personal statements- ending

[standbyme]

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[KillerDiller]

I think that literally drawing up an annotated list of the reasons you fit with a particular school would come off as somewhat forced and cold. I just wrote a final paragraph for each school that explicitly stated the professor's research I was interested in and why it fit with my goals. If the school has a particular practicum site or a specialization track that appeals to you it would be good to mention that as well.

 

[razzled]

So I've come up with a pretty standard draft of my personal statement, and am taloring it to the many different programs where I am applying. I went looking for some guidance as to how to discuss fit with the school and mentors, and consulted the Insider's guide. However, what I found was a list (literally numbered 1, 2, 3...!). Would you recommend listing the reasons it's a good fit, or working them into your interests, future plans, etc?

Also, it's a good idea to add in something more specific you could work on with that professor, whether it be a study idea you have or a line of their research that you know they've been working on a lot lately.

 

[JockNerd]

I second KD--don't write a list. The personal statement is your chance to show off concision and clarity in your writing. Doing a list a cop-out.

My PS advice--remember that you're writing a story not about why you think you belong at the school, but why the people reading your paper do. You have to talk about all those thing you mentioned (fit, interests, plans, whatever), but with that as the theme. I'm sure you've already read through a bunch of personal statement already, so I'd suggest that you pick up The Elements of Style by Strunk (and White, depending on the edition) as a guide, instead of just reading more PSes.

Oh, right, it's available for free online too. http://www.bartleby.com/141/