Personal statement length!!

[psych for path]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi everyone-

Question about personal statement length😳bviously most schools specify anywhere between 1 and 3 pages in length. Some have different requirements.

However, 2 of my schools do not specify a length. Then, their online application (with program specific prompts) state the prompt, then say: "32,000 character maximum"

32,000 characters is a LOT OF PAGES- like 15 or something. 😕😕😕😕

What to do? Assume this means send in the good old 1,000ish worder? Elaborate and wax poetic? What is the norm in this situation?

Help!!!

 

[thewesternsky]

Don't include extra information or unnecessary elaboration-- No one wants to read that. 🙂 A statement of typical length (under 2 pages or so) will be fine. If you want official confirmation, call the department graduate secretary.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Don't include extra information or unnecessary elaboration-- No one wants to read that. 🙂 A statement of typical length (under 2 pages or so) will be fine. If you want official confirmation, call the department graduate secretary.

Agreed. When in doubt (or without explicit guidelines), go with the norm, which for personal statements and the like is ~2 pages.

 

[psych for path]

Thanks to both of you ...

This is mainly about Rutgers PsyD, btw, in case anyone has also been wondering!

 

[epaul11]

I have a related question: when a school doesn't specify, should the personal statement be double spaced?

 

[mewtoo]

I have a related question: when a school doesn't specify, should the personal statement be double spaced?

I assumed we should just follow APA style since these are psych programs.

 

[ResearchGirlie]

Don't add extra words just to have length. I guarantee a 15 page statement is not going to be fully read.

 

[epaul11]

Thanks Mewtoo and Research Girlie. I'm having trouble cutting my statements down from two pages single-spaced. Less than that just doesn't seem like enough space to answer all of their questions. I guess it's back to the drawing board...

 

[wigflip]

Thanks Mewtoo and Research Girlie. I'm having trouble cutting my statements down from two pages single-spaced. Less than that just doesn't seem like enough space to answer all of their questions. I guess it's back to the drawing board...

Departments should just eradicate all of this ambiguity by instituting a word count. Clearer than "X number of pages," and what we're asked for when submitting work for publication anyway.

 

[mewtoo]

Departments should just eradicate all of this ambiguity by instituting a word count. Clearer than "X number of pages," and what we're asked for when submitting work for publication anyway.

Many of the programs I've looked at have stated they want a PS that's either 600 words or 2 pages double spaced.

 

[psych for path]

That's funny, I haven't seen that anywhere. The majority of my programs say 500-1000, or 2 pages. I have assumed those 2 pages to be single spaced, given that is about 1000 words. Is that wrong???

 

[mewtoo]

That's funny, I haven't seen that anywhere. The majority of my programs say 500-1000, or 2 pages. I have assumed those 2 pages to be single spaced, given that is about 1000 words. Is that wrong???

Who knows? It probably depends on all the variable characteristics of programs. If they say 500-1000 words or 2 pages (not different programs say word count and some say 2 pages, I mean in one sentence from one program) and single-spaced produces 1000 words then I would assume that is correct. If your really worried about it, email the program.

 

[Psych2011]

That's funny, I haven't seen that anywhere. The majority of my programs say 500-1000, or 2 pages. I have assumed those 2 pages to be single spaced, given that is about 1000 words. Is that wrong???

This is how I interpreted it when I applied last year (most schools stated 1000 words and/or 2 pages) so I wrote 2 pages single spaced, and that worked out fine! 🙂