USA University Personal Statement

Writing a Personal Statement to a US University

When applying for higher studies in the USA, one of the essential components of the application is the personal statement. This important document provides an opportunity for you to showcase your motivations, aspirations, experiences, and suitability for the program or institution you are applying to. It is a chance to demonstrate your unique qualities and stand out among other applicants.

What do I include in my Personal Statement?

In a personal statement, an international student writes about what they hope to achieve on a university course, what they hope to do after the course and why they are applying to this particular university. It is your first chance to show a demonstrable passion and understanding of your chosen subject away from exam results.

In the USA, a statement of purpose is only required for undergraduate and postgraduate university applications. Otherwise, it is only needed for visa applications at all other study levels.

• Your career aspirations
• How you became interested in studying the subject
• What, if any, relevant work experience you have undertaken that is related to the course or subject
• What aspects of your previous education you have found the most interesting
• What attracted you to the particular university
• Other relevant academic interests and passions which display positive character and personality

Genuine experiences in extra-curricular clubs, work experience or knowledge around a subject are much more likely to make your personal statement stand out, while admissions officers are also looking for positive evidence of your character, which will make you a productive member of the university.

How long should my Personal Statement be?

The length of a personal statement varies depending on the university, but generally, the average length for an undergraduate application is between 300-600 words, around one side of A4 paper or a maximum of 47 lines. Specific postgraduate programmes may require a 1000-word personal statement, but this will be clearly specified.

Try not to go over the given character limit, as admissions officers have many personal statements to go through, and a clearly written and concise personal statement is more likely to stand out.

What are common Personal Statement errors?

The personal statement serves as one of your first impressions to the university, and in order to make a good impression on the admissions committee, you must make sure that the document is error-free in all aspects. Look out for the following points and make the necessary changes before sending your personal statement to the university:

• The personal statement is too short/long
• The personal statement does not include important information/includes negative information
• The personal statement has a confusing structure

It is also important not to lie about any aspect of your personal life and education history or even exaggerate. Admissions officers will question you about almost all aspects of your application and will be able to see through any lies.

Tips for Writing a Personal Statement

• Express a passion for your subject
• Start the statement strongly to grab an admission officer's attention
• Link outside interests and passions to your course
• Be honest, but don’t include negative information
• Don’t attempt to sound too clever
• Don’t leave it until the last minute; prepare ahead of the deadline
• Have friends and family proofread it
• Don’t duplicate material from your CV/resume

In terms of presentation, attempt to create five clear paragraphs of text in a clear font such as Arial or Times New Roman, with a maximum size of 12.

Personal Statement Editing

Once you have completed your personal statement, arrange a free consultation with SI-USA. We can suggest edits and ensure the English is clear and grammatically correct.