A personal statement or letter of intent is what it says, a statement outlining your intent to enter a program, explaining why you want to do this and why you are equipped to pursue this course of study. Key content
You can assume that the institution really wants the answers to five questions:
• What are you applying for?
• Why are you interested in (and suited for) this particular field or program?
• Why do you want to take the program at this particular university?
• What makes you an ideal candidate? (in terms of [some or all] experience, work skills, academic record, etc., and also in terms of what personal assets and qualities you bring to the program)
• How would taking this program fit in with your long term career goals, and what are they?
Key principles for the writer:
The letter is the real test and demonstration of how strongly you want to enter this program. e.g. If you have a true passion for law, medicine, politics, this should become apparent in paragraph one; every further paragraph should expand on, echo and support this with new info.
The letter should show instead of just tell
e.g., if you want to seem diligent and conscientious you should be giving examples that prove this rather than continually stating it.
The reader’s time is valuable
The letter should only state the important things.
The letter should be well organized around thematic paragraphs, each beginning with a strong topic sentence.
This letter is challenging to write!
It usually takes many drafts to create something effective
Start early, get advice, and follow up with additional appointments if possible.
A word about format:
The personal statement is not a real letter so does not need to be set up as one. Some people title it “personal statement”, or “letter of intent”. The document should include the person’s name on each page, possibly in small type in the