The in's and out's of writing a personal statement

Rony Daniel

The in's and out's of writing a personal statement

A personal statement is your opportunity to stand out from the application pile and is an essential part of many Graduate and Professional Studies applications. Sarah Bailey and Rony Daniel share their insight on writing and preparing for a personal statement.

Sarah Bailey recommends research once again! Making sure you know the details of the program you are applying to and what the institution is looking for. There may be specific volunteer or work experience they are looking for, as well as the academic qualifications. Most institutions see your academics on your transcript, so your personal statement can showcase your understanding of the program and why you choose it, your motivation to study or for a profession specifically, if applicable.

Rony Daniel from the MMPAL program of York University recommends tuning your personal statement to the individual program you are applying for. There are a lot of examples to look at, but each kind of field and program is looking for something specific. Asking yourself, how can you differentiate yourself from the traditional applicant; it could be work or volunteer experiences, it could be social or personal experiences you’ve been dealing with that make you unique in that way. A personal statement should show that past your GPA and academics.