Written By: Nour Dalloul, Reviewed By: Yousef Al-Saba’a

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personal statement | Part 1

Upon applying to universities, you will probably need to write a personal statement to fulfill the requirements of the application.

But before diving into a sea of thousands of personal statement examples, we are here to give you a better understanding of what personal statements are, their structure, and what you need to include.

Personal statement (PS): a brief personal summary about your qualities, career, and personality and is required for applications to universities, colleges, and jobs.

Why do you need it?

It’s a marketing tool.
To obtain an interview, not a job.
Because it’s just a requirement for some scholarships.

What is the difference between your CV and PS?

CV shows the reader what has been done, but the PS explains why.

Before you begin writing, You need to:

Have a good understanding of the qualities of a strong essay.
Know your Theme.
Know your audience.
Brainstorming.

What does that mean? Below we give you a clear idea about it:

Rule1: Qualities of a Strong Essay

It’s a chance to show your personality, demonstrate your ability to write, and affirm your desire to attend that program of study.
Show your written communication skills by writing a concise and meaningful statement that illustrates your best attributes and highlights your accomplishments, passions, and aspirations.
Show your passion to pursue a career in your field.

Rule 2: Use a “Theme” to Organize Your Ideas

There is a unifying idea of your PS, such as motivation to study medicine, helping others, taking on great challenges, and so on.
It’s a mistake to simply list your skills or characteristics as a CV, they may not believe you.
Theme example: Overcoming obstacles
- Example: As the first person in my family to attend college, I had to convince my brothers and sisters that higher education was a worthwhile pursuit. Although my brothers made fun of me for attending community college, I never wavered in my dedication to succeed.

Rule 3: Know your Audience

Read the personal statement guidelines and focus on what they want to know about you. what personal qualities do they value? and what type of student are they looking for?

For example:

We expect volunteers to be strongly committed to the values and principles of volunteerism.
We expect volunteers to be able to work in a multicultural environment.
We expect volunteers to be able to adjust to difficult living conditions.
We expect volunteers to have strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

Rule 4: Brainstorming for Your Theme

Academic history.
Your major and career goals.
Are you prepared? What makes you so?
How will this university help you achieve your goals?
Cultural understanding.
Educational challenges and hardships.
Experiential learning.

Keep following our soft skills:
https://mdguidance.com/soft-skills/

personal statement | Part 1, New