Breaking Down the Application Part 1: The Personal Statement

It's called a variety of names, depending on the funding institution, but the personal statement (or
statement of purpose, or statement of intent, etc.) is a ubiquitous and important part applications for funding.   Some of the smaller grants and scholarships may not require this component, but you can be fairly sure that you will be asked to supply a personal statement for any large graduate fellowship (or grad school application, for that matter).

Many of us dread writing personal statements, especially if we are used to writing in a technical or scientific format.   The switch from talking about running experiments to talking about your goals in life can be incredibly jarring.  What's more, writing about one's self can be a really uncomfortable experience. Unfortunately, the only advice I can give you here is: buck up.  Nearly everyone has the same issues with writing about themselves.  The sooner you can set aside your reservations or self-consciousness about it, the more effective your finished product will be.

The personal statement is your time to shine as a human being.  Your primary goal should be to distinguish yourself as motivated, interesting, and unique.  The more you can set yourself apart from the other applicants (in a positive way of course), the better your chances are of being awarded funding.  The reviewers who read your application will have been spending hours reading page after page of personal statements that start with:

"Ever since I was a child, I have been passionate about _______."

Avoid this, please.  At all costs.  If you truly do have a unique and important anecdote from your childhood that spurred your interest in your field and set you on a path towards your current goals, then by all means write about it.  But simply saying you love what you love because you have always loved it will likely be the death knell of your application.  Finding your true motivation may take a little introspection, which is another reason why writing a personal statement can be uncomfortable.  Do a little digging internally and see if you can remember any key events, stories, trips, or other memories that can help you weave an otherwise dull personal statement into a compelling narrative.

Before you begin writing, it is very important that you understand exactly what the funding agency is asking for.  Every application will ask for something different, usually based on the priorities of the funding agency.  Federal funding opportunities will almost always focus on the "Broader Impacts" of your proposed work, and your personal statement is the perfect place to expound upon all the impacts you have had and will have in your career.

Pick out specific words and phrases that are emphasized in the application.  If they say they are looking for students who have demonstrated leadership skills, make sure you explicitly state:

"The position involved managing a team of undergraduate research assistants, and allowed me to greatly develop my leadership skills."


Reviewers are given a specific list of criteria to look for when reading through the applications.  As upsetting as this may be to the students putting all their time, energy, and thought into each application, reviewers will literally scan through looking for keywords and check them off their list.  Your best bet in getting funded (and this applies to other components of the application) is to identify the keywords they will be looking for, and make sure each and every one of them is included in your personal statement.



So, you're probably thinking:

"That's ridiculous.  They want me to craft a beautifully written, elegant, and original personal statement that includes a pre-determined list of words and phrases inserted verbatim into the narrative?"

Well, yes.  That is the conundrum of the personal statement, and that is why so many people struggle with writing them.  I advocate that they be written in the following order:

1. Read the funding announcement and determine exactly what the funding agency wants to hear.
2. Outline your narrative.  Find the common thread that ties your experiences together.
3. Figure out how to weave each of the keywords into your story.  Tie them into anecdotes or work experiences.  Add these to your outline.
4. Actually write the thing.

Not everyone's brain works that way, but this method has helped me to organize my thoughts in the past.

That's all there is to it!  (Speaking facetiously of course)

Happy writing.  Show the funding agencies that you are a unique butterfly that fits perfectly into their mold.  Thousands of people have done it successfully in the past.  So can you.

Good luck!

Casey