A personal statement is a chance to showcase who you are beyond grades and activities. Think of it as your "professional autobiography," an opportunity to introduce yourself, share your unique story, address any concerns in your application, and demonstrate why you would be a great fit for the research team. Writing an engaging, professional, and accurate statement can be challenging, so give yourself plenty of time to craft and refine it. In the next few sections, we outline some suggestions for how to get started on a personal statement and outline some “Do’s” and “Don’t.”

Steps to Help Develop an Effective Personal Statement

Reflect

It may be helpful to begin by reflecting on your personal experiences so far, and how they may have led you to the position or opportunity you’re interested in. Sometimes the path to the opportunity you are interested in may not be clear without some reflection and connection. It may be helpful to think about the broad range of experiences you have had in your personal and academic life and begin to draw connections.

A few reflective questions to ask yourself as you begin your statement are outlined below:

What's distinctive, interesting, or unique about your academic interests and experiences?
When did you become interested in this field?
What events or moments in your life motivated you to pursue this research opportunity?
What abilities or talents do you possess that demonstrate your capability to make contributions to a research community?
How did you develop those qualities or skills?
Which of these experiences or abilities do you think are crucial for a research mentor or application review team to understand about you?
Is there a common thread across several of your experiences that ties well into the opportunity you are applying for?

Do Your Homework

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the programs or opportunities you're applying to. Oftentimes, this means doing some initial “research” on the opportunity. This likely will involve

a close reading of the opportunity’s description,
reading more about the opportunity online,
reading about a faculty member’s research or lab, and/or
reviewing the major goals and objectives of the opportunity.

As you review information about the opportunity, take notes on any specific research skills that are required, what values the organization features (e.g, teamwork, collaboration, service to the public), and what specific projects the opportunity presents.

Any information that you gather that is directly related to your experience and could be discussed in your personal statement may be worth including. While you do not want to force in the information that doesn’t match the flow of your statement, some overlap and similar language can be a sign that you did your

Draft, Get Feedback, Revise, and Repeat!

Creating a statement is a task that requires dedication and hard work. Begin the process early to allow time for revisions and multiple drafts. Writing multiple drafts is important to ensuring that your statement is cohesive and free of errors. Do not hesitate to have others review your statement. If possible, have as many people read it as they can offer insight you may have not considered and help identify areas for improvement. Lastly, make use of the resources around you. Try reaching out to your office of undergraduate research, national scholarship office, or career center for help.

Some “Do’s and Don'ts” For Writing Your Statement

Do

Tell a Story: Let your experiences illustrate who you are, rather than just stating facts. Instead of saying, “I’ve always had a passion for helping others”, describe an experience in which you exhibit that quality. For example, you could describe a time you were volunteering and learned lessons about engaging with your community and helping those in need.
Find an Angle: Share personal struggles, obstacles, or challenges you've faced to highlight your resilience and why you'd be a good fit for the research team. If you overcame a difficult transition from high school to college, explain how this experience strengthened your time management and organizational skills.
Be Specific: Use clear, detailed examples from your experiences instead of vague statements. Rather than saying, “I have research experience,” say, “During my time in Dr. Jones's lab, I coded qualitative interviews on people's experiences of racism which deepened my understanding of racial disparities.” This gives the reader a better sense of what you worked on and what skills you developed.
Focus on your opening: With many personal statements to read, start strong with a compelling anecdote or “hook” that draws the reader in and sets the tone. An example of a hook might be “The moment I first stepped into a classroom as a volunteer tutor, I realized how powerful education can be—not just as a tool for learning, but as a bridge that connects diverse perspectives and transforms communities.”
Be authentic: Express your true self rather than trying to say what you think the reader wants to hear. Reading a personal statement that is generic or reads as inauthentic is typically easy to detect and hurts your chances of getting the opportunity. Telling your story, rather than someone else’s story, is key.

Don’t:

Rely on Clichés or Quotes: Stay clear of generic quotes or overused statements unless you can make them unique. Instead of relying on phrases like “I’ve always wanted to be a Public Health Analyst,” express your motivations personally and meaningfully. Rather, you could explain where or when your interest in public health developed or describe an incident or moment that helped you focus your interest.
Include Everything Don’t try to include every detail about your life. Focus on telling a cohesive story rather than simply listing accomplishments or rewriting your CV. Choose key experiences that demonstrate your qualities and why you are a good fit for the team.
Exceed the Limits: Keep your statement within the required length to show consideration for the research mentor's time.
Ignore Feedback: Don’t be the only person to review your statement. Have at least two others review. Ideally, ask a faculty member or professional in your field to give you feedback and check for errors. Take the time to review that feedback and incorporate what feels important to you.

Attributions

“Personal Statements Toolkit Handout PDF” by Auburn University is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA

Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International license.