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GUIDE TO
WRITING PERSONAL
STATEMENTS
FOR FURTHER
EDUCATION
CONTENTS
Introduction .............................................................................................. 3
Why do schools request them?............................................................... 3
How to prepare ......................................................................................... 4
Start early and research ........................................................................ 4
Know yourself ....................................................................................... 4
Brainstorm ........................................................................................... 4
Open-ended, essay-style personal statements .......................................... 5
Research the program, department, and academic institution ............... 5
Analysis ................................................................................................ 5
Components of your answer .................................................................. 6
Question-based personal statements ........................................................ 7
Research the program, department, and academic institution ............... 7
Analyze the question(s) ........................................................................ 7
Components of your answer .................................................................. 7
Write your first draft ................................................................................. 8
Edit ...................................................................................................... 8
Prepare your final copy ......................................................................... 8
Additional Resources................................................................................. 9
Career Exploration & Education ............................................................. 9
Recommended electronic resources at the University of Toronto ........... 9
Recommended websites ....................................................................... 9
Appendix A: Further education application checklist .............................. 10
Checklist for research or professional statements/letters...................... 10
General questions ............................................................................... 11
Additional considerations when applying to further education ............. 11
INTRODUCTION
Personal statements are part of the application
package to many professional and graduate school
programs. Sometimes they respond to a specific
question but often the questions are open-ended.
Although they vary in length, 500 words are common.
They are also known as letter of intent, personal
essays, statement of purpose or application essays.

Why do schools request them?

Personal statements are intended as an opportunity
for you to present yourself to the application
committee. While the personal statement is not the
most important part of a graduate school application,
it may be a deciding factor to a committee looking at
a borderline acceptance. It should reflect the relevant
skills and characteristics requested by the program
including how your past professional, academic and
personal goals align to the program’s mission, vision
and values. The personal statement should go beyond
what has already been revealed in your application.
The most important thing to remember about writing
personal statements is that they should portray your
uniqueness through highlighting and reflecting on your
most pertinent experiences.

3
HOW TO PREPARE
Start early and research Know yourself
Read the instructions carefully for each You will have to describe your strengths
program. You must tailor each application. and fit for each program you are applying. If
Selection committees will give you specific you need assistance identifying your skills,
instructions to follow and ask for specific consider attending the ‘Know Your Skills’
information, be sure to read it carefully. workshop, and check out the resources on
the Career Exploration & Education website
• Research the institution to understand the
by visiting studentlife.utoronto.ca/task/
culture and vision. know-yourself. Talk to your family and friends
• Research the department to know their as they can offer a unique perspective on
strengths and their faculty’s areas of your skills and abilities. If possible, discuss
expertise. your options with a professor or teacher
• For thesis-based programs, include assistant — they will be able to speak to your
information about possible professors you strengths with respect to the discipline in
would like as supervisors. which you wish to study.
• Explore their website and, if possible, visit
the campus in person. Brainstorm
• Talk to the admissions officers and other
Begin by spending some time reflecting on
professionals directly either at their office
your life and experiences. Don’t make any
or attend education fairs and information
judgments or edit your thoughts at this point.
sessions.
Possible questions for you to consider are:

• What experiences or education made me

want to pursue further studies?
• When did I become interested in this field?
• What appeals to me about the program —
what is unique about it?
• What can I bring to this area of study —
my unique perspective?
• What do I plan to do once I finish my
studies — my long-term goals?

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OPEN-ENDED, ESSAY-STYLE
PERSONAL STATEMENTS
Open-ended, essay-style personal statements are flexible. The style of instructions and
question(s) allows maximum flexibility in what you choose to write. For example, law
schools will often use this approach, encouraging applicants to share their narrative and
express their interest in the legal field. Often, these statements are lengthier compared to
question based personal statements.

Research the program, Analysis

department, and academic • Read the instructions and/or question(s)
institution carefully. Sometimes it may be a simple
statement such as “Why are you interested
• What is the program looking for in a
in this program?” Other examples include:
candidate? (e.g., skills, academic and non-
How does this program connect with your
academic experience, fit, career goals,
career goals? Tell us how your academic
etc.)
and non-academic experiences have
• What aspects of the program/department/ influenced your decision to pursue
academic institution appeal to you? graduate studies in this field? Tell us about
• Is your program research based or course your research interests.
based? • What do you think is behind this question/
What do you think the admissions
committee is looking for with this
question? (e.g., skills, qualities, strengths,
academic and non-academic experiences
and achievements, research experiences,
fit with program, etc.)

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Components of your answer
• Have you included why you are interested • If it is research based, have you included
in this area of study? information about research areas of
• Focus on experiences, courses, interest, research project ideas, any
personal experiences of why you how previous research experience, potential
you became interested in this area faculty members that you would like to
• Include aspects of the area of study that work with or have already connected with?
appeal to you (e.g., skills utilized, nature • If it is course based, and there are different
of work, impact on society, etc.) program streams, have you indicated
• Have you included information about which streams you are most interested in
your experiences that is relevant to and why?
your program of study and have you • Have you described how the program will
stated what you have gained from that fit with your future career goals?
experience? (e.g., relevant skills, suitability
for graduate school; reaffirmation of • Have you described what aspects of the
interest in pursuing graduate studies). program, department and/or institution
Examples of experiences can be drawn appeal to you?
from: • Consider how you would like to organize
the information that best fits your writing
• Academic experiences (courses,
style?
papers, group projects, research
experience, field work, work-study, • Chronological order (e.g. experience at
abroad, conference presentations, a young age, followed by high school
publications, lab experience, experience, then university)
independent research projects) • Organized by experiences or themes
• Non-academic experiences (paid that don’t follow any chronological
or unpaid professional experiences, order.
extracurricular activities • Do the ideas you are presenting flow well
(e.g. peer tutoring, note-taking), together?
volunteer work (e.g. hospital friendly
visitor))
• Personal experiences that have shaped
your decision to pursue graduate
studies

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QUESTION-BASED
PERSONAL STATEMENTS
Question-based personal statements often have focused, structured question(s) which you
are writing a response to. For example, a teacher’s college program may ask you to write four
short-responses to four questions that align to their core departmental values. You will want
to ensure that you are answering the question(s) succinctly, providing evidence of any claims
made in your statement.

Research the program, Components of your answer

department, and academic • Did you consider multiple examples before
institution choosing the one you picked?
• What is the program looking for in a • Have you chosen the right example(s) that
candidate? (e.g., skills, academic and non- will speak to the points you have identified
academic experience, fit, career goals, in your analysis?
etc.) • Why do you think the example you used
• What aspects of the program/department/ is the most effective example for the
academic institution appeal to you? question?
• If the question is asking about a negative
Analyze the question(s) event/situation (e.g., dealing with a
failure), have you ensured that you have
• Read the question(s) carefully. Examples spent time discussing the positive aspects
include: Tell us about a time where you of that experience?
wish you had approached a situation
• If your response can be connected to the
differently? Provide an example of how you
program, have you made the connection?
have used problem based learning in the
past. • Have you addressed the points the
program is looking for in your response?
• What do you think is behind this question/
What do you think the admissions • If the questions overlap in content,
committee is looking for with this have you repeated yourself within your
question? (e.g., skills, qualities, strengths) responses? If yes, how can you change the
content to prevent the repetition?
• Have you answered the question(s)?
• Are you within the character/word limit?

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WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFT
Make sure your first paragraph is engaging. Don’t just say what you think the committee
wants to hear, but write from the heart. Be confident and positive — it’s not always what you
say but how you say it. Focus on specific experiences and achievements to make a powerful
impression.

Always keep in mind the audience who will be reading this document. Professional schools
have a different focus than masters or Ph.D. programs. When you finish the draft, set it aside.
The checklist available in Appendix A is a great way to double check your application material.

Edit Prepare your final copy

After taking a break, come back to your draft Proofread for errors and make sure the
and consider these questions: institution’s name is spelled correctly. Make
sure it is presented in a professional manner,
Did I answer the question or questions as neat and is within the word or page limit.
specified in the application?
Does it reflect the real me?
Does it include any irrelevant personal
biases?
Does it have any clichés?
Have I chosen the right key experiences to
highlight?
Am I being repetitive?
Does the document reflect strong interest
in the program?
Have I used the pronoun “I” too much?
If asked about undergraduate research
projects:
List projects in order of interest;
Use working titles;
Name professor and supervisor;
Explain relevancy of the research to the
program and Identify relevant skills.
If you can, ask several people to review your
personal statement.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Career Exploration & Education Recommended websites
careers.utoronto.ca • Sample statements by discipline

Sign up at clnx.utoronto.ca to attend a • Sample statements and advice from

Career Chat on Exploring Further Education. admissions people
• More sample statements
Chat online with Career Exploration &
Education or call 416-978-8000 to book a • Advice
one-on-one Personal Statement review.

Recommended electronic
resources at the University of
Toronto
• The Writing Centre on Effective Admission
Letters
• Sample statements from the Faculty of
Law
• Wischnitzer’s Residency Manual—
Personal statement instruction and
samples for medical school applications

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APPENDIX A: FURTHER EDUCATION
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Checklist for research or professional statements/letters

Application specific questions

Is my proposed thesis topic/research area of interest immediately evident?
or
Is my overarching, concrete and professional* rationale for pursuing X professional
school immediately evident?
* This means a rationale that is not solely personal, familial or emotional, but rather
connected to a professional or academic experience.
Have I demonstrated my research potential?
Have I demonstrated my knowledge of my area through specific examples rather
than broad general statements?
Have I demonstrated my knowledge while avoiding jargon?
Have I indicated why my area of interest matters?
Have I indicated that I am academically prepared to pursue this area by including:
relevant coursework, research projects, conferences attended, internships, awards,
etc.?
Have I argued the relation of my experiences rather than just summarizing my CV?
Have I discussed why Program X is a good fit for me by indicating why the program
attracts me, which faculty I may be interested in working with, how my research
interests are related to the research strengths of the school?
Have I explained anything in my academic background that needs explanation?
(e.g. gaps in your academic record, a poor GPA in your first year, a GPA lower than
your prospective school’s cut off?)

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 Have I demonstrated my professional competency?
Have I demonstrated my fit for the field by using specific examples and staying away
from broad general statements?
Have I articulated the key professional experiences that demonstrate my
competency? Bear in mind that professional schools are often looking for signs of:
Professionalism (evidence of reliability, perseverance, responsibility, etc.)
Communication (evidence of collaboration, teamwork, presentation skills, etc.)
Advocacy (evidence of community service, volunteer work, social engagement, etc.)
Academic standing (evidence of achievements, advanced study, special initiatives,
work with well- known scholars, conferences, publications, etc.)
Have I discussed the relation of my experiences, showing how I am a professional,
a communicator, an advocate & a scholar through concrete examples, or have I just
summarized my CV?
Have I discussed why School X is a good fit for me, based on future goals and
current achievements, rather than for personal reasons that are likely inappropriate
to the application? (i.e. don’t say “because it’s close to my house”)

General questions
Have I ensured my statement is not merely a general autobiography that doesn’t
specify or emphasize the key academic, professional or volunteer experiences that
lead me to apply to the program at hand?
The same question, asked a different way: have I made sure to avoid evidence without
claims?
Have I avoided claims without evidence? Have I avoided using words like “challenging”
“hardworking” “helpful” “valuable” “satisfying” “appealing” “meaningful”…without
providing information that either expands on or proves my claim?
Have I ensured that I have neither too little nor too much autobiographical information?
Have I followed the instructions exactly?**
** Note here that while we caution you to avoid heavy autobiographical content, some
schools (like U of T Law) do ask for this kind of information, as a means to draw out
diverse experiences or show evidence of overcoming obstacles. Bottom line: follow
the prompts.
Have I chosen an effective order of information?
Have I made a deliberate, thoughtful decision about structure, rather than listing
information without thinking about sequence?
Have I selected the ideal order of information?
Have I avoided copying a generic online template that will not best demonstrate my
individual experience?

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To summarize: have I explicitly or implicitly stated:
Why I want to pursue my particular program of study at the particular school in
question, using specific, concrete evidence?
Why I am an ideal fit for the program, using specific, concrete evidence?
What I can contribute to the field, using specific, concrete evidence?

Additional considerations when applying to further education

Resume or CV
Does my resume/CV capture all of my relevant professional experiences?
Does my resume/CV include all of relevant awards, course projects, research
experiences, and presentations or publications?
References
Have I arranged letters of reference to meet the expectations of the program?
Are my referees able to speak to the strengths highlighted in my application
document?
Have my referees provided feedback on my application materials?

Expenses
Have I researched scholarship, fellowship, grant, and loan options to cover the cost of
the program?

This checklist was prepared by Career Exploration & Education

with materials from the Arts & Science Writing Centre.

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