Preparing for Graduate School Personal Statement

Most people think the personal statement is a resume, an autobiography, a list of achievements, or a sales pitch. It is none of these. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the personal statement is one of the most demanding genres of writing you will encounter. This is partly because it is difficult to find a clear, definite, and attention-catching beginning.

One piece of advice: steer clear of the following beginnings, and you are on the right track:
  1. Sure, lots of kids like to start fires, but how many of them have a propane torch, gallons of accelerants and a basket of dry rags...
  2. This is Shanda writing, one of the 25 personalities possessed by Ellen Kurtz, who is the nominal applicant for admission...
  3. among the many things that are the result of imperialism racism and kapitalism are standard punktuation grammar and spelling which all serve to put the entire human race into a sausage machine...
  4. Coach says...
  5. Of arms and of the woman and of Cindy Bindlemeyer and her college application essay, sing, O Muse...
  6. Take me: Please, pretty please, pretty-pretty please, super-dooper pretty-pretty-pretty please...
Excerpted from http://world.std.com/~edit/ouch.htm
(Retrieved June 27, 2007)


Of course, once you have the perfect beginning, you have to continue to keep the readers’ attention and that’s where the Learning Center comes in. Our three stage process addresses every aspect of composing the personal statement and ensures that your personal statement shines when your application is being reviewed.

First, through our detailed Pre-Workshop Questionnaire (Word 38 KB), our goal is to get you attuned to the kind of content your personal statement needs.

Then, through our workshops, we will help you use these seemingly mundane details in a creative and strategic way. Remember, attending the workshop is mandatory before you can receive one-on-one help from the Learning Center. A schedule of the workshops (PDF 65 KB) is available online and also at the Learning Center.

Finally, through individual sessions (either face-to-face or via email), we will help you fine-tune your personal statement and personalize it further to bring out your unique strengths and personality.

Please Note: Be sure to complete and send this Supplemental Form (Word 40 KB) if you are emailing your personal statement to us. Both the questionnaire and supplemental form should be emailed in separate documents to: learningcenter@adelphi.edu.


Contact
For additional information, please contact:

The Learning Center
Earle Hall, Lower Level
(entrance across from the Science Building) — View map

p - 516.877.3200
e - learningcenter@adelphi.edu

Fall 2008 Hours
Monday – Thursday:
 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday:
 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.


This page last modified on February 13, 2008.

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