写个人陈述

• Personal statements are common requirements for application to graduate programs . 最好的建议是写一个 每个项目独特的个人陈述  you are applying. Generic personal statements are rarely going to make your application stand out from the crowd. 当招生委员会阅读100份或更多的申请时, it is important to make the effort to ensure your materials are carefully considered.Do this by ensuring that you are responding to the questions asked; modify your personal statement each time to tailor it to address the instructions.
• 仔细校对你的陈述. It is smart to ask a trusted faculty advisor to review your materials. 如果他们建议改变，采纳他们的建议.
• Focus on “fit”. Work to convince the faculty that your research and career goals overlap with the types of training provided in that program. Do your homework to ensure you known enough about the program to be able to offer specific examples in your personal statement about the training provided by that program.
• 避免透露任何有关心理健康问题的个人信息, family problems, 或者其他过于敏感的信息.
• Remember that you are competing against a large number of other highly qualified applicants who also have good grades and volunteer experiences, so consider how you can set your application apart in a professional way. 考虑指定研究兴趣, career goals, and other personal attributes that make you a strong fit for the graduate program.
• The most common personal statement is a one-page double-spaced statement, original composition that highlights your strengths as an applicant, 这个项目的动机, 领导及服务记录, etc. However, it can also be a 300–500 word personal statement describing your educational and career goals, or a 200 words or less, 请说明你的职业目标, why you wish to participate in this program and how you believe you will benefit from your experience in this program.

尽可能具体. 你的个人陈述应该包括你申请的原因, your area of interests, 你的学术和研究成就以及你的职业目标. 一份好的个人陈述可以帮助你获得面试机会, 一个平庸的人可能不会有太大影响, 一个可怕的人会伤害你. You want to be unique and interesting, but you definitely don’t want to stand out too much.他们不知道的是你是谁, and what draws you to your field so be straightforward in your writing. 尽量避免深刻的类比、引用和超级俗气的故事. Throughout your essay, sprinkle in skills and qualities that you feel will make you an excellent for this field without explicitly saying how they relate to the field. 个人陈述的篇幅也很重要. Keep in mind that any given program will have to go through hundreds of personal statements, 所以试着在没有多余的废话的情况下表达你的观点. 任何超过一页的内容都是过多的(除非另有说明)。.

最后，不要低估个人陈述的力量. 我们经常听到人们说没关系, which can be true, 但它也可以成就或破坏你的应用程序. Once you think it’s perfect, put it down for a few days and then revise it again. 有很多人(朋友，家人，学术导师等等).)阅读并给你反馈. 最后但并非最不重要的是，校对! The last thing you want to do is potentially cost yourself interviews by making a simple grammatical or spelling error. Your personal statement is an opportunity to let programs know more about yourself on a personal level.The goal is not to rewrite your resume try to explore parts of your life that are not anywhere else on your application.

1. What motivates your decision to attend graduate school at this time?
2. Indicate your career goals immediately following graduation, and 5-7 years following graduation.
3. Identify and discuss personal life experiences and factors – for example, 家庭中的优势和压力源, work and community experiences – that have been important in shaping your character, outlook, and life choices. How have these experiences and factors influenced your choice of this field as a profession?
4. 如果你的GPA有任何差异, 这是你向招生委员会申诉的地方.
5. Explain why you have chosen to apply to this program in particular. 是什么吸引你来参加我们的课程? 你希望从这个项目中获得什么?
6. 描述你的特殊兴趣和职业目标. If you have worked or trained in another field, why are you now considering a career change?
7. 你的生活经历如何, career experiences, economic, ethnic, racial, spiritual and/or other diverse experiences contributed to your desire and capacity to work in this field?
8. Describe the intellectual and personal qualifications that will enable you to practice in this field successfully.
9. 在你的工作经历中，你看到了哪些局限, attributes and skills that would need to be addressed to practice social work?
10. How will you balance outside responsibilities with academic responsibilities?
11. If you have any special circumstances that require an explanation or that may hinder you in working with a particular population (e.g.(成绩不及格，GPA低，个人情况)，请这样做.
12. Describe your research interests and discuss how this program will allow you to pursue research in this area (tip: connect your response to a specific faculty member; also address your flexibility in working with your 2nd choice faculty member).
13. 描述你的专业优势和成长空间.
14. Describe your professional goals and how this program will help you accomplish these goals. (Be sure your answer to this question addresses your intention for this degree). 如果你打算继续攻读博士学位, please include your research interests and how this program (and particular faculty members) will allow you to pursue research in this area.