about three sentences long. Reformulate your introductory line and summarize the main points covered in each paragraph in one sentence each.

Now that you know all the tips, all you have to do is put them into practice and create your own personalized personal statement!