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A good personal statement should set out your qualities, qualifications, experience, and ambitions in a clear, concise manner. Needless to say, it should also be completely error free. And that’s where our expert personal statement editing services come in, giving your application the edge you deserve.

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When you submit a document to our personal statement proofreading service, one of our expert editors will:

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This allows you to check every change we make while editing your personal statement, so you’re always in complete control of the final draft.

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How To Check A Personal Statement: The Best Strategies

No matter how much effort you put into writing your personal statement, if you don’t check it comprehensively, you’re likely to include errors. Not only does this give the reader a poor impression of your academic potential, but the chances are your statement won’t include all the elements needed to make your application successful.

Here are the best strategies for how to check your personal statement before you submit it…

Check your personal statement by ensuring that your spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct whilst retaining your individual voice. Make sure your content is accurate and well-referenced and that each point or paragraph is relevant. Lastly, meet any specific requirements, including length.

Here’s how to break down each of those elements in greater detail…

Get Your Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Right

Compelling content can be let down by inaccurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, so take the time to get these basics right. Errors here are a clear sign to the reader that you have rushed your personal statement and that you may lack the necessary capability and attention to detail required.

Sometimes that can make the difference between a candidate being offered a place or being rejected, as universities are continually required to maintain high academic standards .

While standard spell-check software is helpful, it can be extremely useful to use more advanced free software packages such as Grammarly . I recommend this frequently when working with applicants in the final stages of developing their content; it costs nothing to download and use the basic version, and not only does it catch a wide range of errors, it also makes far more sophisticated and intuitive substitution suggestions that most word-processing software.

If you’re not sure what Grammarly is, you’re missing a useful tool for not only your personal statement but for broader study too. You can find out all about it here .

Best of all, proofread your work in detail. Start from the end and work backwards a sentence at a time, really focusing on the content. Don’t worry about making it sound formal, just weed out errors and check that each sentence makes logical, grammatical sense. To help you, here’s a very short guide to help you navigate some common mistakes:


Under-graduate	undergraduate	I think History is important…	I think history is important…
Post-graduate	postgraduate	As a student on your physics course…	As a student on your Physics course…
Bachelors’ Degree	bachelor’s degree	I want to go to University because…	I want to go to university because…
Masters’ Degree	master’s degree	I attended a course at the university of oxford…	I attended a course at the University of Oxford…

Ensure Your Content is Accurate and Referenced

When you include quotes or refer to a specialist or publication in your personal statement, you must reference them accurately. This is key for two reasons. Firstly, the admissions tutor reading your content will soon spot an error and whilst this may not lead to an outright rejection of your application, it will certainly damage your chances.

Spelling names and titles carelessly or incorrectly, or misquoting or misrepresenting the subject by placing their work out of context will also count against your application. If you want more detail on how to manage quotes in your personal statement, check out my detailed post here .

Secondly, in exceptional circumstances, not referencing your sources can lead to charges of plagiarism, with the rejection of your application a possible outcome, even if cheating was not your intention. As the admission team at Durham University indicate on their website :

We also operate a fair and transparent admissions process and as such, need to ensure that all information provided to us is honest and accurate. Durham University

If you are at all unsure about how to avoid plagiarism in your personal statement, you can find a range of useful strategies here .

Check the Relevancy of Each Point or Paragraph

Every point or paragraph you include in your personal statement should be structured to make a relevant point. Think of each element as serving a specific purpose and make sure that you can identify it clearly when you read it back. You might even plan your personal statement by listing the points you want to make in the order you want to make them, to ensure you’ve achieved this goal.

When you check your writing, it is good practice to ask these questions:

Does each point reinforce your suitability for and connection with the subject or role you are applying for? If not, edit and re-write to ensure that it does.
Does each point outline personal academic or practical experiences that connect your application with the demands of the course? If not, take the time to make the connection.
Have you structured your paragraphs to create a compelling narrative in the mind of the reader? If you’re not sure about how to achieve this, check out the po st here.

If there is any ‘filler’ in your writing, you should remove it. It is far better to have less content, and for that content to powerfully communicate your suitability than to include content for the sake of volume.

Make Sure You Include any Specific Requirements

Each course or position will have specific requirements outlined in the supporting documents. If you are using one personal statement to apply for a range of courses, you will need to identify the common requirements and bring them together in a more generalised list.

You need to ensure that you include content that is asked for (such as key skills and knowledge, experiences, evidence of volunteering, qualifications or internships) as well as going beyond the expectations of any description and showing greater depth and suitability.

Look at the example below relating to a Physics and Philosophy degree from the University of York . It shows transferable skills taught during the course and common career outcomes upon graduation. These are exactly the elements you should include in your personal statement; the more an admissions officer or an employer can see clear connections between your application and their offer, the more likely they are to reach out to you positively.

You can see below the qualification level expected for this same course, but more importantly you can see the subjects that are considered of highest importance. That’s a clear indicator to you that those are the subjects you should be focusing on by outlining your deeper understanding and experience of them. If you can prove that you have exceeded the demands of entry, so much the better.

Last of all, make sure that your personal statement is written to the required length. As a rule, this is 4000 characters for a UCAS undergraduate application. Master’s personal statements are usually best when the run to around 800 words. If there is no guide given, then two sides of writing running to no more than 1000 words is usually an appropriate limit.

Do not exceed the word count. You should be able to communicate your suitability, experience and ambition concisely.

Before you press ‘send’ or hit ‘print’ on your personal statement, it is good practice to ask another person to check it over for you. By this stage, it should be as accurate, concise and relevant as you can make it. Your volunteer should be able to read it and sum up the salient points without identifying any errors, unnecessary content or unclear elements. If you’ve gone through this process and they’ve given you the green light, you’re good to go.

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support. You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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Writing the Personal Statement

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The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
What are your career goals?
Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.
Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast .

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How to avoid plagiarism when writing your personal statement

Take care with your personal statement and you'll have no worries about accidental plagiarism

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Ucas has a system in place to check for personal statement plagiarism. The first stage of this is computerised. Every personal statement is checked for similarity against every other personal statement previously received by Ucas (as well as personal statements that have been published online). If the system finds a statement is more than 30% similar to another, it flags it for further investigation by the Ucas Verification Team. That team then runs another check on the statement. If they agree about the level of similarity, they send an email to the applicant and to all the universities on that person's application. Those universities may take further action - it's up to them at that point. Clearly, having a personal statement flagged in this way is something you very much want to avoid. But so long as you're submitting your own work (and you've not shared your statement online) it's not something you'll need to worry about. Just to be double-sure, here are some common questions (and answers) about personal statement plagiarism. Visit the personal statement forum and the university applications forum on The Student Room to see what other students are saying about their experiences of the process.

The university application personal statement is changing in 2025
University admissions service Ucas has announced that a new style of personal statement will be launched in 2025. This will affect anyone making a university application from autumn 2025 onwards. .

I posted my personal statement online – could this cause me a problem?

The Ucas similarity checker includes personal statements that it has found on the internet. So, if your statement's published online - perhaps in a blog or on a messageboard - then it could be flagged as plagiarised. That's not your only headache in this scenario. Other people might also copy parts of your personal statement, pinching your hard work for their own application. If you've posted yours online, you're probably going to have to start over from scratch. The advice here is simple: if your university application is still underway, don't post your personal statement where it can be found online.

Read more: teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

I Googled one of my sentences and it came up as similar to another personal statement, but I haven't copied anything!

Relax. It’s pretty much inevitable that there will be some overlap or similarities in phrasing with other personal statements. It’s nearly impossible to be completely original when there are thousands of applicants all writing about the same thing. So long as the ideas are yours and you haven't copied someone else, you'll be fine. However if your personal statement’s opening line is something like: “Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to be a…” then you should consider using something more original. Avoid clichés at all costs, not because of plagiarism checkers, but because it will help your application.

Read more: the ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement

I sent my Ucas application and the deadline is closed, is it safe to post my personal statement online now?

Not yet! Wait until you’ve received your offers and got a university place before you post your personal statement anywhere. That way you’ll be well out of the danger zone. Personal statements won't be checked immediately so you want to avoid the stress of being flagged.

Read more: how to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

I used a plagiarism checker, will it be flagged by Ucas now?

No, plagiarism checkers are private and don’t keep a copy of your work (that would be very cruel if they did!).

I emailed my personal statement to my parent/teacher/friend to proofread, am I in trouble?

No. Emails are private so emailing your personal statement or sending via private message won’t be a problem. However, don’t send your personal statement to random people you don’t know (even if they say they’re helping you out), or to anyone that might want to use it for their own application. If they copy parts of your statement in their own then you could both get in trouble. Remember you can’t control what other people do with your personal statement, so be careful about who you send it to.

You may want to look at these...

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps.

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Ucas deadlines and key application dates

Get organised with our calendar of the key dates and deadlines in the Ucas application process for students beginning studies in September 2024.

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Personal statement length checker.

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You don’t need to login to UCAS and don’t need to use their tricky online form
Our nifty checker uses their method of counting lines with 94 characters maximum per line
It also uses their method of counting characters (including spaces etc.)
Worried about the spelling, grammar and content of your statement? We offer an affordable personal statement editing service to improve the message of your personal statement.

Paste your personal statement below to check if it meets the UCAS Apply requirements for the number of lines and character length. Click “check length”.

NOTE : W e do not store your personal statement and you will not have problems with Turnitin.

Make your personal statement stand out by removing grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence errors:

We offer a personal statement editing service to improve the grammar, spelling and punctuation of your statement. It only costs £30 and can really improve your personal statement before you send it to the institution you are applying for. Click on the order now button!

What is the UCAS personal statement word count?

UCAS does not specify a certain number of words. However, the personal statement is limited to 4,000 characters including spaces. You cannot use Word to check your statement length because they count words and spaces differently, hence why we have developed this tool for you.

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How to Write a Strong Personal Statement

Ruth Gotian
Ushma S. Neill

A few adjustments can get your application noticed.

Whether applying for a summer internship, a professional development opportunity, such as a Fulbright, an executive MBA program, or a senior leadership development course, a personal statement threads the ideas of your CV, and is longer and has a different tone and purpose than a traditional cover letter. A few adjustments to your personal statement can get your application noticed by the reviewer.

Make sure you’re writing what they want to hear. Most organizations that offer a fellowship or internship are using the experience as a pipeline: It’s smart to spend 10 weeks and $15,000 on someone before committing five years and $300,000. Rarely are the organizations being charitable or altruistic, so align your stated goals with theirs
Know when to bury the lead, and when to get to the point. It’s hard to paint a picture and explain your motivations in 200 words, but if you have two pages, give the reader a story arc or ease into your point by setting the scene.
Recognize that the reviewer will be reading your statement subjectively, meaning you’re being assessed on unknowable criteria. Most people on evaluation committees are reading for whether or not you’re interesting. Stated differently, do they want to go out to dinner with you to hear more? Write it so that the person reading it wants to hear more.
Address the elephant in the room (if there is one). Maybe your grades weren’t great in core courses, or perhaps you’ve never worked in the field you’re applying to. Make sure to address the deficiency rather than hoping the reader ignores it because they won’t. A few sentences suffice. Deficiencies do not need to be the cornerstone of the application.

At multiple points in your life, you will need to take action to transition from where you are to where you want to be. This process is layered and time-consuming, and getting yourself to stand out among the masses is an arduous but not impossible task. Having a polished resume that explains what you’ve done is the common first step. But, when an application asks for it, a personal statement can add color and depth to your list of accomplishments. It moves you from a one-dimensional indistinguishable candidate to someone with drive, interest, and nuance.

Ruth Gotian is the chief learning officer and associate professor of education in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and the author of The Success Factor and Financial Times Guide to Mentoring . She was named the #1 emerging management thinker by Thinkers50. You can access her free list of conversation starters and test your mentoring impact . RuthGotian
Ushma S. Neill is the Vice President, Scientific Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She runs several summer internships and is involved with the NYC Marshall Scholar Selection Committee. ushmaneill

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Personal Statement Cheat Sheet

Last Updated: 27th February 2019

Author: Adi Sen

Personal Statements

Knowing where to start with your Personal Statement can be tough, especially if you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge, which demand extremely well written Personal Statements from their applicants.

We have the created the perfect resoruce get you started on your Personal Statement journey. This easy-to-use Personal Statement cheat sheet will tell you everything you need to know to start crafting the perfect Personal Statement.

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What is a personal statement?

Your Personal Statement is your chance to show the universities you apply to who you really are. The rest of the application is faceless statistics – the Personal Statement gives the admissions tutor the opportunity to look beyond those statistics and focus on the real you, the person they may spend at least three years teaching their subject to.

Do I need to write a Personal Statement?

Every single UCAS applicant needs to write a Personal Statement to support their university application.

What is the Personal Statement deadline?

The final deadline is the 31st of January for the majority of subjects. For Medicine, Dentistry and Oxbridge, be aware there is an earlier deadline date of the 16th of October.

The Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide

The Introduction – why do you want to study this subject?

What subject are you applying for?

Use a short, sharp, strong opening
Avoid clichés like “from a young age, I’ve always been interested in ..”

What motivated you to apply for this subject?

Make it memorable, personal and most importantly, honest!
Avoid using overused words such as “passionate, devotion etc”

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Law At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for natural science (physical) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychology at oxford, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement for cambridge mathematics and physics, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for oxford english language and literature, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge, the main body – broken up into paragraphs.

PARAGRAPH #1 – Why are you suited for the subject?

This should have a hard focus on the academic arguments to answer this question. Talk about future ambitions relevant to the degree, and what makes the course right for you.

PARAGRAPH #2 – Still why are you suited for the subject?

This can be less academic – think: work experience, personal motivations, relevant awards and competitions.

PARAGRAPH #3 – What extracurricular activities do you have?

Show you’re a well-rounded person but also apply these activities to your chosen course. Don’t get carried away here – this should be the shortest paragraph in the main body.

Things To Avoid In Your Personal Statement

Long, complicated sentences
Lack of reflection
Dragging out one example for too long
Listing things off
Generic/stereotypical statements
Negative connotations – keep it positive
Controversy
Irrelevant/out of date examples – keep it recent

The Conclusion – leaving a good impression

You should put into context what you have already written and leave a good final impression!

You shouldn’t bring any new information into the conclusion – anything worth saying should be brought up much earlier!
You should avoid repeating what you’ve already said. You only have 47 lines so keep it short.
Draw on themes from the rest of the statement to close; the tutor is likely to remember your statement by the introduction and conclusion.

Check out our other personal statement articles and successful examples on our Free Personal Statement Resources page .

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Knowledge Base
Applying to graduate school
How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

A personal experience that changed your perspective
A story from your family’s history
A memorable teacher or learning experience
An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
How does it fit into the rest of your life?
What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

What first sparked your interest in the field?
Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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UCAS Personal Statement Length Checker

Please note: The line count may differ than the number of lines in the textbox above but when copy and pasted will match the line count on the UCAS application.

UCAS Personal Statement Requirements

No longer than 4000 characters.
No longer than 47 lines.
Each line can be no longer than 94 characters. (Our character counter above already has a max line length of 94 characters unless otherwise noted.)
Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation.

To see additional features including word count, paragraph count, space count and more use the character counter on our home page.

How to write your UCAS personal statement

The UCAS personal statement scares most high school students. Writing a perfect personal statement is a strenuous and unavoidable process. With roughly about 6 million university applications each year, officials need a method for filtering stronger applicants from everyone else.

As challenging as this task may appear, it is also your only chance to share your personality and eligibility for the degree program you have chosen. Follow our practices given, and you can absolutely make your personal statement up to the mark.

Start with a plan

Each year thousands of applications are received for the best degrees in the world and are best focused on the goal of making their application stand out from the rest.

Thus, planning out what you want to say prior to writing your UCAS statement makes it easy to write a convincing personal statement. Start off by making a rough draft, answering some questions like

What subjects do you want to study?
Why have you particularly chosen this path for yourself?
What makes you think that you are best suited to study this degree program at the college?

Some of these points will form the backbone of your personal statement, so write them in a manner that makes sense to you.

Sometimes you want to create simple bullet points or use mind maps. No matter what you decide; your goal is the same. You want to clarify why the university should provide you with a spot.

Bigger Picture of the Degree

Talk about the course that you have applied to. How did you learn about it in the first place? What means did you use to deepen your interest and knowledge in this area?

It would be a huge plus to list the books you read and the meetings you have attended regarding the subject.

Please elaborate on your academic attitude towards the degree. What are your goals after graduating? What role will it play in helping you achieve your greatest ambitions? What sort of vocation plans do you have after graduation?

Write about your work experience and achievements

Your previous achievements are an essential part of your personal statement. Think about all the accolades you have received and the contests you have participated in. These can be in-school, national or international. Both academic and sports awards can greatly help emphasize your commitment.

Write about the important skills and experiences acquired elsewhere (such as hobbies) that can be chained to the degree of your choice.

Remember, you are searching for experience that shows why you need to study the subject that you have chosen. You are not just writing an essay about what you are doing in your high school syllabus.

Extracurricular Activities

Your extracurriculars ought to likewise be included in the personal statement. Whether it be a MUN or a cross country race, they pass on the message that you love participating in different events.

Likewise, it is really smart to discuss any expertise you have acquired through extracurriculars.

Discuss any leadership roles you could have held, as they improve your capacity to appreciate people on a profound level and put you across as a pioneer.

Community service is a plus in the UCAS statement as it shows a promise to a reason bigger than oneself.

You can link all these activities to your selected course in the best case. Be careful not to elaborate too much on extracurricular activities.

UCAS Character Count

There are some specific instructions for your personal statement that you can never ignore.

First, it must not exceed 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text (including blank lines), whichever comes first. If you do exceed this, the university will not get your entire statement.

So make sure your personal statement has a solid and decisive ending. It will look bad if you cut it off in the middle of a sentence after realizing that you have exceeded the text limit.

Instead, give each section proper attention, time, and character to plan your essay thoroughly.

However, while you are getting everything rolling, you ought to overlook these restrictions.

Tips for reducing the character count

From the get-go, you simply need to jot down all that you feel is significant. You will probably wind up with something very lengthy, but that is okay.

This is where you get to do some polishing and trimming. Maintain the focal point of your piece on the course you are applying for, why you want to do it and for what reason you are impeccably fit for it.

Glance through what you have composed until now - do you have the right balance? Cut off whatever continues a little to far, as you want to keep each point crisp and concise.

It is a difficult process to try to keep as much content as possible while keeping the character count low, so here are some simple ways to make it easier for you.

Avoid quotes

Read your personal statement and eliminate platitudes if there are any - for instance, 'I've wanted to study psychology since I was young'…The same goes for the quotations: except if they increase the value of your statement (which they don't most of the time!), it is really the best practice to remove them.

Make sure everything is concise

For each sentence in your piece, use the "so what?" rule. Does this sentence appear to be more reasonable for the course? If not, cutting it is best. This frequently happens when individuals write too much about their extracurriculars in a frantic endeavour to fit everything in. For extra analysis, feel free to use our sentence counter to calculate the average length of your sentences.

Colleges, notwithstanding, need to see a reflection and what you have extracted from your encounters; this implies it is normally better to simply discuss a few extracurriculars than to list many things that the reader is likely to skim.

Also, note that you don't have to use hospital or volunteer location names. This further allows you to remove the last few characters from the count.

Use colour coding

An easy way to see where you are losing most of your characters is to highlight the sections of your statement with different colours.

Check your language

We frequently invest a great deal of energy looking up big words with the expectation that it will make our work impressive. However, this isn't generally the best practice. It is, in many cases, best to cut these words for fundamental and engaging sentences.

I hope the process will now be transparent, and it will be more exciting for you as you embark on your writing.

How to use our UCAS personal statement checker

To use our tool simply copy and paste your personal statement into the text-box above.

At the top, you will see two metrics displayed. The first metric on the left is the total characters you've typed out of the limit of 4,000 characters.

The second metric on the right is the number of lines your text contains out of the max of 47 lines. The UCAS allows a maximum of 94 characters per line, which our line count feature already takes into consideration.

To make it easier you can click the green "copy text" button to copy the text in the text box. You can also click the red "clear text" button to delete all the text in the text-box.

Why use an online UCAS personal statement checker?

Reason number one: The character count feature in Microsoft Word will not give you an accurate reading. The reason is that Word does not count the carriage return (also known as the enter key) as a character while UCAS does count it as a character.

The problem is that this will cause Word to underestimate the character count. This could cause your essay not to be able to submit when you try to upload it. If anything it would be better to overestimate the word count on Word that way it will fit.

Our personal statement checker however will give you the same character count as UCAS unlike the Microsoft Word character count.

It can be helpful to see the character count in real-time as you are typing your personal statement. This way you are constantly reminded of how long your essay is.

If you are not paying attention it can be easy to lose track of how long your essay is and go over the limit.

Our tool makes it easier to be aware of the length and easy to cut back if necessary.

How many characters in a personal statement?

UCAS requires 4,000 characters in their personal statement. Use our personal statement checker above to see if your essay meets the requirements.

How many words in a UCAS personal statement

UCAS has a character limit of 4,000 characters. This equates to about 615 to 800 words.

How many words is 4000 characters?

4,000 characters is about 615 to 800 words. For more Characters to Words conversions, check out our Characters To Words Converter .

Does the personal statement character limit include spaces?

Yes, it does include spaces as well as carriage returns. Check your statement with our personal statement checker above.

Thanks for using our UCAS personal statement checker!

We appreciate you taking the time to check your personal statement using our webpage. As you know, this is a very important college application essay to get into British universities. UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and is what the UK uses for the college application process. Good luck on your personal statement!

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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5 Ways to Tell if You Have a Good Personal Statement Topic

If you’re a real human who is reading this blog post, there’s about a 99.9999% chance that you’ve had a lifetime full of unique experiences and memories. This being said, the moment that the Common Application asks you to write a personal statement, everything interesting or worthwhile that has ever happened to you may begin to sound about as interesting as a piece of dry toast.

Fortunately, this experience is not as uncommon as it may seem. Many people have trouble with personal statements, regardless of what they have or haven’t experienced. The opportunity to write about yourself in great detail on your college applications might feel intimidating, but it’s important to keep in mind that your essay is your opportunity to show adcoms a side of you completely separate from your activities list, test scores, transcript, GPA, etc.

This post will focus on how to tell if you have a good topic for your personal statement. For more advice on college essay writing, check out “ How to write the Common App Essays 2016-17. ” For proofreading and personalized content help, you can also take a look at CV’s college essay editing service .

How do you know if you have a good topic?

Unless you are clairvoyant, sadly you can never know for sure exactly what adcoms will think of your essay. This being said, there are some objective questions you can ask yourself to figure out if you’re on the right track. This post will focus on five of those questions.

If you are able, it might also be helpful to purchase and read a book of successful college essays (check out “ 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays ” from the Staff of the Harvard Crimson). Be sure to get plenty of feedback from multiple trusted readers as well, like friends, family, and teachers, but be sure you don’t compromise your own voice in the process.

Questions You Can Ask Yourself to Determine Whether or Not You Have a Good Topic

What is the scope.

Be sure to consider the scope of your essay topic. Is it specific enough to write a focused essay on, but not so specific that it doesn’t communicate much about you as a whole?

Going too broad with your topic could mean that you end up with a generic statement that doesn’t reveal much about you. Writing about how your love of reading has allowed you to travel to other worlds, for example, is probably too common of a sentiment. Writing about how your love of reading has inspired you to write your own mystery novel that takes place in 1920s Paris, though, might be a more compelling topic.

While you definitely don’t want to be too broad, you should also stray away from being too specific, as this can work against you as well. It’s okay to write about how an initially rocky relationship with a teacher taught you to be more flexible and adaptable in the professional world, but delving into the nitty gritty details of a conversation with said teacher that redefined your approach to studying for fact-based history tests probably isn’t the best idea unless it relates directly to your larger message. In short, it is hard to communicate a lot about your personality or extrapolate to your general life principles with such specific topics.

Is it individual?

Ask yourself if your topic is something individual and unique to you.

Some cliché college essay topics include lessons learned from your grandparents, losing a football game, or overcoming stage fright. This is not to say that these topics can’t make an interesting essay — they definitely can—but in these cases the topic itself likely won’t be enough to make the essay individual. You’ll need to add a personal element that makes your essay unique. Colleges have probably already read about the student that learned how to overcome stage fright, but they might not have heard about how part of your process of overcoming it included singing all of Grease in a public park full of strangers.

In general, you should be thinking about whether or not your topic is something that other students would be submitting an essay about. If there is even a chance that someone else might have had the same experience as you, then you should probably be thinking of elements that you can add to your essay that will make it more unique. This can include something as simple as adding some highly specific details to your essay that will bring it to life.

As we’ve mentioned, a lot of the college process is about numbers and scores and tests, but the essay is a chance for adcoms to hear your voice. Admissions officers may read hundreds or even thousands of essays per application season — you want your essay to leave a memorable impact on them. It should be able to stand out from the pile as your essay.

Does it reveal your character?

An effective essay should be personal and unique, and it should also display a little bit of who you are as a person. Ask yourself if it shows or explains who you are as a person. You want to avoid writing an essay that simply relays a story or brags about your various accomplishments (that’s what the activities sheet is for).

An essay about winning the election for class president might make you sound authoritative and accomplished, for example, but it doesn’t really show anything in terms of personal growth. It might even be more compelling to write about how losing the election for class president taught you how to cope with disappointment and motivated you to run for treasurer, a position you were more qualified for, the following year.

Is it appropriate?

Be sure that your topic is appropriate . If you’re at all in doubt about a topic being potentially offensive, it’s probably a good idea to take a second look at it.

It should go without saying that an essay that puts down or makes fun of any group due to their ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender is not okay . A good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t show your college essay to your grandma, then it’s probably not okay. And it’s probably a good idea to consult a bunch of different readers before submitting your essay, too—after all, the last thing you would want is for your application to be taken out of the running because your words were misinterpreted.

For reference, you can take a look at this post about Controversial Extracurriculars and Your College Applications (see also: “Can I Talk About Politics on my College Applications? ”). When it comes to essays, though, when in doubt, be sure to ask someone else to read it. In general, your writing will always benefit from multiple points of view, and in the case of college essays, this input may mean the difference between an effective, tasteful essay and one that could be easily misinterpreted as offensive.

Does it make sense?

Lastly, ask yourself if your essay topic is cohesive with the rest of your application. When you consider it alongside your extracurriculars, work experience, high school transcript, potential major, etc., does it present an accurate picture of your personality, interests, and goals?

Essays that come out of left field can sometimes be confusing. This isn’t always a negative thing, so long as you are mindful. If you’re hoping to go to school for biology and all of your extracurriculars are STEM related, then it might not be expected that you would write your college essay about your love of ceramics. Again, this isn’t a bad thing — just be sure to explain how your experiences in the art world have informed your love of cellular biology. Adcoms love to see applicants with interdisciplinary interests that can intersect to create something new and innovative. If this is who you are, then don’t be afraid to show it in your essay!

College essays can stress out even the most accomplished future English and creative writing majors, so don’t panic if you feel like every topic you can think of falls flat. A final piece of advice on this subject might be to think about a 1-2 sentence takeaway that you’d want a reader to get from your essay. Keep this in mind throughout the whole process—when picking your topic and writing your essay, and even when editing. Check in with yourself periodically and ask if you think that a reader would be reaching the conclusion from your essay that you’d want them to. Don’t be afraid to revise as many times as you need to! Though it may feel frustrating now, there is nothing more satisfying than submitting a personal statement that you are truly proud of and that demonstrates who you are.

For more information on personal statements and essay writing, check out these blog posts:

How to Write the Common Application Essays

Where to Begin? 3 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises

Planning a Personal Statement Strategy: How and When to Write the Right One

Whom Should I Ask for Help with My College Essay?

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls

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From Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls // Purdue Writing Lab

Writing the personal statement: top 10 rules.

Strive for depth rather than breadth. Narrow focus to one or two key themes, ideas or experiences
Try to tell the reader something that no other applicant will be able to say
Provide the reader with insight into what drives you
Be yourself, not the ‘ideal’ applicant
Get creative and imaginative in the opening remarks, but make sure it’s something that no one else could write
Address the school’s unique features that interest you
Focus on the affirmative in the personal statement; consider an addendum to explain deficiencies or blemishes
Evaluate experiences, rather than describe them
Proofread carefully for grammar, syntax, punctuation, word usage, and style
Use readable fonts, typeface, and conventional spacing and margins

WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT: TOP 10 PITFALLS

Do not submit an expository resume; avoid repeating information found elsewhere on the application
Do not use the same personal statement for each application. Generic statements are often obvious
Do not preach to your reader. You can express opinions, but do not come across as fanatical or extreme
Do not talk about money as a motivator
Do not discuss systemic and social injustices simply as complaints, but as a relevant source of motivation for your overall goals and intended studies
Do not remind the school of its rankings or tell them how good they are
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is…”
“This question asks me to discuss…”
“I would like to thank the admissions committee for considering my application.”
“It is my sincere hope that you will grant me the opportunity to attend your fine school.”
“In sum, there are three reasons why you should admit me…”
Do not use unconventional and gimmicky formats and packages
Do not submit supplemental materials unless they are requested
Do not get the name of the school wrong
Do not incorporate technical language or very uncommon words

Stewart, Mark Alan. Perfect Personal Statements. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996.

Personal Statement Examples That Show Your Colors

A personal statement is a window into your character, offering a glimpse of your personality, your values, and your vision. By writing one, you can tell your unique story in your own voice, and make a lasting impression that will linger in the minds of those who read it.

In this article, we're providing examples of personal statements that will inspire you and give you a sense of what makes a strong application. With these templates as a guide, you'll feel more confident in your ability to get into top graduate schools. And if you ever need paper help , our service has got your back.

What is a Personal Statement

A personal statement is a narrative that provides insight into who you are as an individual, what drives you, and how your experiences have shaped your goals. Whether you're applying to a university, seeking a scholarship, or vying for a residency spot, your personal statement serves as a key element of your application that can set you apart from other candidates.

At its core, it is your opportunity to communicate your story in a way that resonates with the reader. It lets you go beyond grades and test scores to reveal the motivations, challenges, and passions that define you.

Personal statements often follow prompts or guidelines provided by the institution or organization to which you're applying. However, the most impactful statements are those that creatively respond to these prompts while still maintaining a strong, coherent narrative that ties your past experiences to your future goals.

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The List of Personal Statement Examples

Below is a collection of unique personal statements, each designed to stand out with memorable themes and specific narratives that break away from the ordinary. These examples prepared by our personal statement writing services highlight how to turn your experiences, challenges, and passions into compelling stories that capture the essence of your journey and the vision for your future.

Personal Mission Statement Examples

Title: Building Bridges with Words

My mission is to build bridges—not of steel or stone, but of words, ideas, and connections that bring people together in meaningful ways. I believe that every conversation, every piece of writing, and every interaction is an opportunity to create understanding where there was once division, to spark curiosity where there was once indifference.

From a young age, I've been captivated by the power of language. I saw how a well-crafted sentence could change a mind, how a simple word of encouragement could lift someone's spirit. But I also witnessed how words could be used to hurt, to divide, and to isolate. This duality fueled my desire to harness language for good, to use it as a tool for connection rather than a weapon for division.

In my work, I strive to be a connector—a person who can bring diverse perspectives together, who can translate complex ideas into accessible concepts, and who can find common ground even in the most polarized conversations. I see every challenge as an opportunity to build another bridge, to link people across cultural, ideological, or experiential divides.

My mission extends beyond my professional life. In my personal interactions, I aim to listen deeply, to speak thoughtfully, and to approach every conversation with empathy and openness. I believe that by understanding others, we can better understand ourselves and the world around us.

I am committed to lifelong learning, recognizing that each day brings new opportunities to grow, to learn, and to build more bridges. My mission is not just to achieve personal success but to create a legacy of connection, where the words I choose and the actions I take bring people closer together, fostering a world where understanding, compassion, and unity are the foundation of every bridge we build.

Law School Personal Statement Examples

Title: A Passion for Justice: My Journey to Law School

Growing up in a small town where the law was often seen as distant and impersonal, I witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of legal injustices. My grandmother, a hardworking immigrant, faced years of discrimination and exploitation in her workplace. Despite her tireless efforts, she was unable to find justice through the legal system. It was this experience that ignited my passion for law and my determination to become a force for positive change.

During my undergraduate studies, I delved deep into legal theory and history, exploring the ways in which the law has been used to uphold and challenge social hierarchies. I was particularly drawn to the intersection of law and social justice, recognizing the power of the legal system to address systemic inequalities.

One summer, I had the opportunity to intern at a public interest law firm specializing in immigration law. There, I worked closely with clients who faced deportation and separation from their families. I learned the immense stress and uncertainty that these individuals endured, and I witnessed the transformative impact that legal representation could have on their lives.

Through my experiences, I have developed a strong commitment to using the law as a tool for social justice. I believe that lawyers have a unique responsibility to advocate for the marginalized and to challenge unjust systems. I am eager to pursue a legal career that will allow me to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

I am confident that my academic background, combined with my personal experiences, has prepared me to excel in law school. I am eager to contribute to a diverse and intellectually stimulating learning environment, and I am committed to using my legal education to create a more just and equitable society.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples

If you're seeking exceptional med school personal statement examples, the following template can serve as a valuable starting point.

Title: A Needle's Purpose

The sting of the hypodermic needle, a sensation I've come to know intimately. Not as a patient, but as a volunteer at the local clinic. It's a sensation that simultaneously elicits a pang of fear and a surge of purpose. I recall a particular afternoon when a young boy, no older than ten, was brought in with a severe asthma attack. His wheezing was labored, his eyes wide with terror. As the attending physician administered a nebulizer treatment, I watched, my heart pounding in my chest. When the boy's breathing finally steadied, a sense of relief washed over me. In that moment, I knew that medicine was my calling.

Beyond the clinical setting, I've also had the opportunity to explore the intersection of healthcare and public policy. As a research assistant on a project studying the impact of healthcare reform in my region, I gained a deeper understanding of the systemic challenges facing our healthcare system. This experience has fueled my desire to become a physician who is not only skilled in patient care but also committed to advocating for equitable access to healthcare for all.

My experiences have taught me that medicine is more than just treating diseases; it's about caring for individuals and communities. I am drawn to the challenge of applying my scientific knowledge and clinical skills to improve the lives of others. I am eager to contribute to the medical field and to make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of my patients.

If this template hits the right note, our medical school personal statement editing services are ready to fine-tune it for you!

Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

Title: From Failure to Fuel

"Failure is not the opposite of success; it's the catalyst that has driven my most significant achievements."

As a psychology undergraduate, I faced a daunting challenge: a research project that yielded unexpected, disappointing results. Initially, I viewed this outcome as a failure, a blemish on my academic record. However, through reflection and guidance from my mentor, I realized that the very unpredictability of research is its greatest strength. This experience sparked an intense curiosity in me, leading to a deeper understanding of the complexities of human behavior and the importance of resilience in the face of adversity.

Rather than shying away from this challenge, I embraced it, using the opportunity to develop a more nuanced approach to research. I delved into advanced statistical methods and honed my ability to think critically about data that didn't conform to expectations. This experience taught me that research is not about finding easy answers but about asking better questions, even when the answers are elusive.

This perspective has shaped my academic journey and fuels my desire to pursue graduate studies. I see my perceived weakness—initially feeling overwhelmed by unexpected results—as a critical strength. It has made me more adaptable, resourceful, and committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

I am eager to bring this mindset to your graduate program, where I can contribute to and learn from a community of scholars who share my passion for psychology. My journey has been defined not by easy successes but by the challenges I've embraced and the growth they've spurred. I am ready to take the next step, confident that my ability to turn setbacks into opportunities will serve me well in the rigorous, rewarding environment of graduate study.

If one of these templates catches your eye, feel free to buy a personal statement that's made-to-measure just for you!

Personal Vision Statement Examples

Title: In the Space Between Notes

My life's symphony is composed in the spaces between the notes. In music, the rests are as crucial as the melody, defining the rhythm, the pace, and the emotional impact of the piece. I see my life's journey much the same way—not just in the actions I take, but in the pauses, the reflections, and the moments of stillness that allow me to hear the music more clearly.

In the past, I used to focus solely on the crescendo—the big achievements, the high points. I believed that life was a series of grand performances where only the loudest, most spectacular notes mattered. But as I grew, I began to understand that the true beauty of a symphony lies in its balance, in the harmony between sound and silence.

I envision my future as one where I create not just a career, but a life that resonates with this balance. My goal is to become a leader in my field, not by rushing from one achievement to the next, but by being thoughtful in my actions, intentional in my decisions, and open to the unexpected melodies that life offers. I want to lead with empathy, understanding that the quiet moments often speak the loudest, that listening is as powerful as speaking.

In my personal life, I aspire to cultivate deep, meaningful relationships, to be present in the moments that matter most, and to find joy in the simple, unplanned interludes. I seek to live with purpose, but also with grace, allowing myself the freedom to pause, to reflect, and to adapt as the music of my life changes.

Ultimately, my vision is to compose a life that is rich with meaning, where every note and every rest contributes to a harmonious whole. I aim to create a legacy that isn't just remembered for its achievements, but for the way it moved others, for the way it lingered in the spaces between.

Personal Statement Examples for College

The below narrative is one of our unique college personal statement examples you can use as inspiration.

Title: The Art of Folding Paper

I learned more about life from a sheet of paper than from any textbook. My fascination with origami started as a simple hobby, a way to pass the time on rainy afternoons. But as I folded my first crane, I realized I was doing more than just creating art; I was practicing patience, precision, and perseverance.

Origami is deceptively complex. A single wrong fold can distort the entire figure, but with each mistake, I discovered something new. I learned that a wrong fold doesn't mean the end—it's an opportunity to start again, to reshape the paper, and, often, to create something entirely unexpected and beautiful.

In high school, I brought my love for origami into the classroom, using it to explain complex concepts in physics and geometry to my classmates. A paper crane became a lesson in symmetry, a folded frog, an exploration of potential and kinetic energy. I even started an origami club, where we explored the intersection of art and science, creativity and logic. What began as a solitary pursuit transformed into a way to connect with others, to share ideas, and to look at problems from different angles.

Outside of school, origami helped me navigate the challenges of adolescence. When my parents divorced, folding paper became my refuge, a way to process emotions that words couldn't capture. Each fold was a step toward understanding, each completed figure a small triumph of order over chaos. It taught me that even in the most complicated situations, there's a way to create something meaningful if you're willing to keep folding, keep trying.

Now, as I look ahead to college, I see it as a blank sheet of paper—full of possibilities, ready to be shaped by the choices I make and the experiences I seek. I'm eager to bring my passion for both the arts and sciences to your campus, to fold my love for learning into every aspect of my education. Just as I've done with origami, I plan to explore the unexpected intersections, to create something unique and intricate from every opportunity.

In the end, a piece of paper, like life, can be anything you want it to be. It's all in how you fold it.

Residency Personal Statement Examples

Title: The Night I Decided to Stay

Residency wasn't always in the plan. In fact, the night I decided to stay in medicine, I had my resignation letter drafted. I was a third-year medical student, standing alone in a dimly lit hospital hallway, utterly drained from another 30-hour shift. The endless rotations had blurred into a monotonous routine of rounds, notes, and more rounds, and I began to question whether this was truly the life I wanted.

That night, I was assigned to the emergency department, where I met Mrs. Greene, a 67-year-old woman with a history of heart disease. She had collapsed at home and was brought in by ambulance, unconscious and unresponsive. Her family was frantic, desperate for answers I didn't have. As I followed my attending into the room, I felt a wave of anxiety. This wasn't a textbook case; it was a real person whose life hung in the balance.

The resuscitation was intense. I was there, chest compressions, adrenaline injections, the relentless rhythm of the defibrillator. As the team worked, I could see the fear in her daughter's eyes, and it struck me that this was about more than just a medical emergency. This was about a family in crisis, a life teetering on the edge.

After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Greene's pulse returned. The attending physician calmly directed the team, and we stabilized her enough to move her to the ICU. As we wheeled her away, her daughter grabbed my hand and whispered, "Thank you." It was a simple phrase, but it cut through my exhaustion, through the doubts and the fatigue.

I didn't leave the hospital that night. Instead, I sat down with my resignation letter, re-read it, and then ripped it up. I realized that medicine wasn't just about the science or the protocols—it was about moments like this, moments when you're not just treating a condition, but caring for a person, when your presence and perseverance can mean the difference between despair and hope.

Residency will be grueling, I know that. But I also know that it's where I'm meant to be. The night I decided to stay was the night I realized that medicine isn't just a career; it's a calling. And I'm ready to answer it.

Common App Personal Statement Examples

Title: The Day I Became an Engineer

I became an engineer on a blistering summer afternoon, though I didn't know it at the time. I was eight years old, crouched over the engine of my father's old Ford truck, hands smeared with grease, staring intently at a mess of wires and bolts. The truck had died in the middle of nowhere, miles from home, and with no mechanic in sight, my father turned to me and said, "Let's figure this out."

There was no manual, no diagram, just a young girl and her father armed with determination and a rusty toolbox. The heat was relentless, but I was captivated. Together, we deciphered the puzzle of the engine, tracing wires, testing connections, and slowly piecing together how the machine worked. After hours of trial and error, a spark of understanding ignited within me. When the engine finally roared to life, I felt a surge of pride that was as much about solving the problem as it was about discovering my own potential.

That moment in the desert wasn't just about fixing a truck; it was the first time I understood the power of curiosity and persistence. The feeling of triumph in the face of uncertainty stayed with me, and it became a defining aspect of who I am. It's what led me to join the robotics team in high school, where I spent countless nights debugging code and reassembling circuits, chasing that same spark of understanding.

But engineering, I've come to realize, isn't just about building machines. It's about constructing solutions, piece by piece, for problems that seem unsolvable. Whether I'm designing a new prototype or figuring out how to balance equations in physics, I approach each challenge with the same mindset I had as that eight-year-old in the desert: Let's figure this out.

I'm applying to college not just to learn, but to continue building—ideas, innovations, and a future where no problem is too complex to tackle. I've been an engineer at heart since that sweltering afternoon, and I'm ready to take the next step, not with all the answers, but with the confidence that I can figure them out.

Personal Statement for University Examples

Title: Designing the In-Between

"I've always been fascinated by the spaces between—those fleeting moments when science meets art, where precision meets creativity."

Growing up, I was equally enthralled by the elegance of mathematical equations and the expressive power of a blank canvas. While most saw these as distinct, even opposing interests, I found a profound connection between them. Mathematics, with its rigid structure and logic, offered me a way to understand the world's complexities. Art, on the other hand, gave me the freedom to express the nuances that numbers alone couldn't capture.

In high school, this dual passion led me to an unlikely pairing: architecture. It was in drafting rooms and design studios that I discovered my true calling. Here, the geometric precision of calculus met the boundless creativity of artistic vision, and I found a space where I could truly thrive. Designing structures that were not only functional but also aesthetically compelling was more than a challenge; it was a thrilling pursuit that combined everything I loved.

My projects, often inspired by natural forms and abstract patterns, have taught me to see beyond the obvious, to push boundaries and explore unconventional solutions. In one project, I designed a library that mimicked the flow of water, using mathematical principles to create a space that was both serene and dynamic. This project was a turning point for me, solidifying my belief that the most innovative designs emerge when you allow different disciplines to inform each other.

I believe that the future of design lies in the spaces between—where art and science, creativity and precision, meet. I am ready to contribute my unique perspective and learn from a community that values innovation as much as I do. This program is not just a step in my academic journey; it's the place where I can turn my vision into reality.

Personal Statement for Scholarship Examples

Title: Language as a Bridge

As a child, I watched my parents meticulously fill in forms in a language they barely understood. They had immigrated to this country with dreams of a better life but lacked the resources to fully grasp the complexities of their new world. This experience ignited in me a passion for language—not just as a means of communication, but as a bridge to opportunity.

I began tutoring English as a second language in high school, working with students from diverse backgrounds who, like my parents, struggled with the nuances of a new language. Each session was more than just a lesson; it was an opportunity to empower someone else with the tools they needed to navigate and thrive in society. Through this work, I realized that language is power, and education is the key to unlocking it.

This passion for language led me to pursue a degree in linguistics, where I explored the intricacies of phonetics, syntax, and semantics. I became fascinated by the ways in which language shapes our perceptions and interactions. But I didn't stop at theory—I sought to apply my knowledge practically, volunteering in legal clinics to assist non-English-speaking immigrants with their cases. I translated, I advocated, and most importantly, I listened.

The scholarship I am applying for will enable me to continue this work, allowing me to pursue a graduate degree focused on language acquisition and policy. With this education, I plan to develop programs that not only teach language but also empower individuals to use their voices for change.

My journey has taught me that a blank page is not to be feared—it is a chance to create something meaningful. I am determined to turn every challenge into an opportunity for growth, not just for myself, but for those I am committed to helping. This scholarship would be the next step in my mission to ensure that language is a gateway, not a barrier, to a better life.

The Bottom Line

Remember, your personal statement should be unique to you. Don't try to imitate someone else's style or story. Be honest, be yourself, and let your passion shine through. With careful planning and thoughtful writing, you can create a statement that will help you stand out from the crowd. Meanwhile, check out our separate guide on how to write education on resume —you’ll need it to back up that stellar statement!

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specializes in creating authoritative content on marketing, business, and finance, with a versatile ability to handle any essay type and dissertations. With a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a passion for social issues, her writing not only educates but also inspires action. On EssayPro blog, Annie delivers detailed guides and thought-provoking discussions on pressing economic and social topics. When not writing, she’s a guest speaker at various business seminars.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Personal statements - Career Services . (2024b, August 8). Career Services. - https://www.uwb.edu/career-services/resources/cover-letters/personal-statements

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Personal Statement Editing & Proofreading
Personal StatementEditing Services. When you submit a document to our personal statement proofreading service, one of our expert editors will: And when we're done, we'll provide two copies of your document: This allows you to check every change we make while editing your personal statement, so you're always in complete control of the ...
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You can receive your feedback in as little as 3 hours or less. Get peace of mind knowing your personal statement is the best it can be, and boost your chances of getting accepted at your top schools.
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One of the best resources you can utilize for the initial review of your personal statement is close family members and friends. They do not need to be in medicine to review your personal statement. Individuals who know you well can help you determine if the personal statement highlights your best qualities and is a realistic picture of you.
The Personal Statement
The Free Guide to Writing the Personal Statement. Kick things off with the two greatest brainstorming exercises ever, learn about options for structuring a personal statement + example outlines, check out some amazing example personal statements, and get on your way to writing your own killer personal statement for university applications.
How to Write a Personal Statement
A personal statement can be a key part of your college application, and you can really make yours shine by following a few tips.
AI Personal Statement Generator
AI Personal Statement Generator Speed up your college or grad school application with Grammarly's AI-powered personal statement generator, which helps you get compelling ideas for your personal statement in three easy steps.
How To Check A Personal Statement: The Best Strategies
Here are the best strategies for how to check your personal statement before you submit it…. Check your personal statement by ensuring that your spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct whilst retaining your individual voice. Make sure your content is accurate and well-referenced and that each point or paragraph is relevant.
What is a Personal Statement?
A personal statement is an essay used as one major component of the application process by many colleges and universities, especially highly selective schools. It can vary in length, but most personal statements (written for the Common App or Coalition) will tend to be close to 650 words, and will help a reader get a sense, among other things ...
Personal Statement Format + Examples
Getting your personal statement right is a crucial part of the application process. Learn how to format your personal statement, and find examples.
Personal statement length checker
Personal statement length checker Enter your personal statement below to check if it meets the UCAS Apply requirements for the number of lines and character length. The requirements for teacher training personal statements are different for UCAS Apply so this checker won't produce the correct results.
The Personal Statement
The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories: 1. The general, comprehensive personal statement: This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms. 2.
How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps
Use your closing couple of lines to summarise the most important points in your statement. 9. Check your writing thoroughly and get someone else to check it, too. 10. Give your brain a rest by forgetting about your personal statement for a while before going back to review it one last time with fresh eyes.
How to avoid plagiarism when writing your personal statement
Ucas has a system in place to check for personal statement plagiarism. The first stage of this is computerised. Every personal statement is checked for similarity against every other personal statement previously received by Ucas (as well as personal statements that have been published online). If the system finds a statement is more than 30% ...
Personal statement checker
However, the personal statement is limited to 4,000 characters including spaces. You cannot use Word to check your statement length because they count words and spaces differently, hence why we have developed this tool for you. Personal statement length checker. Find out instantly if your statement meets the UCAS Apply guidelines for number of ...
How to Write a Strong Personal Statement
A few adjustments to your personal statement can get your application noticed by the reviewer. Make sure you're writing what they want to hear.
Personal Statement Cheat Sheet
Knowing where to start with your Personal Statement can be tough, especially if you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge, which demand extremely well written Personal Statements from their applicants. We have the created the perfect resoruce get you started on your Personal Statement journey. This easy-to-use Personal Statement cheat sheet will tell you everything you need to know to start ...
How to Write Your Personal Statement
A personal statement is a short essay of around 500-1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you're applying. To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application, don't just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice.
UCAS Personal Statement Length Checker
How to use our UCAS personal statement checker. To use our tool simply copy and paste your personal statement into the text-box above. At the top, you will see two metrics displayed. The first metric on the left is the total characters you've typed out of the limit of 4,000 characters. The second metric on the right is the number of lines your ...
How To Write a Good Personal Statement (With Examples)
Explore the definition and types of a personal statement, discover how to write a good personal statement and review helpful tips with examples.
How to Write a Personal Statement (Tips + Essay Examples)
In a great personal statement, we should be able to get a sense of what fulfills, motivates, or excites the author. These can be things like humor, beauty, community, and autonomy, just to name a few. So when you read back through your essay, you should be able to detect at least 4-5 different values throughout.
How to Write a Powerful Personal Statement
Learn what a personal statement essay entails, see examples, and get tips on how to write a personal statement that stands out.
5 Ways to Tell if You Have a Good Personal Statement Topic
This post will focus on how to tell if you have a good topic for your personal statement. For more advice on college essay writing, check out "How to write the Common App Essays 2016-17." For proofreading and personalized content help, you can also take a look at CV's college essay editing service.
Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls
WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT: TOP 10 PITFALLS. Do not submit an expository resume; avoid repeating information found elsewhere on the application; Do not use the same personal statement for each application. Generic statements are often obvious; Do not preach to your reader. You can express opinions, but do not come across as fanatical or extreme
12 Outstanding Personal Statement Examples + Why They Work 2024
Check out these outstanding real-world personal statement examples for the Common App, and analysis on why they worked.
Personal Statement Examples that Hit Home
A personal statement is a narrative that provides insight into who you are as an individual, what drives you, and how your experiences have shaped your goals. Whether you're applying to a university, seeking a scholarship, or vying for a residency spot, your personal statement serves as a key element of your application that can set you apart ...