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PERSONAL STATEMENT Guide Updated: Sept. 2021 Original presentation by: Kavya Kr

PERSONAL STATEMENT Guide Updated: Sept. 2021 Original presentation by: Kavya Krishnan and Chloe Siegel What is a personal statement? • 1-2 pages long • An opportunity for you to expand on your CV • A chance to show your v o ic e • A picture of you as a person and researcher • A way to show that you have what it takes to make it on the long path through grad school • A demonstration of your fit to a specific program Other possible submissions: Research Statement Diversity Statement Teaching Statement Leadership Statement Overcoming challenges Writing Sample How do I start?! • Know: your audience – what does the department do? What are its strengths and resources? Did they ask you specific questions to address in your personal statement? • Think: what have been the influential experiences in your academic career? Shape your outline around these. • Craft: a clear main message with supporting information, knowing what to include and what not to include. Write anything, then cut down later. How do I kick it up a notch? • Tailor each personal statement to each school • Connect to other statements in the application – keep them cohesive • Have friends, family, professors, other students read and give feedback – the more, the better! • Give yourself time to go through many drafts – don’t leave this for last Remember: There is no “one way” to write a personal statement. Find a style that works for you! • Be space conscious • Don’t try to fit in every life experience • Avoid vague phrasing - get specific • Avoid clichés • Show, don’t tell! • OK to explain difficult situations that affect grades, but be brief and forward-looking. Tips How is it structured? Intro • Your motivation for graduate study • Overarching research areas in which you’re interested Previous Research/Teaching Experience • Post-high school • Research Experience ( your specific contributions to research projects ) Your fit to the program • Your fit in the school or department as a whole • Your fit for specific faculty, projects, research questions Conclusion / Looking Ahead REAL LIFE EXAMPLES! The evolution of a personal statement Intro Sentence Examples “My pursuit of plant science did not begin with plants at all. Instead, it lies with the humans who live amongst them: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medicine we use, and the fuel that powers our industries.” My goal in applying to Wageningen’s PhD fellowship is to continue my research on agricultural systems and to contribute in a meaningful way to the current research on community development and to expand my own knowledge and gain experience in the field. “In pursuing a graduate degree in Applied Plant Science, I hope to work on application-based projects that utilize molecular plant and microbial genetics to better understand the environmental systems that sustain a healthy world.” Show, don’t tell: Narrative Hook 1st Draft: I grew up a rural setting, west of Charlotte, North Carolina. What Stanley lacked in malls, movie theaters, or reliable Internet, it made up for with streams full of frogs and salamanders, pastures teaming with insects and small animals, and ponds of basking turtles. Final Draft: 9PM, I’m lying on my stomach in 6 inches of stinky, gooey, pond muck and peering into a dark drainage pipe, the hunched forms of Rana catesbeiana, American Bullfrogs, visible, but beyond my reach. “A foot to your left!” I call across to my field assistant, who is attempting to startle the frogs down the pipe with a long pole. She taps one of the frogs, and it hops into my range. Heart hammering, I lunge to sweep it into my net. “GOT IT!” I stand triumphant, grinning ear to ear; mission accomplished. This is not a story from my most recent field season. This is me at 9 years old (although not much has changed), the “field assistant” is my younger sister, the “mission” to catch a frog for show-and-tell. “I believe Cornell to be a particularly good choice because of its countless international collaborations and especially because of the Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI). The initiative’s focus on agricultural research in India is incredibly interesting and a key reason why I believe a PhD at Cornell will give me the best possible opportunity to engage in meaningful research in issues of sustainable agriculture and soil health around the world and specifically in India. I am interested in working with Dr. Harold van Es on his projects researching soil health in agricultural systems. His experience with numerous international projects is invaluable and he is involved with the TCI initiative as well. I have been in conversation with Dr. Van Es and he has indicated that I might be a good fit for the PhD program at Cornell.” Highlighting Specific Faculty “especially through the Tata- Cornell Institute.” “with meaningful questions surrounding soil health in South Asia and around the world.” Name a more specific research area- lots of professors study soil health. What’s unique about Dr. van Es? Name a specific international collaboration that interests you “Given Dr. van Es’s engagement with international programs, I believe he could provide invaluable mentorship for me as an aspiring soil scientist.” “I have fairly extensive teaching experience. I was a graduate teaching assistant for an introductory biology class for a year, where I mentored over 150 students in lab and discussion-based settings. I was responsible for setting up laboratory experiments and guiding students through proper procedure and methodology of a broad range of core biological concepts. For the second semester, I taught students in an experimental, case study-based, small class setting where we covered topics in evolution, plant physiology, genetics and general ecology. I have also held teaching assistantships at SUNY ESF where I led classes in General Chemistry, Principles of Evolution and Energy Systems.” Teaching Experience Examples Instead: “I have had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant for several science courses.” Did your TA experience influence your career focus? Do you hope to TA in graduate school? What types of courses? Which year? Were you an undergrad senior or a first year master’s student? Insert: “As a part of this course, I taught students…” Peer review can be daunting... • Comments on your writing are not comments on you as a person. • You ultimately decide which suggestions to take and which to leave. But remember: uploads/s3/ personal-statement-guide-updated-sept-2021-original-presentation-by-kavya-krishnan-and-chloe-siegel 1 .pdf