How To Write The Personal Statement

A Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose is an application necessity for education at universities and institutes at the undergraduate, postgraduate and even higher levels. It is a written document or essay stating your goals and motives – for studies and career, and enables the concerned authorities to evaluate your application accordingly. 

The personal statement is less known in India, but those students wishing to study abroad need to understand its importance and how to prepare a well written one, stating your skills, experience and goals. It can be general, or in a definite format as asked by the respective educational institution.

It should highlight your positive abilities, and can also help to downplay the backdrops. It should ideally be an advertisement of you, but one that is authentic, genuine and defensible. If you are questioned on it and the facts stated in it, you will have to be able to prove that what you have jotted down is a true representation of you, and not some sloppy statement downloaded from the internet. Typically extending to one or two pages, it also informs about your writing skills, analytical skills, critical thinking, interests and activities, and aspirations. 

1. It should be short and crisp, and to the point. Avoid repeating statements or facts already stated once and try not to exceed two pages. 
2. The explanation of your experience and qualifications should be thorough and specific. State the subjects studies by you especially the relevant ones. Experience can be an internship or training program, work experience, extracurricular activities, etc. 
3. Also try to explain clearly why you want to attend the specific college or institute, how it will help you and its growth opportunities. This will prove that you have seriously thought about the course and curriculum offered by the institute. You can alos mention the source from where you came to know about it. 
4. If you have undertaken any activity of responsibility or one where your organizational and managerial skills were put to test, better if related to your field of interest, put it down here. 
5. Describe in specific detail your career goals. What is it you would want to achieve and what you regard to be the best way to achieve it. Also state the reason for choosing the career and any specialization that you seek. 
6. Then jot down your achievements in life and the skills you possess. Do not put in random events, but those that can be considered to be significant and essential. The closer they are to your industry, the better. But if you can relate the skill or achievement to it, then explain it and handsomely prove its significance. This will only impress the institute. You can list awards and accolades. 
7. And write about your unique characteristic or attribute, giving suitable evidence, mentioning how such will aid in your motive and growth. 
8. You can also include some difficult situations that you may have faced and overcome in life, and how you managed, coped with, and resolved it. Do nit forget to write what you learnt from such events, the so-called ‘lessons of life’. 
9. The Opening Paragraph should be impressive and extremely well written. It is the catch-line that should engage the reader and make him want to go through the rest of it. You have to present yourself as the most suitable candidate for the seat or vacancy in this one paragraph, and then build it up subsequently. And conclude with a powerful summary paragraph carefully summing up the entire content. 
10. And lastly, try to have a Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement that represents you as one above the rest of the lot. Make yourself unique and explain why you should be the chosen candidate. The above mentioned guidelines will help in establishing this.