personal statement

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A short piece of writing in which you describe yourself and your reasons for applying to a school, university, or job.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a' or 'the', and make the plural 'personal statements'.

   Patterns

   • write a personal statement
   • a personal statement for something
   • in your personal statement

   She spent three weeks writing her personal statement for the university application.

   The admissions office reads every personal statement carefully before making a decision.

   In his personal statement, he explained why he wanted to study medicine.

2. 2nouncountable

   A formal written description of your character, abilities, and goals, often used to support a job or grant application.

   Grammar: Countable; often used with 'for' to show the purpose.

   Patterns

   • a personal statement for a job
   • submit a personal statement
   • a personal statement about someone

   Applicants must submit a personal statement explaining their interest in the position.

   The scholarship committee asked for a personal statement of no more than 500 words.

   Her personal statement highlighted her volunteer work and leadership skills.

Word forms

Common combinations

write a personal statement

You need to write a personal statement before the deadline.

a personal statement for university

He asked his teacher to read his personal statement for university.

draft a personal statement

She drafted a personal statement and then revised it several times.

submit a personal statement

Please submit your personal statement by Friday.

in your personal statement

In your personal statement, mention why you chose this course.

Synonyms and how they differ

application essay

A broader term for any essay written as part of an application, not necessarily about yourself.

statement of purpose

Often used for graduate school applications and focuses more on your academic goals and research interests than on your personal background.

cover letter

A letter sent with a job application; it is more formal and directly addresses the employer, while a personal statement is more reflective.

Word family

statement noun

A clear expression of something in speech or writing; 'personal statement' is a type of statement.

Commonly confused: personal statement or thesis statement?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “personal statement”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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