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Commandments for Writing Personal Statements

by Joe Schall

I.winning a Pulitzer Prize only sound naive, and selection committees grow weary of such lofty claims. Articulate and set realistic, reachable goals.

II.schools or themselves out of proportion to reality. Create context as needed, but never idolize inappropriately.

III.offered by a recommender, a mentor, a scholarships director, a parent, a Writing Center tutor, or a peer should be considered carefully and respectfully.

IV.. When you stretch deadlines, you don’t just

inconvenience yourself, but everyone involved in the selection process. You also risk being passed by no matter what you deliver if it’s late.

V.your readers will question your ethos. Write about the best in you, but not about the person you only wish to be. Embrace the most basic advice about personal statements: Be yourself.

VI.graduate school, in particular when they accept a scholarship or fellowship, are literally taking away someone else’s seat. In deciding on a graduate program and writing your personal statement, reflect carefully on the decision and your own readiness. Someone else deserving is waiting right beside you. VII.including extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients. Attend to the question prompt and word count carefully, answering completely with relevant detail.

VIII. online, it can be tempting to plagiarize something you like from someone else’s personal essay. This is both dishonest and highly risky, and it undermines the value you should place on your own words, your own voice, and your own personal story.

IX.statement, especially about your own accomplishments. Affirm what is true.

X. . Keeping in mind that nearly half of all enrolled graduate students do not finish their degree, carefully re-read Commandments I-IX.

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