Personal Statements - Tips on How to Write One | English Editing Blog

Many people, particularly from non-English-speaking countries, seek assistance in writing applications for graduate studies in English. They are often obsessed with the weaknesses in their English, and believe that these will be the biggest obstacle to their success; but in fact the quality of their English is relatively unimportant. Good organisation of their writing, thorough research on the school they are applying to, and keeping things simple are really the keys to an effective application.

Here are the most valuable tips I have learned from more than a decade of helping people prepare their applications for graduate school.

Don?t think your English has to be perfect

Very few native speakers can write really well. So, no-one expects very high standards from a second language English user. Unless you are applying to study something like literature or journalism, where the quality of your writing is of central importance, an admissions board is not going to pay too much attention to your English ? they are more interested in the content of your application, not how it is written.

Don?t write too much

With personal statements, less is more. Applicants very often disregard specified word limits. Some appear to treat them as a minimum target rather than a maximum. Make sure that what you write is clear, relevant, and memorable. If you can achieve this, you will already have distinguished yourself from most of the other candidates. Do not risk boring the tutors who are reading your statement by writing at excessive length.

Don?t expect to be able to recycle the same application for multiple schools

Most schools ask very similar questions in the ?personal statement? section of their application form, but the questions are never exactly identical. Although you will be able to reuse much of your material in many different applications, you must expect to make a lot of changes each time ? adjusting the length, changing emphases, reorganising the different elements, omitting some points and adding in new ones. Prepare each application separately, paying careful attention to the wording of the questions asked and making sure that your answers fit them.

Above all, DON?T try to follow a ?model?

You can find many ?how to? examples of graduate school applications on the Internet these days, but most of them are not very good. Even if you find a good one, do not try to copy it. It is not about YOU; and it is you that the admissions board wants to learn about. The examples you use in your answers, the way you organise them, and the way you express yourself ? even the occasional mistakes in your English ? are all illustrative of your intelligence and your personality. Nobody else can show that for you.

A few final points on language

It is usually possible to assess the level of someone?s written English ? and the intelligence expressed in it ? without even reading it, just by looking at it. Admissions tutors will often only be skimming through these statements rather than reading them in detail ? using them more to eliminate the obviously weak candidates than to highlight the strongest ones. If you can avoid making a bad first impression, you will probably be among the top 50% of applicants.

Here is how to make sure that your writing looks good.

Avoid?

Long sentences

The average English sentence is less than 20 words, and even in formal writing it is fairly uncommon for a sentence to be much longer than 30 words. If your sentences go on longer than 20 words, it becomes more likely that they will contain grammatical errors; and even if the grammar remains sound, it is likely that your logic will become muddled and your meaning unclear. Keep your sentences short and simple.

Long paragraphs

Good paragraphing makes your writing easier to read, and demonstrates a logical organisation of your ideas. Clarity and logic are more important than impressive English. Keep your paragraphs short, no more than 100-150 words each.

Long words

Trying to show off by using rare or difficult words will lead you into making a lot of mistakes that may leave your meaning unclear. You may be expected to show competence in using some of the technical vocabulary associated with your industry or field of study, but you do not need to use other high-level academic language. It is much better to use simple, everyday language that you can be confident you are using correctly.

Informal English

Colloquial words and expressions, especially swear words or slang, are inappropriate for this kind of writing. Contracted forms (e.g., isn?t, they?re instead of is not, they are) should also be avoided in formal English. Idioms and metaphors, or any language which is very colourful or emotive, should not be used either. Avoid any temptation to try to show off. Keep your English simple.

If you can make sure that your answers fit the different questions asked by each school, and can express yourself clearly in simple English, your application has a very good chance of success.

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This post is written by Paul Murphy, one of English Trackers senior copywriters and editors.

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Source: http://blog.englishtrackers.com/personal-statements-how-to-write-about-yourself-for-graduate-applications/

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