Personal Statement Prep

Introductory Information  

Personal statements are professional documents that help give admissions committees a clear picture of who you are as a candidate. This is your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process by explaining your motivations, experiences, and abilities as they relate to your field of interest.  

Many professions, particularly those that use a centralized application service, have a standard prompt they expect applicants to follow. Most professions will have a clear maximum character limit, but these vary by profession. It is important to research your schools for guidelines, as well as check with the application service. If you do need to use an application service, please note that this means your personal statement will be general and you should not address a particular school within it.  

While they do not have to be, most health professions personal statements use the narrative approach, consisting of 4-5 paragraphs showing yourself in action, displaying your relevant skill set, and reflecting on your values and goals. This is a personal statement, therefore the stories should be personal. You must be the main character in your statement.  

Resources 

Purdue: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html 

Writing Center: https://writing.ku.edu/personal-statements 

Next Steps 

Personal statements take a lot of time and revision. Once you have a rough draft, you should: 

  1. Review the document with the Writing Center and/or the University Career Center 

  2. Get as many eyes on it as you can – have friends, family, and professionals read it and give feedback. 

  3. Revise and repeat as you receive feedback– a good statement usually takes multiple revisions. 

  4. Revisit the Writing Center and/or University Career Center for final suggestions and comments. 

  5. Proofread and edit.  

Who to Contact 

Whether it's for help getting started or for making the final touches, the University Career Center can help. Our coaches can help you brainstorm, give guidance and resources for drafting, check for cohesiveness and clarity, and ensure you are describing your skills and abilities as best as possible.  

To make an appointment, log into https://hirejayhawks.ku.edu/ or call the UCC at 785-864-3624.