By editing personal statements, I’ve helped friends get into some of the best graduate schools in the country, including Georgetown and Berkely. The personal statement should be used to say everything about you that you want to convey that your grades, test scores, and other application components do not. It can also be used to explain things like having to move around a lot because of your Dad’s job, or what not. You don’t want to go overboard and have it sound whiny or like a litany of excuses, however. What you do want to emphasize is what is unique about your drive, talents and personality that would make you an asset to the school. I myself went to NYU grad for journalism. Contact me if you are interested in receiving more detailed help.

There is nothing wrong with getting your MA/MS and PhD from the same place (in which case, the masters is just a formality and you don’t necessarily even get the diploma). It’s just not advisable to go all the way from the BA/BS to PhD all at one place. The rumors are right–you have a better chance if you plan to stick it out for the PhD at the school you’re applying to. Your personal statement should include (not necessarily in this order: 1. Why you want a Ph.D. (career goals) 2. What you intend to study (research interests/intended specialization, as specifically as you can) 3. Why you want a Ph.D. at the dept. of ____ at ____ University–what makes them a good match for your interests and personality and vice versa 4. Whom you want to work with (intended supervisor[s]) and why To answer 3 and 4, it helps to do some digging to see what the department’s known for, what special opportunities or resources they have that others don’t, recent faculty publications and courses offered, etc. Sometimes other things merit mentioning as well, but since your achievements will be highlighted in other parts of the application, the purpose statement is where you can be specific about your goals and interests and show that you know what you’re getting into.

Be brief, clear and spell it all correctly. Explain your special circumstances in a very short paragraph in the middle of this so you don’t sound like you are whining or asking for special favours. If at all possible get one of your current professors to help you with this; we know what graduate programmes in our area are looking for and can help you avoid pitfalls.

Good luck