The Personal Statement (also called Statement of
Purpose)
Your Personal Statement/Essay is like a written
handshake; it’s the first impression you give to
administrators. Your personal statement is your
opportunity to emphasize your best qualities and to show
off your writing and communication skills. Also, if your
transcript isn’t the greatest, you can use your personal
statement to explain why, or to go into detail about
your other talents away from school. While your GPA does
factor into the equation, other extracurricular
activities count as well, so be sure to list them. Even
if there is a minimum GPA requirement that you don’t
meet, you may still be able to participate in a program
if you write a strong Personal Statement/Essay and have
good letters of recommendation. You will probably write
and re-write more than one draft of your personal
statement before turning in your application. You may
even want a professor to look it over before you write
the final draft. This is especially true if you are
asked to tell your audience what you are hoping to learn
and get out of your study abroad program. Briefly
explain your personal and academic goals. Most study
abroad program administrators particularly want to know
why you desire to study abroad in that particular
country.
The goal of your personal statement
should guide your writing: Are you writing for purposes
of admission into a program? Are you competing for a
scholarship? Are you trying to set yourself apart as a
candidate for a nationally competitive fellowship? Maybe
a combination of the above? Keep in mind what questions
your reader is trying to answer about you and address
those questions.
Generally speaking, if you are writing a
personal statement for a study abroad application or
scholarship offered through UMKC's Center for
International Academic Programs, the readers are looking
at the following:
What is motivating this student
to go on a study abroad program? Why
does he/she want to go to this location
to take these classes at this moment in
his/her academic career?
How clear is the student in
his/her understanding of what the
program will entail and how it will
benefit him/her? How will sending this
student on this program benefit the
student, and ultimately the university
when he/she returns?
How well written is the personal
statement in terms of mechanics? Are
there any typographical errors, problems
with punctuation, run on sentences or
other errors that would indicate the
student needs help in this area?
Writing your personal statement
can be one of the most satisfying--or
frustrating--writing experiences you'll
ever have. The personal statement is an
important part of your application
package. Depending on the topic you
choose, the essay you write provides
additional evidence of your intellectual
and creative achievement. The essay is
also the only opportunity for the
readers of your application to get a
feel for you as a person as well as for
you as a student. The essay is also the
place where you can put your academic
record into the context of your
opportunities and obstacles.
There is no one correct way to write a
personal statement, but in general those
who will read your essay are looking for
two important things:
HOW the essay provides
evidence of your achievements that isn't
reflected in other parts of your
application
HOW and WHY the events that
you describe have shaped your attitude,
focus, and, most of all, your
intellectual vitality.
This information will help you think
about and craft a personal statement by
taking you step by step through a
process of brainstorming, drafting and
revising. At the end, we hope that you
will produce a personal statement that
you are proud of and that will provide
admissions officers with an accurate
portrait of who you are and why a
college education is important to you.
Make an appointment with the
UMKC Writing Center to go over your
Personal Statement!
Visit
Purdue tips on writing a personal
statement to see examples and get
great tips.
Be sure you:
answer the questions you are asked -
don't use the same statement for all
applications – always be certain your
answer fits the question being asked
tell a story – set yourself apart
be specific – use examples for
backing up your desires (why would you
be good)?
find an angle – find a way to make
it interesting
concentrate on your opening
paragraph – here you will grab the
reader’s
tell what you know regarding a
specific country or program of study
be choosy about what you choose to
include (don’t include
controversial/political subjects)
do research if needed – find out all
you can about the country, academics,
university specifics
write well and correctly – get
editing help from professor, friend or
family
avoid clichés – “I want to expand my
horizons” is highly overused
Asking for ... and receiving ... good letters of
recommendation