Writing a Personal Statement

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Writing a Personal Statement

• Dr. Gail P. Taylor
• University of Texas at San Antonio

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Applying to Graduate School

• Research the schools characteristics
• Check out potential mentors/res. interests.
• Obtain application and catalogue
• Pay very close attention to deadlines!
• Request letters of recommendation early
• Create a very good essay
• Submit everything far before deadlines

3
Graduate School or Summer Program Essays

• Represent you!
• Are part of a Package with your LoRs.
• Questions may vary
• Think them out carefully-look at program goals
• Very commonly are asked for as a
• Personal statement
• Statement of purpose
• Personal essay
• Statement of background and goals
• Expression of your qualities as an applicant

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How Deep Do You Go?

• For Ph.D., balance academic and personal
  information but accentuate research experience!
• Convey that youve taken a thorough, analytical
  and self-reflective look at yourself and your
  goals
• Create an interesting, non-generic essay that
  sets you apart
• Should be relevant to your field of study
• Not an autobiography (avoid self-indulgence)
• Balance what youve done and what you want to do
• Sound realistic (avoid Nobel references)

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Rough Outline

• General Personal Statement
• Usually lasts 2 pages (then can tailor)
• Introductory paragraph
• 1 paragraph
• good story
• Set up rest of essay
• Personal attributes/schooling/motivations
• Usually 1 to 2 paragraphs
• Put your story and motivations.
• Research experiences
• 1 or 2 paragraphs
• NOT TECHNIQUES!
• Describe your research and your findings
• Why their school?
• 1 paragraph
• Mention several faculty
• beware, youll probably interview with themread
• Aspirations/Closing
• 1 to 2 paragraphs

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What A Graduate Program Looks For

• Will successfully complete the program
• Has background required for success
• Has motivation required for success
• Will assist in schools research efforts
• Will impact energy of school
• May make great breakthroughs for them
• Will be a good representative for their program,
  forever
• Increase the programs diversity
• Ultimately
• Will be a good financial investment
• Will be a good time investment

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Who Completes Grad School?

• Has idea about what they are getting into
• Motivated to get advanced degree
• History
• Drive (programs, summers)
• Goals
• Established strong foundational
  knowledge/background
• Can successfully complete coursework
• Can balance research and coursework
• Necessary experience
• Knows what they are getting into
• Has reasonable long term goals
• Can communicate professionally
• Has compatible research interests with faculty
• Can reason critically/analytically (understands
  and extends research).
• Has potential to eventually run own lab

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How to Meet this Writing Challenge

• Think!
• Decide what you want to put in it!
• Investigate the school and mentors
• Write and re-write

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Thinking - How Deep Do You Go?

• For Ph.D., balance academic and personal
  information but accentuate research experience!
• Convey that youve taken a thorough, analytical
  and self-reflective look at yourself and your
  goals
• Create an interesting, non-generic essay that
  sets you apart
• Should be relevant to your field of study
• Not an autobiography (avoid self-indulgence)
• Balance what youve done and what you want to do
• Sound realistic (avoid Nobel references)

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Thinking.

• Your story
• What do you want to do?
• Career objectives and final goals
• Research fields
• Particular topics
• Why do you want to do it? (anecdotes good!)
• Motivation for Ph.D.?
• Motivation for research in general?
• Motivation for your particular research goals?
• Motivation for their school in particular?

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Thinking more.

• Why are YOU particularly suited to do it?
• What are your strengths?
• What has made you resolved/strong?
• What have you done to reach goal?
• Undergrad experiences
• Research projects
• Sound like scientist, not a pair of hands
• What is the significance of your research?
• Scientific Conferences/presentations
• Obtained own funding
• Why do you want to go to their school?

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Investigate- Why THIS school?

• Dont gush or Butter Up
• They know the attributes of school
• What are their specific strengths or groups
• Identify several faculty whom you may want to
  work with

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How to Start?

• Free write
• Review your life
• Ask those who know you best
• Use thought questions above as a guide
• Focus on questions
• Write without bothering with corrections
• Allow time for feedback and re-writing!
• Outline
• Take your thoughts, refine, place into paragraphs!

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Rough Outline

• General Personal Statement
• Usually lasts 2 pages (then can tailor)
• Introductory paragraph
• 1 paragraph
• good story
• Set up rest of essay
• Personal attributes/schooling/motivations
• Usually 1 to 2 paragraphs
• Put your story and motivations.
• Research experiences
• 1 or 2 paragraphs
• NOT TECHNIQUES!
• Describe your research and your findings
• Why their school?
• 1 paragraph
• Mention several faculty
• beware, youll probably interview with themread
• Aspirations/Closing
• 1 to 2 paragraphs

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The Opening Paragraph

• Try to hook your audience with interesting set
  up
• Lays a framework for rest (where are you going to
  go)
• As a child, I watched my uncle Tio slowly lose a
  battle with diabetes. On the day of his funeral,
  I made a vow to myself, that I would grow up to
  help

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Personal Information

• Why do you want to be a scientist
• Is there a good story?
• What have you overcome/unusual circumstances?
• Explain inconsistencies (grades below B in
  pertinent courses and how youve overcome put
  near end)

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Please keep in mind

• Make goals sound reasonable and attainable
• Continuously ask, Is it relevant, interesting,
  different, memorable?
• Convey your excitement
• Document strengths with facts- specific
  information/examples
• If youve faced adversity, mention but dont
  dwell
• Avoid gimmicks (fake magazine article, etc)
• Dont be boring
• Follow rules on length
• Academic Problems? slight mention, or leave for
  LoR

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What Not to Mention

• Dont dwell on High School experiences
• Avoid controversial topics
• Religion or politics mention is sometimes okay,
  but dont dwell
• Things that are unusual or unconventional
• Mundane aspects of your research (buffers or
  descriptive methods)

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The Research Paragraph

• Up to 1 page
• Mention all experience, focus on deepest
• Show you understood
• What you did
• Goals
• Your role in larger project
• What you learned
• Your research project results
• Various techniques
• About research in general
• What it meant
• Significance to field/humanity
• Publications and acknowledgements
• What you learned about-

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At the End

• Tie everything together..conclusion of a 5
  paragraph essay!
• Make a solid ending reaffirming your desire to
  attend their school

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Refining

• Make it will organized, relevant, concise
• Takes very long to write- multiple drafts, read
  aloud
• Grammatically correct
• Good spelling, punctuation
• Answer all questions
• Follow all length requirements
• Tailor for individual school
• Reviewed by mentor and others before sent in!
• Reread before interviews Will be based upon

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Overall

• It may take you a good while to complete, but a
  good statement can be considered artwork. Make
  sure to take the time to refine, so that you
  represent yourself well!