Are you writing a personal statement for graduate school, a scholarship, a fellowship, or something else entirely? Look no further than this guide, designed to make finding the best resources for your statement easier. Note that there is repeated information between all three sources, and all three can be helpful for any type of personal statement.
GoGrad is an in-depth resource for graduate school personal statements. It offers an introduction to the personal statement, tabs that discuss each important element with examples, a full sample, and links to other related websites. To begin, focus on the tips on the clipboard graphic.
This UC Davis resource is perfect for those looking for a moderate amount of guidance. Be sure to read this if writing a scholarship essay. The introduction included is especially helpful because it compares a personal statement to an interview, and it offers a wide array of tips in paragraph form with headings for easy navigation.
This George Washington University resource focuses on fellowships and is great for those looking for guidance in a short and simple format. It provides “dos and don’ts” as well as a few elements to look for when revising, and gives links to other resources that could be helpful.
-Compiled and annotated by Studio Assistant, Carissa Winslow (2020)