personal statement in skills

Personal Statement Skills: What You MUST Include!

When you write your personal statement, you’re frequently told to include ‘skills’. But what skills should you include, how should you write about them and why are they important?

The skills to include in your personal statement are the ones which best illustrate your suitability for academic study and your knowledge of your intended subject. You should include skills gained from relevant practical experience and those which are suited to further progression in the subject.

I’ve explained each of these four skills areas in detail below, so that you can create a compelling, successful and skills-rich personal statement in no time at all…

Evidence Your Suitability with Academic Skills

If you’re planning to study at degree level or beyond, the institution you are applying to needs to see evidence of your academic suitability in your personal statement. Yes, you’ll predicted grades to support you, but that’s not enough. What’s key is to evidence your broader academic ability, not just your subject knowledge.

You can click here to read my post on exactly how to make your personal statement outstanding!

Academic abilities break down into three sections, and you need to include examples of each of these in your application:

The logical way to approach these three elements is to combine them into a single point. Each point should show that you have successfully made use of research skills, analysed the relevant data and presented it well, regardless of your subject focus.

You can discover resources that will help you develop your research and analytical skills here , and find out how to strengthen your study skills here .

Take a look at the following extract. It covers all three elements in a concise and compelling way, and it is the kind of approach you need to aim for in your own personal statement:

If you’re not sure about the best way to structure your work, or want some extra support with your spelling, punctuation and grammar, then I often steer students towards using Grammarly . It’s a free piece of software that can really lift your writing; it’s highly intuitive and allows you to phrase content in a concise and compelling way. If you want to find out more about how to make Grammarly work for you, check out this link .

Show the Skills that Prove Your Subject Knowledge

As well as being an appropriately academic candidate, admissions teams will want to see strong evidence of skills related to your subject. They will expect a range of relevant, tangible skills, built up over time and related to both academic and practical study.

They will also want to see evidence that you have acquired skills based on practical experience and engagement with your chosen subject outside of the formal curriculum .

The table below lists the kinds of opportunities that might equip you with the subject-specific skills you should include in your personal statement:

Just like your academic skills, it is important to put these into context using the following formula:

Explain the relevant skill you have, identify how this skill was developed and indicate how it will be of value on the course you are applying for Your Personal Statement Support

Here’s an example that follows this formula, so that you can see how you might write it down effectively:

Shine by Including Transferable ‘Soft’ Skills

For a long time, transferable or ‘soft’ skills we considered less important in academic applications. You would often hear of students who had been told to ‘add a sentence about their hobbies’. This is not the case today, and admissions officers and employers want to be reassured that applicants have the interpersonal and social skills to succeed in a pressurised and often stressful environment.

In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline drive and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding. Daniel Goleman

What kinds of transferable skills are universities looking for?

• Punctuality and preparedness
• Ability to study independently and effectively
• Motivation and dedication
• Physical stamina and engagement
• Teamwork and cooperative skills
• Organisation
• Pressure management and well-being strategies
• Awareness of personal finance
• Awareness of multi-form diversity
• Effective use of technology (personal and professional)
• Community contribution and volunteering

As before, the important thing is to make sure you put these transferable skills into context. Don’t write them like the list above but indicate why and how they are of value to you and those around you.

For more powerful personal statement strategies, check out my post here .

Prove you have the Skills to Succeed in the Future

Last of all, your personal statement should indicate that you’ve got the potential to develop the skills you’ll need after you graduate, whether that’s in the workplace or in further study.

Common examples include:

By illustrating your existing use of these skills, you are reassuring an employer or course leader that you are not only likely to complete the course, but will be ready to move forwards with strategy and purpose once you graduate.

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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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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How To Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out

Table of contents

Laura Jane Bradbury

A personal statement is a chance to highlight your unique qualities, skills, and experiences, all while showcasing your personality.

But whether you're applying for university, a job, or funding, it can be daunting to write about yourself. To increase your chances of getting accepted, it's important to know how to create an effective personal statement.

In my six years as a copywriter, I’ve written many personal statements that get results. In this article, I’ll guide you through what to include, what to avoid, and how to tailor a personal statement based on your application type.

Key Takeaways

• A personal statement is an opportunity to share your unique qualities, experiences, and skills.
• It should always relate to the course, job, or funding you are applying for.
• Include accomplishments and experiences that demonstrate how suited you are to the position or course you are applying for.
• Use clear and simple language to ensure your points are understood.

Your personal statement should be concise and demonstrate how you fit the position or opportunity you’re applying for. It’s important to keep information relevant, rather than listing all of your skills and accomplishments.

Follow these steps to accurately write and tailor your statement.

Understand your prompt

Before you start, make sure you understand what's expected of you. Are there specific instructions, keywords, or phrases that stand out in your prompt? Read through it thoroughly and note the requirements. You can then brainstorm ideas for each point.

Let's say I'm applying for a university journalism course. I've been asked to write a statement that shares why I'm interested and why I would be a good fit. I can use columns to plan my content:

Putting your ideas together first makes it easier to stay on track. Otherwise, you might lose focus and include irrelevant information. 

Show, don't just tell

Once you’ve listed your experiences, skills, and accomplishments, consider how you can demonstrate them with examples. Take a look at the list you created during the previous exercise and organize your points so you have clear examples and proof.

This technique helps you demonstrate your experiences and how they tie in with your application.

When telling anecdotes, use engaging stories that demonstrate your skills. For instance, a story about how I handled a fast-paced news internship proves I work well under pressure. 

Start strong

Recruiters, application tutors, and funders read lots of personal statements. You can make yours stand out with an engaging introduction.

Examples of a strong opening include:

A meaningful statistic

This draws readers in and increases credibility: 

"Communication is the key to marketing success, according to Business Marketing News. With five years of experience communicating and delivering campaigns to global clients, I have the skills and passion to add value to your team."

A personal story

Anecdotes connect the reader with the author’s real-life experience: 

"My first exposure to microbiology was during my time as a research assistant for a microbiologist. I was fascinated by the complex and intricate processes within cells."

An alarming statement

This piques the reader’s interest by making an issue seem urgent:  

“ The fashion industry churns out clothes at an alarming rate, causing mass production of synthetic fibers and harsh chemicals which have a detrimental impact on the planet. Funding my sustainability initiative is vital to mitigating this environmental impact." 

Avoid cliches such as "From a young age, I have always loved...." and "For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for..."

Pro tip: Use Wordtune Editor 's Shorten feature to cut unnecessary fluff and make your intro sharper. Simply type in your sentence and click Shorten to receive suggestions.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

Admission committees and employers appreciate sincerity and authenticity. While it may be tempting, avoid exaggeration. You can better emphasize your skills and personality by being honest. For instance, rather than claiming I read every type of newspaper in my journalism application, I can focus on my dedication to reading The New York Times.

Your writing style should also feel genuine. Instead of trying to impress with complex language and fancy words, keep sentences simple and direct . This makes them more effective because they’re easier to read. 

Address weaknesses

Addressing weaknesses can show your willingness to confront challenges. It also gives you a chance to share efforts you have made for improvement. When explaining a weakness, exclude excuses.

Instead of saying "I didn't achieve my expected grades due to work commitments impacting my studies," try “While I didn't achieve my expected grades, I am now working with a tutor to help me understand my weak areas so I can succeed in your program.”

Wordtune’s Spices feature can help you develop counterarguments to weaknesses. In the Editor, highlight your text, click on Spices, and then Counterargument . Here’s an example:

Using Wordtune’s suggestion, I can highlight my eagerness to learn and provide examples to support my argument.

Highlight achievements

This is your chance to shine! A personal statement should highlight your best qualities — provided they relate to your prompt.

Ask yourself:

• What are your skills and strengths? Identify both academic and non-academic abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
• What challenges have you faced? Reflect on how you have overcome significant challenges and how these experiences have helped you grow. For example, completing a course, learning a new language, or starting a business.
• What are your unique selling points? Consider what sets you apart from other applicants. For example, you may have a unique set of technical skills or experience learning in a different country.
• How have your achievements shaped your goals and aspirations? Sharing your goals shows that you think long-term and have taken the time to make sure you’re applying for the right opportunity.

Connect with the institution or company

Tailor your statement to the specific institution or company you're applying to — this shows you understand their values and have carefully considered where you want to seek opportunities.

To do this, head to the company or institution’s website and look for the About page. Many organizations include a mission statement on this page that conveys its purpose and values.

For example, universities often include their values under “Community” or “Student Life” sections. Here, Princeton University’s “In Service of Humanity” section highlights how they value using education to benefit society. Applicants can engage with this by explaining how they interact with their communities and seek to use their education to help others.

You can also research a company or institution’s social media. Look for similarities — maybe you both prioritize collaboration or think outside the box. Draw upon this in your personal statement. 

End with a strong conclusion

A strong conclusion is clear, concise, and leaves a lasting impression. Use these three steps:

• Summarize the main points of your statement. For example, “My experience volunteering for the school newspaper, along with my communication skills and enthusiasm for writing, make me an ideal student for your university."
• Discuss your future . Share your future ambitions to remind the reader that you’ve carefully considered how the opportunity fits into your plans.
• Include a closing statement. End on a positive note and offer the reader a final explanation for why you would be a great match. For instance, “Thank you for reviewing my statement. I am confident my skills and experience align with the role and your company culture.”

Tip: Learn more about writing an effective conclusion with our handy guide . 

Different types of personal statements

Now you know how to write a personal statement, let’s look at what to focus on depending on your application type.

The length of your personal statement will vary depending on the type. Generally, it should be around 500 words to 650 words . However, a university application is often longer than a statement for a job, so it’s vital to determine what is expected of you from the beginning.

Whatever the length, it’s important to remove and edit content fluff , including any repetition or copy that does not relate to your prompt.

Personal statement checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that your statement includes: 

• An engaging introduction.
• Clear examples of your experiences, skills, and expertise. 
• A commitment to improvement, if required.
• Any applicable achievements. 
• A direct connection to the company or institution’s values.
• A strong conclusion that summarizes information without adding new content.
• Authentic, simple language.

Personal statements are an opportunity to delve deeper and share who you are beyond your grades or resume experience. Demonstrate your ability with anecdotes and examples, address any weaknesses, and remember to use genuine and simple language. This is your place to shine, so follow our tips while displaying your unique personality, and you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd.

Want to get started and create a powerful introduction? Read our step-by-step guide .

What is the difference between a cover letter and a personal statement?

A cover letter expresses your interest in a position and introduces you to an employer. It’s typically shorter and focuses on your qualifications, skills, and experience for a particular role. A personal statement, however, is common for a job, internship, funding, or university application. It explores your background, goals, and aspirations, as well as your skills and experience.

What is the purpose of a personal statement?

A personal statement is an opportunity to stand out by detailing your background, experiences, and aspirations. It should explain why you are interested in and a good match for the company or institution you are applying to.

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Many applications for jobs, college, school or university places, require candidates to submit a personal statement.

For some people, this may be the first time that they have ever had to write anything like this, and it can feel like a daunting prospect.

What should you include? What should you not include? And how do you promote yourself without seeming to boast about your achievements?

This page will help you to navigate these potential pitfalls, and create a personal statement to stand out for all the right reasons.

The Purpose of a Personal Statement

A personal statement has one simple purpose: to promote you.

In other words, it should be designed to make your application stand out for all the right reasons. When they read it, the recipient should be saying:

“Wow! We really want this one to come here!”

You do, however, need to be careful not to exaggerate, as this will quickly become clear at interview, and you will not get the job or place that you want.

Before You Start

Check the requirements carefully

There are likely to be some constraints set on your personal statement. For example, you may be asked to keep what you say within a certain number of words or characters, or cover certain issues. Check these requirements carefully both before you start, and when you think you have finished, and make sure that what you do is consistent with them.

Think about what you want to include

Make a list of the things that you really want the person receiving your personal statement to know about you.

You might, for example, want them to know why you want to attend this college, or study this course, or you might want them to know that you have recently been involved in an activity that has really helped you decide what you want to do with your life. List these things, and then check back when you have finished to make sure that you have included them.

You can add to this list as you go if you think of other things that should be included.

What to include in your Personal Statement

There are no hard and fast rules about what exactly you should include, or indeed, exclude.

It will depend on you, and what you are trying to demonstrate in your personal statement.

However, there are some simple rules that you should follow to decide what to include.

1. Show that you know what you are talking about

When you write a covering letter for a job application , you need to show that you understand the nature of the job. When you write a personal statement, you also need to show that you understand what you are applying for .

If it is a university course, demonstrate that you know about the course or subject, and what studying it will involve. If it is a sixth form, show that you are interested in your potential subjects, and the college or school. If a job, show that you understand something about what you will have to do each day, and that you have knowledge of the company or organisation.

2. Say why you want to study the course or do the job.

You may think this is obvious, but the reader does not know. It is worth explaining what makes you interested in the subject or job. You might, for example, say how you first came across the subject, and what interested you, then what you have done to explore it further.

3. Focus on what makes you unique and suitable, and include evidence

The purpose of a personal statement is to make you stand out from the crowd, for all the right reasons. It therefore needs to focus on what makes you unique, and why the employer/school/college/university should select you over and above all the other candidates.

Your personal statement should, therefore, explain what skills you have, and also why they are relevant to the course or job. Always include evidence to back up your assertions about your skills and, wherever possible, use independent witnesses. For example, instead of saying:

‘I have really good communication skills’

You should be saying:

‘I have really good communication skills, honed by a year spent as secretary to the Sixth Form committee and running an events group. Teachers commented that the notes of meetings and messages to others were particularly clear’.

You can include information from all areas of your life: work, home, school, extra studies, and so on, but do make sure it is part of explaining how you are suitable.

4. Make sure that everything you include is relevant

Focus on what you really need to get across, and make sure that is fully covered. Check that everything that you have said is relevant to the task in hand. This may well mean cutting down some of the explanations of what you were doing when you developed that particular skill, but that is better than excluding details of another relevant skill.

Deciding on the Structure of Your Personal Statement

You may be given guidelines on structure. If so, follow them.

If not, it is a good idea to decide on a structure before you start, and stick to it. Rather like an essay, a good broad outline is something like:

• An opening paragraph to explain why you want to attend that school/college/university, and why you want to study that course, or why you think you would be perfect for the job.
• A middle section , which provides all the evidence to back up your opening paragraph, broken down into some sensible order.
• A conclusion , which sums up your statement, and reminds the reader of your perfect fit for the course or job.

Some style rules to follow

Avoid clichés and jargon

A cliché is a word or phrase that is overused in writing. For a personal statement, it might include comments like:

“I have always wanted to be a lawyer”

“I just want to help people, and that’s why I want to study medicine”

Instead, try to use your own words. Read them out loud, and make sure that you don’t sound like a character in a bad soap opera. There is more about this on our page: Clichés to Avoid .

Draft, draft, and draft again

You will not get it right first time, or possibly even the second. Keep drafting and tweaking until you are sure it is as clear as possible, and says everything that you need. Be prepared to have at least two or three drafts before you are satisfied, and make sure you leave enough time for this before your deadline.

Use plain English and keep it simple

Plain English is always better than using complicated language. Keep it simple, and keep your sentences short. As a rule of thumb, sentences should not be much longer than one line. It is also a good idea to avoid sub-clauses, as these can over-complicate your text.

Reduce, reduce and reduce some more, until you are absolutely certain that you have used no more words than necessary, and the simplest words possible.

If you are not sure about this, have a look at our page on Plain English .

Reading something out loud is a very good way to make sure it is easy to read. If you find you are getting lost in your own sentences, you will need to shorten them, and make them simpler.

When you have finished…

Read it over carefully for any errors or inconsistencies

When you think you have finished, read your personal statement over carefully, and check for spelling and grammatical errors. The spelling and grammar checks in word processing packages are not fully reliable, but they will be a good starting point.

Ask someone else to check it over for you

It is a good idea to ask someone else to read your personal statement over for you as they may spot errors that you have missed, and also bits that are not as clear as they could be.

Check that you have included everything that was on your initial list of ideas

Go back to your initial list of ideas, and make sure that you have included everything.

And finally…

…remember that every personal statement is unique.

It is no good copying someone else’s, or using the same one for several different applications. Of course you will be able to reuse elements of previous versions, especially if you are, for example, applying to several different schools at the same time, or for several jobs. But it needs to be tailored: specific to both you and the situation.

Continue to: Graduate Employability Skills Writing a CV or Resume

See also: Personal Empowerment How to Write a Report 6 Great Skills to Demonstrate in Your University Application

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Whether you want to apply to colleges, graduate programs, or competitive jobs, writing a persuasive personal statement will give you a leg up over the other applicants. A personal statement gives you a chance to express your qualifications, motivations, and long-term objectives in a way that gets hiring managers and admissions boards excited to meet you.

No matter why you’re writing a personal statement, we’re here to help you stand out from the crowd.

Key Takeaways:

To write a personal statement, first brainstorm, then narrow down your ideas, and start with an intro that leads into your qualifications.

Make sure to proofread your personal statement before submitting.

Personal statements describe your interests, skills, and goals, with a particular focus on your passion.

Personal statements are typically found in academia, however some professional organizations may also request one.

What Is a Personal Statement?

How to write a personal statement, tips for writing a strong personal statement, questions to ask yourself when writing a personal statement, when do i need a personal statement, academic personal statement examples, professional personal statement example, personal statement faq.

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A personal statement is a written work that describes your skills, areas of interest, accomplishments, and goals. It is typically included with a college or scholarship application, and sometimes used as part of job applications as well.

Personal statements are a chance for you to show an admissions board or a hiring committee what makes you special outside of your resume . Think of it as an in-depth cover letter where you get to detail not only your skills, but why you’re so passionate about the subject.

Short of an interview, it’s the best way to show your personality in a way that (hopefully) convinces someone to hire or admit you.

When you’re ready to write your statement, there are a few ways you can approach it. We’re going to go over a seven-step process so you can keep your thoughts organized and work through a process. Feel free to switch up the method, so it works for you.

Understand the prompt. Before you put pen to paper, make sure you understand the prompt and what is being asked of you. If there’s a specific set of questions you need to respond to, make sure you frame your thinking that way instead of just choosing a topic.

Brainstorm. Think of some ideas and an outline before you start writing. Consider how you can answer the prompt you’re given and what unique experiences you can bring to the table. The more options you have, the better off you’ll be.

Narrow it down. An excellent way to pick your final approach to draft a statement would be to jot down a few sentences for each idea you had. This helps you tell what topic is easiest to write about or what you feel most confident. No matter how you narrow down your ideas, you need to settle on the strongest one to convey your qualifications.

Start with an intro. Once you’re ready to write, you’ll want to write your opening paragraph first. This is a chance for you to introduce yourself and let people know who you are. Try to keep this paragraph short since it’s just an intro, and you’ll have more space to get into your qualifications in the next paragraph.

Write about your qualifications. When you write about your skills, make sure you align them with the job description or the program’s goals or university.

You can expand this section to a few paragraphs (if word count allows) and be sure to cover your achievements, qualifications, skills, talents, goals, and what you can bring to the program or organization.

One to three body paragraphs should suffice, with scholarship and graduate school personal statements being the longest of the bunch, and job personal statements being the shortest.

Sum up your argument. Your statement is a persuasive argument for why the committee should pick you. It should be a compelling summary of your qualifications, and it should show that you have a clear desire to work for the company.

Proofread. Look for any spelling or grammar errors and check to make sure your writing is clear and concise. Cut out anything that doesn’t fit or help paint a good picture of what kind of student or employee you are. You might want to show your draft to a few people to ensure everything sounds right.

No matter what approach you take to writing your statement, a few things hold. We’ll give you some tips to make your statement stand out from the rest.

Write to your audience. Chances are you have a good idea of who will be reading your application and personal statement, so try to gear your writing toward them. Think of what will persuade or impress them and incorporate that into your writing.

Stay truthful. It might be tempting to exaggerate the truth or smudge a little bit, but make sure you stay truthful. If you claim to have skills or experience that you don’t have and land the job, it might be pretty easy to tell that your writing doesn’t exactly align with your experience.

Tell a story. If you can, try to weave your narrative into a story. Not only will it be more engaging for your reader, but it will also show if you can use your skill to create a story. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but tying everything together into a narrative will impress your readers.

Use your voice. To make your statement more personal and unique, you should write in your voice. Don’t try to copy examples of statements you find or let your editor drown out what makes you unique. Make sure you keep your personality and qualifications front and center since it’s a personal statement.

Get specific. Instead of generally talking about skills you have, find ways to show your reader when you used those skills. Being specific and giving examples will make your argument more compelling and show your reader that you’re a master.

Use simple language. Since personal statements are so short, it’s not the time for long and complex sentences. Keep it concise and easy to read. You don’t want to risk confusing your reader since committees usually have a few minutes to consider your candidacy, and you don’t want to lose their attention.

Sometimes, especially during the brainstorm process, it can help to ask yourself questions to get your mind focused. These questions can help realize what you want to write in your personal statement.

Some questions you can ask yourself include:

“Why am I interested in this application? What about it makes me want to apply?”

“What are my strengths and weaknesses?”

“What type of work gets me excited and deeply engaged?”

“What is my life story and how does it relate to this application?”

“Where do I want to go?”

“Who do I want to be?”

“What have I learned from my past?”

“How can I explain my past experiences?”

“How would my friends and family describe me to a stranger?”

“What obstacles have I overcome and how does it make me who I am today?”

Asking yourself questions like these will open up your mind to new ideas on how to write your personal statement.

You may need to write a personal statement for a university, scholarship, or job application.

University application. When you’re writing a personal statement for a school application, you’ll usually have a few paragraphs to get your point across. These prompts tend to be more open-ended and give you a chance to explain why you want to attend that school, how you align with their program, and why you are an excellent fit for the school’s culture.

A personal statement for a graduate program needs to be much sharper and more focused. At this point in your education, you’re expected to know precisely where you’d like to turn your academic focus and be able to communicate that efficiently.

Scholarship application. When you need to write a personal statement for a grant or scholarship application, you want to make sure you align your values and purpose with the providers. These can be tricky to write, but they’re like a careful balance between personal statements for school and work.

Job application. For work-related personal statements, you’ll want to focus on your skills and qualifications more than your personality. Employers are more concerned with how you can meet their skill requirements. Professional personal statements tend to be shorter, so there’s less space to talk about anything but your qualifications.

Here are two examples of shorts personal statement for graduate program applications:

From the moment I stepped into the lab, smelled the clean scent of fresh lab coats, and saw the beakers glistening under the light, I felt an excitement to learn that hasn’t left me since. Each time I enter the lab, I feel the same flutter of my heart and a sense of purpose. I want to continue to chase this feeling while contributing to a broader scientific knowledge catalog, which I know the Graduate Biology Program at City University will allow me to do. I want to continue the research I started in college on communicable diseases while gaining a critical education. City University’s program emphasizes in-class and hands-on learning, a perfect combination for my learning style.

As a graduate of State University with a B.S. in Biology, I have the foundation to build my knowledge and experience. While at State University, I worked in a lab researching the efficacy of a new flu vaccine. There, I managed other student researchers, worked as a liaison between the professor running the lab and students and managed the data reports. I am ready to bring my extensive experience to City University classrooms while learning from my peers. I am eager to begin the coursework at City University, and I believe I am uniquely prepared to contribute to the campus culture and research efforts. I look forward to stepping into City University’s lab in the fall and feeling the familiar excitement that drives me to pursue a graduate program and learn more about public health.

If you need to write a professional personal statement, here’s a sample you can model yours after:

As a recent graduate of State University with a B.A. in Communications, I am prepared to take what I have learned in the classroom and bring my work ethic and go-getter attitude to ABC Company. I believe that I have the skills and experience to excel as a Marketing Coordinator from my first day. My classes in Digital Communication, Social Media Marketing, and Business Management and my work as Outreach Chair of the university newspaper have prepared me to take on responsibilities as I learn more about the field. I also believe that my dedication to animal welfare aligns with the ABC Company’s goal of finding loving homes for all of their foster pets and makes me especially interested in this position.

What do I write in a personal statement?

A personal statement should include an introduction, your relevant skills/experiences, and your goals. You want to keep your personal statement relevant for the program or job in question. Make sure to show your passion and indicate what you’d like to do with the degree or opportunity.

How do you start off a personal statement?

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself. Give a brief snapshot of your background that also describes why you’re passionate about this field or area of study in particular. Another powerful way to start off a personal statement is with a significant accomplishment that immediately speaks to your relevant skill set and experience.

What exactly is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a brief statement that sums up your qualifications. A personal statement is a brief written document that university admissions boards, scholarship programs, and sometimes hiring managers require from applicants. A personal statement’s purpose is to show the reader that you are qualified, fully invested in the aims of the program, and have plans for what you would do if granted the opportunity.

How do you write a 500-word personal statement?

To write a 500-word personal statement, start by writing without worrying about the word count. If your personal statement is too long, look for sentences that include skills, experiences, or qualifications that aren’t strictly related to the requirements or aims of the program/job you’re applying for and remove them.

If your personal statement is too short, go back to the program, scholarship, or job description. Make note of the preferred experiences and required skills. For example, if you’ve included a skill in your personal statement without experience to back it up, consider adding a brief story that shows you putting that skill into action.

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Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.

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Academic Personal Statement Guide + Examples for 2024

You have a bright future ahead of you in academia and you’ve already found the program of your dreams.

The only problem? 

You have to write an impressive academic personal statement that sets you apart from a sea of applicants.

We know that writing about yourself might not come naturally. And when the academic program you have your sights set on is on the line, it doesn’t make it any easier.

But there’s no need to worry!

We’ve prepared this guide to help you write your academic personal statement and secure your spot in your program of choice.

In this article, we’re going to cover:

• What Is An Academic Personal Statement?
• 7 Steps to Writing the Best Academic Personal Statement
• An Example of a Stellar Academic Personal Statement

Let’s dive in.

You’ll need an academic CV alongside your personal statement. Create one with ease with Novorésumé !

What Is an Academic Personal Statement?

A personal statement is an essential part of the academic application process.

Much like a motivation letter , your academic personal statement serves to demonstrate why you’re the right candidate for the course and sell yourself as a capable student.

Your goal is to show the admissions committee that they’ll benefit from having you in their university as much as you’ll benefit from joining the program.

Academic Vs CV Personal Statement

The term ‘personal statement’ can mean different things depending on your field.

In the world of job hunting, a personal statement usually refers to a few sentences that go at the top of your CV . This paragraph is meant to convey your top skills, relevant experiences, and professional goals to a hiring manager from the get-go and increase your chances of getting an interview.

However, in the world of academia, a personal statement refers to a more in-depth description of you as a candidate. 

In a nutshell, an academic personal statement shows the admissions committee your academic achievements so far, as well as what motivated you to apply and pursue this position.

Personal statements are also often required when applying for certain jobs, much like writing a cover letter . If you’re looking at a position as a faculty member in a university or other academic institution, for example, you might be asked to provide an academic personal statement.

7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement

Preparation is the key to success and this is exactly where our guide comes in handy.

So just follow these steps and you’re sure to secure your spot:

#1. Read the Brief (Carefully!)

Academic personal statements aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all piece of writing. 

Typically, every institution has its specific requirements on what candidates should include in their academic personal statement.

To make sure you’re on the right track with your academic personal statement, read the brief carefully. Consider taking notes and highlighting important points from your program’s brief as you go through it.

Pay attention to any specific question the university wants you to answer. If you don’t address everything the admissions board expects, your personal statement will look sloppy and you’ll be considered an inattentive candidate.

Be sure to re-read the brief after you’ve finished writing your academic personal statement, too. This way you can make sure you’ve answered everything adequately and you’ll have the opportunity to correct any slips.

#2. Research the Program

Make sure you do your homework on the academic program you’re applying to.

You can’t write a good academic personal statement without research, let alone a great one. Much like researching your employer , taking the time to learn more about your desired school and personalizing your application can make a huge difference.

For example, you can dive into how your values align with that of the school you’re applying to, and how your experience and interests relate to specific things about the program. The more you focus on how you’re the right fit for this specific position, in this specific program – the better.

Carefully read through the school and program’s official pages since everything you would need to know is probably on the school’s official website. You can also ask current and former students for help but remember that whatever they say should never replace official information when crafting your academic personal statement.

#3. Plan Your Statement

An academic personal statement is meant to explain your academic interests and shouldn’t contain irrelevant details about your personal life.

Focus on why you want to study the course you’ve chosen and provide any information about your achievements so far.

Ask yourself the following questions to get the ball rolling on what to write:

• Why do you want to study (or work) in this program? How will it benefit you?
• How do your skills match the position?
• What makes you stand out from other applicants?
• What are your exact career aspirations?
• How can you and your work benefit the institution you’re applying to?
• If you changed fields, how did you decide to apply in this direction?
• What insight can you bring thanks to your different experiences?
• How will this change of field help your future career?

Write down your answer to these questions in the first draft of your academic personal statement.

#4. Look at Example Statements

Don’t hesitate to read other people’s academic personal statements online. They’re a great source of inspiration and can help get rid of any remaining writer’s block.

If you’re struggling to understand how to meet the language and formatting requirements for your academic personal statement, seeing actual examples is the best way to learn.

But be careful – don’t copy any lines you read, no matter how impressive you think they are. 

Most universities run every academic personal statement through intensive plagiarism checking, and even a paraphrased sentence could lead to your application being rejected for plagiarism.

So pay more attention to the overall structure of the academic personal statements you read, rather than copying the exact wording.

#5. Structure the Contents

There should be a cohesive argument that your entire essay follows. Each sentence and paragraph should complement and build on the one that comes before it.

The structure of your personal statement should include:

An intriguing introduction to you as a candidate

The introductory paragraph should grab the admission committee’s attention and keep them engaged.

Here you should be sure to avoid cliches like saying how you’ve “always dreamt” of graduating from this university or of studying this exact program. Instead, give an example of what really influenced you to pursue this dream.

Here’s an example:

• I’ve always loved reading and since I was a child, it’s been my dream to graduate from Oxford University and contribute to the world of literary analysis. That’s why I spent the past year volunteering at my local writers’ society and giving constructive feedback during workshops and book discussions.
• It wasn’t until I failed my first essay assignment in secondary school that I realized the depth that lies beneath each sentence in a given text. I began to delve into the rich layers of literary texts and the intricacies of literary analysis became my passion. Although initially challenging, the depth of understanding that this field offers about human emotions, cultural contexts, and narrative structures enthralled me. I found myself questioning the narrative structures and character motivations that I had previously taken for granted, and I was eager to understand how the subtle and often overlooked elements within a text could have a profound impact on its overall interpretation. This need to fundamentally understand a given author’s work has stayed with me since and led me to pursue literary analysis as a postgraduate student.

An engaging body

The main part of your academic personal statement should detail your interests, experience, and knowledge, and how they make you suitable for the position.

This is where you should expand on your motivation and use the following tips:

• Why this university? Provide strong reasons for your choice, related to your future career or the institution’s reputation.
• Mention your relevant studies and experience. This includes projects, dissertations, essays, or work experience.
• Give evidence of key skills you have, such as research, critical thinking, communication, and time management, and explain how you can contribute to the department with them.
• Say what makes you unique as a candidate and provide an example.
• Explain who have been the main influences who put you on this path and why they’ve influenced you.
• Mention other relevant experiences, such as memberships in clubs related to the subject, awards you might have won, or impressive papers you’ve written.
• Talk about your career aspirations and how the program ties into your goal of achieving them.

Depending on the guidelines of the specific university, you could also divide your academic personal statement’s body with subheadings, such as:

• Academic background
• Research interests
• Methodological approaches
• Research experience
• Personal experience
• Extracurricular activities 
• Relevant skills
• Career aspirations

A logical conclusion

Your academic personal statement needs a conclusion that ends on an enthusiastic note.

Make sure the conclusion reiterates the main points from the body of your text.

Your relevant accomplishments and desire to attend this specific program should be clear to any reader.

#6. Pay Attention to the Language

When writing the first draft of your academic personal statement, pay attention to the language and tone you’re using.

An academic personal statement is also a formal text, so your writing should reflect that. Colloquialisms aren’t appropriate, as they would take away from the well-mannered impression you want to give the admissions committee.

However, you also want your personal statement to be straightforward and avoid any complex jargon from your field of study.

For example, your opening sentence shouldn’t be overly complicated. You should communicate everything as clearly as possible, and be inclusive to those outside of your field of study since they might be on the admissions board that’s reading your academic personal statement.

Make sure that the tone throughout your text is positive and conveys your enthusiasm for the program. Your academic personal statement should show the admissions committee that you really want to be there, and why that’s beneficial to everyone involved.

#7. Proofread Your Statement

This step probably isn’t surprising to you but it’s worth paying attention to.

Your academic personal statement is a very formal document and it should be spotless. 

So, make sure it adheres to academic writing conventions . For example, contractions like “I’m” instead of “I am” are informal, and should be avoided.

Mistakes like these are very common when writing about yourself, particularly when you’re used to describing yourself in informal environments.

Carefully proofread your academic personal statement, then run it through a grammar checker like Grammarly or Quillbot, then proofread it again.

The tiniest grammar mistake or typo could make the admissions board reject your application.

Academic Personal Statement Example

Ever since my first encounter with the enchanting worlds spun by Flaubert, Balzac, and Proust, my intellectual pursuits have gravitated toward French literature. With an undergraduate degree focused on French Language and Literature, I have been fortunate to explore my passions both theoretically and empirically, embedding them within broader themes of cultural theory and comparative literature. It is with great excitement that I apply for the postgraduate research position in the French Literature program at Kent University, with the aim of contributing novel scholarly perspectives to this captivating field.

Academic Background and Research Interests

During my undergraduate studies, I delved deeply into the realms of 19th-century Realism and Naturalism. My senior thesis, which examined the dialectics of morality and social structures in Balzac's "La Comédie Humaine," was not merely an academic exercise; it served as a crucible where my theoretical understandings were rigorously tested. This research experience intensified my interest in the complex interplay between literature and societal norms, a theme I am eager to further explore in my postgraduate work.

Methodological Approaches

My academic approach is fundamentally interdisciplinary. I strongly believe that literature should not be studied in a vacuum; rather, it should be contextualized within historical, sociological, and psychological paradigms. During a semester abroad in Paris, I took courses in cultural anthropology and French history, an enriching experience that complemented my literature-focused studies. This holistic approach will enable me to contribute a multifaceted perspective to the research endeavors at Kent University.

Previous Research and Scholarly Engagements

My scholarly activities have also extended beyond the classroom. Last summer, I participated in an international conference on French Literature and Post-Colonial Theory, presenting a paper on the depictions of colonial landscapes in Dumas' adventure novels. The opportunity to engage with academics from various disciplines provided me with fresh insights and underscored the importance of collaborative research. Further, I've had the honor of having a review article published in the Sheffield Journal of Contemporary Literary Explorations, where I critiqued a groundbreaking new translation of Verne's works.

Extracurricular Contributions and Skills

In addition to my academic achievements, I have sought to enrich my department’s intellectual community. I served as the editor of our departmental journal and organized a series of seminars featuring guest speakers from the worlds of academia and publishing. My strong organizational skills, combined with proficiency in both written and spoken French and English, make me a versatile candidate capable of adding value to the French Literature program’s broader objectives.

To summarize, my deep-rooted passion for French literature, fortified by rigorous academic training and interdisciplinary methodologies, makes me an ideal candidate for the postgraduate research position in your esteemed program. The prospect of contributing to academic discourse at Kent University is an opportunity I find deeply compelling. I am especially excited about the potential for collaborative research and interdisciplinary inquiries, which aligns perfectly with my academic philosophy. I am fully committed to leveraging my skills, experiences, and enthusiasm to make a substantive scholarly contribution to the study of French Literature. Thank you for considering my application; I am keenly looking forward to the possibility of furthering my academic journey in this vibrant intellectual community.

FAQs on Academic Personal Statements

If you’re wondering anything else about academic personal statements, check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions related to them here:

#1. How do you start a personal statement for an academic job?

Applying for an academic job is different from applying for a position as a student. First, you need to establish your qualifications and enthusiasm for the role immediately.

Start by explaining your current status, for example, as a postdoctoral researcher or an experienced member of the faculty, and specify the position you are applying for. Then follow up with your research interests or personal philosophy towards teaching.

You can add a personal anecdote or compelling fact that summarizes your academic journey so far, or your passion for the field. After that, your academic personal statement can go deeper into the qualifications from your academic CV and how you’re a great fit for the position.

#2. How do I introduce myself in an academic personal statement?

The introduction of your academic personal statement is the key to grabbing the attention of the admissions committee.

Start by stating the field or subject that interests you, and why. You can share a specific personal anecdote or observation that led you to this academic pursuit and set the stage for the detailed explanation in your main body.

The goal of your introduction is to give the reader a sense of who you are, what drives you, and why you would be a valuable addition to their department.

#3. Is an academic personal statement like an essay?

Yes, an academic personal statement can be considered a type of essay.

Both essays and academic personal statements are structured forms of writing that are meant to deliver a coherent argument and are divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. They provide supporting evidence to prove the point and maintain a logical flow to guide the reader to the final conclusion.

However, essays tend to be objective and explore a specific topic or question in depth. Academic personal statements use similar techniques but they present the candidate’s qualifications, experiences, and aspirations in a way that’s meant to persuade the admissions committee.

#4. How long is an academic personal statement?

Typically, an academic personal statement is between 500 and 1000 words long.

The exact length of the text varies depending on the university and program you’re applying to. You should always check the specific requirements for your desired program, and stick to the guidelines you find.

However, if the university you’re applying to doesn’t specify a word count, you should aim for one to two pages.

#5. What do I avoid in an academic personal statement?

Since your personal statement is a crucial part of your academic application, it’s important to avoid any common mistakes.

Make sure the content of your academic personal statement isn’t too generic. Its goal is to give insight into you as an individual, beyond what can be read in your CV . 

You should also avoid cramming too many points in your text. Your academic personal statement should follow a logical flow, and focus on the relevance of what you’re sharing about yourself and how it relates to the academic program you’re pursuing.

Key Takeaways

And that concludes our guide to writing an academic personal statement!

We hope you feel more confident when crafting your application for that academic program or faculty position you have your sights set on.

Now let’s recap what we talked about so far:

• Academic personal statements are very different from CV personal statements. While CV personal statements are brief paragraphs at the top of the page, an academic personal statement is an in-depth text that details why you’re interested in a given position, and what makes you a good candidate.
• The guidelines on academic personal statements vary according to the institution you’re applying to. Read the brief very carefully, and pay attention to what it says about word count and questions your personal statement should answer. Any mistakes here could result in rejection.
• There are differences between applying for a postgraduate program and applying for a faculty position. But in both cases, you should research the exact place you want to apply to and adjust your application accordingly to match the institution’s values.
• Always proofread your academic personal statement before sending it, even if you’re sure there are no errors.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, what is a personal statement everything you need to know about the college essay.

College Admissions , College Essays

In addition to standardized test scores and transcripts, a personal statement or essay is a required part of many college applications. The personal statement can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process because it's the most open ended.

In this guide, I'll answer the question, "What is a personal statement?" I'll talk through common college essay topics and what makes for an effective personal statement.

College Essay Glossary

Even the terminology can be confusing if you aren't familiar with it, so let's start by defining some terms:

Personal statement —an essay you write to show a college admissions committee who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their school. It's worth noting that, unlike "college essay," this term is used for application essays for graduate school as well.

College essay —basically the same as a personal statement (I'll be using the terms interchangeably).

Essay prompt —a question or statement that your college essay is meant to respond to.

Supplemental essay —an extra school or program-specific essay beyond the basic personal statement.

Many colleges ask for only one essay. However, some schools do ask you to respond to multiple prompts or to provide supplemental essays in addition to a primary personal statement.

Either way, don't let it stress you out! This guide will cover everything you need to know about the different types of college essays and get you started thinking about how to write a great one:

• Why colleges ask for an essay
• What kinds of essay questions you'll see
• What sets great essays apart
• Tips for writing your own essay

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

There are a couple of reasons that colleges ask applicants to submit an essay, but the basic idea is that it gives them more information about you, especially who you are beyond grades and test scores.

#1: Insight Into Your Personality

The most important role of the essay is to give admissions committees a sense of your personality and what kind of addition you'd be to their school's community . Are you inquisitive? Ambitious? Caring? These kinds of qualities will have a profound impact on your college experience, but they're hard to determine based on a high school transcript.

Basically, the essay contextualizes your application and shows what kind of person you are outside of your grades and test scores . Imagine two students, Jane and Tim: they both have 3.5 GPAs and 1200s on the SAT. Jane lives in Colorado and is the captain of her track team; Tim lives in Vermont and regularly contributes to the school paper. They both want to be doctors, and they both volunteer at the local hospital.

As similar as Jane and Tim seem on paper, in reality, they're actually quite different, and their unique perspectives come through in their essays. Jane writes about how looking into her family history for a school project made her realize how the discovery of modern medical treatments like antibiotics and vaccines had changed the world and drove her to pursue a career as a medical researcher. Tim, meanwhile, recounts a story about how a kind doctor helped him overcome his fear of needles, an interaction that reminded him of the value of empathy and inspired him to become a family practitioner. These two students may seem outwardly similar but their motivations and personalities are very different.

Without an essay, your application is essentially a series of numbers: a GPA, SAT scores, the number of hours spent preparing for quiz bowl competitions. The personal statement is your chance to stand out as an individual.

#2: Evidence of Writing Skills

A secondary purpose of the essay is to serve as a writing sample and help colleges see that you have the skills needed to succeed in college classes. The personal statement is your best chance to show off your writing , so take the time to craft a piece you're really proud of.

That said, don't panic if you aren't a strong writer. Admissions officers aren't expecting you to write like Joan Didion; they just want to see that you can express your ideas clearly.

No matter what, your essay should absolutely not include any errors or typos .

#3: Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances

For some students, the essay is also a chance to explain factors affecting their high school record. Did your grades drop sophomore year because you were dealing with a family emergency? Did you miss out on extracurriculars junior year because of an extended medical absence? Colleges want to know if you struggled with a serious issue that affected your high school record , so make sure to indicate any relevant circumstances on your application.

Keep in mind that in some cases there will be a separate section for you to address these types of issues, as well as any black marks on your record like expulsions or criminal charges.

#4: Your Reasons for Applying to the School

Many colleges ask you to write an essay or paragraph about why you're applying to their school specifically . In asking these questions, admissions officers are trying to determine if you're genuinely excited about the school and whether you're likely to attend if accepted .

I'll talk more about this type of essay below.

What Kind of Questions Do Colleges Ask?

Thankfully, applications don't simply say, "Please include an essay about yourself"; they include a question or prompt that you're asked to respond to . These prompts are generally pretty open-ended and can be approached in a lot of different ways .

Nonetheless, most questions fall into a few main categories. Let's go through each common type of prompt, with examples from the Common Application, the University of California application, and a few individual schools.

Prompt Type 1: Your Personal History

This sort of question asks you to write about a formative experience, important event, or key relationship from your life . Admissions officers want to understand what is important to you and how your background has shaped you as a person.

These questions are both common and tricky. The most common pit students fall into is trying to tell their entire life stories. It's better to focus in on a very specific point in time and explain why it was meaningful to you.

Common App 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Common App 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

University of California 2

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

University of California 6

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

Prompt Type 2: Facing a Problem

A lot of prompts deal with how you solve problems, how you cope with failure, and how you respond to conflict. College can be difficult, both personally and academically, and admissions committees want to see that you're equipped to face those challenges .

The key to these types of questions is to identify a real problem, failure, or conflict ( not a success in disguise) and show how you adapted and grew from addressing the issue.

Common App 2

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Harvard University 7

The Harvard College Honor Code declares that we “hold honesty as the foundation of our community.” As you consider entering this community that is committed to honesty, please reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.

Prompt Type 3: Diversity

Most colleges are pretty diverse, with students from a wide range of backgrounds. Essay questions about diversity are designed to help admissions committees understand how you interact with people who are different from you .

In addressing these prompts, you want to show that you're capable of engaging with new ideas and relating to people who may have different beliefs than you.

Common App 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Johns Hopkins University

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religion, community) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.  This can be a future goal or experience that is either [sic] academic, extracurricular, or social.

Duke University Optional 1

We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community. 

Prompt Type 4: Your Future Goals

This type of prompt asks about what you want to do in the future: sometimes simply what you'd like to study, sometimes longer-term career goals. Colleges want to understand what you're interested in and how you plan to work towards your goals.

You'll mostly see these prompts if you're applying for a specialized program (like pre-med or engineering) or applying as a transfer student. Some schools also ask for supplementary essays along these lines. 

University of Southern California (Architecture)

Princeton Supplement 1

Prompt Type 5: Why This School

The most common style of supplemental essay is the "why us?" essay, although a few schools with their own application use this type of question as their main prompt. In these essays, you're meant to address the specific reasons you want to go to the school you're applying to .

Whatever you do, don't ever recycle these essays for more than one school.

Chapman University

There are thousands of universities and colleges. Why are you interested in attending Chapman?

Columbia University

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.

Rice University

Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you?

Princeton University

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals?

Prompt Type 6: Creative Prompts

More selective schools often have supplemental essays with stranger or more unique questions. University of Chicago is notorious for its weird prompts, but it's not the only school that will ask you to think outside the box in addressing its questions.

University of Chicago

“Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match).

University of Vermont

Established in Burlington, VT, Ben & Jerry’s is synonymous with both ice cream and social change. The “Save Our Swirled” flavor raises awareness of climate change, and “I Dough, I Dough” celebrates marriage equality. If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?

What Makes a Strong Personal Statement?

OK , so you're clear on what a college essay is, but you're still not sure how to write a good one . To help you get started, I'm going to explain the main things admissions officers look for in students' essays: an engaging perspective, genuine moments, and lively writing .

I've touched on these ideas already, but here, I'll go into more depth about how the best essays stand out from the pack.

Showing Who You Are

A lot of students panic about finding a unique topic, and certainly writing about something unusual like a successful dating app you developed with your friends or your time working as a mall Santa can't hurt you. But what's really important isn't so much what you write about as how you write about it . You need to use your subject to show something deeper about yourself.

Look at the prompts above: you'll notice that they almost all ask you what you learned or how the experience affected you. Whatever topic you pick, you must be able to specifically address how or why it matters to you .

Say a student, Will, was writing about the mall Santa in response to Common App prompt number 2 (the one about failure): Will was a terrible mall Santa. He was way too skinny to be convincing and the kids would always step on his feet. He could easily write 600 very entertaining words describing this experience, but they wouldn't necessarily add up to an effective college essay.

To do that, he'll need to talk about his motivations and his feelings: why he took such a job in the first place and what he did (and didn't) get out of it. Maybe Will took the job because he needed to make some money to go on a school trip and it was the only one he could find. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for screaming children, he kept doing it because he knew if he persevered through the whole holiday season he would have enough money for his trip. Would you rather read "I failed at being a mall Santa" or "Failing as a mall Santa taught me how to persevere no matter what"? Admissions officers definitely prefer the latter.

Ultimately, the best topics are ones that allow you to explain something surprising about yourself .

Since the main point of the essay is to give schools a sense of who you are, you have to open up enough to let them see your personality . Writing a good college essay means being honest about your feelings and experiences even when they aren't entirely positive.

In this context, honesty doesn't mean going on at length about the time you broke into the local pool at night and nearly got arrested, but it does mean acknowledging when something was difficult or upsetting for you. Think about the mall Santa example above. The essay won't work unless the writer genuinely acknowledges that he was a bad Santa and explains why.

Eloquent Writing

As I mentioned above, colleges want to know that you are a strong enough writer to survive in college classes . Can you express your ideas clearly and concisely? Can you employ specific details appropriately and avoid clichés and generalizations? These kinds of skills will serve you well in college (and in life!).

Nonetheless, admissions officers recognize that different students have different strengths. They aren't looking for a poetic magnum opus from someone who wants to be a math major. (Honestly, they aren't expecting a masterwork from anyone , but the basic point stands.) Focus on making sure that your thoughts and personality come through, and don't worry about using fancy vocabulary or complex rhetorical devices.

Above all, make sure that you have zero grammar or spelling errors . Typos indicate carelessness, which will hurt your cause with admissions officers.

Top Five Essay-Writing Tips

Now that you have a sense of what colleges are looking for, let's talk about how you can put this new knowledge into practice as you approach your own essay. Below, I've collected my five best tips from years as a college essay counselor.

#1: Start Early!

No matter how much you want to avoid writing your essay, don't leave it until the last minute . One of the most important parts of the essay writing process is editing, and editing takes a lot of time. You want to be able to put your draft in a drawer for a week and come back to it with fresh eyes. You don't want to be stuck with an essay you don't really like because you have to submit your application tomorrow.

You need plenty of time to experiment and rewrite, so I would recommend starting your essays at least two months before the application deadline . For most students, that means starting around Halloween, but if you're applying early, you'll need to get going closer to Labor Day.

Of course, it's even better to get a head start and begin your planning earlier. Many students like to work on their essays over the summer, when they have more free time, but you should keep in mind that each year's application isn't usually released until August or September. Essay questions often stay the same from year to year, however. If you are looking to get a jump on writing, you can try to confirm with the school (or the Common App) whether the essay questions will be the same as the previous year's.

#2: Pick a Topic You're Genuinely Excited About

One of the biggest mistakes students make is trying to write what they think the committee wants to hear. The truth is that there's no "right answer" when it comes to college essays . T he best topics aren't limited to specific categories like volunteer experiences or winning a tournament. Instead, they're topics that actually matter to the writer .

"OK," you're thinking, "but what does she mean by 'a topic that matters to you'? Because to be perfectly honest, right now, what really matters to me is that fall TV starts up this week, and I have a feeling I shouldn't write about that."

You're not wrong (although some great essays have been written about television ). A great topic isn't just something that you're excited about or that you talk to your friends about; it's something that has had a real, describable effect on your perspective .

This doesn't mean that you should overemphasize how something absolutely changed your life , especially if it really didn't. Instead, try to be as specific and honest as you can about how the experience affected you, what it taught you, or what you got out of it.

Let's go back to the TV idea. Sure, writing an essay about how excited you are for the new season of Stranger Things  probably isn't the quickest way to get yourself into college, but you could write a solid essay (in response to the first type of prompt) about how SpongeBob SquarePants was an integral part of your childhood. However, it's not enough to just explain how much you loved SpongeBob—you must also explain why and how watching the show every day after school affected your life. For example, maybe it was a ritual you shared with your brother, which showed you how even seemingly silly pieces of pop culture can bring people together. Dig beneath the surface to show who you are and how you see the world.

When you write about something you don't really care about, your writing will come out clichéd and uninteresting, and you'll likely struggle to motivate yourself. When you instead write about something that is genuinely important to you, you can make even the most ordinary experiences—learning to swim, eating a meal, or watching TV—engaging .

#3: Focus on Specifics

But how do you write an interesting essay? Focus.

Don't try to tell your entire life story or even the story of an entire weekend; 500–650 words may seem like a lot, but you'll reach that limit quickly if you try to pack every single thing that has happened to you into your essay. If, however, you just touch on a wide range of topics, you'll end up with an essay that reads more like a résumé.

Instead, narrow in on one specific event or idea, and talk about it in more depth . The narrower your topic, the better. For example, writing about your role as Mercutio in your school's production of Romeo and Juliet is too general, but writing about opening night, when everything went wrong, could be a great topic.

Whatever your topic, use details to help draw the reader in and express your unique perspective. But keep in mind that you don't have to include every detail of what you did or thought; stick to the important and illustrative ones.

#4: Use Your Own Voice

College essays aren't academic assignments; you don't need to be super formal. Instead, try to be yourself. The best writing sounds like a more eloquent version of the way you talk .

Focus on using clear, simple language that effectively explains a point or evokes a feeling. To do so, avoid the urge to use fancy-sounding synonyms when you don't really know what they mean. Contractions are fine; slang, generally, is not. Don't hesitate to write in the first person.

A final note: you don't need to be relentlessly positive. It's OK to acknowledge that sometimes things don't go how you want—just show how you grew from that.

#5: Be Ruthless

Many students want to call it a day after writing a first draft, but editing is a key part of writing a truly great essay. To be clear, editing doesn't mean just making a few minor wording tweaks and cleaning up typos; it means reading your essay carefully and objectively and thinking about how you could improve it .

Ask yourself questions as you read: is the progression of the essay clear? Do you make a lot of vague, sweeping statements that could be replaced with more interesting specifics? Do your sentences flow together nicely? Do you show something about yourself beyond the surface level?

You will have to delete and rewrite (potentially large) parts of your essay, and no matter how attached you feel to something you wrote, you might have to let it go . If you've ever heard the phrase "kill your darlings," know that it is 100% applicable to college essay writing.

At some point, you might even need to rewrite the whole essay. Even though it's annoying, starting over is sometimes the best way to get an essay that you're really proud of.

What's Next?

Make sure to check out our other posts on college essays , including our step-by-step guide to how to write your college essay , our analysis of the Common App Prompts , and our collection of example essays .

If you're in need of guidance on other parts of the application process , take a look at our guides to choosing the right college for you , writing about extracurriculars , deciding to double major , and requesting teacher recommendations .

Last but not least, if you're planning on taking the SAT one last time , check out our ultimate guide to studying for the SAT and make sure you're as prepared as possible.

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

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What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

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• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

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However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Personal Statement for Internship

Ai generator.

Introduction I am a third-year student at Stanford University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and I am eager to apply for the Software Engineering Internship at Google. My passion for technology, combined with my academic background and hands-on experience, has prepared me to contribute effectively to your team and further develop my skills in a dynamic and innovative environment.

Academic Background At Stanford University, I have maintained a 3.8 GPA while taking challenging courses in data structures, algorithms, and machine learning. My coursework has provided me with a strong foundation in software development and problem-solving. Additionally, I have worked on various projects, including developing a mobile app that tracks and analyzes user fitness data, which won first place at the university’s hackathon.

Professional Experience Last summer, I interned at XYZ Tech Solutions, where I worked on a team to develop a web application for managing client relationships. My responsibilities included coding, testing, and debugging software modules using Python and JavaScript. I also collaborated with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and ensure the application met client needs. This experience enhanced my technical skills and taught me the importance of teamwork and effective communication in a professional setting.

Personal Qualities and Skills I am a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual with a strong passion for technology and innovation. My ability to learn quickly and adapt to new challenges has enabled me to excel in fast-paced environments. I have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and I am proficient in programming languages such as Python, Java, and C++. Additionally, my excellent communication skills and collaborative nature make me a valuable team member.

Future Goals My long-term goal is to become a software engineer specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning. I am particularly interested in developing intelligent systems that can solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life. This internship at Google represents an ideal opportunity for me to gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge technologies and to learn from industry leaders. I am excited about the potential to contribute to innovative projects and to further my understanding of AI and machine learning applications.

Conclusion In conclusion, my passion for technology, strong academic background, and relevant professional experience make me a strong candidate for the Software Engineering Internship at Google. I am eager to bring my skills and enthusiasm to your team and to learn from the exceptional professionals at Google. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how my background, skills, and aspirations align with the goals of your internship program.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

6 Most Essential People Skills in the Workplace & How to Improve Them

3 key takeaways

• Developing strong communication skills is one of the best investments you can make in yourself.
• Jobs that involve people skills often involve teamwork.
• Teal’s AI Resume Builder can help you properly list your soft skills—including people skills—on your resume.

What people say about you when you’re not around is called your Trait Affective Presence. It’s an indicator of your people skills and how you make others feel. 

Of course, you’re human. You experience a range of outside emotions that you might occasionally expose to your colleagues. For better or worse, coworkers will respond to your social cues. It’s what they associate with you, and it rubs off on them, altering the entire vibe of the office.

But how can you gauge your level of people skills (or Trait Affective Presence)? How do you know what skills are most important in the workplace?

In this article, you’ll learn the most essential people skills and some tips on how to improve them. 

Struggling to land interviews with your resume? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder for free.

The most essential people skills for any job

Anyone who has ever relied on a network of colleagues and friends in their industry to get a job knows just how valuable people skills truly are. 

When people like you, they’re willing to put your name forward for roles even if they’ve never worked with you directly. After all, most jobs are looking for someone who doesn’t just fit a role but also fits a company culture. 

But there’s more to it. People skills are sometimes integral to the job. 

1. Communication

When you master communication, you’re able to comfortably speak in front of crowds and communicate effectively to earn buy in for your ideas. Both are keys to success in several professions. Just take it from Warren Buffet who, in an interview with Business Empires , said:

 “The best investment you can make is in yourself. Take communication skills— these students are getting their masters and they’re learning all of these complicated formulas. But if they just learn to communicate better, both in writing and in person, they increase their value 50 percent. You have to be able to communicate your ideas.”

If you’re a poor communicator, you might shy away from attention and avoid sharing your thoughts. This might lead to some difficulty getting buy-in for your ideas. 

2. Social skills

Small talk—or rather, being somewhat social—is an essential part of developing connections with people. But it can also be a vessel for developing effective relationships (or at least deeper conversations). Or, in the case of work, a vessel for opportunity.

Vanessa Van Edwards, author of the book Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication and Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, shares the idea of “BIG talk”.

“Big talk is the idea of leveling up boring, predictable small talk into deep, memorable conversations.”

She believes that interactions happen on three levels (the first five minutes, the first five hours, and the first five days). At the last level, the person or people you’re engaging with feel like a friend or a business partner. 

“Conversation is the key to moving up these levels,” says Vanessa. “Master conversationalists use conversation as a tool for everything from building rapport, socializing, and winning sales.”

3. Social assertiveness

To conserve your social energy (and spend it where it counts), you have to have some measure of social assertiveness. That means you stand up for yourself in a social setting, and make your social needs known to others in a non-confrontational way. 

Without social assertiveness, you might surround yourself with toxic people that don’t help you accelerate in life or your career. You might also put too much energy into pleasing your peers, and find it difficult to earn respect.

People that are empathetic are exceptionally good at decoding the emotional state of others. This isn’t just emotional intelligence. It’s interpersonal intelligence. 

It involves knowing yourself well and how to transfer your emotions onto others, in a positive way while also interpreting what others need.

Without empathy (or any interpersonal skills, for that matter) you'll have trouble decoding body language and picking up on social cues. 

5. Charisma

While some people are born with natural charisma, this isn’t the only way to be charismatic. You can learn to be charming and charismatic.

Vanessa Van Edwards finds that charisma is a blend of two other personality traits —warmth and competence. 

Charismatic people are often associated with being warm, trustworthy, and approachable. But they’re also seen as dependable and capable.

What’s interesting, Vanessa found, is that someone can be warm and approachable, but if they lack the other side of that (dependable and capable), they aren’t considered charismatic by their peers. 

6. Active listening skills

Developing active listening skills can help you nurture relationships further, both in your personal life and at work. But it also has the impact of shaping your worldview, or helping you to shape the worldview of others. 

Active listening involves showing your interest in what someone is saying and allowing them to see you truly understand them. 

According to research from an article on conveying and detecting listening in the Journal of Experimental Psychology by Hanne Collins, Julia A. Minson, Ariella S. Kristal and Alison Wood Brooks, most people are rather good at faking attentiveness. 

Throughout their studies, they found that most speakers were unable to accurately interpret when people weren’t listening to them (their minds were wandering). Speakers even occasionally believed the listener to not be listening when they were. 

Of course, everyone has a different level of skill in both listening and interpreting body language. The only way to actively listen and to show you are, is to engage in the conversation by asking questions.

How to improve your people skills

Before you can improve your skills, you need to know which ones are strong and which ones need work.

Teal's Work Styles Assessment can give you a baseline understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, and work style.

How you communicate at work is a big part of the equation. Feeling unheard is a common experience for a lot of people. But this is particularly painful if you’re in the workplace, trying to convey any new idea, trying to sway clients or prospects, and most especially when you’re trying to manage people. 

Julian Treasure, the chair of the Sound Agency, which advises businesses on how to design sound in their communication and space, claims in his book, How To Be Heard , that there are seven deadly sins of communication.

Avoid these seven communication mistakes

The seven communication mistakes—gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, lying, and dogmatism—make it hard to build trust and keep you from being heard when speaking among your peers. 

“It’s hard to listen to someone who’s constantly throwing their opinions at you regardless of facts,” says Treasure.

He goes on to explain that there is an opposite to those sins. They are the cornerstones of good communication—honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love. 

“It’s hard to judge someone that’s authentically wishing you well,” says Treasure. In order to improve the most important skill—communication—you must rid yourself of those poor habits and infuse your speech with those good cornerstones. 

Improve conflict resolution by being social and supportive

Shadé Zahrai , a science-based personal development coach, poses a situation that often comes up for her students in which a colleague excitedly explains their idea. You might respond that the idea didn’t work last time.

“You’ve just unintentionally invalidated their idea, and them,” says Zahrai. Instead, she insists you change any “but” (as in “we tried that but it didn’t work last time”) to “and.”

A phrase like, “Yes, and we can learn from what we did last time to increase our chances of success this time” is a much more positive and validating response.

Be more charismatic

Myka Meier, the Founder of Beaumont Etiquette, which teaches business etiquette and protocol, explains that, “one of the most important aspects to building charisma is having confidence. Make eye contact. Stand tall. Speak with conviction.”

Another tip Ms. Meier states for becoming more charismatic, is to be an active listener. You’re maintaining eye contact, nodding, and asking questions, especially questions that help the speaker tell their story, such as “what happened next?” or “what did you say to them?”

Keeping a positive mindset is also instrumental to being perceived as charismatic. It passes off a certain energy that’s entirely infectious. 

For more on developing people skills, check out this post on hard skills for your resume.

Jobs for people with strong people skills

Maybe you feel you don’t have good people skills and are looking to understand which jobs value people skills, and which don't. Or maybe you possess a healthy dose of people skills and are looking for a job that keeps you social. Either way, here are a few examples of jobs that require fewer technical skills and more people skills:

• Event planner
• Sales associate
• Marketing manager
• Flight attendant
• Public relations specialist
• Human resources associate
• Product manager
• Any front of house role in hospitality
• Social worker
• Customer service agent
• Onboarding specialist
• Cosmetologist
• Athletic coach

What many of these jobs have in common is they tend to involve a lot of noise and activity, involve a lot of collaboration with other team members (meaning a support system), and some level of risk-taking or experimentation.

How to include people skills on your resume

If you’re working on earning an interview, keep in mind that everyone you speak with in the company will offer some input as to your “fit” with the company. You’ll have to prove you demonstrate all of the good personality traits and characteristics they’re looking for in a new hire. 

To land that interview, however, you’re going to have to add people skills to your resume . 

Most job listings will feature some soft skills that are particularly important for the role and to be a good fit for the company. 

Take a look at this listing for a Content Manager:

“Strong communication and people management skills” are directly listed within this description. They double down after just a few bullet points by adding “exceptional written and oral communication skills.”

Communication skills are clearly an important aspect of the role. So you shouldn’t use poor communication skills to convey that. For example, avoid “I have demonstrated communications skills in this role,” or a similar iteration.

Instead, there’s a specific way to add people skills to a resume. 

• Quantify your experience: If the role is looking for someone that’s good with people (in other words, you can keep a level head and resolve conflicts easily) you might add a line under one of your past roles similar to, “led tour groups of 10 to 30 people for one hour tours.”
• Phrase your responsibilities in a way that demonstrates your people skills: Most roles are looking for someone who can speak well, either verbally or in writing. The responsibilities for some of your past roles should demonstrate this.
• Pro tip: With Teal’s AI achievements functionality, you can add in your work experience and choose to improve that summary with AI. The AI will boost your text with new arrangements, powerful language, and figures. You can then add in the appropriate numbers or make any changes you deem necessary for accuracy.

• Utilize the summary or professional statement : If you’re new to the job market and don't have extensive experience, you might include a professional summary to beef up your resume and highlight some of your personal skills.

• Use your achievements: If you, for instance, took on a job that no one else wanted and had success with it, it might demonstrate your tenacity, drive, and proactive problem solving. If you lead a team through a difficult project, it could demonstrate your ability to collaborate and lead. 
• Use your cover letter: Your resume might not always offer opportunities to highlight your abilities, but your cover letter offers more flexibility. Share stories of situations where your personal skills came in handy to resolve issues, or earn you a promotion. 

With Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator , you can easily create a tailored cover letter in just a few clicks. Demonstrating your abilities on a resume can be tricky, but know there are ways to let your personality shine through. You just have to see the soft skills in the outcomes you’ve produced. 

‍ For more on showcasing skills on your resume, check out this post on resume soft skills .

The easiest way to add people skills to your resume

People skills are essential in any workplace, but there are some jobs that absolutely require them. Those with this requirement often feature specific, desired skills in their job description. 

Adding those specific skills to your resume will help you stand out in the candidate pool, especially if you can find ways to demonstrate those skills in conjunction with your achievements.

If you’re finding it hard to squeeze people skills into your resume, you can always work them into your cover letter.

Either way, with Teal’s AI Resume Builder you can easily create AI-generated resume summaries, achievements, and cover letters to tailor these assets to your job search. 

Give Teal’s AI Resume Builder a try today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills are people skills.

People skills encompass communication, social skills, social assertiveness, empathy, charisma, and active listening. These skills are essential for effective interaction and relationship-building in the workplace.

What is a better word for people skills?

A better, or at least more common, word for people skills is "soft skills." These skills include interpersonal and social abilities that facilitate effective communication and collaboration.

What are 10 essential people skills to succeed?

Ten essential people skills are communication, social skills, social assertiveness, empathy, charisma, active listening, teamwork, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and adaptability.

What's the best job if you have excellent people skills?

Jobs that are ideal for individuals with excellent people skills include event planner, sales associate, marketing manager, public relations specialist, teacher, human resources associate, life coach, and customer service agent.

How can you tell if someone has good people skills?

Good people skills are evident through positive feedback from others, strong relationships, effective communication, and the ability to make others feel comfortable and understood. Observing someone’s Trait Affective Presence can also indicate their level of people skills.

Sarah Colley

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Grow your skills, pursue new interests with LinkedIn Learning

With thousands of opportunities available through LinkedIn Learning, faculty, staff and students are expanding their knowledge, delving into a hobby or earning a certification.

LinkedIn Learning is a 24/7 online resource that gives you choices for professional and personal development that works for you — all on your own timeline, at your own speed and for free as an Ohio State benefit.

“To me, as a lifelong learner, it’s remarkable to see how people have been increasingly leveraging this tool for microlearning and exploring different topics,” said Erica Banta, director of Digital Learning Solutions at Ohio State who leads the university-wide program as part of Human Resources. “You can watch a quick video — like you would on a social media site — but it provides value to your own development, support resources and additional recommendations. It can be for your job or just something you really love and have a passion for it.”

LinkedIn Learning has more than 18,000 online courses — with 30 to 70 new offerings added weekly. Completed courses can be documented on your BuckeyeLearn transcript and, for certain courses, as a badge on your personal LinkedIn profile.

Ways to use LinkedIn Learning are abundant. Remote teams are using it for team-building. Professors identify courses as prep work to prepare for the semester. Students gravitate towards career-readiness topics like finding a new job, resume building and interview tips. And there has been an increased interest in courses related to music production, video editing and graphic design on Canva.

Here are some ways LinkedIn Learning is inspiring Buckeyes to step outside their comfort zone, challenge themselves and expand their skills.

Dr. Michael Patrick, center, has utilized LinkedIn Learning courses as a tool in his teaching.

Strengthening medical communication skills

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Patrick, an associate professor of pediatrics in the College of Medicine who also works in the emergency department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was seeking emotional intelligence training opportunities for his division. He first came across LinkedIn Learning while trying to find ideas for training medical professionals in how to better communicate during a crisis situation and how to cultivate empathy for families facing difficult situations.

In his course covering health care communications and social media, Patrick encourages his students to explore evidence-based LinkedIn Learning modules on the topics of social media and health care communications. It’s an optional, asynchronous offering to supplement the textbook for this elective offering.

Patrick appreciates the engaging and interactive nature of LinkedIn Learning, and enjoys the ability to pick and choose modules to tailor the curriculum to the particular needs and goals of each class or student. Eventually, he’d like to integrate the offerings into his syllabus.

“It’s really great, up-to-date materials, and all the modules are vetted by experts,” Patrick says. “It’s updated instantaneously, unlike a traditional textbook.”

On his own time, Patrick has explored LinkedIn Learning courses on artificial intelligence. Patrick believes doctors who learn to use AI — and many already are, in preparing things like discharge summaries and patient education summaries — will have an advantage over those who don’t. And as part of his role as medical director of digital health for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, he often uses AI resources such as ChatGPT to prepare for media interviews and recording podcast episodes.

“LinkedIn Learning is a really great resource, and I hope the university continues to support it,” Patrick says.

Fortifying cybersecurity protections

Reg Jackson works as a security engineer on the university’s cybersecurity team, in the Digital Security and Trust department. Part of his role involves educating users, engineers and administrators on best practices to avoid unnecessary security risks.

“Everybody plays a part in security. If it’s not a collective defense, we fall somewhere,” Jackson says.

In the cybersecurity department, LinkedIn Learning provides application developers with strict guidelines, education and techniques to stay trained and up to date on the specific language they write. Before the university licensed LinkedIn Learning for use across the institution, Jackson would contract with an outside vendor, at a cost of several thousands of dollars, for required compliance. Now his managers assign developers specific secure training course requirements to complete through LinkedIn and monitor progress through BuckeyeLearn.

“Not only is it great education, really good and deep for engineers, it’s trackable. It’s assignable,” Jackson says.

Jackson uses LinkedIn Learning on a personal level to get a better handle on technical concepts, allowing him to communicate more effectively with the developers on his team.

Amplifying career trajectories

LinkedIn Learning has become an invaluable resource for Ohio State University Administrative Professionals (OSUAP), a volunteer organization with members from across the university committed to ongoing professional and leadership development and networking for administrative staff.

As that organization’s outgoing president, Heidi Hamblin praises LinkedIn Learning offerings for sharpening skills for not only current professional roles but also with career growth in mind. Hamblin works as a client services administrative specialist for the Ohio Supercomputer Center.

With Ohio State’s Career Roadmap, the university’s classification framework for staff jobs and pay, staff and faculty are able to consider a big-picture career trajectory within the university. Hamblin suggests staff reference the job catalog in Workday and the to learn the requirements of different job levels, then search for the LinkedIn Learning classes that fulfill those requirements. Doing so can help candidates better position themselves for a promotion.

“I love my job, I love the breadth and flexibility of my role at OSC,” Hamblin says, “but if I were ever to look for a different job in the future, I’d be looking to use LinkedIn Learning to bolster skills that could help me move up a level in my next position.”

Hamblin has completed various project management and Excel courses to fulfill her department’s professional development objectives. When searching LinkedIn Learning offerings, she tends to filter by courses that offer certifications. Through OSUAP, the Executive Committee would love to one day launch a certification program powered by LinkedIn Learning. Participants could hone professional development skills and become certified in areas such as time management, interpersonal skills, communication skills and Microsoft Office programs.

How it works

LinkedIn Learning offers beginner, intermediate and advanced videos, many of which run 10 minutes or less. There also are in-depth courses, running 25 minutes to several hours in length with worksheets and materials available to download.

LinkedIn Learning also provides professional learning paths, which are bundled courses around certain topics.

Offerings are divided into three main learning objectives: business, technology and creative. Within those objectives are any number of topics that can be sorted and filtered.

For instance, the business umbrella includes classes on career development, career management, job searching, personal branding and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion section. Under technology, learners will find classes on software development, data management and cybersecurity. And in the creative section, users can peruse video editing, motion graphics, audio, music, animation, illustration and more.

For more information, visit https://hr.osu.edu/services/development-resources/linkedin-learning/

Most popular LinkedIn Learning classes at Ohio State

• Excel Essentials Training Microsoft 365
• Project Management Foundations
• Six Sigma Greenbelt
• Managing Multiple Projects
• Communicating with Confidence

Most Active Colleges/Units

• College of Medicine
• James Cancer Center
• Office of Academic Affairs

Five Unexpected Course Offerings

• Master Key to Overcoming Procrastination
• Transforming Presentations with Cinematic Effects with PowerPoint
• Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps
• How to Create a Perfect Elevator Pitch
• Learning to Be Assertive

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Recruitment updates to enhance manager and candidate experiences, staff professional development funds, job posting process and review changes integrated with workday, new benefits and pay dashboard in workday, recent hr news, bright horizon benefits support family and personal wellbeing, outstanding buckeyes recognized for impactful focus on diversity and inclusion, ohio state voted columbest top employer, ohio state listening survey, nepotism policy revision.

Jennifer Lopez cancels 2024 tour This Is Me: 'Completely heartsick and devastated'

Jennifer Lopez has canceled her summer North American tour , which was to be her first in five years, weeks before she was scheduled to go on the road.

The pop star made the announcement Friday in her On The JLo fan newsletter.

"Representatives for Live Nation announced today that the Jennifer Lopez US Summer 2024 Tour 'THIS IS ME...LIVE' is canceled, citing ... 'Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends,'" the newsletter reads.

The statement was followed by a personal note , "A Special Message to My JLovers OnTheJLo."

"I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down. Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again," Lopez wrote. "I love you all so much. Until next time..."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

USA TODAY has reached out to Live Nation for comment.

Lopez's first show of the tour had been slated for June 26 in Orlando, Florida.

This Is Me... Live announcement comes after seven tour dates were canceled

The announcement comes weeks after several shows on the tour were canceled without explanation. According to Ticketmaster, Lopez's scheduled performances in Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta; Houston; Cleveland and Tampa, Florida would no longer take place.

"Unfortunately, the event organizer has had to cancel your event," the message for those pages reads.

This is Me...Live was a 30-date arena tour that was going to feature Lopez's chart-breakers and classic hits from her discography, like songs "On The Floor," "Let's Get Loud" and "Jenny from the Block." Her most recent tour in 2019, the It's My Party tour, sold out venues across the country.

The tour was in support of her new album, “This is Me … Now,” which released in February. The record was accompanied by an Amazon Prime musical movie, “ This is Me … Now: A Love Story ."

Speaking to USA TODAY earlier this year about "This is Me ... Now" possibly being her swan song, Lopez said, "This was going to be the quintessential thing I have been searching for and wanted to say about love."

"I’ve been on this search for so long, since people first met me and my first record came out and even before that in my first movie role, where I’ve been on this journey trying to figure this thing out for myself. This (album) kind of closed the loop in a way,” she said. “It captures this moment to really say the things I want to say about love, and that is that true love does exist and some things are forever. Please don’t give up on that because that’s all that matters in life … love.”'

Bennifer timeline: Their love story spans two decades, two engagements

Separate outings have fueled speculation about marriage with Ben Affleck

Lopez's announcement also comes amid widespread speculation about her marriage of nearly two years to Ben Affleck.

After various media reports suggested Lopez and Affleck may no longer be living together, the Hollywood A-List couple has been increasingly under the microscope, with media prying over their whereabouts and whether both are still wearing their rings.

On May 16, Lopez and Affleck were photographed together for the first time in over a month, with each spotted wearing their respective wedding rings.

The two were engaged to each other twice: first in 2002 then again in 2021. The couple got married in a late-night ceremony in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, which Lopez called "the best possible wedding we could have imagined."

This is the second marriage for Affleck and the fourth for Lopez.

Tour refunds for JLo tickets

Tickets will automatically be refunded, according to the newsletter.

Fans who purchased from third-party sites such as SeatGeek, StubHub and VividSeats should reach out to those websites for refunds.

Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri and Taijuan Moorman

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Personal Income and Outlays, April 2024

• News Release
• Related Materials
• Additional Information

Personal income increased $65.3 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in April, according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (tables 2 and 3). Disposable personal income (DPI) —personal income less personal current taxes—increased $40.2 billion (0.2 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $39.1 billion (0.2 percent).

The PCE price index increased 0.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 0.2 percent (table 5). Real DPI decreased 0.1 percent in April and real PCE decreased 0.1 percent; goods decreased 0.4 percent and services increased 0.1 percent (tables 3 and 4).

The increase in current-dollar personal income in April primarily reflected increases in compensation, personal income receipts on assets, and government social benefits to persons (table 2).

The $39.1 billion increase in current-dollar PCE in April reflected an increase of $49.1 billion in spending for services that was partly offset by a $10.0 billion decrease in spending for goods (table 2). Within services, the largest contributors to the increase were housing and utilities (led by housing), health care (both outpatient services and hospitals), and financial services and insurance (led by financial service charges, fees, and commissions). These increases were partly offset by a decrease in transportation services (led by air transportation). Within goods, the largest contributors to the decrease were spending for recreational goods and vehicles (led by information processing equipment) and other nondurable goods (led by recreational items). Detailed information on monthly PCE spending can be found on Table 2.4.5U .

Personal outlays —the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $42.8 billion in April (table 2). Personal saving was $744.5 billion in April and the personal saving rate —personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 3.6 percent (table 1).

From the preceding month, the PCE price index for April increased 0.3 percent (table 5). Prices for goods increased 0.2 percent, and prices for services increased 0.3 percent. Food prices decreased 0.2 percent and energy prices increased 1.2 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 0.2 percent. Detailed monthly PCE price indexes can be found on Table 2.4.4U .

From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for April increased 2.7 percent (table 7). Prices for goods increased 0.1 percent and prices for services increased 3.9 percent. Food prices increased 1.3 percent and energy prices increased 3.0 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.8 percent from one year ago.

The 0.1 percent decrease in real PCE in April reflected a decrease of 0.4 percent in spending on goods and an increase of 0.1 percent in spending on services (table 4). Within goods, the largest contributors to the decrease were gasoline and other energy goods (led by motor vehicle fuels, lubricants, and fluids), recreational goods and vehicles (led by information processing equipment), and other nondurable goods (led by recreational items). Within services, the largest contributor to the increase was health care (led by outpatient services). Detailed information on monthly real PCE spending can be found on Table 2.4.6U .

Updates to Personal Income and Outlays

Estimates have been updated for October through March. For October through December, estimates for compensation, personal taxes, and contributions for government social insurance reflect the incorporation of updated fourth-quarter wage and salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. Revised and previously published changes from the preceding month for current-dollar personal income, and for current-dollar and chained (2017) dollar DPI and PCE, are provided below for February and March.

*          *          *

Next release: June 28, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. EDT Personal Income and Outlays, May 2024

Full Release & Tables (PDF)

Tables only (excel), release highlights (pdf), historical comparisons (pdf).

• Personal Income Lisa Mataloni  301-278-9083 [email protected]
• PCE Goods Kyle Brown 301-278-9086 [email protected]
• PCE Services Harvey Davis 301-278-9719 [email protected]
• Media Connie O’Connell 301-278-9003 [email protected]

Additional Resources available at www.bea.gov :

• Stay informed about BEA developments by reading The BEA Wire , signing up for BEA's email subscription service , or following BEA on X, formerly known as Twitter @BEA_News .
• Historical time series for these estimates can be accessed in BEA's Interactive Data Application .
• Access BEA data by registering for BEA's Data Application Programming Interface (API).
• For more on BEA's statistics, see BEA's online journal, the Survey of Current Business .
• BEA's news release schedule
• NIPA Handbook : Concepts and Methods of the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts

Definitions

Personal income is the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: from participation as laborers in production, from owning a home or business, from the ownership of financial assets, and from government and business in the form of transfers. It includes income from domestic sources as well as the rest of world. It does not include realized or unrealized capital gains or losses.

Disposable personal income  is the income available to persons for spending or saving. It is equal to personal income less personal current taxes. 

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is the value of the goods and services purchased by, or on the behalf of, "persons" who reside in the United States.

Personal outlays is the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments.

Personal saving is personal income less personal outlays and personal current taxes.

The personal saving rate is personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income.

Current-dollar estimates are valued in the prices of the period when the transactions occurred—that is, at "market value." Also referred to as "nominal estimates" or as "current-price estimates."

Real values are inflation-adjusted estimates—that is, estimates that exclude the effects of price changes.

For more definitions, refer to the Glossary: National Income and Product Accounts .

Statistical conventions

Annual rates. Monthly and quarterly values are expressed at seasonally-adjusted annual rates (SAAR). Dollar changes are calculated as the difference between these SAAR values. For detail, refer to the FAQ " Why does BEA publish estimates at annual rates? "

Month-to-month percent changes are calculated from unrounded data and are not annualized.

Quarter-to-quarter percent changes are calculated from unrounded data and are displayed at annual rates. For detail, refer to the FAQ " How is average annual growth calculated? " and " Why does BEA publish percent changes in quarterly series at annual rates? "

Quantities and prices. Quantities, or "real" volume measures, and prices are expressed as index numbers with a specified reference year equal to 100 (currently 2017). Quantity and price indexes are calculated using a Fisherchained weighted formula that incorporates weights from two adjacent periods (months for monthly data, quarters for quarterly data and annuals for annual data). For details on the calculation of quantity and price indexes, refer to Chapter 4: Estimating Methods in the NIPA Handbook.

Chained-dollar values are calculated by multiplying the quantity index by the current dollar value in the reference year (2017) and then dividing by 100. Percent changes calculated from real quantity indexes and chained-dollar levels are conceptually the same; any differences are due to rounding. Chained-dollar values are not additive because the relative weights for a given period differ from those of the reference year. In tables that display chained-dollar values, a "residual" line shows the difference between the sum of detailed chained-dollar series and its corresponding aggregate.

Featured Article

Live Nation confirms Ticketmaster was hacked, says personal information stolen in data breach

The ticketing giant said its stolen database was hosted by snowflake, a cloud storage and analytics company..

Entertainment giant Live Nation has confirmed its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster has been hacked.

Live Nation confirmed the data breach in a filing with government regulators late on Friday after the markets closed.

In its statement , Live Nation said the breach occurred on May 20, and that a cybercriminal “offered what it alleged to be Company user data for sale via the dark web.” The company did not say who the personal information belongs to, though it’s believed to relate to customers. It’s unclear why it took the company more than a week to publicly disclose the breach.

Live Nation said in its statement that it “identified unauthorized activity within a third-party cloud database environment containing Company data.” 

The company did not name the third-party cloud database in its statement.

A spokesperson for Ticketmaster, who would not provide their name but responded from the company’s media email address, told TechCrunch that its stolen database was hosted on Snowflake , a Boston-based cloud storage and analytics company.

Ticketmaster’s spokesperson did not say how the data was exfiltrated from Snowflake’s systems. 

Snowflake said in a post on Friday that it had informed a “limited number of customers who we believe may have been impacted” by attacks “targeting some of our customers’ accounts.” Snowflake did not describe the nature of the attacks, or if data had been stolen from customer accounts.

Snowflake spokesperson Danica Stanczak declined to comment on the record about Ticketmaster’s breach.

Amazon Web Services also hosts much of Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s infrastructure, according to a since-removed customer case study on Amazon’s website.

Live Nation’s communications chief Kaitlyn Henrich also would not comment on the record or answer questions about the breach.

Earlier this week, the administrator of a since-revived popular cybercrime forum called BreachForums claimed to be selling the personal information of 560 million customers, including the alleged personal information of Ticketmaster customers, along with ticket sales and customer card information.

Until now, Live Nation had not commented on the data breach. Earlier this week, Australian authorities confirmed it was assisting Live Nation with a cybersecurity incident, and U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA deferred comment to Live Nation.

TechCrunch on Friday obtained a portion of the allegedly stolen data containing thousands of records, including email addresses. This included several internal Ticketmaster email addresses used for testing, which are not public but appear as real Ticketmaster accounts. TechCrunch verified on Friday that the records we checked belong to Ticketmaster customers. 

TechCrunch checked the validity of these accounts by running the internal email addresses through Ticketmaster’s sign-up form. All of the accounts came back as real. (Ticketmaster displays an error if someone enters an email address that is already a real Ticketmaster account.)

Earlier in May, the Department of Justice and 30 attorneys general sued Live Nation to break up the ticketing conglomerate, accusing Live Nation of monopolistic practices .

Updated with response from Ticketmaster, and Snowflake’s decline.

Do you know more about the Live Nation TicketMaster breach? Get in touch. To contact this reporter, get in touch on Signal and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849, or by email. You can also send files and documents via SecureDrop .

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Who Is the Prosecutor Delivering the Closing Statement in the Trump Trial?

Joshua Steinglass is part of the Manhattan district attorney’s team that includes veteran prosecutors and former white-collar criminal defense lawyers.

• Share full article

By Kate Christobek

• May 28, 2024

Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor who is delivering the hourslong closing argument in the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, is an assistant district attorney who has served in the role in Manhattan since 1998.

He is part of an accomplished team compiled by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, that includes former white-collar criminal defense lawyers and veteran prosecutors who have extensive experience going up against Mr. Trump.

In 2022, Mr. Steinglass helped lead the team that secured a conviction against the Trump Organization for conspiracy, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records. He also delivered the closing statement in that trial.

Mr. Steinglass has more commonly focused on trying significant violent crimes, including a brawl on the Upper East Side that led to the conviction of two Proud Boy extremists in 2019.

Kate Christobek is a reporter covering the civil and criminal cases against former president Donald J. Trump for The Times. More about Kate Christobek

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

Guilty Verdict : Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts  of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his bid for the White House in 2016, making him the first American president to be declared a felon .

Next Steps: The judge in the case set Trump’s sentencing for July 11, and Trump already indicated that he plans to appeal. Here’s what else may happen .

Reactions: Trump’s conviction reverberated quickly across the country and over the world . Here’s what Trump , voters , New Yorkers , Republicans  and the White House  had to say.

The Presidential Race : The verdict will test America’s traditions, legal institutions and ability to hold an election under historic partisan tension , reshuffling a race that has been locked in stasis and defined by a polarizing former president.

Making the Case: Over six weeks and the testimony of 20 witnesses, the Manhattan district attorney’s office wove a sprawling story  of election interference and falsified business records.

Legal Luck Runs Out: The four criminal cases that threatened Trump’s freedom had been stumbling along, pleasing his advisers. Then his good fortune expired .

Connecting the Dots: As rumors circulated of Trump’s reported infidelity, two accounts of women  being paid to stay silent about their encounters became central to his indictment.