thesis statement for personal growth

Dr. Jennifer B. Bernstein

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Here’s one of the most popular Common Application essay topics that’s going to be used again in the 2020-2021 admissions cycle: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.”

According to the Common Application, in the 2018-2019 cycle, 23.7% of students opted to write about an experience of personal transformation that changed their perception of themselves and others.

What you’re about to read is a significantly updated version of my original article.

Since publishing this article back in 2017, more and more of my own students have written amazing Common App essays on this topic.

As such, I’ve decided to update this article to share more insights into what does and doesn’t work when crafting narratives about experiences of “personal growth.”

Read the whole article or click on one of the following links to jump ahead to any section that interests you:

What DON’T Admissions Officers Want to See in Your Common App Essay?

What DO Admissions Officers Want to Read About in Your “Sparked a Period of Personal Growth” Essay?

Why Are Colleges Interested in Essays on Personal Growth?

What Are Some Unique Ways of Approaching the “Sparked a Period of Personal Growth” Essay?

Stanford Student’s Common App Essay on an Experience that “Sparked a Period of Personal Growth”

What don’t  admissions officers want to see in your common app essay .

Let’s start by stating the obvious.

Your track record—your record of past accomplishments—plays a significant role in the college admissions process.

Many students fixate on this part of how they’re going to be evaluated. Even the most talented students fall prey to this tendency because they want to emphasize all the amazing things they’ve done.

This urge is understandable.

Rest assured that there are plenty of places in your application to showcase your accomplishments.

However, your Common Application essay ISN’T  the place to  just focus on  what you’ve done .

Admissions officers don’t  just want to read an essay that’s all about the end result or the “high impact” of your project, accomplishment, or whatever event it is that you’ve chosen to write about.

Every year, I have myth-busting conversations with students who are suffering under the mistaken idea that the Common App essay needs to be first and foremost a demonstration of some very significant high-impact thing they’ve done.

Pay close attention to my phrasing.

I’m NOT saying you shouldn’t include significant accomplishments in your Common App essay on a “period of personal growth.”

I AM saying that your essay shouldn’t  just be about the accomplishments.

Click here to a ccess all my tips, techniques, and case studies on writing great Common App essays.

What DO   Admissions Officers Want to Read About in Your “Sparked a Period of Personal Growth” Essay?

The reality is that admissions officers are extremely curious about how  YOU have been  transformed by projects, experiences, and accomplishments .

Want to write a great Common App essay on something that “sparked a period of personal growth”?

Then, you need to share your  process of transformation –your before, during , and after .

Just FYI, the best transformation narratives often feature both internal and external transformation.

Many students leap right over the “process” part of the essay. They want to jump from the “before” to the “after” because they feel the process–the “middle” or “during”–isn’t exciting or dramatic.

I know you want to dazzle the people reading your application essays.

However, mere “before and after” narratives aren’t as compelling to admissions officers as those that feature the “during.”

In addition to including the “during” part of your transformation, your “after” shouldn’t  just focus on the external result (especially in the “sparked a period of personal growth” essay). Your “after” should include some philosophical contemplation of your transformation.

I strongly recommend that you read two articles:

“Two Elements of the Best Common Application Essays”

“Techniques Used in the Best College Application Essays”

These articles feature strategies to help you master the art of structuring your Common App essay and include analysis of actual student application essays.

Why Are Colleges Interested in Essays on Personal Growth? 

The answer is simple and sometimes surprising.

Colleges aren’t  just looking at your track record.

They’re also looking forward, out beyond what you’ve already accomplished. Admissions officers need to make what a former Yale president describes as a “hunchy judgement” about your potential.

When Stanford is reviewing your application, they’re looking for signs of your “intellectual vitality”–your “commitment, dedication and genuine interest in  expanding your intellectual horizons” and “the initiative with which you seek out opportunities and  expand your perspective.”

Harvard is considering some key questions when they’re reviewing your application: “Have you reached your maximum academic and personal potential?” Or “do you have reserve  power to do more ?” “How  open are you to  new ideas and people ?” “Will you be able to stand up to the pressures and freedoms of College life?”

Yale is looking for a “desire and ability to  stretch one’s limits.”

GROWTH. EXPANSION. POTENTIAL. OPENNESS.

College is a time of massive intellectual and overall personal growth.

Admissions officers at all colleges are looking for students who are open to this process of growth and have the underlying strategies for handling it .

The best, most memorable college experiences are often ones in which your mind is blow and your perspectives expanded in ways you never could have imagined in high school.

But how can you demonstrate your potential?

How can you demonstrate that you’re ready for the challenge?

Writing your Common App essay about an experience that “sparked a period of personal growth,” especially one that transformed your “understanding of yourself or others,” is an excellent way to show colleges you have the kind of qualities and capabilities described above.

Growth, expansion, openness, and transformation sound lovely. They sound positive. But anyone who has undergone a period of massive growth knows that it’s more complex than it sounds, and there are almost always setbacks and challenges along the way.

The “during” part of your essay is a great place to show that you’ve started cultivating the underlying skills that are essential for navigating your way through the growth process.

What Are Some Unique Ways of Approaching the “Sparked a Period of Personal Growth” Essay? 

There are so many juicy possibilities for writing about an experience that “sparked a period of personal growth.”

Here are some things my students have written about. . .

Getting lost in a foreign city

Losing their passport

Changing a deeply held conviction based on the results of a research project or conversation

Getting called out by an employer for insufficient attention to details

Hurting someone’s feelings by acting in an ungrateful manner

Standing up to someone

Doing something way out of their comfort zone (e.g., working on a farm, going on a solo wilderness hike, etc.)

Taking charge of organizing a family holiday gathering due to a parent’s illness

Student Background:  One of my students who is studying engineering at Stanford was originally planning to write her Common App essay on the time she felt like a failure because she couldn’t answer a judge’s question. ( Click here to read “How to Successfully Apply to Engineering Programs.” )

Problem:  We both agreed that the first draft she wrote felt too stiff and formulaic.

She glossed over the experience with the judge. The experience just seemed like a gimmicky hook that led into a essay that was mainly about the impact her organization had on the young people in her community. That is, she was falling into the trap of trying to write a “LOOK AT WHAT I’VE DONE!!” essay that I mentioned earlier. Plus, the draft featured all the cliches guaranteed to make an admissions officer’s eyes glaze over in “I’ve read this same basic narrative a thousand times” boredom.

There wasn’t sufficient introspection. The juiciest parts of her experience–the ones that would probably matter most to college admissions committees–didn’t even make their way into her essay. The most interesting aspects of her experience had to do with the way she contemplated the implications of her inability to answer the judge’s question about how her project “could change children’s lives” and how this contemplation propelled her into a  process of rethinking the nature of her engineering work and led to the development of her organization.

Solution:  In our conversations, she shared how, up until that moment with the judge, she’d only really focused on pursuing her own intellectual interests. This experience of feeling dumfounded by the judge’s question was painful, but it set her off on a new journey that involved finding applications for her work that could benefit others. She started thinking about the needs of others, not just her own. As it turns out, this was an experience that “sparked a period of personal growth.”

As she worked through the details of this transformation in her goals and approach, she also began transitioning from always being the young person getting mentored to becoming a mentor for the next generation of budding scientists and engineers. One element of her “personal growth” had to do with this shift from always “taking” to being someone who does more “giving.” A fruit of this experience that “sparked a period of personal growth” was her development of what eventually became a high-impact and award-winning program for children in her city. This program was originally the narrative star of her essay (in terms of how much attention she gave it), but now it had even more impact because the whole personal backstory was there.

Our conversations focused on mapping out vivid anecdotes that helped admissions officers see her process of inner and outer transformation. She developed super specific “before, during, and after” anecdotes that also shed light on her family background and culture. She took readers on a journey that started with the seemingly simple question from a science fair judge that plunged her into a process of “personal growth” which ultimately resulted in a “new understanding” of herself and others.

Dr. Bernstein’s Commentary: This student’s essay was now far more psychologically and intellectually nuanced.

Her essay wasn’t filled with exaggerated external drama and didn’t have the light, whippy tone that many websites featuring sample application essays love to emphasize.

Once she let go of many of the common misunderstandings about what matters in this kind of essay, she wrote an essays that was true to her experience and style.

Her vivid “before, during, and after” anecdotes made it possible for readers to really see and feel her “aha” moment in action. It’s very satisfying when readers can feel the “aha”–when they can see your mind and heart in action.

Admissions officers aren’t  just interested in the surface level of what your essay is about.

They’re also interested in your habits of mind–the way you make sense of your experiences, your level of self-awareness, and a whole host of other qualities.

Let’s end by connecting the student’s essay back to what I shared earlier about what Stanford, Harvard, and Yale are looking for in applicants.

Now her essay showed how she keeps “questing” and stretching herself. She’s demonstrating how she has “reserve power to do more” because each significant experience she has sparks more personal growth, contemplation, and action. She’s constantly deepening and expanding her perspectives to benefit not only herself but also others. So even though this essay started with what seemed like a moment of failure (not being able to answer the judge’s question), it was really about her own growth.

WAYS TO WORK WITH DR. BERNSTEIN!

Click here to learn how to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Bernstein.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Bernstein’s ongoing private college preparation and college admissions support .

Click here to learn about the online Get Yourself Into College® program .

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Growth and Development — Personal Development: Reflection and Growth

Personal Development: Reflection and Growth

• Categories: Personal Growth and Development

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 595 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Introduction, strengths and weaknesses analysis, goal setting and action planning, feedback and self-reflection.

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Guidelines to writing a personal statement for an honours thesis application.

A personal statement for an Honours thesis (PS499) application is an important document that helps you introduce yourself to the professor who might supervise your thesis. It's an opportunity to convey your passion, motivation, and suitability for the proposed research and to stand out among other candidates.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a personal statement. It's a highly personal document that should reflect your genuine interest and aptitude for your chosen field of study. While we provide some general suggestions below on what to include, feel free to adapt these guidelines to best represent your unique experiences and aspirations.

Before You Start Writing

Before you embark on the writing process, it is important to clarify your thoughts and ideas. Consider the following questions to help guide your reflection:

• Why are you interested in doing an honours thesis in Psychology?
• What has inspired your general area of interest?
• What unique perspectives or skills can you bring to this thesis?
• How do your academic and personal experiences support your research interests?
• What are your long-term academic and career goals, and how does completing a thesis align with them?

Consider Your Audience

Remember, it takes a lot of time for professors to mentor students, so they want to work with someone who will be committed to the research process and will grow and benefit from the course in different ways be it learning new skills or learning what working in a lab is like.

Your personal statement is primarily intended for the professor(s) you are hoping will supervise your thesis – you will indicate up to 8 professors of interest and 3 broad topic areas of interest (I.e., social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, community psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology. Because they are an expert in psychology and your areas of interest, your statement should showcase your knowledge, respect, and enthusiasm for psychology in general, and describe some of the broad areas in psychology that you would be most excited to learn more about and conduct research in. Remember though – in this letter you don’t need to specify specific labs or projects you want to focus on. In the application survey, you will have other spaces to select up to 8 labs of interested give a brief explanation for why you are interested in those labs specifically

Writing Your Personal Statement

Here is a checklist of some key elements you might consider including in your personal statement:

• Introduction: Begin by introducing yourself and expressing your interest in taking part in the PS499 course. Explain why the course appeals to you and how it aligns with your goals.
• Academic Achievements: Highlight any academic achievements that are relevant to the completion of your thesis. This could include relevant courses or previous research projects
• Work Experience: If you have work or internship experience relating to your interests, detail this experience and the skills you've gained that would be beneficial for your thesis.
• Personal Experiences: If personal experiences have shaped your interests, share these stories. This can be an effective way to demonstrate your motivation and dedication. This could also help your letter stand out as a unique reflection of who you are
• Skills and Abilities: Discuss the skills and abilities you have that would make you a good candidate for the thesis. This could include skills, such as critical thinking or time management.
• Future: Describe your goals and aspirations for doing the course and how it will prepare you for further studies or career opportunities in the field.
• Conclusion: Conclude your statement with a courteous and professional tone, expressing your excitement about the possibility of working on your honour's thesis.

Writing Tips

Some things to remember and consider when writing your statement include:

• Being concise and clear. Avoid jargon or overly complex sentences.
• Ensure your statement is free of grammatical errors and typos.
• Most importantly, be genuine, honest, and don't be afraid to let your personality shine through! Remember, the personal statement is just that – personal. It should reflect who you are, your passion for the field, and your commitment to your proposed research.

Below are some more resources to help guide your personal statement writing.

If/Then Statement Templates

To help you structure your personal statement, here are some "if-then" statement templates that you can tailor to your specific experiences and goals. These templates can serve as a starting point to express your interests, experiences, and aspirations in a clear and compelling way.

Relating Your Academic Achievements to general research area of interest:

• If: You have excelled in coursework relevant to your area(s) of interest.
• Then: "My strong performance in [relevant courses x, y, and z] has equipped me with a solid foundation in [general research area of interest]."

Linking Work Experience to general research area of interest

• If: You have work or internship experience related to your general area(s) of interest.
• Then: "My experience as [job/internship title] at [organization name] has provided me with practical insights into [general research area of interest]."

Applying Personal Experiences to Research Interests

• If: Personal experiences have shaped your general area(s) of interest.
• Then: "My personal experience with [specific experience] has motivated my interest in exploring [Research Interests] in greater depth."

Highlighting Relevant Skills and Abilities

• If: You possess skills and abilities relevant to the thesis.
• Then: "My skills in [specific skills] and my ability to [specific ability] make me a strong candidate for conducting research.

Linking Academic Performance to general research area(s) of interest

• If: You have achieved high grades or awards in courses related to your area of interest.
• Then: “My academic performance in [course name(s)] has demonstrated my aptitude and interest in [general research area of interest]. I have received [grade/award] for [course/assignment/project].”

Linking Extracurricular Activities to general research area(s) of interest

• If: You have participated in clubs, societies, competitions, or events related to your area of interest.
• Then: “My involvement in [extracurricular activity name] has exposed me to various aspects of [general research area of interest]. I have learned [skill/knowledge] and contributed to [outcome/impact] through [activity/task].”

Linking Future Plans to general research area(s) of interest

• If: You have a clear vision of what you want to do after completing the course.
• Then: “My future plans are aligned with [general research area of interest]. I aspire to [goal/objective] and pursue [opportunity/pathway].”

Remember, these are just examples. It is essential to personalize your personal statement to reflect your unique experiences, interests, and aspirations. Keep in mind that the personal statement is your opportunity to showcase who you are, your passion for your chosen field, and your commitment to the possibility of conducting research.

Example Personal Statement

A finished personal statement might look something like this:

Dear potential supervisor, I am writing to express my interest in enrolling in the PS499 Honours Thesis Course for the upcoming academic year. I am currently a third-year student majoring in Psychology at the Wilfrid Laurier University. (Introduction: Provides your name, major, university and expresses your interest in the honours thesis).

I want to do the PS499 Honours Thesis Course because I am passionate about conducting original research in psychology and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field. I hope to gain valuable skills and experience in designing, conducting, analyzing, and presenting a research project under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. I also hope to develop a deeper understanding of a specific topic of interest within psychology and prepare myself for further studies or career opportunities in the field. (This paragraph answers why the student wants to do the PS499 Honours Thesis Course, what they hope to get from it, and where it will lead them. It shows the student's motivation, goals, and aspirations for doing the course).

I think I would be a good fit for the PS499 Honours Thesis Course because I have a strong academic background and a keen interest in research. I have completed several courses that have prepared me for the research process, such as PS394 Linear Models, PS373 Close Relationships, and PS367 Research in Cognitive Neuroscience. Parallel to my academics, I have volunteered at a local daycare. This experience has helped me develop my skills in communicating with a diverse range of individuals, particularly young children. (Highlights relevant courses and work experience and how they have built a foundation for your research interest)

In addition to my academic and research qualifications, I also possess several personal strengths that I believe will help me succeed in the PS499 Honours course. I am a curious and motivated learner who enjoys exploring new questions and topics in psychology. I am also an organized and self-disciplined student who can manage my time and resources effectively and meet deadlines. Furthermore, I am a creative and innovative thinker who can come up with original and feasible ideas for research projects. Moreover, I am a collaborative and respectful team player who can work well with my supervisor and peers and seek and provide constructive feedback. Lastly, I am an adaptable and resilient individual who can cope with challenges and uncertainties that may arise during the research process. (This paragraph lists some of the student's personal qualities and attributes that are beneficial for the course. It shows the student's positive attitude and traits that will enable them to work independently and collaboratively on a research project).

I appreciate your consideration of my application and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Your Student ID]

You Are Not Alone. Contact Writing Services

Crafting a compelling personal statement can seem like a daunting task, but remember, you are not alone in this process. Laurier's Writing Services are here to support you every step of the way.

The Writing Services at both Waterloo and Brantford are dedicated to helping undergraduate and graduate students enhance the writing skills necessary for academic success. They provide an accessible, supportive, and student-focused environment where ideas can flourish, and students can hone their writing through critical thinking.

Here's what Writing Services offers:

• One-on-One Writing Appointments: You can schedule appointments (both online and in-person) with student or professional staff members. They can provide you with personalized feedback and guidance on your personal statement.
• Writing Workshops: The Writing Services organize on-campus, in-class, and online writing workshops. These workshops can equip you with valuable writing techniques and strategies.
• Online Writing Resources: You can access a wealth of online resources that provide tips and advice on various aspects of academic writing.

So, don't hesitate to reach out to Laurier's Writing Services. They are an excellent resource to help you craft a personal statement that effectively communicates your unique experiences, interests, and aspirations.

Contact Us:

Janet Reimer, Undergraduate Program Assistant

E: [email protected] T: 548-889-4154 Office Location: N2006

Office Hours:

Rita Sharkey, Graduate Program Assistant

E: [email protected]

Lucy Carreiro, Senior Administrative Assistant

E: [email protected]

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, writing about personal growth sparked by an accomplishment.

Hey, I have to write an essay reflecting on an accomplishment that led to personal growth. What do you guys think are the most important aspects to cover? How can I make my essay engaging and relatable?

When writing about an accomplishment that led to personal growth, it's essential to focus on several key aspects to create an engaging and relatable essay:

1. Establish context: Begin your essay by providing some context for your accomplishment. Briefly explain the situation, the challenge you faced, and what motivated you to succeed. This helps the reader understand the significance of your achievement.

2. Describe the accomplishment: Clearly describe the accomplishment you want to focus on, emphasizing the effort and determination it required. Make sure to paint a vivid picture, including any obstacles you overcame, to showcase your resilience and dedication.

3. Personal growth: The crux of your essay should focus on how this accomplishment led to personal growth. Reflect on the lessons you learned and the skills you developed as a result of your achievement. Did it help you develop stronger leadership, communication, or problem-solving abilities? Be specific and show how these newfound skills have translated into other areas of your life.

4. Be genuine and relatable: Use a conversational tone, and be candid about your growth journey. Share your emotions and thought process, allowing your personality to shine through. This will make your essay more engaging and relatable to the reader. Don't be afraid to share moments of vulnerability or challenges you faced along the way, as they can showcase your growth and resilience.

5. Show, don't tell: Instead of simply stating the lessons you learned or how you grew, provide examples of how these insights informed your actions or decisions. This will allow the reader to better connect with your experience and understand the impact of your accomplishment.

6. End on a strong note: Conclude your essay by summarizing the personal growth you experienced and connecting it back to your initial motivation or challenge. End on a forward-looking note by discussing how this growth will inform your future choices and pursuits.

By incorporating these elements, your essay will not only demonstrate how your accomplishment led to personal growth, but it will also engage and resonate with the reader. Remember to be genuine, relatable, and reflective throughout the essay, which will help create a lasting impression.

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How to Write a Personal Statement (with Tips and Examples)

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

What is a personal statement, 6 tips on how to write a personal statement, personal statement examples (for college and university), faqs about writing personal statements, conclusion on how to write a personal statement.

How do you tell someone who you are in just a few hundred words?

It’s certainly no easy task, but it’s one almost every college applicant must do. The personal statement is a crucial part of any college or university application.

So, how do you write a compelling personal statement?

In this article, we’ll give you all the tools, tips, and examples you need to write an effective personal statement.

A personal statement is a short essay that reveals something important about who you are. It can talk about your background, your interests, your values, your goals in life, or all of the above.

Personal statements are required by many college admission offices and scholarship selection committees. They’re a key part of your application, alongside your academic transcript, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities.

The reason application committees ask you to write a personal statement is so they can get to know who you are. 

Some personal statements have specific prompts, such as “Discuss a period of personal growth in your life” or “Tell us about a challenge or failure you’ve faced.” Others are more open-ended with prompts that essentially boil down to “Tell us about yourself.”

No matter what the prompt is, your goal is the same: to make yourself stand out to the selection committee as a strong candidate for their program.

Here are some things a personal statement can be:

It can be funny. If you have a great sense of humor, your personal statement is a great place to let that shine.  

It can be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to open up about hardships in your life or failures you’ve experienced. Showing vulnerability can make you sound more like a real person rather than just a collection of application materials.  

It can be creative. Candidates have got into top schools with personal statements that take the form of “a day in the life” descriptions, third-person short stories, and even cooking recipes.

Now we’ve talked about what a personal statement is, let’s quickly look at what a personal statement isn’t:

It isn’t a formal academic paper. You should write the personal statement in your natural voice, using first-person pronouns like “I” and “me,” not in the formal, objective language you would use to write an academic paper.

It isn’t a five-paragraph essay. You should use as many paragraphs as you need to tell your story instead of sticking to the essay structure you learned in school.

It isn’t a resumé. You should try to describe yourself by telling a clear and cohesive story rather than providing a jumbled list of all of your accomplishments and ambitions.

Here are our top six tips for writing a strong personal statement.

Tip 1: Do Some Serious Self-Reflection

The hardest part of writing a personal statement isn’t the actual process of writing it.

Before you start typing, you have to figure out what to write about. And that means taking some time to reflect on who you are and what’s important in your life.

Here are some useful questions you can use to start your self-reflection. You can either answer these on your own by writing down your answers, or you can ask a trusted friend to listen as you talk about them together.

What were the key moments that shaped your life? (e.g. an important friendship, a travel experience, an illness or injury)

What are you proud of? (e.g. you’re a good listener, you always keep your promises, you’re a talented musician)

How do you choose to spend your time? (e.g. reading, practicing soccer, spending time with your friends)

What inspires you? (e.g. your grandmother, a celebrity, your favorite song)

Doing this self-reflection is crucial for figuring out the perfect topics and anecdotes you can use to describe who you are.

Tip 2: Try to Avoid Cliché Topics

College application committees read thousands of personal statements a year. That means there are some personal statement topics they see over and over again.

Here are a few examples of common personal statement topics that have become cliché:

Winning a tournament or sports game

Volunteering in a foreign country

Moving to a new home

Becoming an older sibling

Being an immigrant or having immigrant parents

If you want to make a strong impression in the application process, you need to make your personal statement stand out from the crowd.

But if your chosen personal statement topic falls into one of these categories, that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use it. Just make sure to put a unique spin on it so it still delivers something the committee hasn’t seen before.

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Tip 3: Show, Don’t Tell

One common mistake you might make in your personal statement is to simply tell the reader what you want them to know about you, such as by stating “I have a fear of public speaking” or “I love to cook.”

Instead of simply stating these facts, you should show the committee what you’re talking about through a story or scene, which will make your essay much more immersive and memorable.

For example, let’s say you want the committee to know you overcame your fear of public speaking. Instead of writing “I overcame my fear of public speaking,” show them what it was like to be onstage in front of a microphone. Did your palms get clammy? Did you feel light-headed? Did you forget your words?

Or let’s say you want the committee to know you love to cook. Instead of writing “I love to cook,” show them why you love to cook. What’s your favorite dish to cook? What does the air smell like when you’re cooking it? What kitchen appliances do you use to make it?

Tip 4: Connect the Story to Why You’re Applying

Don’t forget that the purpose of your personal statement isn’t simply to tell the admissions committee who you are. That’s an important part of it, of course, but your ultimate goal is to convince them to choose you as a candidate.

That means it’s important to tie your personal story to your reasons for applying to this specific school or scholarship. Finish your essay with a strong thesis.

For example, if your story is about overcoming your fear of public speaking, you might connect that story to your ambition of becoming a politician. You can then tie that to your application by saying, “I want to apply to this school because of its fantastic politics program, which will give me a perfect opportunity to use my voice.”

Tip 5: Write in Your Own Voice

The personal statement isn’t supposed to be written in a formal tone. That’s why they’re called “personal” statements because you have to shape it to fit your own voice and style.

Don’t use complicated or overwrought language. You don’t need to fill your essay with semicolons and big words, unless that’s how you sound in real life.

One way to write in your own voice is by speaking your personal statement out loud. If it doesn’t feel natural, it may need changing. 

Tip 6: Edit, Edit, Edit!

It’s important to revise your personal statement multiple times in order to make sure it’s as close to perfect as possible.

A single typo won’t kill your application, but if your personal statement contains multiple spelling errors or egregious grammar mistakes, you won’t be putting your best foot forward.

ProWritingAid can help you make sure your personal statement is as clean as possible. In addition to catching your grammar errors, typos, and punctuation mistakes, it will also help you improve weaknesses in your writing, such as passive voice, unnecessary repetition, and more.

Let’s look at some of the best personal statements that have worked for successful candidates in the real world. 

Harvard Personal Statement Example

Love. For a word describing such a powerful emotion, it is always in the air. The word “love” has become so pervasive in everyday conversation that it hardly retains its roots in blazing passion and deep adoration. In fact, the word is thrown about so much that it becomes difficult to believe society isn’t just one huge, smitten party, with everyone holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.” In films, it’s the teenage boy’s grudging response to a doting mother. At school, it’s a habitual farewell between friends. But in my Chinese home, it’s never uttered. Watching my grandmother lie unconscious on the hospital bed, waiting for her body to shut down, was excruciatingly painful. Her final quavering breaths formed a discordant rhythm with the steady beep of hospital equipment and the unsympathetic tapping hands of the clock. That evening, I whispered—into unhearing ears—the first, and only, “I love you” I ever said to her, my rankling guilt haunting me relentlessly for weeks after her passing. My warm confession seemed anticlimactic, met with only the coldness of my surroundings—the blank room, impassive doctors, and empty silence. I struggled to understand why the “love” that so easily rolled off my tongue when bantering with friends dissipated from my vocabulary when I spoke to my family. Do Chinese people simply love less than Americans do?

This is an excerpt from a personal statement that got the applicant admitted to Harvard University. The applicant discusses her background as a Chinese-American by musing on the word “love” and what that means within her family.

The writer uses vulnerable details about her relationship with her grandmother to give the reader an understanding of where she comes from and how her family has shaped her.  

You can read the full personal statement on the Harvard Crimson website.

Tufts Personal Statement Example

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry’s “Cars and Trucks and Things That Go,” and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon. Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration. Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear. I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

This is the beginning of a personal statement by Renner Kwittken, who was admitted into Tufts University as a pre-medical student.

Renner uses a humorous anecdote about being a pickle truck driver to describe his love for nanomedicine and how he got involved in his field. You can feel his passion for medicine throughout his personal statement.

You can find Renner’s full essay on the Tufts Admissions page.

Law School Personal Statement Essay Example

For most people, the slap on the face that turns their life around is figurative. Mine was literal. Actually, it was a punch delivered by a drill sergeant at Fort Dix, New Jersey, while I was in basic training. That day’s activity, just a few weeks into the program, included instruction in “low-crawling,” a sensible method of moving from one place to another on a battlefield. I felt rather clever for having discovered that, by looking right rather than down, I eliminated my helmet’s unfortunate tendency to dig into the ground and slow my progress. I could thus advance more easily, but I also exposed my unprotected face to hostile fire. Drill sergeants are typically very good at detecting this type of laziness, and mine was an excellent drill sergeant. So, after his repeated suggestions that I correct my performance went unheeded, he drove home his point with a fist to my face. We were both stunned. This was, after all, the New Army, and striking a trainee was a career-ending move for a drill sergeant, as we were both aware. I could have reported him; arguably, I should have. I didn’t. It didn’t seem right for this good sergeant, who had not slept for almost four days, to lose his career for losing his temper with my laziness. Choosing not to report him was the first decision I remember making that made me proud.

These are the first three paragraphs of an anonymous personal statement by a Wheaton College graduate, who used this personal statement to get into a top-25 law school.

This statement describes a time the applicant faced a challenging decision while in the army. He ended up making a decision he was proud of, and as a result, the personal statement gives us a sense of his character.

You can find the full essay on the Wheaton Academics website.

Here are some common questions about how to write a personal statement.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

The length of your personal statement depends on the specific program you’re applying to. The application guidelines usually specify a maximum word count or an ideal word count.  

Most personal statements are between 500–800 words. That’s a good general range to aim for if you don’t have more specific guidelines.  

Should Personal Statements Be Different for Scholarships?

Many scholarship applications will ask for personal statements with similar prompts to those of college applications.

However, the purpose of a personal statement you’d write for a scholarship application is different from the purpose of one you’d write for a college application.

For a scholarship application, your goal is to showcase why you deserve the scholarship. To do that, you need to understand the mission of the organization offering that scholarship.

For example, some scholarships are meant to help first-generation college students get their degree, while others are meant to help women break into STEM.

Consider the following questions:

Why is this organization offering scholarships?

What would their ideal scholarship candidate look like?

How do your experiences and goals overlap with those of their ideal scholarship candidate?

You can use the same personal anecdotes you’d use for any other personal statement, but you’ll have a better chance of winning the scholarship if you tailor your essay to match their specific mission.

How to Start a Personal Statement

You should start your personal statement with a “hook” that pulls the reader in. The sooner you catch the reader’s attention, the more likely they’ll want to read the entire essay.

Here are some examples of hooks you can use:

A story (e.g. When the spotlight hit my face, I tried to remind myself to breathe. )

A setting description (e.g. My bedroom floor is covered with dirty laundry, candy wrappers, and crumpled sheet music. )

A funny anecdote (e.g. When I was a little kid, my friends nicknamed me Mowgli because of my haircut. )

A surprising fact (e.g. I've lived in 37 countries .)

There you have it—our complete guide to writing a personal statement that will make you stand out to the application committee.

Here’s a quick recap: 

A personal statement is a short essay that shows an application committee who you are

Start with a strong hook that pulls the reader in

Tell a story to engage the reader 

Write in your own voice, not in a formal tone

Good luck, and happy writing!

Hannah is a speculative fiction writer who loves all things strange and surreal. She holds a BA from Yale University and lives in Colorado. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her painting watercolors, playing her ukulele, or hiking in the Rockies. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang.

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Thesis Statements

This guide offers essential tips on thesis statements, but it’s important to note that thesis statement content, structure, and placement can vary widely depending on the discipline, level, and genre. One good way to get a sense of how thesis statements might be constructed in your field is to read some related scholarly articles.

A thesis statement articulates a writer’s main argument, point, or message in a piece of writing. Strong thesis statements will tell your audience what your topic is and what your position on that topic is. Also, they will often provide an overview of key supporting arguments that you will explore throughout your paper. A well-written thesis statement demonstrates that you have explored the topic thoroughly and can defend your claims. 

For short, undergraduate-level papers, a thesis statement will usually be one to three sentences in length, often occurring at the end of the first paragraph. Its main function is to tie all of your ideas and arguments together. As you continue to present your evidence and argue your stance, your thesis will connect throughout your essay like a puzzle. 

e.g., Closing the border between Greece and Macedonia has led to unnecessary suffering among refugees by preventing humanitarian aid from getting to those camps that need it most 1. Resolving this human rights problem will ultimately require cooperative effort from local, regional, and international agencies 2. 

Statement of topic and main argument 

Further details about topic that give your reader a sense of how the paper will be structured

Building Effective Thesis Statements

A strong thesis statement should be clear, concise, focused, and supportable. Unless your essay is simply explanatory, it should also be debatable (i.e., if your position on a topic is one that almost nobody would dispute, it may not be the best choice for an argumentative paper). 

The following steps will help you throughout the process of developing your thesis statement:: 

Read the assignment thoroughly. Make sure you are clear about the expectations. 

Do preliminary, general research: collect and organize information about your topic. 

Form a tentative thesis. The following questions may help you focus your research into a tentative thesis: 

What’s new about this topic? 

What important about this topic? 

What’s interesting about this topic? 

What have others missed in their discussions about this topic? 

What about this topic is worth writing about? 

Do additional research. Once you have narrowed your focus, you can perform targeted research to find evidence to support your thesis. As you research, your understanding of the topic will change. This is normal and even desirable. 

Refine your thesis statement. After doing extensive research and evaluating many sources, rewrite your thesis so it expresses your angle or position on your topic more clearly.

Sample Thesis Statements

This guide offers essential tips on the thesis statements, but it's important to note that thesis statement content, structure, and placement can vary widely depending on the discipline, level, and genre. One good way to get a sense of how thesis statements might be constructed in your field is to read some related scholarly articles.

Creating a Thesis and an Outline for a Critical Analysis Essay

LESSON Many college courses, including psychology, literature, philosophy, microbiology, and history, require large amounts of reading. Your instructor may assess your understanding and analysis To analyze is to make a thoughtful and detailed study of something. An analysis is the end result of analyzing. of a text Words that make up a book, essay, article, poem, or speech. through an exam; however, you may also be required to write an essay A short piece of writing that focuses on at least one main idea. Some essays are also focused on the author's unique point of view, making them personal or autobiographical, while others are focused on a particular literary, scientific, or political subject. that measures your understanding and opinion Point of view that shows a personal belief or bias and cannot be proven to be completely true. of a chapter or article A non-fiction, often informative writing that forms a part of a publication, such as a magazine or newspaper. . Sometimes these are assignments that ask you to assess the effectiveness of an author A person who wrote a text. 's work, or how well he or she has made a case.

Keep in mind that the idea of a work's "effectiveness" is subjective because it is based upon your opinion of the author's success. In other words, it is possible that you and a classmate or colleague might disagree about the effectiveness of a specific text Words that make up a book, essay, article, poem, or speech. . This is not uncommon; sometimes there is no "right" answer. For this reason, it is important that you thoroughly understand the text and then provide sound reasoning for your opinions.

In this lesson, you will learn how to develop a thesis statement A brief statement that identifies a writer's thoughts, opinions, or conclusions about a topic. Thesis statements bring unity to a piece of writing, giving it a focus and a purpose. You can use three questions to help form a thesis statement: What is my topic? What am I trying to say about that topic? Why is this important to me or my reader? for a critical analysis essay and how to create a corresponding outline A preliminary plan for a piece of a writing, often in the form of a list. It should include a topic, audience, purpose, thesis statement, and main and supporting points. using evidence Facts, statistics, or expert testimony that supports a claim. to support your thesis An overall argument, idea, or belief that a writer uses as the basis for a work. .

Develop a Thesis Statement

Since the purpose of a critical analysis essay is to assess the effectiveness of a text at its most basic level, your thesis statement should refer to the text that you are analyzing and express whether you think that text is effective or not.

Remember, you are looking at the extent to which a text successfully produces the outcome or result it was meant to produce. Therefore, the first step in developing your thesis statement is to identify what the author wanted to accomplish. The second step is to assess the author's success in doing so.

Here are two examples of critical analysis thesis statements covering the same text. This thesis statement affirms the effectiveness of the author's work:

In Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century , Thomas Piketty successfully argues that without government intervention, the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to grow because of an economic system that favors earnings on investments over earnings on labor.

Conversely, this thesis statement is critical of the author's effectiveness:

Thomas Picketty's book , Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century , does an excellent job of demonstrating how wealth continues to grow through investments, but fails to provide evidence that this favorable growth keeps people from moving from the lower class to the upper class through determination and hard work.

Develop an Outline

The next step to writing a critical analysis essay is to develop an outline. In addition to outlining the body, or supporting paragraphs A selection of a writing that is made up of sentences formed around one main point. Paragraphs are set apart by a new line and sometimes indentation. , you should provide a brief summary A brief restatement of an author’s main idea and major supporting details. Summaries are factual and should be written in the third-person with an objective point of view. of the text you are evaluating in the background Information that describes the history or circumstances of a topic. portion of your introduction The first paragraph of an essay. It must engage the reader, set the tone, provide background information, and present the thesis. . This will give your readers the context The larger setting in which something happens; the "big picture." they need to assess your analysis, which is especially important if they have not read the text you are evaluating.

In the supporting paragraphs, you should use the MEAL concept An acronym that describes a method of organizing the paragraphs in an essay. Under this plan, each paragraph should have a M ain point, E vidence, A nalysis, and a L ink to the next paragraph. to outline the main idea The most important or central thought of a reading selection. It also includes what the author wants the reader to understand about the topic he or she has chosen to write about. , evidence, analysis, and link To connect ideas together within a paragraph or to create a transition from one paragraph to the next, as well as back to the thesis. .

Main Idea:  your topic sentence A sentence that contains the controlling idea for an entire paragraph and is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. , identifying one of the supporting claims A statement that something is true, such as the thesis of an essay. A successful writer must present evidence to prove his/her claim. for the thesis.

Evidence:  facts A piece of information that can be proven. Something that is true and indisputable. , expert Someone who is very knowledgeable about a topic. opinion, or anecdotal evidence A brief, interesting story that supports a claim in a critical analysis or persuasion essay. proving that the claim described in the topic sentence is true.

Analysis:  explaining how the evidence supports the topic sentence.

Link:  a transition Tying two events, passages, or pieces of information together in a smooth way. In writing, transitions are sometimes called links. from the paragraph, as well as back to the thesis.

In the essay, you need to use pieces of the original text as your evidence. If you think the text is effective, identify portions of the text that demonstrate its effectiveness; likewise, if you think the text is ineffective, identify portions of the text that demonstrate its ineffectiveness. In your analysis, you will explain why each portion supports your claim that the evidence contributes to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the entire text.

Keep in mind that you may have more than one piece of evidence or analysis for each of your main points, so your supporting paragraphs may look like MEEAL or MEAAL, or other combinations of evidence and analysis.

Finally, you should outline your conclusion The end portion of a writing that contains a summary or synthesis of the idea in the work. This includes a recap of key points and reminders of the author's purpose and thesis statement. . In this paragraph, you need to bring all the parts of the essay together in the synthesis and create a strong final impression for the reader.

Here is what an outline for a critical analysis essay might look like:

• Final Impression

Whether it is for a school assignment or a work task, developing the skill of outlining an essay is important. The bigger the assignment, the more important an outline becomes. Writing an outline requires you to closely examine your assignment or task and understand what is being asked of you; it also helps you organize your thoughts, stay on task, and explain your reasoning to others.

Imagine that you are working for a large hospital system, and are reviewing two different proposals for upgrading the hospital's technology system. You will need to evaluate the strengths of each proposal and report back to the larger leadership council on which proposal makes its case more effectively and should be implemented. If you do this successfully, the hospital will have a superior technology system that meets its needs. Your efforts at ensuring the success of the hospital will also make it more likely that you will be asked to take on important tasks in the future, increasing your chances for promotion.

The text below is an example of the kind of writing you might be assigned in one of your courses. Read the text and then review the sample thesis and outline of a critical analysis of the text that follows.

From "The Case for Recess" by Linda Acri in Chicago Family Weekly

Under pressure to improve student grades, many schools have cut back on recess, or even dropped it altogether. This is shortsighted and potentially dangerous, since studies show that unstructured play promotes educational, social, emotional, and creative development.

It may seem logical that more time in the classroom leads to better grades, but research suggests that recess is also important for academic success. Switching between structured and unstructured activities refreshes the brain and enhances its ability to store new information. Too much time spent on one type of task reduces the amount of information a child can absorb, while occasional breaks from schoolwork improve concentration.

The positive effects of recess go beyond grades into expanding the social and personal skills of children. Recess gives children time to talk and connect with one another, which strengthens their communication skills and puts them at ease with school and their peers. Free time at school can help children develop persistence and self-control. Creative skills are boosted when kids plan and design their own games and activities. If we want schools to help children not just learn but also grow as people, we must provide them with time each day just to be kids.

In his 2012 study "Sedentary Children are Blue, Bored, and Belligerent," Doctor Mark Phillips of the Main Hospital demonstrates that children need exercise, fresh air, sunlight, daily interaction with peer groups, and time at school during which they aren't being told what to do. Otherwise, they become "tired, bored, depressed, angry, antisocial, and unfocused." Phillips goes on to say that "schools must take responsibility for what is happening to children," and even suggests that the elimination of recess "borders on criminal."

Recess is also important because many children don't have the opportunity or inclination to play outside when the school day ends. Some participate in sedentary after-school programs like tutoring or arts and crafts. Others go right home, but stay indoors watching electronic entertainment or doing homework rather than playing tag in the yard or throwing around a ball. Many parents don't let their children roam their neighborhood the way they themselves once did. Due to both real and imagined dangers, few adults are comfortable letting their children play outside, particularly in urban neighborhoods or after dark. When I talked with one mother, she told me, "It's just not safe to let them go outside. Look at all the child abductions on television!"

We must help our children to thrive in all the ways they should. School administrators, city councilmen, and parents, think back to your childhood. Remember when you could barely sit still at your desk, filled with gleeful anticipation of schoolyard games, friend time, freedom from the stuffy classroom air, and the opportunity to rest your mind and pencil-gripping hands? Let's give kids a break. Bring back recess!

After reviewing the above text, the next step is to write a thesis statement for a critical analysis of the text. Once you have determined your thesis, you should create your responses, ideas, and thoughts to create an outline evaluating the text.

Thesis: Linda Acri's "A Case for Recess" successfully makes a convincing and persuasive argument for why we must fight for our children's recess time.

Outline evaluating text:

• Hook: While having tablets, electronic chalkboards, and more intense learning environments in schools might thrill some parents, there really is no substitute for permitting children to play like children.
• Background: Acri's article sets forth the current problem of schools cutting back student recess time and the importance of recess in a child's educational, psychological, emotional, and intellectual development and overall life.
• Thesis: Linda Acri's article, "A Case for Recess," successfully makes a convincing and persuasive argument for why we must fight for our children's recess time.
• Evidence: Acri points out that "switching between structured and unstructured activities refreshes the brain and enhances its ability to store new information."
• Evidence: Acri cites a study by Doctor Mark Phillips that describes how children become "tired, bored, depressed, angry, antisocial, and unfocused" without recess.
• Analysis: The argument is effective because it takes a popular idea and refutes it with strong evidence.
• Link: Further, the evidence suggests that the benefits go beyond schoolwork.
• Evidence: Recess develops skills such as communication, persistence, and self control that not only improve academic achievement but also help children improve their social, emotional, and creative skills.
• Analysis: This argument is powerful because it shows that eliminating recess harms not just grades but personal growth.
• Link: More and more, society expects schools to not only teach but also to help raise children: in order to help children learn life skills we must provide them with time each day just to be kids.
• Evidence: Many children don't have the opportunity to play outside after school.
• Evidence: One mother told Acri, "It’s just not safe to let them go outside. Look at all the child abductions on television!"
• Analysis: Her argument appeals to many readers because it includes a number of scenarios, at least one of which is probably relevant to almost everyone.
• Link: She shines a spotlight on the fact that most children are not able to enjoy the freedom to play and explore the way their parents did.
• Synthesis: Acri's argument about the importance of recess in nearly all areas of child development and happy living convinces the reader to fight for unstructured play time in schools.
• Final Impression: We must encourage schools to recognize the needs of children to exercise, socialize, and rest their brains, and to once again see recess as a benefit rather than a hindrance to academic progress.

Read the text below. After reading it, write an appropriate thesis statement for an essay evaluating the text, followed by an outline of this evaluation.

From "Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts" by Lionel Burnett; Opinion Section, New York Weekly Post

If you aren't hooked up online then you might as well be nonexistent. Your online presence is basically who you are today. It's a fundamental right to be who and what you want to be online as much as it is in "real" life.

Social media has really changed how people relate to one another. We don't have to see people face-to face anymore. We can work long hours or live far apart and still keep up with the life events, celebrations, trials, and tribulations of friends and family. With a couple swipes of the finger on a tablet, I can find out who your friends are, where you go to school, who you work for, and what music you listen to. I can even find out what world city you should live in or what type of animal best describes your personality from the quizzes you post! Through our profiles—the photos, comments, and stories we post—we get to decide how the world sees us. It's a lot of fun! But sadly, opening our lives to the world can also cause us big, big trouble.

My friend Aaron was a teacher at a local school. He's also a guy who loves hunting. He stopped talking to people at work about his hobby after his boss took him aside and said that it was "inappropriate to discuss such matters in this environment, particularly given recent incidents. We don't want to scare the children or parents." Then last week, Aaron posted a few pictures of his latest hunting trip online, along with a video of him showing his eleven-year-old son how to properly load, fire, and unload a shotgun. All his friends thought that it was awesome that he spent time with his son while teaching him gun safety. But then the video went viral, and the principal and superintendent at Aaron's school heard about it. They called him in, and they fired him! They said he'd been warned, and that posting the video was irresponsible. Aaron was fired even though he never signed a contract or committed to any guidelines around using social media. It isn't right and it isn't fair.

Not long ago I had to sign a "social responsibility" statement for my job. The contract requires employees to review the policies and standards of the organization and exercise good judgment online. Human Resources has also issued a ludicrous one-strike rule. This new policy states that if we post something that reflects poorly on the industry, the company, or any employees, we must either a) deactivate our online accounts or b) change our profile names so no one will know where we work. If we refuse, we will be fired. This is a violation of civil liberties! No piece of paper I am forced to sign is going to change what I choose to do online.

No company has the right to tell an employee how to behave in his or her personal life. I fail to see why our Internet lives should be any different than real life. My boss goes out partying every night, but he didn't have to sign a contract saying he would watch what he says or does in a bar. If he tries to fire me for posting things online, I will see to it that he gets dismissed for being so irresponsible and partying all night. Of all of the employees, I guess I am the most upset about this. All of my coworkers signed the new contract without complaining. They aren't all that interested in talking to Human Resources with me either. I will serve as the lone advocate for this important cause without them. I will see to it that these companies stop violating our civil liberties by limiting our vital online presence! 

Sample Answer

While entertaining, Lionel Burnett's "Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts" fails to successfully argue that employer requests for decent online behavior from employees is a violation of civil liberties.

• Hook: One-sided and filled with biases, Burnett's article, "Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts," reads more like an ill-informed rant than a newsworthy opinion piece.
• Background: This newspaper article is an opinion piece regarding the importance of social media in today's culture and how employer involvement and concern over employee online activity is unfair and unlawful.
• Thesis: While entertaining, Lionel Burnett's "Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts" fails to successfully argue that employer requests for decent online behavior from employees are a violation of civil liberties.
• Evidence: Burnett claims that interpersonal activities are no longer necessary because we can find out everything we want or need to know about everyone online.
• Analysis: Burnett fails to take into account that many people are not active online and still value meeting their family and friends in person.
• Link: Focusing only on his own positive views of social media, Burnett blatantly ignores that what people post online has the potential to harm others.
• Evidence: Burnett is shocked that Aaron was fired from his position as a schoolteacher after sharing information involving guns, even though he had been warned about doing so.
• Analysis: The school has an interest in seeing that its employees do not post online material that may reflect poorly on its staff and upset parents.
• Link: Similarly, Burnett's employer is not acting unlawfully by requesting that its employees be mindful about their online practices.
• Evidence: Human Resources asked its employees to sign a social media contract and although Burnett claims to be vehemently opposed, he went along with it.
• Analysis: If Burnett is such an advocate for online legal freedoms, why did he sign the social media contract rather than finding a new job with a company that doesn't require such a contract?
• Link: While Burnett makes an interesting point about his boss—that company expectations regarding online and offline social behaviors are not consistent—he offers no real evidence to support his argument that his employers, or Aaron's for that matter, acted unlawfully (or even unreasonably).
• Synthesis: Although Burnett's commentary highlights some trends in social interactions in this country, i.e., a moving away from live interpersonal contact to a more virtual reality, it falls short of supporting his claim that employers violate civil liberties over online videos and posts.
• Final Impression: Burnett offers no facts, just his opinion and personal outrage, on what's becoming a common human resources requirement: the social media contract.

Developing an outline helps me organize my ideas before I get started on writing my first draft. This saves me time and energy, keeping the first draft more focused than if I just start writing without any plan.

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College as a Growth Opportunity: Assessing Personal Growth Initiative and Self-determination Theory

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• Published: 20 September 2020
• Volume 22 , pages 2143–2163, ( 2021 )

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• Ingrid K. Weigold   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0086-0102 1 ,
• Arne Weigold 2 ,
• Shu Ling 1 &
• Migyeong Jang 1  

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Although college presents a time for personal and vocational development, little research has examined individuals’ intentional use of college as a growth opportunity. Consequently, the current study assessed relationships among personal growth initiative (an individual’s active desire to grow in personally relevant domains), basic needs satisfaction at college, and positive outcomes in samples of students from a large, public, predominantly White institution ( n  = 818) and a small, private, minority-majority college ( n  = 195). Using structural equation modeling, we examined a hypothesized model in which personal growth initiative was indirectly related to the two outcomes (psychological well-being and vocational commitment) through the satisfaction of the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; this was compared to a reverse model. The hypothesized model was a better fit for the data in the university sample, and both models had similar fit for the college sample. Tests of indirect effects using the hypothesized model showed evidence of mediation, with similarities and differences between the samples. Finally, the two models were invariant across institutions at the structural level. PGI and basic needs satisfaction explained over half of the variance in psychological well-being and approximately one-quarter of the variance in vocational commitment in both samples.

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Weigold, I.K., Weigold, A., Ling, S. et al. College as a Growth Opportunity: Assessing Personal Growth Initiative and Self-determination Theory. J Happiness Stud 22 , 2143–2163 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00312-x

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15 Growth Mindset Statements to Recite Daily

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If your colleague were to earn the promotion that you were hoping for, would you be genuinely happy for them? Or would you feel envious and like you’re not good enough?

Or, if you were just shy of meeting one of your goals, would you feel defeated or would you reflect on some opportunities that you could potentially learn from?

Your answers to these questions say a lot about whether you have a fixed or growth mindset. We have talked about these two mindsets before–and, more specifically, the benefits of having a growth mindset over a fixed one .

(To help you visualize these benefits better, check out our post on growth mindset examples .)

But if your fixed mindset hasn’t budged, there is still hope for you to change that.

So in this article, we are going to provide an overview of the growth mindset and then discuss how you can adopt this mentality by reciting growth mindset statements. Then we will look at 15 examples of growth mindset statements for you to recite each day.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

What Is a Growth Mindset?

First introduced by Stanford Psychologist, Carol Dweck , the idea of a fixed vs. growth mindset defines one of our most fundamental beliefs about ourselves. A “fixed mindset” assumes that we are born with the amount of talent, ability, and intelligence that we will ever have.

Because these personal characteristics won’t change with practice or experience, success only confirms one’s inherent intelligence, and displays how each person compares to their equally fixed peers.

This means that working to be successful and avoiding failure act only to help people maintain their perception of their own abilities.

Alternatively, having a growth mindset inspires people to view failure as an opportunity for growth rather than proving the limits of one’s innate intelligence.

Having a growth mindset takes the perceived restrictions off of one’s inherent abilities, and marks a starting point from which that person can grow.

People who have a growth mindset are better equipped to bounce back from inevitable setbacks and be resilient in the face of change. Having this mentality allows you to recognize that hard work and determination will help you accomplish any goal that you set out to achieve.

It allows you to believe that your true potential is unknown, and it’s impossible to predict everything that you could accomplish with enough passion, hard work, and training.

People exhibit one of these mindsets in childhood, and it goes on to impact nearly all aspects of one’s life–both personally and professionally.

This means that this mindset can ultimately help determine your happiness and satisfaction with life, making it an important predictor of your overall well being.

The video below shares effective strategies you can try to develop your growth mindset:

Because of this, you’ll want to make every effort to develop a mentality that is the most advantageous to you.  Let’s look at why you should use statements or affirmations to help you solidify this.

Why You Should Recite Statements to Attract a Growth Mindset

If you feel like you’re stuck with a fixed mindset, you can change this by reciting (or writing down) growth mindset statements every day.

This is a really simple–yet very effective–exercise that you can do to challenge your fixed mindset and reset your subconscious mind to think in a way that eliminates your current limitations and opens up new opportunities for success.

According to Walter E. Jacobson, M.D. , a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist, motivational speaker, and best-selling author, reciting positive statements every day can help you attract the mentality–and ultimately, life –that you want.

Hearing yourself say these statements will encourage positive changes in your thinking and behavior.

Growth mindset statements can not only act as a source of inspiration, they can also be simple reminders for you to live with this attitude.

Reciting these statements can help you focus your efforts and attention on making progress throughout the day, which will help promote positive and lasting change.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

1 . Every mistake I make teaches me something new that brings me closer to achieving my goals.

2. I welcome new challenges in my life that will help push me to get outside of my comfort zone and try new things.

3. I appreciate any constructive feedback I can get because it gives me an opportunity to learn.

4. I strive to be like the people who have succeeded before me and I look up to my superiors.

5. Because I’m determined, I can do anything I put my mind to.

6. I have no excuses.

7. I don’t need other people to validate me or my work.

8 .  I know my purpose.

9 .  I am stronger than the impulses that bring me short-term gratification.

10 .  I’m going to work smarter, not harder.

11 .  I’m committed to the learning process.

12 .  I am in control.

13 .  I believe I can do anything I want to do.

14 .  I have a vision and I know what I’m working toward.

15 .  I am at my starting point.

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