Howtowriteyourpersonalstatement

First things first:Whatisapersonalstatement?

itisanessayaboutyourself.
Apersonalstatementwillalwayscoveryourmotivationofstudyingtheprogrammeyouareapplyingfor.The
mainaimofapersonalstatementistoreflectyourenthusiasm.Showthatyouknowwhatyouhaveappliedfor
andthatyoupossessrelevantskillsandinterests:Alwayskeepyourchosencourseinmind.Bespecificandstick
towhatyouknow.

Step1:Takeapieceofpaperandsplititintotwocolumns
Qualities/Strengths
Thinkaboutyourqualities;Describeyourself.

Activities
Thinkaboutalltheactivitiesyouhavedonein
yourhighschoolyears.

Example:
Whatarethegoodthingspeopleusuallysayaboutyou?
Whatareyourgeneralinterestsandhobbies?
Howwouldyoudescribeyourpersonality?
Whatchallengeshaveyouovercome?
Doyouspeakmorethanonelanguage?Whydoyouthink
youcansuccessfullycompleteacoursethatistaughtin
English?
Whatareyourfavouriteschoolsubjectsandwhy?
Doyouliketravelling?Haveyoueverbeentoother
countries/metothercultures?
Howhaveyouhelpedsomeone?

Example:
Wereyouintheschoolsdebateclub?
Wereyoupartofadramagroup?
Haveyouplayedanysports?
Haveyouevervolunteeredforagoodcause?
Haveyouparticipatedinaprojectwithyour
class?
Haveyouparticipatedinanysummer
schools/camps?
Haveyouhelpedorganizeanyeventsor
activities?

Writeasmuchasyoucanaboutyourselfandyour
qualities.Everythingcounts.

Theseareallvaluableexperiencesso
writethemdown.

Alwaysthinkpositivelyaboutyourselfandabouttheactivitiesyouhavedone.

Step2:Organizingyourideas
a) Introduction:
Writeaboutwhatmadeyouexcitedaboutyourchosenfield/subjectofstudy.Didyoureadanarticle?Didyou
seeamovie?Didyouenjoyaparticularsubjectinschool?Doyouhaveamemberofyourfamilythatworksin
thefield?Writeaboutanythingthatmadeyouthink

,thisiswhatIwanttodo/study.

Whatisyourmotivationandwhydoyouwanttodothis?Checkoutthe1stattachmentontheleftsidewith
usefulphrasestohelpyouexpressyourmotivation.

b) Content:
UsethequalitiesandactivitiestableatStep1
Thisisthemostimportantpartofyouressay.Makesureyouincludeany

AcademicAchievements(Contests,Olympiads);
Extracurricularactivities(haveyoubeenpartofanyclubs:debate,drama,sports,etc.);
Workorvolunteeringactivities;

Otherachievementsyouareproudof,positionsofresponsibilitythatyouholdorhaveheldbothinand
outofschool,andattributesthatmakeyouinteresting,specialorunique.

andtheskillsyouhaveeithergainedordevelopedthroughoutalltheseexperiences.Keepinmindyouneedto
standoutandalwaystrytobringevidenceofwhyyouaretherightpersonforyourchosencourse.
Tostructureyourideasbearinmindthefollowingconnection:

SKILL

HOWDIDYOUGAINTHISSKILL

HOWWILLTHISSKILLHELPYOUINYOURCOURSE

Example:
TEAMWORK

SCHOOLSDEBATECLUB

WORKEFFECTIVELYINGROUPPROJECTS

Ihavedevelopedmyteamworkskillsbybeingpartoftheschoolsdebateclubwhereweresearcheddifferent
topicsandworkedtogetherinbuildingsolidarguments.ThisexperiencewouldbehelpfulduringmyBusiness
courseasIwillbeabletoworkeffectivelyingroupprojects.
Thisisjustanexamplemeanttogetyouthinkingaboutyourownuniqueexperiences,lifestyleand
activities.Forotherexamples,checkoutthe2ndattachmentontheleftside.

c) Conclusion
Telluniversitieswhyyouwanttostudyinthisparticularcountry?
Howdoyouthinktheprogrammeyouwanttostudyrelatestowhatyouwanttodointhefuture?
Doyouhaveanyfutureplansordreamsthatyouwanttoshare?

Step3:DosandDonts

Bespecificandonlywritewhatisrelevant.
Keepyourwordcountdowntoonepage.
Useargumentsandgiveexamplesofanactivityfor
everyskillyoumention.
UsesimplesentencesandplainEnglish.
Behonestandtalkaboutyourownexperience.Itis
YOURpersonalstatement.
Connectyourideas.Checkoutthe3rdattachment
ontheleftsidetoseeexamplesoflinkingwords.

Avoidgeneralitiesandstatingtheobvious.Ex:Iwanted
tobeanactorsinceIwaslittle.
Donotunderestimateyourself.
Donotcopyanybodyelsespersonalstatementoryou
riskbeingdisqualified.
Avoidmetaphorsandfancylanguage.
Donotstealideasfromtheinternetorfromotheressays.
Donotrepeatthingssuchasyourname,school,etc.(the
universityalreadyknowsthatfromyourapplication).

Step4:Readyourworkand
Proofreadcarefullyforgrammar,syntax,punctuationandwordusage.
SendyourpersonalstatementtoyourEDMUNDOcounsellor.

Step5:
Reviewthefeedbackreceivedfromyourcounsellor.Acceptconstructivecriticism.Finishupyourpersonal
statement.
Goodluck!

PERSONALSTATEMENTCHECKLIST:
Youcanusethischecklisttotrack your progressasyouwriteyouressay

STEP1:QualitiesandActivities
Askyourselfquestionsandmakenotes.

STEP2:Startwritingyouressay
Introduction
WHYhaveyouchosenthiscourse?

Content
Skills

Activity

Course

Conclusion
Howdoyourfutureplansrelatetothecourse?

STEP3:CheckforDosandDonts

STEP4:Readyourwork.Checkyourgrammar

SendyourpersonalstatementtoyourEDMUNDOcounsellor

STEP5:Reviewfeedback

Finishupyourpersonalstatement