A personal statement is a required document in most graduate schools' admissions process. It is a statement in which you have the opportunity to sell yourself to the graduate school. Your personal statement (sometimes called a letter of intent or statement of purpose) is heavily scrutinized by the admissions commission, and will affect your acceptance to--or rejection from--that graduate institution. It is therefore critical to learn how to write a personal statement.

Your personal statement should address:

• What you want to study in the graduate program
• Why you want to study it
• What experience you have in the field
• Why you are qualified for this graduate school
• What you plan to do with the graduate degree once you receive it

Here are some tips and advice on writing personal statements:

• You Are Unique. One of the first keys to writing an effective personal statement is to understand that you are unique, and you must tell the graduate admissions department how you are unique. They want to know what makes you uniquely qualified to attend their graduate program. They don't want a cardboard cut-out or a robot--they want someone who stands apart from (and above) the other applicants. You must convey to them what separates you from everyone else.

• Theme-Based. Find a theme, or a "hook," that will tie your personal statement together. A theme can make a great frame upon which you can build your essay, whether it be a story, a unique quality about yourself, or an applied moral.

• Details. They say the devil is in the details. Yeah, the good kind of devil--the kind that will get you admitted to a graduate school! Don't talk in generalities; use specific stories and examples in your personal statement. Show--instead of tell--the points you are trying to make through specific details.

• Concise and to the Point. Avoid the drivel. Sometimes you can get lost in your statement of purpose. Stay focused. Concentrate on your theme.

• Tone. Make your personal statement energetic, upbeat, and smart. Dwell on the positives and your strengths. But don't be so "smart" as to be condescending in your essay.

• Proofread. Nothing says "Do not accept me into your graduate program" like a personal statement full of typos, incomplete sentences, overindulgence of topics, incomplete thoughts, and horrible transitions. Take your personal statement to a college writing lab or someone literarily adept to edit your statement. Get feedback and make improvements to your personal statement.

Here are some excellent resources on the Internet that will help you write an effective personal statement:

• owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_perstate.html
• www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml
• www.uwc.ucf.edu/Writing%20Resources/Handouts/personal_statements.htm

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