how to write a personal statement for nus

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The Key to Writing Effective NUS Personal Statements

Table of Contents

An  NUS personal statement  is an essay required by an application to the National University of Singapore. It is a brief description of who you are as a student and an overview of the things that matter to you. 

Personal statements are not unique to the National University of Singapore. Students will encounter these assignments throughout their academic life and even when they transition into professional life.

Personal statements are common in job applications, internships, and applications to particular programs. They are a way to introduce yourself to recruiters and admissions board representatives and create a lasting impression.

The Importance of an Effective NUS Personal Statement in the Academe

Personal statements are crucial in the application process. Recruiters will want to gain a deep understanding of applicants they accept into their program or job. This matters greatly because they want to ensure that successful candidates deserve their spot.

Conversely, a personal statement is a golden opportunity to highlight your best qualifications . It showcases your writing ability and your exposition skills. The adaptability of a personal statement allows for a wide range of approaches that let you inject your personality into your content.

The most significant advantage of a personal statement is that  it paints you as a person rather than just another candidate . It’s a potent tool for expressing individuality and setting you and your story apart from other applicants.

If you want to enjoy all these benefits, the ultimate one being a successful application, heed these few tips.

Tips for Writing an Effective NUS Personal Statement

If you’re unsure how to start your personal statement, try a structured approach. Here are some tips you can follow to ensure you provide the information admissions boards need.

• Showcase your unique personality and background  – focus on experiences, skills, and achievements that make you stand out from other applicants. 
• Use strong storytelling techniques to keep the reader engaged  – ensure a clear narrative flow with an introduction, body, and conclusion. 
• Incorporate personal anecdotes  -demonstrate your growth and development over time. 
• Keep it concise  – highlight critical points without superfluous words. 
• Avoid clichés and platitudes  – devise creative ways to express yourself and add interesting facts and figures where appropriate.

While following these tips won’t make you a master overnight, they will help you form writing habits applicable to all types of content.

NUS Personal Statement Examples

I have always had a keen interest in the field of technology. As a professional, I have grown into an individual with considerable experience and expertise in this area. I recently attended an event to discuss the latest trends in artificial intelligence, which further fuelled my enthusiasm for innovation and cutting-edge technological solutions. Events like these regularly leave me invigorated and inspired to delve deeper into innovative ideas and contribute my insights where applicable. 

I am proud of my aptitude for problem-solving and finding creative solutions to address issues efficiently. By leveraging my knack for recognizing patterns, I can ascertain resolutions that are unorthodox yet efficient at achieving desired outcomes. My preference for outside-the-box thinking has earned me recognition from peers who consider me a formidable asset. I have a reputation for embracing challenges while utilizing common sense and poise in navigating obstacles. 

A strong work ethic and unwavering ambition drive me. This intense desire to succeed has enabled me to consistently strive toward greater heights despite any tribulations I may encounter. 

I strongly feel I possess the qualities necessary to excel in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment such as NUS. I look forward to contributing meaningfully towards the University’s goals of fostering a more technically competent future generation.

I have been interested in starting a career related to education since I first read about it. It has been an essential part of my life, so I have devoted many hours of research. With each article or book I read, I learn something new, furthering my understanding and expanding my knowledge base. 

Through these opportunities, I can explain my thoughts and gain even more insight from professionals in the area. 

I look forward to taking this journey further by applying for the scholarship to complete my studies on the topic. As part of this application process, I plan to include relevant evidence and anecdotes demonstrating my commitment and passion for the subject matter. I believe I can help showcase why I should be selected for this opportunity by submitting all necessary documents.

I have been working with Information Technology for the past three years. Throughout my professional career, I have asked myself questions to better understand different aspects of IT, ranging from software development to network security. Over those years, I gained good knowledge in this field and was able to apply it in many of my projects. 

I am now interested in taking an international course to further develop my expertise. Being part of your school would allow me to learn more about current trends and techniques. It can expose me to new applications that can help improve my work or service quality. Furthermore, it will also allow me to build strong connections within the sector. 

I believe that I could be a valuable asset to any organization looking for someone with a comprehensive understanding of the subject. That is why I’m applying for this course – it’s like a necessary step in order to reach my long-term career goals. With my commitment to continuous learning, I’m confident I’ll make a good impression at the National University of Singapore.

I have a long-standing interest in IT. My knowledge of this field has enabled me to successfully know, understand and apply its principles. I have used my subject mastery during job interviews to communicate clearly and coherently with potential employers about their respective needs for my services. 

Additionally, my impressive track record of achievements makes me an ideal candidate for an IT course at the National University of Singapore. My involvement in community service projects has exposed me to a variety of different technologies, which will serve as excellent support for my studies. All these experiences prove to be beneficial in allowing me to develop further and improve my understanding of IT concepts.

 I am an experienced Finance student seeking to apply for a postgraduate course at the National University of Singapore. With my knowledge and experience, I believe that I can contribute to the University’s vibrant academic environment and community. 

 I have been exposed to finance studies since I was in high school, where I studied economics, accounting, and financial management. This gave me a well-rounded understanding of the industry. During my time as a university student, I had the opportunity to participate in several research projects focusing on financial markets. This has enabled me to gain insights into the nuances of investing and trading, allowing me to develop my analytical skills further. 

Moreover, I have taken part in various activities related to financial analysis during my years as a student. For example, I wrote essays on financial topics such as derivatives, capital structure theory, and risk management techniques. Furthermore, I also organized events such as panel discussions with industry professionals, which allowed me to interact with other students and experts alike. These experiences served to hone my problem-solving capabilities and taught me how to think critically about financial matters. 

Overall, I believe that I possess the necessary qualities to excel in a postgraduate program at NUS. My expertise and interest in finance, coupled with my strong communication and critical thinking will make me an ideal candidate for the course.

An  NUS personal statement  is a special essay that candidates submit to the admissions board. These essays showcase an individual’s background and personality. Make sure to remember our simple tips as you write your NUS personal statement. You are more likely to write a potent essay when you know the aspects you need to emphasize. 

Again, keep your statement short, concise, and authentic. We hope these tips give you the know-how and confidence to write a compelling university personal statement. Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Writing Your Med School Personal Statement for NUS and NTU (2024)

In this guide, we will provide you with insights, analysis, and a clear approach to help you craft a personal statement that stands out from the crowd.

Jan 24, 2024

Writing a compelling personal statement for Medicine at NUS and NTU is a pivotal step in securing your spot in med school. While it may appear daunting, breaking down the process step by step can make it more manageable. In this guide, we will provide you with insights, analysis, and a clear approach to help you craft a personal statement that stands out from the crowd.

Understanding the Prompts

Nus medicine.

“This is an introduction of yourself to the Admissions committee and the interviewer, who would like to learn about the experiences that have shaped your values and desire to study medicine. The word limit is 500 words.”

Source: NUS Medicine

NTU Medicine: “The personal statement is an essay of not more than 300 words, introducing the applicant including, but not limited to, the reasons for wishing to study medicine and of any experience that may have driven the desire to become a doctor. Leadership experience and teamwork ability should be highlighted. The personal statement must be furnished in the application form, and it may be followed up at the interview stage.”

Source: NTU Medicine

In essence, you have to answer two critical questions in your personal statement:

• Why you? Who are you beyond your grades? What have you done outside of class to prove that you have the ability to thrive in medical school and as a future doctor?
• Why Medicine? Can you convey your passion for serving people and love for science in a compelling way?

Remember, your personal statement should reflect your unique experiences and qualities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Personal Statement

Step 1: identify your qualities.

Start by developing a list of qualities you want to demonstrate to the admissions committee. Consider aspects like leadership, teamwork, empathy, and resilience.

Want more resources and steps to think about your personal brand and your qualities? Read our blog here . 

Step 2: Highlight Relevant Experiences

Think of events or situations from your life that showcase these qualities. Focus on experiences that have shaped your journey and made you stand out.

For this step, you don’t need to go in-depth yet. Simply think of highlights from the past two years. It’s important not to go too far back in your timeline—experiences in primary school or more than 2-3 years ago are unlikely to have much significance, unless it still remains a present part of your life and your routine.

Step 3: Qualify and Connect Your Qualities with Experiences

Choose experiences that not only align with your qualities but clearly showcase your unique attributes. It's crucial to move beyond generic statements and delve into the specifics of your actions and contributions.

For instance, if you claim to be a team player, don't merely state it – demonstrate it with precision. In group projects, assess your role critically. Do you find yourself actively listening to everyone's needs and aligning goals? Perhaps you are the one consistently taking notes and ensuring every voice is heard. Alternatively, maybe you naturally assume the role of decision-maker, ensuring a clear direction for the team.

Specificity is your secret weapon to stand out amidst fierce competition. In personal statements, qualities like empathy, teamwork, and leadership are frequently mentioned. To set yourself apart, avoid generalisations and provide concrete examples of how you embody these traits.

Generic: I am James, an ex-student of Raffles Institution, where I played for my hockey team and volunteered. I want to pursue Medicine at NTU, as a life in medicine resonates with me. My experiences have shaped me, and allowed me to be a suitable fit for Medicine. As Hockey Vice-Captain in JC, I learned how to work with a team towards a common goal, and to lead by example. The ability to stay calm even during times of pressure was something I also picked up. Furthermore, Platoon IC during my BMT, I realised the importance of building rapport with your teammates and the idea of “leading by serving”, which will be relevant with regards to serving my patients.

This statement could be written by anyone—it is simply a list of facts of what the student has done, and doesn’t showcase any real specificity on how a life in medicine actually resonates.

More targeted:

As Vice-Captain, I took on a supportive role and encouraged my team when training got tough. Ensuring everyone was coping well strengthened our bond, which made our time more enjoyable. For the latter, being responsible for the 63 men under me and answerable to those above me, I had to give instructions clearly and effectively, as well as stay calm under pressure, while still maintaining rapport with my teammates. These teachings made me a versatile leader and will help me better interact with my seniors, my team and my patients.

Step 4: Putting It All Together

Show, Don't Tell:  Instead of stating your qualities, provide concrete examples that illustrate them. Engage the reader with real-life situations.

Connect Experiences to Qualities: Explicitly connect each experience to the qualities you want to showcase for better understanding.

Balance Emotion and Reflection: Blend emotional aspects with reflective insights to add depth to your narrative. Avoid Generic Statements : Be specific and authentic to make a lasting impression.

Common Questions about NUS and NTU Medicine Personal Statements

Do i need one moment where i knew i wanted to be a doctor.

Many applicants wonder if their personal statement requires a defining moment. We’ve read so many personal statements that start with applicants describing taking care of a family member who got sick or always being really interested in science—while that’s a fine starting point, you cannot base your entire personal statement around that.

Your essay doesn't need a single moment of realization. Instead, concentrate on portraying your path and journey to medicine. It is more compelling and will convince the admissions committee that you’ve done your due diligence, you know what becoming a doctor entails—you’re not simply basing off your motivations off one encounter or scenario.

How do I stand out from the crowd? Won’t everybody have similar experiences?

Rather than stating that you possess leadership qualities or care about people—qualities that most students will write about—avoid generic statements by delving into specific incidents that have shaped you. For instance, if you claim to be service-oriented due to your volunteering experiences, explore a particular interaction or individual that left a lasting impact. Was there a moment that truly touched you or influenced your commitment to service?

I have so many relevant experiences; which one is the "best" to choose?

It's common for applicants to feel overwhelmed with numerous relevant experiences. While it's tempting to list all your achievements, it's more impactful to focus on what you've learned from these experiences. Consider the depth of your understanding and the personal growth each experience has afforded you.

For example, if you've engaged in exciting research, shadowed a family physician, and excelled as a musician, don't merely present a laundry list. Instead, emphasise the key lessons learned.

• How did your research experience contribute to your understanding of medicine?
• What insights did shadowing a family physician provide regarding teamwork in healthcare?
• How has your musical journey instilled discipline and focus, and how does it relate to your desire to be a doctor?

Always connect your experiences back to the fundamental questions: "Why you?" and "Why do you want to be a doctor?" Demonstrate how each experience has shaped your character, skills, and aspirations, making you a compelling candidate for medical school.

In essence, quality often trumps over quantity. Choose experiences that showcase your growth, highlight your qualities, and reinforce your commitment to pursuing medicine at NUS or NTU.

By following these steps and avoiding clichés, you can create a personal statement that reflects your unique journey and captivates the admissions committee. Best of luck on your journey to securing a spot at NUS or NTU med school!

Still at a loss for where to start? We get it; it’s a scary experience looking at a blank page. Download our e-guide for more tips and advice on applying to NUS and NTU Medicine.

Or simply drop us a message to get in touch with us. We work with hundreds of anxious applicants each year, and we know what it feels like to be at a loss. Our focus is always to support students through this time and ensure they have the best guidance and resources possible.

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Blog » Undergrad » Singapore » University Specific » How to apply to National University of Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree

How to apply to National University of Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is considered to be one of the top Asian universities in the world. As of 2020, NUS is ranked 11th in the world by QS World University Rankings. NUS was also named the world’s 4th most international university. 

It is the oldest higher education institute in Singapore and offers a variety of academic programs and research opportunities, which makes it a top choice among students applying abroad. Today, we will guide you in detail about the process of applying to NUS. 

Important Deadlines

The application for NUS opens in mid-October and closes by end-March. 

Application Portal for NUS

1. Personal Particulars

In the first section, you will be asked to fill in your personal details such as Full Name, Date of Birth, Nationality, Home Address, Email IDs, contact numbers, parents’ details, identification document number etc.

2. Academic Qualifications

In this section, we will be listing down the application requirements for NUS. For an international student, you must have completed 12 years of formal education by July of the admission year. The following are the primary application requirements:

• Class 10 grades
• Class 12 grades (most recent results, if not completed 12th grade)

To get an offer from NUS, you will have to be in the top 5% of your cohort, as the competition is very high among applicants. For CBSE and ISC students, it is considered that a score of 95% and above will give you a good standing. Most offer holders have a score of around 97%, so it is extremely important for you to focus on your class 12 final examinations. 

Additional test scores like the SAT/ACT are not required for CBSE and ISC students. However, if you have studied under the State or other board then you will be required to provide the following:

• SAT or ACT with Writing section
• SAT Subject Tests

You are required to write three SAT Subject Tests. One has to be SAT Mathematics Level 2 and the other two can be any subjects of your choice ( excluding SAT Mathematics Level 1 ). For example, if a student is applying for Chemical Engineering then he/she can write the following subject tests:

• SAT Mathematics Level 2
• SAT Chemistry
• SAT Physics

3. Course Choices

NUS allows you to choose up to 5-course choices. You should order your choices according to your preference with the topmost course choice being your highest priority. If you are unsuccessful for your first choice then you will be automatically considered for the other courses. 

To be considered for courses such as Medicine/Nursing/Dentistry/Law, you must have completed your 12th grade at the time of application. 

4. Outstanding Achievements (Optional)

NUS gives a very high weightage to academic merit while deciding the outcome of an application, however, an outstanding achievement can also influence an admission decision.

What is an outstanding achievement?

According to NUS, they also consider exceptional achievements in co-curricular activities and competitions. You should have attained a very high level of achievement or leadership positions in activities. Some examples of these types of achievements include International Olympiad medals, top national awards, national team sportsmen and exceptional rank in top university entrance examinations like IIT-JEE Mains and Advanced rankings. 

5. Personal Statement

NUS requires one personal statement of 2000 characters (about 300 words). Since you are limited to only this space to express yourself, you should write a concise, well-thought and focused summary instead of a prolonged essay. Some pointers to follow while writing your essay for NUS:

• Give a very brief overview of your background so that it gives a context to your interests and passions.
• Write down your significant achievements and choose 1-2 of these to explain in detail.
• Make sure you back your skills and strengths with examples and scenarios.
• Mention why you wish to study in NUS and what attracts you to their programme. Try to be specific to show your keen interest in NUS.
• Make sure that your sentences are well structured and coherent. 

6. Finalizing your application and payment

Before submitting your application, you will be asked to make a few declarations:

• Health & Support Declaration: Here the applicant will have to share any medical/mental conditions and/or any physical disabilities so that the university has an understanding of the support and resources needed to facilitate the student’s education.
• Financial Aid Declaration: The applicant will have to declare whether he/she is applying for financial aid. A separate application will then have to be filled out for Financial Aid & Scholarship.
• Tuition Grant Declaration: The applicant must declare if he/she is applying for tuition grant. The tuition grant allows the student to pay subsidized tuition fees for the duration of their course.
• Next-of-Kin information: The applicant must provide a contact person in case of any emergency.
• Criminal Offence Declaration: The applicant must declare if he/she has been convicted of any criminal offence in court.

After completing your declarations, you must make a payment of SGD 10 (approx ₹545).

7. Documents Submission

After you submit your application, you will be asked to submit scanned copies of your documents. The checklist of documents is:

• Copy of Class 12 Final results (when available)
• Copy of latest examination results (example Class 11 Final exam results)
• Copy of University transcript (if applicable)
• Copy of additional score reports (example SAT, SAT Subject Tests, IIT-JEE)
• Copy of Passport (identity document)
• Copy of International Olympiad Certificates (if applicable)
• Copy of medical report of any existing conditions (if applicable)
• Copy of Criminal record(s) (if applicable)

Now, you are done with the application process. After submitting all your documents, wait for the university to send out an invitation for an interview, if applicable. The hardest time during the application process is waiting for the results. Now that you have finished the application with a lot of hard work, it is important for you to not stress about the outcome of your application. 

Applicants shortlisted for Architecture, Dentistry, Industrial Design, Landscape Architecture, Law, Medicine and Nursing courses will be required to attend additional tests and/or interviews conducted at the University in April each year to assess their suitability for the courses. 

Announcement of Offer

If you are successful, you will receive an offer by mid-July and will have to start the matriculation process. It is finally time to start your journey in your dream university!

Tuition and Other Fees

The cost breakdown of studying in NUS per annum is as follows:

• Tuition Fees: varies by course, average is SGD 32,800 (approx ₹17,70,000)
• On-Campus Accommodation: varies from SGD 2800 – SGD 5500 (approx ₹1.5L to ₹3L), depending on the hall and type of room.
• Meals, personal expenses, transportation, books & supplies: around SGD 6000 (approx ₹3.25L)
• Total average cost is around 23 to 25 lakh rupees.

At UniRely , your mentor from NUS will help you fill out your entire application to NUS. Please visit our website unirely.com to learn about the process of applying to universities in Singapore for an undergraduate degree.

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How to Write Your Medicine Personal Statement (Singapore): The Complete Guide

Both NUS and NTU medical schools require a personal statement as part of the application. Instructions are brief, and no suggested framework is given. This article reviews the requirements of the personal statement when applying to Medicine in Singapore, and guides you through the entire process of writing your own—from planning to proofreading.

Personal Statement Prompts from NUS and NTU Medicine

Nus medicine personal statement instructions.

This is an introduction of yourself to the Admissions committee and the interviewer, who would like to learn about the experiences that have shaped your desire to study medicine . (Word limit: 500 words) (Source: NUS Medicine admissions page )

NTU Medicine Personal Statement Instructions

The personal statement is an essay of not more than 300 words, introducing the applicant including, but not limited to, the reasons for wishing to study medicine and of any experience that may have driven the desire to become a doctor . Leadership experience and teamwork ability should be highlighted. The personal statement must be furnished in the application form, and it may be followed up at the interview stage. (Source: NTU Medicine admissions page )

Key Aspects of Your Personal Statement

Notice that I’ve bolded the keywords in the above two excerpts:

From the above information, we can gather three key aspects to cover in your essay:

In this case, “desirable qualities” refer to personal attributes or skills that make you a good potential candidate for medical school. Importantly, they must be conveyed through concrete examples.

Indeed, overall, your personal statement should be “examples-driven”. It’s like saying “I’m compassionate”, versus telling a compelling story of a personal interaction with an autistic student. Which one is more convincing?

The admissions officers do not know you personally, and they will need proof of your leadership, teamwork, commitment, and so on.

Which Personal Statement to Write First?

(This question is only relevant if you’re applying to both NUS and NTU Medicine. Otherwise, feel free to skip to the next section.)

Note the difference in the word limit set by the two schools: 500 words for NUS versus 300 words for NTU. This means that you will have to submit a different personal statement for NUS and NTU.

There are two ways to go about doing this, and you may choose whichever one suits you:

• Write the 500-word NUS personal statement first, then shorten and edit it to 300 words for the NTU personal statement.
• Write a separate personal statement for NUS and NTU.

The “advantage” of the second option is that you can tailor each of your personal statements more to the school’s philosophy and what (you think) they are looking out for. However, the first option is an efficient and solid method.

Even if you’d like to “customise” your NTU personal statement more, you can always write that with your original 500-word essay as the foundation.

Step 1: List Out Your Activities and Achievements

Start by listing out all your activities and achievements in the past two years . This is essentially your portfolio. If you’ve already done one (most schools would ask for it close to graduation), just take that as reference.

It may be helpful to list the activities under the following categories:

• Academic awards e.g. scholarship
• Academic contribution e.g. academic competitions, research projects, H3 subjects
• CCA and leadership positions e.g. CCA exco, student council
• Community involvement e.g. volunteering, service learning project, OCIP
• Work experience e.g. attachment or job shadowing, internship
• Other relevant experiences e.g. long-term illness in the family, others

Next, select the most significant ones to include in your personal statement. To determine which activities to prioritise, look for those that:

• have impacted you the most (e.g. a self-initiated project you devoted yourself to > a project in which you were not in the core organising committee and did not contribute as much to)
• shows long-term commitment (e.g. weekly volunteering at a nursing home over two years > an ad hoc stint as a volunteer at an event that you did not organise)
• demonstrates a desirable quality for medical school (e.g. any leadership experience or effective teamwork, any form of volunteering or service learning, etc)
• shows your interest in medicine (e.g. work experience, volunteering, healthcare-related events or competitions, etc)

Choose at most three activities as the “keystone activities”. These are the ones you will write about in more detail.

Other activities of some significance can be “lumped” together. The five categories above can serve as a guide. For instance, all your academic awards and/or contributions could be “bundled” together in the same paragraph, without going into the details of each individually (highly unnecessary).

Note: If you have a limited number of items in your portfolio, and would like to include all of them, you may skip the selection/elimination step. However, if you do have many scattered activities, some of which may not be significant (e.g. volunteer at an ad hoc event, certificate of participation at some competition or seminar), eliminate ruthlessly. Do not attempt to cram your JC life into 500 words. Your essay will lose direction and focus.

Step 2: Create an Outline of Your Personal Statement

With the activities and accomplishments you have chosen, think about what each intends to show. Remember, your personal statement should be examples-driven. Each example and every line in your personal statement should contribute to demonstrating either one of these two points:

• an amazing quality you have that makes you a good candidate for medicine
• your undying motivation for pursuing medicine

You don’t have to complete the table, but at least think through this:

In the first column, “ Activity or achievement ”, jot down the name of the activity . If it is a “keystone activity” (i.e. one that you will write about in more detail), also note down poignant moment(s) and/or details that you wish to highlight .

Under the second column, “ Significance ”, answer the question: What does this activity or achievement show about a skill or quality of mine (desirable qualities for medicine) OR about my interest in the course (motivation for medicine)?

A very quick example could look something like this:

Here is a list of some key qualities that medical schools are looking out for:

Note: You can also reverse engineer the process, and fill in the second column first (taking ideas from the list of qualities above). For example, write down “leadership”. Then fill in the corresponding row in the first column with experience(s) that demonstrate your leadership capability.

Next, you can think about the flow of your essay and how you want to order the components. There is no fixed way to do this. Just make sure that it is logical and coherent.

A good idea is to have one focus paragraph dedicated to your motivation for pursuing medicine, and to place this as either the first or the last paragraph. In between, you can then bring in your various experiences and qualities.

I have seen an example in which the student opened with his many years of service in the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade (SJAB). His experiences in SJAB formed a huge part of why he decided to do medicine. (It was also one of his “keystone activities”, and thus written about in greater detail.)

For me, I chose to close with my motivation to study medicine, as a culmination of all the preceding paragraphs. There is no “right” way, and both work equally well.

Step 3: Write the First Draft of Your Personal Statement

Create a new document and start writing your essay. The first draft will always be trash, but once you have that absolutely trashy first draft out, you’ve won more than half the battle.

This is a key step. No matter how terrible the words sound, resist the urge to reread and edit every line as you are writing. Just keep on writing the next sentence, the next paragraph. Leave all the refining till later.

Step 4: Get Feedback on Your Personal Statement

Ask someone to read through your essay and give comments. This could be your parents or other family members, your teachers (they may not agree to do this for individual students), your school’s ECG (if they have such a service), your seniors, etc.

Ask specifically for areas in which you can improve. Not everyone you ask may be a “figure of authority” on the subject of personal statements, so you can choose which comments to act upon and which to ignore.

You can also act as your own critic. You might know best which parts of your essay you’d like to improve on, or where the wording doesn’t seem quite right. A personal statement should be “personal” (based on your personal experiences and insights), and therefore if you’re confident of your own writing and your own ideas, you shouldn’t feel obliged to have someone look through it for you.

Step 5: Refine Your Personal Statement

Lastly, keep on refining. As you near the end of your editing and proofreading process, the tweaks should become more and more minor. Importantly, know when to stop and just let that be the final version.

Some quick, self-explanatory pointers:

• Proofread – check for errors in spelling and grammar
• Refine sentence structure – vary sentence length and avoid starting sentences with the same word
• Cut words – look for concise expressions to fit your ideas into the word limit, and delete entire sentences or ideas if you must
• Check for key aspects – ensure that you have devoted sufficient breadth and depth to each of the three key aspects required in your personal statement
• Check for focus – every example and every line should convey either a desired quality for the course or your motivation for the course (Medicine)

Free Personal Statement Planner (PDF)

This is a very simple two-page planner to guide you in the ideating and planning process for your own personal statement (Steps 1 and 2 described in this article).

It is deliberately designed to make the planning as quick and painless as possible. All blanks are for you to jot down brief notes in point form (and not to write any full-sentence answers). An example of one section is shown in Step 2 above.

You don’t even have to write in it if you’re lazy (like me), but it could give you a good framework for thinking through and structuring your personal statement.

Download  « SG Medicine Personal Statement Planner »

Check out other articles on medical school applications , or specifically for applying to Medicine in Singapore . If there’s anything you’d like to see, or if you have any questions at all, please leave a comment below, or drop me a message anytime. I read and respond to every message and email.

Getting Personal In Your Personal Statement

This short video by Bloomberg brings you around the table of an admissions committee at Amherst College, a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, U.S., as the admissions officers sort through applications, share snippets of essays, and discuss the merits of students before voting on who to admit and who to defer.

Not to say that all admissions review process is the same, but this sends a clear message on the importance of having an engaging and memorable personal statement, on top of meeting the university’s academic entry requirements. Notice how the admissions officers react to the students’ personal stories in the video? The more intense the story, the stronger the response. 

How to Write an Outstanding, “Personal” Personal Statement?

One admissions officer even admitted that he didn’t know why he raised his hand. That is where emotions are at play. Something in the applicant’s personal statement must have touched him somehow, a narrative that he could relate to and connected him with the student, and so his heart sends a message to the brain, “It’s a yes from me!”

That’s the power of “personal” in a personal statement, a story unique to you that only you tell best. It means that you write about yourself, your background, thoughts, and feelings. Start by sharing an anecdote, a moment, or an incident. Talk about your source of inspiration or motivation. Don’t hesitate to bring up a challenge or obstacle you have encountered. Highlighting adversities in your journey can help the reader better appreciate your achievements and accomplishments.

Getting personal also means talking about your feelings and thoughts, elaborating on how an experience impacts you, your opinions about a topic, and sharing your personal goals and plans. The way you articulate matters and envision the future will speak volumes about your personality. Show that you possess a desirable character and a distinctive attitude, with a mind of your own. Or even better, get the panel curious about you and want to learn more.

Whilst it is personal, your essay is not intended to be a sob story. You are not seeking a sympathy vote. Present your story in a direct manner. And be careful not to sound like you are whining, complaining, or ranting.

The entire process of having to promote yourself can indeed be intimidating, and you may not know where to start. But you know yourself best. And you owe it to yourself to stand out in such a competitive process. Plus, this is just the beginning of many personal statements to come, not to mention the many cover letters that you shall slave over when applying for internships and your first job after graduation.

So, get on it and make it work! Start writing as early as you can and get multiple drafts in before submitting your personal best piece. Practice makes perfect.

What Are Singapore Universities’ Requirements for Personal Statement?

The personal statement requirement for each university and programme is different. Some may ask for an essay response to a prompt, while others may be non-specific. Be sure to read and follow all the instructions carefully and keep within the word limit as specified, answering every question in the application. 

Here’s an overview of personal statement requirements at the Singapore universities:

• National University of Singapore (NUS) requires applicants to share their achievements through a personal statement of no more than 2,000 characters (about 300 words).
• At Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the requirement differs by programme. For example, the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) requires students to write about what they think is unique and interesting about themselves and briefly discuss a piece of art, design, or media work of their choice. 
• Students applying to Singapore Management University (SMU) are to provide a 300-word personal statement about their most outstanding achievements and contributions and respond to 2-3 short answer questions in no more than 50 words. 
• Students applying to the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) are to choose two out of four “personal insights” questions to answer and provide a list of past experiences and achievements relating to leadership, internship, research, entrepreneurship, and community service.
• The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) application portal provides a series of prompts to guide students in writing their 300-word personal statement that should describe an exceptional achievement or key highlights in their academic or employment experience. 
• Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) requires a portfolio showcasing the applicant’s non-academic achievements and a 500-word personal reflection essay on a given topic.

More Articles

• Scholarship Guide Webinar: Master the Art of Video Communications
• Master The Art of Video Communications
• How to Ace Your Scholarship Essay (Or Personal Statement)
• Singapore Scholarships Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Study in Japan: Guide for Singapore Students

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

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

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

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

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

So, how do you write a compelling personal statement?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some things a personal statement can be:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 1: Do Some Serious Self-Reflection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 2: Try to Avoid Cliché Topics

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

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

Winning a tournament or sports game

Volunteering in a foreign country

Moving to a new home

Becoming an older sibling

Being an immigrant or having immigrant parents

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

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

Good writing = better grades

ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of all your assignments.

Tip 3: Show, Don’t Tell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 5: Write in Your Own Voice

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

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

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

Tip 6: Edit, Edit, Edit!

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

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

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

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

Harvard Personal Statement Example

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

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

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

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

Tufts Personal Statement Example

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

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

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

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

Law School Personal Statement Essay Example

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

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

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

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

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

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

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

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

Should Personal Statements Be Different for Scholarships?

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

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

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

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

Consider the following questions:

Why is this organization offering scholarships?

What would their ideal scholarship candidate look like?

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

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

How to Start a Personal Statement

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

Here are some examples of hooks you can use:

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a quick recap: 

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

Start with a strong hook that pulls the reader in

Tell a story to engage the reader 

Write in your own voice, not in a formal tone

Good luck, and happy writing!

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

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NUS学长手把手教你怎么写PS个人陈述（Personal Statement附范文！)

本期分享者：Max学长，本科澳门大学中国语言文学系，雅思7，GPA：3.62/4.0；DIY申请研究生获得了新加坡国立大学、香港中文大学、墨尔本大学等offer。 更多DIY留学/申请/考试干货，欢迎关注和咨询我们 @申研offer收割鸡 ，学长学姐手把手教你如何轻松收割名校offer~

Hello，大家好，我是Max～

申请国（境）外的研究生，绝大部分的专业都会要求你写一份 Personal Statement ，即【个人陈述】。

这份看起来非常简单地，常被我们单纯地视作【自我介绍】的文书， 写起来却非常地要命 。

不少同学尝试自己写， 但是折腾了十天半个月还是没有办法下笔 ，看过了无数经验分享帖之后，还是无所适从。最终向中介支付 成百上千的代写费用 ，换取一篇不足千字的【个人陈述】。

而往往，同一篇PS没有办法多投， 因为每一篇PS都需要和所申请的学校与专业匹配 ，这样下来，一次完整的申请， 最少三篇PS是跑不掉的了 。

省下这些钱去买switch玩动森难道不好吗？ Personal Statement完全可以自己写得又快又好！

今天，Max以自己的实战经验为例，来跟大家讲讲这麻烦的【个人陈述】到底应该怎么写？

这只是我自己写PS的经验分享， 不代表我就是正确的模版 ，如果你看到其他大牛介绍的PS模版跟我的有不同的话，非常正常～

我自己在写PS前，也看了不少模版和别人的经验分享帖，再结合自己写的PS，做出了如下的总结～

我将会以我申请香港中文大学Chinese Studies时写的PS为例子进行阐述。

01 ️ 第一段 · 说出故事 ️

在第一段中， 不用赘述你叫什么名字，你是从哪里来的等等基础个人资料 。要明确这一份文书的目的， 是阐述自己与这个专业的关联。 这是从第一段就必须要开始做的事情。

⭕️ 与众不同的故事 ⭕️

换句话说，就是因为什么事情，让你对这个领域产生了浓厚的兴趣，让你坚定了要奔赴这个领域的决心。记住， 故事一定要与众不同但是必须真实且逻辑自洽 。

我觉得我的第一段挺特殊的，我的主理由是“我想要了解全中国”，且我的重点落在了“全”字上，还由此带出了我的一些经历，我在澳门、台湾学习中国文学，现在，为了完成我的梦想蓝图，香港是我的最后一块拼图。

02 ✈️ 第二段 · 你的经历 ✈️

在这个部分， 不是你经历越丰富就越好 ，将所有经历，哪怕是所有跟这个专业相关的经历全部简单地列出来，都会让你这一段很冗长且无聊， 不能给人留下深刻印象。

这一部分的逻辑是： 从你过往的哪些经历中，你的什么能力得到了成长，而这与你选择读这个专业的有着密切的联系。 因为篇幅的原因，最好是将其中的一到两个例子稍微展开来说。

03 第三段 · Why学校和专业

不要再写“我真的很喜欢你们学校”、“你们学校是我从小的梦校”之类的话 ，即使是真的，即便你真的是这样想的，也不要这样写，因为100个人里99个人都是这样想的。

学校希望看到的是你对这个他们学校的了解，对他们这个专业的了解。所以，不要怕麻烦， 去官网上看看这个学校的理念，这个专业的理念，培养人才的目标之类的，结合这些来写，才能显得有诚意，才能表现出你的渴望。

我在官网上翻到了CUHK中国研究中心主任说的话，“用过去的中国，照亮今天的中国”，我认准了这就是我这个专业的核心理念，并且展开自己对这句话的理解，我还耍了一个小心机， 我在这一段并没有直接说这就是我想来这个学校的原因，而是又加入了两个分量很重的实践，让自己与这个专业产生更强的联系。 达成一种，“没有人比我更符合你们的教学理念”的效果（笑）。

04 第四段 · 未来的展望

❌ 我会好好努力的 ❌

不要许下一些空洞的努力诺言， “如果我进入这个专业，我一定会好好努力，不负老师的期望blahblahblah” ，这就是无效的句子，帮助不到你任何。

这一部分最重要的两部分：

用你过去的成绩来证明你有能力在这专业有出色的学术表现

你已经看过他们的 课程设置 ，找出你最感兴趣的课程，表明你是真的做好准备进入这个专业来学习，你甚至已经提前找好了奋斗的目标。就能表明你并不是一个眼高手低，而是一个脚踏实地，非常有未来规划的一个人。

这还能 证明你不是一稿多投 ，而是为了申请这个专业精心准备的PS，也能显示出你满满的诚意。

首先我提到了我本科的成绩，证明我的学习能力，之后我罗列了我感兴趣的专业课程，最后用一句话来表明自己的决心。

中间两端其实不是那么严格要求必须先写哪个后写哪个， 中间两段的目的，就是为了表明你的过去有足够的竞争力，你有巨大的潜力，以及表达你想去这个专业的渴望。

个人陈述一般是用英文写的，而不同的学校对其的称呼不一定都叫personal statement，还有可能会叫作statement of purpose，作为文章的标题，还是 要按照学校的要求，写正确。

有的同学可能会同时申请很多所学校，那么PS中提及学校名字的时候， 一定要看清楚自己写的是哪所学校 。我之前有个同学就是申请港中文（CUHK），结果写成了港大（HKU），在面试的时候被面试官问到了这个事情。

最后希望大家都能写出自己满意的PS，顺利斩获梦校的offer！

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How to Write an Amazing Personal Statement (Includes Examples!)

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

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Zach Skillings is the Scholarships360 Newsletter Editor. He specializes in college admissions and strives to answer important questions about higher education. When he’s not contributing to Scholarships360, Zach writes about travel, music, film, and culture. His work has been published in Our State Magazine, Ladygunn Magazine, The Nocturnal Times, and The Lexington Dispatch. Zach graduated from Elon University with a degree in Cinema and Television Arts.

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The personal statement. It’s one of the most important parts of the entire college application process. This essay is the perfect opportunity to show admissions officers who you are and what makes you stand out from the crowd. But writing a good personal statement isn’t exactly easy. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate guide on how to nail your personal statement, complete with example essays . Each essay was reviewed and commented upon by admissions expert Bill Jack. Let’s dive in!

Related: How to write an essay about yourself  

What is a personal statement? 

A personal statement is a special type of essay that’s required when you’re applying to colleges and scholarship programs. In this essay, you’re expected to share something about who you are and what you bring to the table. Think of it as a chance to reveal a side of yourself not found in the rest of your application. Personal statements are typically around 400 – 600 words in length. 

What can I write about? 

Pretty much anything, as long as it’s about you . While this is liberating in the sense that your writing options are nearly unlimited, it’s also overwhelming for the same reason. The good news is that you’ll probably be responding to a specific prompt. Chances are you’re applying to a school that uses the Common App , which means you’ll have seven prompts to choose from . Reviewing these prompts can help generate some ideas, but so can asking yourself meaningful questions. 

Below you’ll find a list of questions to ask yourself during the brainstorming process. For each of the following questions, spend a few minutes jotting down whatever comes to mind. 

• What experiences have shaped who you are? 
• What’s special or unique about you or your life story? 
• Who or what has inspired you the most? 
• What accomplishments are you most proud of? 
• What are your goals for the future? How have you arrived at those goals? 
• If your life was a movie, what would be the most interesting scene? 
• What have been some of the biggest challenges in your life? How did you respond and what did you learn? 

The purpose of these questions is to prompt you to think about your life at a deeper level. Hopefully by reflecting on them, you’ll find an essay topic that is impactful and meaningful. In the next section, we’ll offer some advice on actually writing your essay. 

Also see:  How to write a 500 word essay

How do I write my personal statement? 

Once you’ve found a topic, it’s time to start writing! Every personal statement is different, so there’s not really one formula that works for every student. That being said, the following tips should get you started in the right direction:  

1. Freewrite, then rewrite 

The blank page tends to get more intimidating the longer you stare at it, so it’s best to go ahead and jump right in! Don’t worry about making the first draft absolutely perfect. Instead, just get your ideas on the page and don’t spend too much time thinking about the finer details. Think of this initial writing session as a “brain dump”. Take 15-30 minutes to quickly empty all your thoughts onto the page without worrying about things like grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. You can even use bullet points if that helps. Once you have your ideas on the page, then you can go back and shape them exactly how you want. 

2. Establish your theme 

Now that you’ve got some basic ideas down on the page, it’s time to lock in on a theme. Your theme is a specific angle that reflects the central message of your essay. It can be summarized in a sentence or even a word. For example, let’s say you’re writing about how you had to establish a whole new group of friends when you moved to a new city. The theme for this type of essay would probably be something like “adaptation”. Having a theme will help you stay focused throughout your essay. Since you only have a limited number of words, you can’t afford to go off on tangents that don’t relate to your theme. 

3. Tell a story

A lot of great essays rely on a specific scene or story. Find the personal anecdote relevant to your theme and transfer it to the page. The best way to do this is by using descriptive language. Consult the five senses as you’re setting the scene. What did you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell? How were you feeling emotionally? Using descriptive language can really help your essay come to life. According to UPchieve , a nonprofit that supports low income students, focusing on a particular moment as a “ revised version of a memoir ” is one way to keep readers engaged. 

Related: College essay primer: show, don’t tell  

4. Focus on your opening paragraph

Your opening paragraph should grab your reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your essay. In most cases, this is the best place to include your anecdote (if you have one). By leading with your personal story, you can hook your audience from the get-go. After telling your story, you can explain why it’s important to who you are. 

Related:  How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)

5. Use an authentic voice 

Your personal statement reflects who you are, so you should use a tone that represents you. That means you shouldn’t try to sound like someone else, and you shouldn’t use fancy words just to show off. This isn’t an academic paper, so you don’t have to adopt a super formal tone. Instead, write in a way that allows room for your personality to breathe. 

6. Edit, edit, edit…

Once you’re done writing, give yourself some time away from the essay. Try to allow a few days to pass before looking at the essay again with fresh eyes. This way, you’re more likely to pick up on spelling and grammatical errors. You may even get some new ideas and rethink the way you wrote some things. Once you’re satisfied, let someone else edit your essay. We recommend asking a teacher, parent, or sibling for their thoughts before submitting. 

Examples of personal statements 

Sometimes viewing someone else’s work is the best way to generate inspiration and get the creative juices flowing. The following essays are written in response to four different Common App prompts: 

Prompt 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.”

When I was eight years old, I wanted a GameCube very badly. For weeks I hounded my dad to buy me one and finally he agreed. But there was a catch. He’d only get me a GameCube if I promised to start reading. Every day I played video games, I would have to pick up a book and read for at least one hour. At that point in my life, reading was just something I had to suffer through for school assignments. To read for pleasure seemed ludicrous. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this proposed agreement. But I figured anything was worth it to get my hands on that shiny new video game console, so I bit the bullet and shook my dad’s hand. Little did I know that I had just made a life-changing deal. 

At first, the required hour of reading was a chore — something I had to do so I could play Mario Kart. But it quickly turned into something more than that. To my complete and utter surprise, I discovered that I actually enjoyed reading. One hour turned into two, two turned into three, and after a while I was spending more time reading than I was playing video games. I found myself captivated by the written word, and I read everything I could get my hands on. Lord of the Rings , Percy Jackson , Goosebumps — you name it. I was falling in love with literature, while my GameCube was accumulating dust in the TV stand. 

Soon enough, reading led to writing. I was beginning to come up with my own stories, so I put pen to paper and let my imagination run wild. It started out small. My first effort was a rudimentary picture book about a friendly raccoon who went to the moon. But things progressed. My stories became more intricate, my characters more complex. I wrote a series of science fiction novellas. I tried my hand at poetry. I was amazed at the worlds I could create with the tip of my pen. I had dreams of becoming an author. 

Then somewhere along the way my family got a subscription to Netflix, and that completely changed the way I thought about storytelling. My nose had been buried in books up until then, so I hadn’t really seen a lot of movies. That quickly changed. It seemed like every other day a pair of new DVDs would arrive in the mail (this was the early days of Netflix). Dark Knight, The Truman Show, Inception, Memento — all these great films were coming in and out of the house. And I couldn’t get enough of them. Movies brought stories to life in a way that books could not. I was head over heels for visual storytelling. 

Suddenly I wasn’t writing novels and short stories anymore. I was writing scripts for movies. Now I wanted to transfer my ideas to the big screen, rather than the pages of a book. But I was still doing the same thing I had always done. I was writing, just in a different format. To help with this process, I read the screenplays of my favorite films and paid attention to the way they were crafted. I kept watching more and more movies. And I hadn’t forgotten about my first love, either. I still cherished books and looked to them for inspiration. By the end of my junior year of high school, I had completed two scripts for short films. 

So why am I telling you all this? Because I want to turn my love of storytelling into a career. I’m not totally sure how to do that yet, but I know I have options. Whether it’s film production, creative writing, or even journalism, I want to find a major that suits my ambitions. Writing has taken me a long way, and I know it can take me even further. As I step into this next chapter of my life, I couldn’t be more excited to see how my craft develops. In the meantime, I should probably get rid of that dusty old GameCube. 

Feedback from admissions professional Bill Jack

Essays don’t always have to reveal details about the student’s intended career path, but one thing I like about this essay is that it gives the reader a sense of the why. Why do they want to pursue storytelling. It also shows the reader that they are open to how they pursue their interest. Being open to exploration is such a vital part of college, so it’s also showing the reader that they likely will be open to new things in college. And, it’s always fun to learn a little bit more about the student’s family, especially if the reader can learn about how the students interacts with their family. 

Prompt 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?”

I remember my first impression of Irvine: weird. It was foggy, stock-full of greenery and eucalyptus trees, and reminded me of my 5th grade trip to a “science camp” which was located in the San Bernardino mountains. Besides Irvine, that was one of the few places in Southern California where you’d find so many non-palm trees. 

Of course, perhaps my initial impression of Irvine was biased, motivated by a desire to stay in my hometown and a fear of the unknown. While that was true to an extent, Irvine was certainly still a little peculiar. The city itself was based on a “master plan” of sorts, with the location of each of its schools, parks, shops, and arguably its trees having been logically “picked” before the foundation was poured. Even the homes all looked roughly the same, with their beige, stucco walls almost serving as a hallmark of the city itself.

Thus, this perfectly structured, perfectly safe city seemed like a paradise of sorts to many outsiders, my parents included. I was a little more hesitant to welcome this. As I saw it, this was a phony city – believing that its uniformity stood for a lack of personality. My hometown, although not as flawlessly safe nor clean as Irvine, was where most of my dearest memories had occurred. From the many sleepovers at Cindie’s house, to trying to avoid my school’s own version of the “infamous” cheese touch, to the many laughs shared with friends and family, I shed a tear at the prospect of leaving my home.

Moving into the foreign city, remnants of the hostility I held towards Irvine remained. Still dwelling in my memories of the past, I was initially unable to see Irvine as a “home.” So, as I walked into my first-ever Irvine class, being greeted by many kind, yet unfamiliar faces around me, I was unable to recognize that some of those new faces would later become some of my dearest friends. Such negative feelings about the city were further reinforced by newer, harder classes, and more complicated homework. Sitting in the discomfort of this unfamiliar environment, it started to seem that “change” was something not only inevitable, but insurmountable.

As the years went on, however, this idea seemed to fade. I got used to my classes and bike racing through Irvine neighborhoods with my friends, watching the trees that once seemed just a “weird” green blob soon transform into one of my favorite parts of the city. While I kept my old, beloved memories stored, I made space for new ones. From carefully making our way over the narrow creek path next to our school, to the laughs we shared during chemistry class, my new memories made with friends seemed to transform a city I once disliked into one I would miss. 

Through this transformation, I have come to recognize that change, although sometimes intimidating at first, can open the door to great times and meaningful connections. Although Irvine may have once seemed like a strange, “phony” place that I couldn’t wait to be rid of, the memories and laughs I had grown to share there were very real. As I move onto this next part of my life, I hope I can use this knowledge that I have gained from my time in Irvine to make the most of what’s to come. Even if the change may be frightening at first, I have learned to embrace what’s on the other side, whether green or not.

One huge plus to writing an essay that focuses on a place is that you might have it read by someone who has been there. Yet, what’s really helpful about this essay is that even if someone hasn’t been there, a picture is painted about what the place is like.  Admission officers have the hard task of really understanding what the student sees, so the use of adjectives and imagery can really help.  It’s also really clever to see that the green that’s mentioned at the beginning is mentioned at the end.  It’s a nice way to bookend the essay and tie it all together.

Prompt 6: “Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?”

I like getting lost. Not literally, of course, but figuratively. Whether it be in the story of a love song by Taylor Swift, or in the memories brought back by listening to my favorite childhood video game’s background music, I’ve always appreciated music’s ability to transport me to another place, another time, another feeling. 

Alas, I cannot sing, nor have I practiced an instrument since my middle school piano class days. So, perhaps Kurt Vonnegut was right. As he puts it, “Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.” While I cannot speak for others, I have certainly not debunked his theory. Writing allows many, including myself, to attempt to mimic the transformative power of music – even if our singing voices aren’t exactly “pleasant.” Just as you can get lost in music, you can do so in a story. Whether it is in George Orwell’s totalitarian Oceania, or Little Women’s Orchard House, the stories outlined in novels can provide an amazing look into the lives and worlds of others, and an escape from the worries and problems of those in your own.

While I am certainly not claiming to have the storytelling abilities of the Orwells or Alcotts before me, I’ve had fun trying to recreate such transformative feelings for others. When I was nine, I attempted to write a story about a little girl who had gotten lost in the woods, only managing to get a couple pages through. As I got older, whenever I was assigned a creative writing assignment in school, I wrote about the same pig, Phil. He was always angry: in my 8th grade science class, Phil was mad at some humans who had harbored his friend captive, and in my 9th grade English class, at a couple who robbed him. 

Thus, when I heard about a writing club being opened at my school in 11th grade, I knew I had to join. I wanted to discern whether writing was just a hobby I picked up now and then, or a true passion. If it was a passion, I wanted to learn as much as possible about how I could improve. Although my high school’s writing club certainly wasn’t going to transform me into Shakespeare, I knew I could learn a lot from it – and I did. The club challenged me to do many things, from writing on the spot, to writing poetry, to even writing about myself, something that’s hopefully coming in handy right now. 

From then on, I started to expand into different types of writing, storing short ideas, skits, and more in appropriately-labeled Google Drive folders. At around the same time, I became interested in classic literature, which largely stemmed from a project in English class. We had been required to choose and read a classic on our own, then present it to the class in an interesting way. While my book was certainly interesting and unique in its own right, nearly everyone else’s novels seemed more captivating to me. So, I took it upon myself to read as many classics as I could the following summer.

One of the books I read during the summer, funnily enough, was Animal Farm, which starred angry pigs, reminiscent of Phil. I had also started going over different ideas in my head, thinking about how I could translate them into words using the new skills I learned. While the writing club helped reaffirm my interest in writing and allowed me to develop new skills, my newfound affinity for classics gave me inspiration to write. Now, I am actually considering writing as part of my future. In this endeavor, I hope that Phil, and the music I inevitably listen to as I write, will accompany me every step of the way.

Admission officers might read 70 (or more!) essays in one day. It’s not uncommon for them to start to blend together and sound similar. This essay might not make you laugh out loud. But, it might make the reader chuckle while reading it thanks to the subtle humor and levity. Being able to incorporate a little humor into your essay (if it is natural for you to do… do not force it), can really be a great way to shed additional light into who you are. Remember, the essay isn’t merely about proving that you can write, but it should also reveal a little bit about your personality.

Prompt 5: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.”

I learned a lot of things during the summer I worked at Tropical Smoothie. I discovered the value of hard work. I figured out how to save money. I even mastered the art of the Mango Magic smoothie (the secret is lots of sugar). But most importantly, I learned the power of perspective. And I have Deja to thank for that. 

Deja was my shift supervisor, and one of Tropical Smoothie’s best employees. She was punctual, friendly, and always willing to lend a helping hand. She knew the store from top to bottom, and could handle pretty much any situation thrown her way. She made everyone around her better. On top of all that, she was four months pregnant! I was always impressed by Deja’s work ethic, but I gained an entirely new level of respect for her one day.

It was a Friday night, and Deja and I were working the closing shift together. It was very busy, and Deja and I were the only ones on shift. We managed to get by, but we were exhausted by the end of the evening. After wiping down the counters and mopping the floors, we closed up shop and went our separate ways. I was eager to get home. 

I walked a couple blocks to where I had parked my car. Well, it wasn’t my car actually. It was my dad’s ‘98 Chevy pickup truck, and it was in rough shape. It had no heat or A/C, the leather seats were cracked beyond repair, and the driver’s side door was jammed shut. I sighed as I got in through the passenger side and scooted over to the driver’s seat. The whole reason I was working at Tropical Smoothie was to save up enough money to buy my own car. I was hoping to have something more respectable to drive during my senior year of high school. 

I cranked the old thing up and started on my way home. But soon enough, I spotted Deja walking on the side of the road. There was no sidewalk here, the light was low, and she was dangerously close to the passing cars. I pulled over and offered her a ride. She got in and explained that she was on her way home. Apparently she didn’t have a car and had been walking to work every day. I couldn’t believe it. Here I was complaining about my set of wheels, while Deja didn’t have any to begin with.

We got to talking, and she confessed that she had been having a tough time. You would never know from the way she was so cheerful at work, but Deja had a lot on her plate. She was taking care of her mother, her boyfriend had just lost his job, and she was worried about making ends meet. And of course, she was expecting a baby in five months. On top of all that, she had been walking nearly a mile to and from work every day. The whole thing was a real eye opener, and made me reconsider some things in my own life. 

For one, I didn’t mind driving my dad’s truck anymore. It was banged up, sure, but it was a lot better than nothing. My mindset had changed. I appreciated the truck now. I began to think about other things differently, too. I started making mental notes of all the things in my life I was thankful for — my family, my friends, my health. I became grateful for what I had, instead of obsessing over the things I didn’t. 

I also gained more awareness of the world outside my own little bubble. My encounter with Deja had shown me first-hand that everyone is dealing with their own problems, some worse than others. So I started paying more attention to my friends, family members, and coworkers. I started listening more and asking how I could help. I also gave Deja a ride home for the rest of the summer. 

These are all small things, of course, but I think they make a difference. I realized I’m at my best when I’m not fixated on my own life, but when I’m considerate of the lives around me. I want to keep this in mind as I continue to grow and develop as a person. I want to continue to search for ways to support the people around me. And most importantly, I want to keep things in perspective.

Too often we can be focused on our own problems that we fail to realize that everyone has their own things going on in their lives, too.  This essay showcases how it’s important to put things in perspective, a skill that certainly will prove invaluable in college… and not just in the classroom.  Another reason I like this essay is because it provides deeper insight into the student’s life.  Sure, you might have mentioned in your activities list that you have a job.  But as this essay does, you can show why you have the job in the first place, what your responsibilities are, and more.

A few last tips

We hope these essay examples gave you a bit of inspiration of what to include in your own. However, before you go, we’d like to send you off with a few (personal statement) writing tips to help you make your essays as lovely as the memories and anecdotes they’re based off of. Without further ado, here are some of our best tips for writing your personal statements:

1. Open strong

College admissions officers read many, many essays (think 50+) a day, which can sometimes cause them to start blending together and sounding alike. One way to avoid your essay from simply fading into the background is to start strong. This means opening your essay with something memorable, whether an interesting personal anecdote, a descriptive setting, or anything else that you think would catch a reader’s attention (so long as it’s not inappropriate). Not only might this help college admissions officers better remember your essay, but it will also make them curious about what the rest of your essay will entail.

2. Be authentic

Perhaps most important when it comes to writing personal statement essays is to maintain your authenticity. Ultimately, your essays should reflect your unique stories and quirks that make you who you are, and should help college admissions officers determine whether you’d truly be a good fit for their school or not. So, don’t stress trying to figure out what colleges are looking for. Be yourself, and let the colleges come to you!

3. Strong writing

This one may seem a little obvious, but strong writing will certainly appeal to colleges. Not only will it make your essay more compelling, but it may show colleges that you’re ready for college-level essay writing (that you’ll likely have to do a lot of). Just remember that good writing is not limited to grammar. Using captivating detail and descriptions are a huge part of making your essay seem more like a story than a lecture.

4. Proofread

Last but not least, remember to proofread! Make sure your essay contains no errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. When you’re done proofreading your essay yourself, we would also recommend that you ask a teacher, parent, or other grammatically savvy person to proofread your essay as well.

Final thoughts 

With those in hand, we hope you now have a better sense of how to write your personal statement. While your grades and test scores are important when it comes to college admissions, it’s really your essays that can “make” or “break” your application. 

Although this may make it seem like a daunting task, writing an amazing personal statement essay is all about effort. Thus, so long as you start early, follow the advice listed above, and dedicate your time and effort to it, it’s entirely possible to write an essay that perfectly encapsulates you. Good luck, and happy writing!

Also see:  Scholarships360’s free scholarships search tool

Key Takeaways

• It may take some people longer than others to know what they want to write about, but remember that everyone, including you, has something unique to write about!
• Personal statements should be personal, which means you should avoid being too general and really strive to show off what makes you “you”
• Time and effort are two of the most important things you can put into your personal statement to ensure that it is the best representation of yourself
• Don’t forget to ask people who know you to read your work before you submit; they should be able to tell you better than anyone if you are truly shining through!

Frequently asked questions about writing personal statements 

How do you write a powerful personal statement, what makes an amazing personal statement, how do you start an amazing personal statement, scholarships360 recommended.

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