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• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Writing Your Personal Statements

Your personal statement must demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have considered graduate school and their specific program seriously. It’s your opportunity to summarize your academic and research experiences. You must also communicate how your experiences are relevant to preparing you for the graduate degree that you will be pursuing and explain why a given program is the right one for you.

The personal statement is where you highlight your strengths. Make your strengths absolutely clear to the reviewers, because they will often be reading many other statements. Your self-assessments and honest conversations with peers and advisors should have also revealed your strengths. But you must also address (not blame others for) weaknesses or unusual aspects of your application or academic background.

Your personal statement should focus on two main aspects: your competence and commitment.

1. Identify your strengths in terms of competence that indicate that you will succeed in the grad program and provide examples to support your claims. Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many statements, it’s important to start off with your strengths and not “bury your lede.” Consider traits of successful graduate students from your informational interviews, and identify which of these traits you have. These traits could involve research skills and experiences, expertise in working with techniques or instruments, familiarity with professional networks and resources in your field, etc.

• Check your responses from the exercises in the self-assessment section. You may wish to consult notes from your informational interviews and your Seven Stories . Write concise summaries and stories that demonstrate your strengths, e.g. how your strengths helped you to achieve certain goals or overcome obstacles.
• Summarize your research experience(s). What were the main project goals and the “big picture” questions? What was your role in this project? What did you accomplish? What did you learn, and how did you grow as a result of the experience(s)?

My research examines the interplay between U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy during the Cold War. As a native New Yorker, I saw firsthand how dramatically my city changed after 9/11, which prompted my early interest in U.S. policy at home and abroad. As an undergraduate at the City College of New York, I planned to study international relations with a focus on U.S. foreign affairs. I also quickly became involved in student activist groups that focused on raising awareness about a wide range of human rights issues, from the Syrian refugee crisis to asylum seekers from Central America.

The more I learned about the crises in the present, the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of the past to fully grasp them. I decided to pursue a PhD in history in order to gain a clearer understanding of human rights issues in the present and to empower young student-activists like myself.

— Vannessa Velez, PhD candidate in History

Addressing weaknesses or unusual aspects

• Identify weaknesses or unusual aspects in your application—e.g., a significant drop in your GPA during a term; weak GRE scores; changes in your academic trajectory, etc. Don’t ignore them, because ignoring them might be interpreted as blind spots for you. If you’re unsure if a particular issue is significant enough to address, seek advice from faculty mentors.
• Explain how you’ll improve and strengthen those areas or work around your weakness. Determine how you will address them in a positive light, e.g., by discussing how you overcame obstacles through persistence, what you learned from challenges, and how you grew from failures. Focusing on a growth mindset  or grit  and this blog on weaknesses might also help.
• Deal with any significant unusual aspects later in the statement to allow a positive impression to develop first.
• Explain, rather than provide excuses—i.e., address the issue directly and don’t blame others (even if you believe someone else is responsible). Draft it and get feedback from others to see if the explanation is working as you want it to.
• Provide supporting empirical evidence if possible. For example, “Adjusting to college was a major step for me, coming from a small high school and as a first-generation college student. My freshman GPA was not up to par with my typical achievements, as demonstrated by my improved  GPA of 3.8 during my second and third years in college."
• Be concise (don’t dwell on the issues), but also be complete (don’t lead to other potentially unanswered questions). For example, if a drop in grades during a term was due to a health issue, explain whether the health issue is recurring, managed now with medication, resolved, etc.

2. Explain your commitment to research and their graduate program, including your motivation for why you are applying to this graduate program at this university. Be as specific as possible. Identify several faculty members with whom you are interested in working, and explain why their research interests you.

• Descriptions of your commitment should explain why you’re passionate about this particular academic field and provide demonstrations of your commitment with stories (e.g., working long hours to solve a problem, overcoming challenges in research, resilience in pursuing problems). Don’t merely assert your commitment.
• Explain why you are applying to graduate school, as opposed to seeking a professional degree or a job. Discuss your interest and motivation for grad school, along with your future career aspirations.

I am definitely not your traditional graduate student. As a biracial (Native American and white), first-generation PhD student from a military family, I had very limited guidance on how best to pursue my education, especially when I decided that graduate school was a good idea. I ended up coming to this PhD in a very circuitous manner, stopping first to get a JD and, later, an MFA in Young Adult Literature. With each degree, I took time to work and apply what I’d learned, as a lawyer and as an educator. Each time, I realized that I was circling around questions that I couldn’t let go of—not just because I found them to be fascinating, but because I did (and still do!) feel that my research could help to bridge a gap that desperately needs bridging. Because my work is quite interdisciplinary, I strongly feel that I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this line of research without the degrees and life experience I gained before coming to this program.

— Jamie Fine, PhD candidate in Modern Thought and Literature

Statement of Purpose: subtle aspects

• Think in terms of engaging faculty in a conversation rather than pleading with them that you should be admitted. Ask reviewers to read drafts with this concern in mind.
• With later drafts, try developing an overall narrative theme. See if one emerges as you work.
• Write at least 10 drafts and expect your thinking and the essay to change quite a bit over time.
• Read drafts out loud to help you catch errors.
• Expect the "you' that emerges in your essay to be incomplete. . . that’s OK.
• You’re sharing a professional/scholarly slice of "you."
• Avoid humor (do you really know what senior academics find funny?) and flashy openings and closings. Think of pitching the essay to an educated person in the field, but not necessarily in your specialty. Avoid emotionally laden words (such as "love" or "passion"). Remember, your audience is a group of professors! Overly emotional appeals might make them uncomfortable. They are looking for scholarly colleagues.

© Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

How to Write a Stand-Out Personal Statement for Your Graduate School Application

While deciding to embark on the path to graduate school is an exciting first step toward advancing your career, the application process can sometimes feel daunting and confusing.

One major part of the application that most schools require is a personal statement. Writing a personal statement can be an arduous task: After all, most people don’t necessarily enjoy writing about themselves, let alone at length.

A compelling personal statement, however, can help bring your application to the top of the admissions pile. Below, we’ve outlined what you need to know about crafting a personal statement to make your application shine.

What Is a Personal Statement?

The point of a personal statement is for the admissions board to gain a deeper understanding of who you are apart from your education and work experience. It explains why you’re the right fit for the program and a worthwhile applicant. It’s also an opportunity to highlight important factors that may not be readily available in the rest of your application.

A personal statement is different from a statement of purpose (if you’re asked for that as well). A statement of purpose will touch on your academic and career goals, as well as your past credentials. While those should also be discussed in your personal statement, it’s more about your life experiences and how they’ve shaped you and your journey to graduate school.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Personal Statement

Before you start crafting your essay, there are a few prompts you can ask yourself to help clarify what you want to accomplish.

• What are the key points you want to communicate about yourself?
• What personal characteristics or skills do you have that make you a strong candidate for this field?
• What exactly are your career goals, and how does graduate school play into them?
• What have you learned about this field already? When did you first choose to follow this path, and what do you enjoy about it?
• What do you think is important for the admissions board to know specifically about you?
• Are there any discrepancies or causes for concern in your application you need to address? For example, is there a career and schooling gap, or a low GPA at one point? This is the time to discuss whether a personal hardship may have affected your academics or career.
• Have you dealt with any unusual obstacles or difficulties in your life? How have they affected and shaped you?
• What sets you apart and makes you unique from other graduate school applicants?
• What factors in your life have brought you to where you are today?

Top Tips for Writing a Graduate School Personal Statement

Pick a few points to emphasize about yourself . Introduce yourself to the admissions board. Select key factors about your background that you want the university to know — elements that reveal what kind of person you are and demonstrate why you’re a strong candidate for the school and field of study.

Be very specific . Again, a personal statement is all about communicating what distinguishes you from other applicants. To accomplish that, you need to share specific anecdotes that underscore your statements. If you say you’re a strong leader, present an example of a time you’ve proven that skill through work, school or your personal life. These specific, personal stories provide a deeper understanding of who you are and prove your intentions.

Do your research . Demonstrate what attracted you to the program. If there is a specific faculty member or class that caught your attention, or another aspect of the program that greatly interests you, convey it. This shows you’ve truly researched the school and have a passion for the program.

“Whatever the topic may be, I would recommend writing in a manner that reflects or parallels the institution’s and/or department’s missions, goals and values,” said Moises Cortés, a graduate/international credentials analyst for the Office of Graduate Admission at USC .

Address any gaps or discrepancies . Explain any factors that may have impacted your academic career. If you had an illness or any other personal hardships that affected your grades or work, discuss them. If there is a discrepancy between your grades and your test scores, you can also take the time to go over any extenuating circumstances.

Strike the right tone . While it’s important to give readers a glimpse of your personality, avoid oversharing or revealing intimate details of your life experiences. You should also avoid making jokes or using humorous cliches. Maintain a professional tone throughout your writing.

Start strong and finish strong . As with any piece of writing, you want to draw in your readers immediately. Make sure to start off with an interesting and captivating introduction. Similarly, your conclusion should be a well-written, engaging finish to the essay that highlights any important points.

“ For a personal statement, I think the first and last paragraphs are most important and should always relate the program they are applying to their own experiences and ideas,” Hoon H. Kang, a graduate/international credential analyst with the Office of Graduate Admission, told USC Online.

Proofread, proofread and proofread again . We can’t emphasize enough the importance of rereading your work. Your personal statement is also an analysis of your writing skills, so ensure you have proper grammar and spelling throughout. In addition, we recommend having multiple people look over your statement before submission. They can help with the proofreading (a second person always catches a mistake the writer may miss), give advice about the statement’s structure and content, and confirm it’s the proper recommended length.

Once you’ve considered all of the above and reviewed and edited your personal statement to perfection, it’s time to submit and check off any remaining application requirements, including your resume and letters of recommendation .

Personal statements are arguably one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, so make sure to revel in this accomplishment and acknowledge your successes.

For more information, visit the  Office of Graduate Admission at USC  and explore  USC Online ’s master’s degrees, doctoral programs and graduate certificates.

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Journalism Personal Essays

Cultural reporting and criticism.

The Cultural Reporting and Criticism (CRC) program in Journalism requires applicants to submit a personal essay that will be judged both as a piece of writing and as an indication of whether your aspirations, abilities, interests, and experience are suited to CRC.

The essay should be specific and detailed enough to give the admissions committee a concrete sense of who you are as a potential cultural reporter and critic. It should address the following questions: What do you expect to get from CRC? What do you think you can contribute to it? What aspects of your background and experience are most relevant to your interest in the program? What kind of writing have you done and what do you aspire to do? Which cultural issues and phenomena most engage you? What publications do you read regularly and why? Which cultural journalists do you admire, which do you dislike, and which have influenced you? Feel free to include any other ideas you consider relevant to your application.

CRC places most emphasis on letters of recommendation from professors or editors with whom you have worked directly and who can assess your intellectual abilities and the quality of your writing.

Please append to your essay a brief statement of your plans for financing your graduate work. This statement must be included, whether or not you are applying for financial aid. 

Global and Joint Programs

Africana studies | east asian studies | european and mediterranean studies | french studies | international relations | latin american and caribbean studies | near eastern studies | russian and slavic studies.

Journalism requires applicants to write a personal essay. The essay is an extremely important part of the application, so treat it accordingly. The essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length. In addition, all applicants must submit at least three samples of their work, whether published or not.

The goal of the essay is to give the Admissions Committee a concrete sense of who you are as someone who aspires to a career as a professional journalist, writing and reporting for print, online or broadcast media. It should address the following questions: What do you expect to get from the program? What aspects of your experience are most relevant to your interest in journalism? Tell us about your background--your academic degree, intellectual interests, work experience, life experience, and other sources of inspiration--and explain how this background informs what you want to do as a journalist.

Applicants should also describe their existing "body of work" as a journalist, critic or just someone who writes. We are mostly interested in published work, but if you have yet to break into print, then tell us what kind of writing you have done. What have been your major themes? What issues and phenomena most engage you? What publications do you read regularly and why? Which journalists do you admire, which do you dislike, and which have influenced you?

In addition, for the non-Journalism field of study  (Africana Studies, East Asian Studies, French Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Russian and Slavic Studies), please briefly describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, and your reasons for choosing your field of study.

In addition, for International Relations : the program in International Relations (IR) trains individuals who wish to make a difference on international affairs either through continued academic study or via the actual practice of international affairs in government, the non-governmental or private sectors. Please explain, in a brief and concise manner, how your past studies and work experience relate to a course of study at the graduate level in international relations at NYU. You should include how your educational objectives will help you to achieve your future career goals, and should briefly outline where you see yourself 10 years after graduating from NYU. Please also explain why you chose to apply to study in the IR Program at NYU and how NYU specifically will help you to advance your personal and professional objectives.

European and Mediterranean Studies  does not not require an additional statement. Only the Journalism personal essay is required.

Please append to your essay a brief statement of your plans for financing your graduate work. This statement must be included, whether or not you are applying for financial aid.

Journalism and Religion

Journalism requires applicants to write a personal essay. The essay is an extremely important part of the application, so treat it accordingly. The essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length. In addition, applicants must submit at least two samples of their work, whether published or not.

As part of your personal essay, please include a discussion that provides the Admissions Committee with a sense of who you are as someone who aspires to a career in journalism, writing and reporting about important matters in the news and analysis of religious issues.

Two different writing samples are required. One should be an example of your strongest academic writing, preferably a paper written for an undergraduate course that demonstrates your ability to construct a coherent argument. It should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages. The second should represent your aptitude for journalism. A clip from your college newspaper, a personal essay, and an academic research paper are all acceptable.

Literary Reportage

Literary Reportage requires applicants to answer the following questions. We will judge both the style and content of your writing.

• Describe the project you want to pursue. Tell us about the stories you want to write, in as much detail as possible. Big ideas, themes and questions are essential, but just as essential are specific stories—real names, real places—through which you explore them. We expect your work to evolve while at NYU, so you are not committing to your agenda now.
• Who/what have you read and been inspired by? What, to your mind, are the similarities and differences between creative writing and creative nonfiction? How can "literary technique" be applied to the practice of long-form journalism? What do reporters do? What do you envision “Literary Reportage” to be?
• Tell us about your academic degree(s), intellectual interests, work/life experiences, and explain how they inform your project. Describe your "body of work" as a journalist, blogger, or just someone who writes. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer? What do you expect to get from Literary Reportage?
• Describe how you plan to use the city and the university’s vast resources. We welcome projects of national or international scope, but only if they can be reported effectively from the city and its environs (with the usual extensions of email and telephone) during the school term.
• You may answer the above questions separately, or in a single essay.

News and Documentary

The News and Documentary Program in Journalism requires applicants to write a personal essay. The essay is an extremely important part of the application, so treat it accordingly. The essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length. In addition, all applicants must submit at least three samples of their work. This can be print or video clips or scripts.

The goal of the essay is to give the Admissions Committee a sense of who you are as someone who aspires to a career as a professional journalist/documentary filmmaker. It should address the following questions: What aspects of your experience are most relevant to your interest in journalism? Tell us about your background—your academic degree, intellectual interests, work experience, life experience, and other sources of inspiration—and explain how this background informs what you want to do as a journalist. What do you expect to get from the program?

Applicants should also describe their existing "body of work." This can be print, video, radio or documentary work you’ve already done. Video experience is not a prerequisite at all so if this is the case, your body of work might be volunteering somewhere, working with an NGO, teaching etc. We’d also like to know what publications you read and news or documentary programming you like, and why. Which journalists do you admire, and which have influenced you?

Please also address what motivates you to pursue the documentary long form in particular. In your third semester, you will be creating a capstone piece of journalism--a half-hour documentary. What might this project be about and how would you approach it? Although experience in documentary is not required, your ideas are.

Podcasting and Audio Reportage

Your personal essay is an opportunity for you to reveal more about who you are and for you to connect your goals for attending this program with your background and qualifications. The Admissions Committee will be looking for your voice in your writing style, as well as paying close attention to the evidence you provide in the case you are making for why you should be selected. While many students aim for 1,000-1500 words in length, writing for audio requires efficiency and clarity, therefore shorter essays may also be effective. In addition, applicants are asked to submit 3 work samples, which can be links to audio or multimedia work. Work samples do not need to be published work, but we suggest choosing work which demonstrates your journalism, narrative storytelling or audio production skills. 

In your essay, please address the following questions:

• Why are you applying to this program and what do you hope to gain from your graduate studies?
• Why audio? What is it about this medium and what in your background or experience has motivated you to pursue this field of study? What is your experience with audio production? What experience do you have in journalism?
• Audio Journalism is a medium that values voice. Whose voices have you been inspired by and whose voices do you imagine we would hear in your work?
• Tell us about your interests and background. What life experiences, intellectual pursuits, educational or creative pursuits or other sources of inspiration inform your desire to create audio journalism?    

Please append to your essay a statement of your plans for financing your graduate work. This statement must be included, regardless of any request for financial assistance.

All Other Programs

American journalism | magazine and digital storytelling | reporting new york | reporting the nation | business and economic reporting | science, health and environmental reporting .

The goal of the essay is to give the Admissions Committee a concrete sense of who you are as someone who aspires to a career as a professional journalist, writing and reporting for print, online or broadcast media. It should address the following questions: What do you expect to get from the program and the specific concentration to which you are applying? What aspects of your experience are most relevant to your interest in journalism? Tell us about your background--your academic degree, intellectual interests, work experience, life experience, and other sources of inspiration--and explain how this background informs what you want to do as a journalist.

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Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School

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Personal Statements

Preparing a well-written and effective personal statement (sometimes referred to as statements of purpose or personal essays) that clearly articulates your preparation, goals, and motivation for pursuing that specific graduate degree is critically important. You will need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort in crafting these statements. The focus, structure, and length of personal statements vary from program to program. Some will have prompts or questions you need to answer, while others will leave the topic open-ended. The length varies widely as well. Read instructions carefully and make sure to adhere to all parameters laid out in the application guidelines.

Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. The first and most important task is to decide on a message. Consider carefully which two or three points you wish to impress upon the reader, remembering that your audience is composed of academics who are experts in their fields. Your statement should show that you are able to think logically and express your thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Remember that the reader already has a record of your activities and your transcript; avoid simply restating your resume and transcript. Writing your statement will take time; start early and give yourself more than enough time for revisions. If no prompts are given, you can use the questions below to begin brainstorming content to include in your statement; for more information, see our Writing Personal Statement presentation Prezi  and our three-minute video on Writing Personal Statements .

• What experiences and academic preparation do you have that are relevant to the degree you’re seeking?
• Why are you choosing to pursue a graduate degree at this time?
• Why do you want to pursue this particular degree and how will this degree and the specific program fit into your career plans and your long-term goals?
• What specific topics are you aiming to explore and what does the current literature say about those topics?

After you’ve written a first draft, start the work of editing, refining, simplifying, and polishing. Provide specific examples that will help illustrate your points and convey your interests, intentions, and motivations. Is any section, sentence, or word superfluous, ambiguous, apologetic, or awkward? Are your verbs strong and active? Have you removed most of the qualifiers? Are you sure that each activity or interest you mention supports one of your main ideas? Spelling and grammatical errors are inexcusable. Don’t rely on spell-check to catch all errors; read your statement aloud and have it reviewed by multiple people whose opinion you trust. If possible, have your statement reviewed by a writing tutor. For individual assistance with writing your personal statement, consult with the writing tutor in your residential college  or the Writing Center within the Yale Center for Teaching and Learning .

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• How to Apply

Your future could be now.

But first you have to apply.

We know the application process can be confusing, so we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know. If you have any questions, email our admin team at [email protected] . We’re happy to help.

To begin, you must apply through NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science admissions website . The user experience and the length of the application can be intimidating. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read through the checklist below to become familiar with what you’ll need to submit and how and when to do it. Then take a look at our step-by-step visual guide.

What’s the application fee: $110. Sorry, we can’t do anything about that. See below for details on how to pay the fee.

What do I need to apply?

• A bachelor’s degree in any field.
• An official transcript from every academic institution you’ve attended. See below for details on transcripts, and if you have even more questions on transcripts, click here .
• Three letters of recommendation from people who know your work. Learn how to request and submit your letters of recommendation .
• A personal statement about why you want to earn a master’s degree in journalism. Learn more about what’s required in yours .
• Three writing samples. They don’t have to be published. We want to see how you write–academic papers, articles, blog posts, write something new for us–whatever you think best reflects your writing ability. The writing sample requirement may also be met by including links to multimedia work posted on Vimeo or YouTube, etc.
• The GRE is NOT required. Even if you see during the application process that it is required, please disregard. Many of our programs have dropped this requirement, finding that it isn’t the best indicator of future success in journalism. Lucky you!
• The TOEFL or IELTS is required for non-Native English speakers, unless you have completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English. See below for more details and learn more about how to send in your scores .

Note: All application materials (including test score reports) should be sent directly to New York University – Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), not to the Carter Journalism Institute.

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2024. The deadline is July 1st .

View GSAS REquirements

Note for International Applicants

You must receive your undergraduate degree (U.S. baccalaureate or equivalent) from an institution of recognized standing before enrollment in the Graduate School. Students from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh must show completion of both the baccalaureate and master’s examinations prior to registration in the Graduate School. The examinations for the Bachelor of Engineering and the Bachelor of Technology meet the application requirements for the Graduate School. GSAS does not accept three-year degrees from Australia. For students holding three-year degrees from Australia, an additional four-year degree is required to apply.

Details on transcripts

One (1) official academic transcript, mark sheet, or final grades sheet (and English translation, if required) from each institution you attended should be uploaded on one of the “Transcript Upload” pages as part of your online application.

If uploaded, do NOT send paper copies of your transcripts to Graduate Enrollment Services. If you are offered admission, then you will be requested to provide an official copy. The baccalaureate or equivalent transcript should clearly indicate conferral of your undergraduate degree. If you are currently completing your baccalaureate, you should upload a transcript showing your academic record through your most current year of study.

All application materials (including test score reports) should be sent directly to GSAS, NOT to the Carter Journalism Institute.

For more questions on transcripts, click here .

Details on the TOEFL and IELTS

GSAS recommends that applicants achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the internet-based test (equivalent to 250 on the computer-based test or 600 on the paper-based test). For the IELTS, a minimum overall band score of at least 7 is recommended. Learn more about how to send in your scores .

How to pay fees

You can pay with a credit card. Or:

U.S. applicants: Your check, money order, or monetary coupon should be made payable to “New York University–GSAS.” Do not send cash. Please put your full name, date of birth, student number or Social Security number, and department name on the check.

International applicants: NYU cannot accept checks drawn on foreign banks. The application fee must be paid in the form of an international money order or monetary coupon, made out to “New York University – GSAS.” Please put your full name, date of birth, student number or Social Security number, and department name on the check.

A Visual Guide To Applying

If you get stuck, email Bebe Nodjomi at [email protected] .

Click here to access the application.

Below is the first screen you’ll see. Click Create An Account.

Click Start New Application

Navigate to Personal Part 1 , and fill in your information. Do the same for Personal Part 2 .

On the Program and Term page, choose Journalism–American Journalism (Online-Only) M.A. from the dropdown menu. It doesn’t matter whether you choose full-time or part-time at this point if you aren’t sure. Later, if you are accepted into the program, we can discuss which option will be best for you.

On the Academic/Research page, it’s fine to leave the first box blank, but feel free to fill it with journalists you’d like to meet, learn from, or learn more about–it could give us a better idea of your interests.

On the Education History page, click Add Institution at the very bottom.

Then navigate through the drop down menus to fill out the location, institution, years attended, degree type, primary language of instruction etc. If you can’t find your institution, use this page to search for schools in the United States and this page to search for institutions outside the U.S.

Upload a PDF or scanned version of your transcript. After clicking Save, repeat the process for every academic institution you’ve attended.

On the Test Registration page, please note that we do NOT require you to take the GRE. Only non-Native English speakers who have not completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. You must arrange with the testing company to send your scores to New York University.

Submit your 1,000-1,500-word personal statement (called Academic Purpose ) on the Applicant Statements page. (Note that the Personal History section is optional.) Your essay gives us a sense of who you are, why you aspire to (or want to advance in) a career in journalism. It should address the following questions:

• What do you expect to get from the program?
• What aspects of your experience are most relevant to your interest in journalism?
• Tell us about your background–your academic degree, intellectual interests, work experience, life experience, and other sources of inspiration–and explain how this background informs what you want to do as a journalist.
• Experience is not required for admission into this program, but if you have published work, describe your existing “body of work” as a journalist, critic or just someone who writes.
• If you have yet to be published, tell us what kind of writing you want to do. What issues and ideas most engage you? What publications do you read regularly and why? Which journalists do you admire and who has influenced you?

The Journalism page asks you to acknowledge two things:

• You understand the course work in the program is conducted in English, and all written assignments must be in English. The online journalism program is unique in that it offers English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) support for students who may need help.
• You give us permission to recommend you to another journalism program at NYU if we think you would be a better fit for that area of study. We would only do this if we did not think you were the right fit for our program, but would be good for another. We just want to be sure that any incoming student is in the program that best fits their needs.

The video portion of this section is optional.

The Writing Samples page is required, but your samples don’t have to be published. We want to see how you write–academic papers, articles, blog posts, write something new for us–whatever you think is best. The writing sample requirement may also be met by including links to multimedia work posted on Vimeo or YouTube, etc.

Letters of Recommendation: We suggest reaching out to your recommenders ahead of time to be sure they are willing to write a letter on our behalf. Let them know about the program, why you are applying, and why they are positioned to speak to your qualifications. Then on this page, click Add Recommender, fill out their contact information, and click Send to Recommender. This will prompt an email to them telling them how they can submit their letter. Then click Add Recommender again–you must add contact information for three recommenders.

You’re almost there! The Additional Information page is optional. Type your full name on the Signature page. Read the What To Expect page carefully. It tells you what will happen after you submit your application. And finally, the Review page tells you about any errors with your application.

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How to Write a Graduate School Personal Statement (with example!)

Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Congratulations on finishing your bachelor’s degree, and starting the next chapter! You might be thinking about applying to graduate school, and fortunately, it’s very similar to applying to an undergraduate program. However, it’s probably been a few years since you’ve had to write an application essay, so you might be wondering how to write a personal statement for graduate school. If so, this guide is the perfect resource for you! Keep reading below to find out more, and don’t forget to check out the example of a graduate school personal statement.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is an essay that encapsulates your personal journey and how that’s shaped who you are as an applicant. They are typically 400-600 words, but can be longer or shorter. 

Be sure not to confuse a personal statement with a statement of purpose as they are two different types of admissions essays. Use this as an opportunity to show colleges what you value and what’s turned you into an ideal student for your desired school. 

What should I write about?

Personal statements are your chance to get, well, personal. While you should answer the prompt in its entirety, you should also write about yourself. Bring a personal element into your essay like family or a story of you overcoming an obstacle. 

Ideally, your story should relate to what you’re trying to accomplish at your graduate school of choice. Tie it all together: your personal experiences, your desired major, and your ideal outcome. 

Tips for writing a personal statement for graduate school

It’s important to start your graduate application as soon as you’re able. Usually, the first round of applications receive the best financial aid packages, so start early! 

Starting sooner can also give you the time to outline your essay and get it read over by your support system. You’ll want it all to be perfect, so don’t rush.

Be transparent

Instead of telling admissions what you think they want to hear, be open and honest about yourself. You want them to understand you, and the only way to do that is to show who you actually are. Offer up personal stories or things that genuinely interest you so that you can show off your sparkling personality!

Be original

Graduate programs are often very competitive since there’s a smaller admissions pool. As a result, your essay should be as original as possible to stand out from the crowd. Tell your story in an organic way, and approach the given prompt with an open mind. 

Related : How to write an essay about yourself

Check your work

It’s extremely important for you to proofread and check for correct spelling and grammar throughout your personal statement. Even simply reading your statement out loud can help you catch any errors and make sure your words flow together. You should also consider having mentors or people within your support system read over your essay to ensure your message is clear.

Common mistakes when writing a graduate school personal statement

Reusing your undergraduate essay .

Reusing your first supplemental essay as a template is a big mistake you want to avoid. Years have passed since then, and you’ve learned new skills and grown as a person and a student. 

The experiences you previously wrote might not resonate with who you are today or tell the graduate team what they want to know about you. It may also have grammatical errors that you might not have noticed before, so take a little extra time to start from scratch and create something new.

Repeating what’s in your resume

It’s likely that your graduate school of choice will require you to upload a copy of your resume as part of your application. Therefore, the admissions committee will already know your professional background, so tell them something else about yourself or provide further depth to a job experience. Repeating yourself only tells them one thing, and you want to be the most well-rounded applicant that you can be.

Graduate school personal statement example

Prompt: Please discuss how your experiences, both personal and professional, have led you to pursue a graduate business degree at this time. What are your short- and long- term goals and how will this program and the J. Mack Robinson College of Business help you achieve these goals? (750 words max)

While many of the applications you receive will detail the many ways that person has been the first to do something, I pose a different perspective: hope to be the last. In other words, you might see me as a first-generation college student, but I see the makings of becoming the last generation to worry about generational wealth in my family. 

Though it is true that I would be the first in my family to get my master’s degree, I’m hoping that my future success means I’ll be the last “first.” It’s not lost on me what this title means, but most of all, it signifies the dawn of an era. A dynasty bred from the struggles and achievements of those before it.

These are big shoes to fill, but I’ve never been afraid of a challenge and the things I’ve learned have helped me secure my future. For example, by observing different business models throughout the years, I found a secret about marketing: people love a product that loves them back. In my case, a product that’s always loved me back were books. I’d fallen in love with bookshelves and bookstores alike, so it only makes sense that a culmination of my love of marketing and books is the goal of one day working in book publishing. I want to know the inner workings of book promotion including design decisions and book tours. Eventually, I plan on working at one of the big publishers such as Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, or Macmillan.

Fortunately, I’ve been given opportunities to decide on my own path, which I hope to execute at Georgia State University. This school’s unique curriculum will be an asset to me since there are classes that specifically cater to buyer behavior, and that’s an area of study I’m particularly interested in. The Social Media Intelligence Lab and social media marketing class will hopefully give me an inside look into influencer marketing and its impact on product profitability. According to your mission statement, GSU educates future leaders, and I want to be a part of that.

As a mentor of mine once said, knowledge is meant to be shared, and if it isn’t, it’s control. I hope to build up the people around me with knowledge and experiences as I go out into the professional world just as I hope this program will do for me. If I’m accepted into this program, I plan on using my creativity and drive for not only my success, but for my family’s as well. There may be times I fall short of a goal, but failure isn’t an option. Each benchmark professors put in front of me will be conquered, and one day, I’ll be one of your notable alumni. 

Why this essay works:

• The writer clearly researched the school and understands its values
• The prompt is answered completely and seamlessly
• The applicant knew their goals and thought of ways to achieve them at the college 
• This statement communicates not only what the college gains from this applicant’s admission, but also what the applicant gains
• It’s also well within the word limit

Frequently asked questions about how to write a graduate school personal statement

Do i have to write a personal statement to get into graduate school, how long is graduate school, do i have to take an exam to get into graduate school, scholarships360 recommended.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

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What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

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• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

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However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Journalism (MS) Summer 2024

When is the application deadline.

The application deadline is January 8, 2024, for admission and departmental merit scholarship consideration to summer 2024.

What content should be in my résumé?

List positions held, including internships, nature of work and dates of employment. Include academic and professional awards, honors, association memberships, teaching experience, subject matter expertise, language(s) other than English, and your familiarity with any research or communications technologies, e.g. Web design, television production, video editing, podcasting, spreadsheets, etc.

What should I address in my personal statement?

In one document, address the following:

Autobiographical In 700 words or fewer, tell us about yourself. We would like to know about the journey you have been on that has brought you to journalism. We want you to tell us the story of you , not repeat your résumé. You can discuss your background, your education and the life experiences that have shaped who you are today. We want to understand where your interest in this profession began, how you have cultivated it and why you want to pursue it further. It is also helpful for us to understand where you are in your life and career, and how prepared you are to begin and succeed in our graduate degree program.

The Profession In 400 words or fewer, tell us what type of journalism speaks to you and why. In other words, what journalists do you admire? What type of publications do you read and why?

Your Future This is a demanding program that requires students to master skills as diverse as audio editing and computer coding while also immersing themselves in the craft of reporting and storytelling. In 500 words or fewer, explain what you would like to accomplish at USC Annenberg and your ambitions for your career. If possible, tell us the type of journalism you hope to pursue once you leave our halls (i.e. sports, broadcast producing, investigative journalism, etc.)

The statement must be your original words and work. Avoid using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools.

What type of writing sample is required?

Any journalistic work or reporting on any subject may be submitted, including text news stories, audio or video news scripts (and links), long-form text articles, blog items, news or VR/AR content created for mobile and social platforms.

If you do not have a body of journalistic work to draw from, you may provide video pieces or commentaries created for mobile and social platforms, personal essays/posts that comment on current events and issues, advocacy content that uses news or journalistic storytelling techniques, or any other material that best showcases your ability to write and communicate ideas. Your total collection of samples must not exceed 10 pages.

The writing sample must be your original work. Avoid using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools or another person to write on your behalf.

How many letters of recommendation are needed and from whom?

Two online letters of recommendation are required, and professional recommendations are expected (direct supervisor or manager, not peers, colleagues or family). If you are a recent college/university graduate, submit one academic reference and one professional reference.

What admission test scores are required?

The USC Annenberg School has suspended the GRE requirement for all graduate applicants for admission to the 2024 admission cycle. All international student applicants are expected to demonstrate adequate English-language proficiency. To learn more about how to satisfy this requirement, click  here . Also, review the USC Graduate Admission video tutorial titled, “ English Proficiency Requirements for International Students ” for more details.

What financial support is available?

Departmental merit scholarships and fellowships are competitively awarded. Applications completed by the January 10 deadline are considered for admission and departmental awards.

All US citizens and permanent residents are urged to submit a FAFSA after the admission application deadline.

International student applicants will find critical information at  https://gradadm.usc.edu/lightboxes/international-students-financial-documentation/ .

Application Guidelines

The online USC Graduate Admission Application opens October 1, 2023. Go to  https://usc.liaisoncas.com  to access the application.

Assemble the following documents and program materials which must be uploaded to your application:

• CV or Résumé
• Personal Statement
• Writing Sample
• Copy of Official Transcript(s)

All program materials must be in English and uploaded to the online application. Note: Once your application has been submitted, you may not add, edit or change any document or program material. Also, all submitted documents and program materials become the property of USC and will not be returned.

Official Transcripts

Copies of a registrar-issued official transcript (with registrar's signature, stamp or seal) from all colleges and universities attended (including USC) must be uploaded to your application in the Academic History section. If you do not possess copies of your registrar-issued official transcripts, request to have official transcripts with legend or grading scale emailed to you from your previous colleges/universities.

After submitting your online application, request to have e-transcripts sent from your degree conferring institutions to USC Graduate Admission at [email protected] . Note:

• International transcripts must include the original language and the English translation as one document.
• Transcripts from your institution’s student portal are unacceptable.

Recommendations

Create online profiles in the Program Materials section of the application by providing names and email addresses of your recommenders. Instructions and forms will be emailed to your recommenders. Only recommendations submitted through the online process are accepted.

Graduate Admission Testing

GRE scores are not required for admission to summer 2024.

Valid TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores (taken June 2022 or later) are required from international student applicants unless waived; see below for the exception. To be considered official, USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service. Photocopies or paper copies of scores are unacceptable.

• For TOEFL, request to have your scores sent to the USC institution code 4852.
• For IELTS or PTE, select "University of Southern California" from the list of available institutions when you register for the test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test.

Exception: If you completed your entire bachelor's degree in the United States or another Anglophone country (i.e. where English is both the language of instruction and the only official language of the country), TOEFL and IELTS are waived.

Note: Completing a master’s degree In the United States or another Anglophone country will not waive TOEFL or IELTS.

Video Interview

All applicants are required to complete a recorded video interview via Kira Assessments. The recorded video response is an opportunity for the faculty admissions committee to get a sense of your potential and how you think on your feet. No advance preparation is required.

A desktop or laptop computer with a functioning webcam, microphone and internet connection are required. You may complete unlimited practice sessions prior to starting the interview. Once started, applicants will have one opportunity to respond (no exceptions).

Application Fee

Pay the  $90  non-refundable application fee with a credit card or request an application fee waiver prior to submitting an application.

Review the fee waiver requirements at USC Graduate Admission website:  https://gradadm.usc.edu/lightboxes/us-students-fee-waivers/ . Applicants seeking a fee waiver must start the online application and then wait for the fee waiver approval before submitting the application.

• Student & Alumni Work
• What It’s Like To Be Here
• A Revolutionary Past & Vibrant Future
• Master’s of Journalism
• Concurrent Degrees
• For Undergrads
• For Mid-Career Journalists
• Costs & Funding
• News & Events
• Faculty & Lecturers
• Alumni Network
• Media Guide to Faculty Experts
• Reserve Radio & TV Studio

*When completing your application, make sure to read over the specific information below, and to include the requested information in your essays and application materials.*

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR APPLICATION

Academic Preparedness

Applicants must have obtained an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution by the time they enroll at UC Berkeley. No specific major is required for admission to Berkeley Journalism. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for all college-level coursework after the first two years, for US Citizens. For international students, a 3.0 GPA is required for all college-level coursework.

Journalism Experience

The most important thing is that applicants demonstrate both a passion for reporting and a basic reporting skill set. Most of our students have between two and five years of professional work experience in journalism. Most of our students coming in straight from undergraduate programs have a combination of reporting experiences, including internships, jobs and school papers. The entirety of your application should reflect your earnest desire, capacity and aptitude to succeed in a career in journalism.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent
• Demonstrated aptitude for news reporting and/or nonfiction narrative writing
• Completed online application submitted by the  application deadline

Overview and Timeline

September - November:

• Applications are available in early September. Check the  UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions  website for the exact date.
• Begin drafting your Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement.
• Request letters of recommendation.
• Select/publish your three best journalistic work samples.
• Obtain an official copy of your transcripts.
• Polish your resume.
• Take necessary  language proficiency exams  (international students only,  the suggested minimum TOEFL score is 105 and suggested minimum IELTS score is 7.5. However, all completed applications are reviewed even if you score below the minimum. )
• Application deadline : All components of the online application need to be submitted by the  application deadline.  Late applications will not be accepted. Urge recommenders to submit their letters of recommendation by this time.

December - February: Interviews and writing tests may be conducted.

February - March: All applicants are notified of their admission status and financial aid package.

March: Spring Welcome Visit for all newly admitted students. Spring Welcome Visit is an all-school event designed to give newly admitted candidates a foretaste of life as a Berkeley Journalism student.

All admitted applicants must accept or reject their admission offer by April 15.

Classes begin in late August.

Key Components of the Application

• Statement of Purpose (no more than 500 words)
• Personal History Statement (no more than 500 words)
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Journalistic Work Samples (3)
• Transcript(s)
• Required Tests
• Interviews and Writing Test

Application Instructions

Begin your  online application  by creating a user account and password. Review the entire application so you know what is needed for each component. You can add and edit sections at any time before the deadline, so you’ll want to save the link to your application for easy access to the Berkeley Graduate Division  website .

Parts of the Application:

Statement of Purpose  (no more than 500 words): Please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in journalism, including your journalistic preparation, what specific skills you hope to learn through the Berkeley Journalism curriculum, and your future career goals. Please be specific about why UC Berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you. You may also want to include the reasons you would like to attend the Graduate School of Journalism at this point in your career.

The Statement of Purpose is required for all applicants. Please note that the Statement of Purpose should not duplicate the Personal History Statement.

Personal History Statement  (no more than 500 words): Make sure to address the following two topics in your Personal History Statement:

• At the Graduate School of Journalism, we recognize the intrinsic relationship between diversity and excellence in all our endeavors. Diversity refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, academic and professional backgrounds, political beliefs, and geographic region, to name a few. Given this description of diversity, describe how you would add to the diversity of the Graduate School of Journalism community.
• Describe how your personal background and experiences shaped your decision to pursue a journalism graduate degree, and how they have motivated you to become a reporter. Include any relevant information on how you overcame barriers to access higher education, or to achieve your journalistic goals.

The Personal History Statement is required for all applicants. Please note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.

Letters of Recommendation  (3): We prefer recommendations from professional journalists who know your work and can comment on your work ethic, reporting proficiency, and commitment to journalism. Requests for letters of recommendation are sent automatically through the online application. Recommenders will respond to this request and submit their letters directly to your online file. You will be able to view the status of the receipt of your recommendations through your online account, but you will not be able to see the content of the letters.

Journalistic Work Samples  (3): Your three work samples as a whole should highlight your ability as a reporter and storyteller. Please keep in mind that the Admissions Committee is looking for evidence that you have basic reporting skills, which include story identification, thorough background research, fact checking, cultivating appropriate sources and quoting them directly, and storytelling abilities. Work samples can be written pieces, multimedia pieces, online projects like data-driven stories, in-depth interactive graphics or interactive documentaries; or other abstract new media forms, such as VR, apps, or similar projects.

Work samples can be unpublished. Work samples can be uploaded as PDF, image or audio files, or submitted as a URL. If submitting a URL, be sure to include any additional information needed to access the materials online (e.g. if password-protected). It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure a working link and full accessibility to materials during the review period of the application. Be sure it’s clear that you are either the sole author/producer of each work sample, or specify exactly what your role was in creating the piece using the provided text box on the application.

Transcript : Applicants should have a BA or BS from an accredited institution. Applicants must submit transcripts for ALL college-level course work.  Applicants must submit transcripts for ALL college-level course work. Please submit separate transcripts for community college courses and study abroad courses.  Transcripts can be unofficial but must show degree conferred (if any), the institution’s name, and the applicant’s full name. Transcripts must be loaded into the online application as PDFs and must be legible. Hard copies will be required if admission is offered.

The University requires a minimum 3.0 GPA or its equivalent for all coursework after the first two years, (typically the first 60 semester units or 90 quarter units) of undergraduate study, for US citizens. For international students, the University requires a minimum 3.0 GPA or its equivalent for all undergraduate coursework.

Special Instructions on Calculating your GPA : Please complete the three required GPA calculations on the application page.

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA: This will be listed on your transcript.
• Advanced GPA: You will most likely have to calculate this yourself. Calculate your GPA for all grades received after the first two years of college-level coursework. You can use this  Application GPA Worksheet  to help you.
• Major GPA: This may be calculated on your transcript. If not, calculate your GPA for all courses taken in your master field of study.

Resume : Upload a one-page PDF of your current resume. Include links in your resume to highlight additional work.

Required Tests :

We do not require the GRE.

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency.  The suggested minimum TOEFL score is 105 and suggested minimum IELTS score is 7.5. However, all completed applications are reviewed even if you score below the minimum.  If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution. Click  here  for more information on how to apply for a TOEFL/IELTS exemption, but please note that our department minimum scores are higher than the University's.

Interviews and Writing Test:

You may be required to complete an interview and/or writing test. Interviews are usually done in person with an alumnus in your area. If an in-person interview is not possible, a video or phone interview can be scheduled.

The writing test is timed. The purpose of the test is to assess your ability to write under a tight deadline.

If you need to complete an interview or writing test, you will be contacted with more information. Interviews and writing tests are conducted up until the end of the application review process, which runs through February. The admissions department will not be able to tell you any information on your application status until all final decisions are emailed out some time between late February and early March.

Financial Aid

Visit the  Cost and Financial Aid  page for more information about federal grants, loans, and work-study qualification. We strongly recommend that applicants start applying to  outside funding  as early as possible, as some deadlines are early.

International students, please read over the  Financial Aid for International Students  webpage.

Re-Applicants

If you applied to the Journalism department in the last two years, you may re-use transcripts and letters of recommendation upon request. We can upload two of your three letters of recommendation upon request, but require one of the letters to be new. Please  contact the admissions department  early in the application process to request the upload of past application documents, so that if there is any problem you will have time to request and upload the documents yourself. Email the admissions department at  [email protected] .

Re-applicants must submit new online applications and fees. Updated test scores and new letters of recommendation should be submitted with your new online application.

Re-applicants include those who have been previously admitted and those who applied but were not admitted. If you were admitted in a past year, you will be able to indicate this on the application.

Concurrent Degree Applicants

For students who are interested in the flourishing field of health-related journalism and communications, the J-School offers a joint degree with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. It enables students to satisfy the requirements of the Master of Journalism and the Master of Public Health concurrently, completing both two-year programs in three years instead of the four that would be required if the degrees were pursued separately. Candidates should be sure they are ready to undertake both demanding programs in a condensed time period before they select this option. Concurrent degree applicants are reviewed by the admissions committees from each of the two schools, and must be sure they are following all the application requirements for both programs.

Visit our  Concurrent Degree  page for more information.

International Applicants

We welcome applications from international students. Admission is competitive. Candidates who have demonstrated professional journalism experience and fluency in English are favored. All work samples should be in English or translations/captions need to be submitted along with non-English work samples.

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency.  The suggested minimum TOEFL score is 105 and suggested minimum IELTS score is 7.5. However, all completed applications are reviewed even if you score below the minimum.

If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution. Click  here  for more information on how to apply for a TOEFL/IELTS exemption, but please note that our department minimum scores are higher than the University's.

Please refer to the  Graduate Admissions  page for more information on admissions requirements for international students, but please note that our department minimum scores for TOEFL/IELTS are higher than the University's. For specific questions on eligibility, please contact Graduate Admissions at  [email protected] .

Also, please check out the resources at the  Berkeley International Office  website.

Information on STEM Classification

Our journalism program has been classified as STEM under the CIP Code 09.0702 – Digital Communication Media/Multimedia.

Students in F-1 visa status may qualify initially for 12 months of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Due to the STEM classification, F-1 students with eligible STEM employment may also have the option to apply for a 24 month STEM Extension of their OPT, allowing a possible total of 36 months of OPT.

You can find more information from our  Berkeley International Office . They will help you throughout your F1 visa application through to your  OPT and OPT Stem extension application .

F-1 students may also qualify for  Curricular Practical Training (CPT)  after having completed a full academic year in continuous F-1 status. CPT may be used for internships, employment or field studies which are an integral part of a student's academic program of study, and can also allow paid employment authorization for your required summer internship between your first and second year.

International students can hold campus jobs once they are enrolled at the University. Most commonly, students will work as Graduate Student Instructors (GSI). To be eligible for a GSI position, students must be enrolled in 12 units; must be in good academic standing; and must demonstrate English language proficiency if they do not speak English as a native language. Please read the  Graduate Division’s GSI Resource Center  webpage for fuller details.

All prospective GSIs who do not speak English as a native language and do not have a bachelor’s degree from a US institution are required to demonstrate English language proficiency before they can be appointed as GSIs. Information on how to fulfill this requirement can be found on the  Language Proficiency Program (LPP)  web page.

If you already know you need to take a test, please fill out the  Language Proficiency Questionnaire , if you have not already done so. Once that is submitted, you will hear back from LPP within a day or so.

With respect to tuition fees, international students pay the same tuition and fees as out-of-state students, but they are do not qualify for U.S. government-sponsored financial aid.

For international students, please make sure you visit the  Berkeley International Office  for more information.

Resources for International Students

Berkeley Graduate Division Please review  Berkeley Graduate Division 's information for international applicants.

Berkeley International Office BIO  can help international applicants with questions about visas, travel, and housing in the U.S.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Berkeley offers both need- and merit-based aid, but funding is limited. Some financial aid options are available from the Berkeley International Office ( BIO ). Additionally, internship information is available at the  Career Center . Establishing California Residency to receive the lower tuition available for in-state students is unfortunately not an option for international students. However, students who qualify under the provisions of the Dream Act are eligible for in-state residency tuition.

TOEFL and Transcripts

International students must demonstrate language proficiency through either the TOEFL or IELTS test.  The suggested minimum TOEFL score is 105 and suggested minimum IELTS score is 7.5. However, all completed applications are reviewed even if you score below the minimum.   All classes at the school are conducted in English. Please review the  Graduate Division  website for more details about the TOEFL / IELTS tests.

Programs & Resources

Undergraduate journalism minor.

Learn about our new year-around minor in journalism

Berkeley Journalism + Haas School of Business Journalism Program

Investigative reporting program.

Committed to reporting stories that expose injustice and abuse of power

California Local News Fellowship

Two-year fellowship matching early-career journalists with California newsrooms

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news.

Graduate Journey Resource Center

Discover valuable resources to assist you in your program search and decision-making process.

What is a Personal Statement for Grad School?

Who are you really? That’s what the admissions committee for any program you’re applying to wants to know, and your personal statement is how you can show them. A personal statement is a critical part of the graduate school application process . In an ever-competitive graduate school environment, it’s important to let institutions see who you really are beyond your previous coursework and your GPA. If you’re uncomfortable talking about yourself, this is the time to get past that and really get, well, personal. This is where they get to know you, not just your CV.

Writing your personal statement

Unlike a statement of purpose which explains what you want to do, a personal statement is an essay that explains who you are as a person, and how those qualities will translate to a successful student in whatever program you’re applying to.

A personal statement should include a description of your talents, achievements, interests and goals. More importantly, it should convey how accomplishments and achievements are relevant to the program you’re applying to. Institutions want students who will contribute something valuable to their various graduate programs, and certainly recruiters will be looking for that as well.

Follow the guidelines

Check each program’s requirements and be aware of any guidelines, such as word count or specific details to include. It’s imperative you strictly adhere to any guidelines set forth by an admissions committee. Failing to follow their directions will likely result in the rejection of your application.

Take it slow

Allow enough lead time to write. Your personal statement isn’t something you should sit down and write the night before it’s due. You’ll want to write a few drafts, edit, rewrite, proofread and have someone else review your piece before you submit it.

Organization is key

A personal statement isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of document and should be customized for each program you’re applying to. It’s important to stay organized and keep track of what you’ve sent and to whom.

The process

• Review the program’s requirements and list of elements to be included in your personal statement.
• Brainstorm a list of what you want to include and what you want to convey.
• Review personal statement examples for guidance.
• Outline your statement, including the elements you want to incorporate and the order.

What should you include in your statement?

• Start by introducing yourself. Who are you? Why are you applying for grad school? Perhaps a personal story of adversity or challenge played a role. Use that — overcoming adversity is a quality that admissions committees like to see.
• Highlight your personal, professional and academic achievements. What makes you stand out from the crowd?
• What is it about the program you’re applying to that appeals to you and how can you make a significant contribution to it?
• What do you plan to do with your degree when you graduate? Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What kind of personal skills do you bring to the program? Do you work well in a team environment when required? Can you also work independently when necessary?
• Research the faculty. Note a specific piece of published work that you found fascinating, helpful or enlightening.
• Conclude by summarizing not only your qualifications for this program, but how you both could benefit from each other.

Take writing your personal statement seriously and put the time in to create a worthy piece. Remember to write a customized statement for each program you’re applying to so that the admissions committees can see your personality and special qualities shine through.

• Experiential
• SBS Pathways Center
• Anthropology
• Communication
• Landscape Architecture
• Legal Studies
• Managerial Economics
• Political Science
• Public Policy
• Resource Economics
• Social Thought & Political Economy (STPEC)
• Sustainable Community Development
• SBS Exploratory Track
• Minors, Certificates, and More
• SBS 4+1 Accelerated Masters Programs
• What are Career Communities?
• Advertising / Public Relations / Marketing
• Business / Entrepreneurship / Management / Consulting
• Health / Research / Education / Culture
• Environment / Natural Resources / Sustainability
• Finance / Investment / Real Estate / Insurance
• Government / Public Policy / International Relations
• Law / Legal Services / Criminology / Forensics
• Media / Journalism / Entertainment
• Non-Profit / Social Justice / Activism
• Technology / Data / Analytics
• What Are Diverse Communities?
• SBS RISE: Remedying Inequity through Student Engagement
• Black, Indigenous & Students of Color
• First Generation Students
• International Students
• LGBTQIA+ Students
• Student Athletes
• Students with Disabilities
• Students with Financial Need
• Transfer Students
• Women in the Workforce
• Graduate School
• Explore Career Outcomes
• International Careers
• National Scholarships / Fellowships
• Pre-Law Advising
• Year of Service / Volunteering
• Undergraduate Students
• Faculty and Staff
• Admitted Students
• Prospective Students
• Apply for Scholarships and Awards
• Declare an SBS Major
• Meet with an Academic Advisor
• Meet with an Academic Dean
• Suggest New Courses
• Petition for Late Add
• Petition for Pass/Fail
• Withdraw from a Class/Petition for Late Withdrawal
• Petition for Course Credit Overload
• Release Academic Information (FERPA)
• Withdraw from the University
• Apply for Funding for Internships, Study Abroad, Research, and other High-impact Opportunities
• Assess My Skills and Interests
• Explore Majors
• Find an Undergraduate Research Opportunity
• Get Involved on Campus
• Learn about Different Career Paths
• Study Abroad
• Take Courses through the Five Colleges
• Domestic Exchange
• Apply for Scholarships to Support Research or Internships
• Develop My Job Search Skills & Strategy
• Look for Internships and Jobs
• Meet with a Career Advisor
• Negotiate an Offer
• Network and Connect with Mentors
• Prepare a Resume and Cover Letter
• Prepare for/Navigate a Career Fair
• Prepare for an Interview
• Register an Internship for Credit
• Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School

Writing the Personal Statement For Grad School: How to Guide

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Graduate and professional schools often require some sort of written statement, often called a “statement of purpose,” “personal statement,” or “letter of intent,” as a part of the application. Some statements require specific information; for example, the applicant’s intended area of study within a graduate field. Others are quite unstructured, giving the applicant the freedom to address a wide range of matters.

How you structure your personal statement can make the difference.

Advice for Applying to Master's in Communication Programs

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Communication Program

Advice for applying to master’s in communication programs, #1: every part of the application matters, #2: what schools look for in prospective students, #3: advice for completing your personal statement, #4: advice on requesting letters of recommendation, #5: apply early – do not wait to submit your application, concluding remarks.

Applying to a master’s degree program can be intimidating for even the most qualified individuals. These programs are often quite selective, with a strict list of requirements applicants must fulfill in order to be considered for admission. Typically, this means meeting certain thresholds in terms of past academic performance and professional experience, as well as providing thorough documentation proving one is a good fit for graduate-level instruction. Master’s in communication programs are no exception. Many have a rigorous selection process, and prospective students will need to stand out among their fellow applicants if they hope to be accepted.

In an effort to help students navigate the application process, and maximize their chances of admission, we spoke with faculty members from some of the top master’s in communication programs in the country to get their advice on the matter. They had plenty of tips to offer, including the top qualities to demonstrate in an application, what students should address in their personal statement, and how to best go about requesting letters of recommendation. Additional advice in this article comes from a panel discussion lead by four communication professors that took place during the Graduate Student Workshop at the Western States Communication Association’s 2018 annual convention in Santa Clara, California.

Read through all the advice these professors and faculty members had to share for applying to a master’s in communication program in the sections below.

The application process and admission requirements for a master’s in communication vary by program. In order to apply, students typically must complete and submit an application form to their school of choice, along with an associated fee, if required. Many programs only accept applicants with an undergraduate GPA over a certain threshold, such as a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or 3.0. Most often, students are required to send in official transcripts from all previous postsecondary institutions to show they meet this GPA requirement or any other academic prerequisites. Along with this, schools may ask for a resume detailing relevant professional experience, and possibly contact information for one or more references.

Two major components required by most master’s in communication programs are a personal goal statement and letters of recommendation. The personal statement is a chance for students to discuss their qualifications and what they hope to achieve in the program, all while demonstrating they are adequately prepared for graduate-level study. This gives the admissions committee a better understanding of each applicant’s personality and passions, and ultimately, whether or not they would make a good fit for the particular program. Additionally, the personal statement essay provides applicants with a place to discuss any potential weaknesses in other aspects of their application, for example, their GPA or standardized tests scores. In certain cases, additional writing samples may be requested. Some schools also require an in-person, phone, or Skype interview with program faculty, or even ask students to record a video interview answering specific questions about their background and goals.

Along with a personal statement, it is common for programs to require one or more letters of recommendation as part of the application package. These are typically written by past professors or employers who can vouch for the applicant’s personal qualifications and aptitude. Depending on their particular focus, some programs may prefer or even require letters of recommendation from a certain type of reference. For example, programs designed to prepare students for doctoral studies in communication typically prefer recommendations from professors who can speak to an applicant’s ability to succeed at the graduate level. Whereas applied communication programs that require several years of experience often prefer recommendations from employers who can better speak to an applicant’s current professional strengths.

While some master’s in communication programs require students to submit GRE or GMAT test scores as part of the application process, many do not. Those that include the GRE as an admission requirement may also do so on a conditional basis, only requiring test scores from students who fail to meet other admission criteria, such as the minimum GPA threshold. Additionally, some programs might allow students to apply for a GRE waiver based on their professional experience or past academic achievements (such as already possessing a graduate degree in another field).

An example of a program that requires the GRE on a conditional basis is the Master of Science in Communication Management program at the University of North Florida (UNF), which asks applicants for standardized test scores if their undergraduate GPA is below a 3.0. John Parmelee, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Communication at UNF, explains, “We are looking for applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study. If it’s much lower than our usual standard of 3.0, applicants will need to provide additional evidence that they are ready for graduate school.” In this case, Dr. Parmelee says, “The additional evidence is their choice of one of the following: either a GRE score of at least 153 verbal, 144 quantitative or a GMAT minimum 500 total score.”

It is important that prospective students pay close attention to all admissions criteria when researching master’s in communication programs, as different program types and specializations may have different requirements. For example, academic or research-based programs, such as master’s degrees in communication studies or interpersonal communication, often require the GRE, while applied communication programs, which focus on career-oriented specialties like technical communication and strategic communication, generally do not.

Many programs also have selective admission policies, meaning that even if students meet the requirements for admission, they may not be accepted to the program. Some might be highly competitive, and only enroll a small number of students each year, which in some cases may be as few as six to 10. That means only a small fraction of the students who submit applications will be accepted to the program, so a particularly strong personal statement or letter of recommendation could be the difference between being accepted and not getting into the program.

When applying to a master’s in communication program, it is important that students place equal weight on every aspect of their application. Many of the professors we interviewed stressed that they evaluate applicants holistically, taking each component of a student’s application into careful consideration when deciding who to accept. As the Director of Graduate Study for the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Leanne Knobloch, Ph.D. explains, “We evaluate students based on their application as a whole (taking into account undergraduate grades and coursework, career goals, research experience, personal statement, writing sample, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation).” She adds, “We are looking for students who are prepared for graduate-level work and have given considerable thought to their career goals. Ideal candidates spell out in their personal statement why they are interested in our department and how their interests fit with our expertise.”

We are looking for students who are prepared for graduate-level work and have given considerable thought to their career goals. Ideal candidates spell out in their personal statement why they are interested in our department and how their interests fit with our expertise.

Dr. Leanne Knobloch – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Professor Wendy Zajack, MBA, Faculty Director for the Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications and Design Management and Communications Programs in the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University, echoes these statements. “We holistically review applications so we like to see a combination of things from our students,” she says. These include, “1) a good undergraduate academic performance 2) excellent and relevant work experience – we like to see at least a year of working experience (or amazing internships). We have an opportunity to submit work samples – so please do! and 3) an application that really helps us understand why our IMC program is of interest to you and fits your career goals. This could include looking through our list of courses and letting us know which ones you are excited about, as well as an explanation of your career aspirations.”

To help get a better understanding of both the program itself and what admissions staff look for in applicants, Bernardo Alexander Attias, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Northridge, recommends students reach out to school faculty early on in the research process. “It’s a good idea to contact the Graduate Coordinator to find out more about whether this program meets your needs,’ he says. “It’s important to understand what you want out of a graduate program before you decide which ones to apply to.” When it comes time to submit an application, Dr. Attias stresses, “It should be clear from your personal statement that the coursework and program that we offer helps you advance your own personal and professional goals.”

Simply meeting the admission requirements for a master’s in communication program may not always be enough to secure one’s admittance. As discussed earlier, these programs often have selective admissions policies, meaning students will need to submit a noteworthy application if they hope to be accepted. Many of the faculty members we interviewed made it clear they look for well-rounded applicants, who display not only academic prowess, but an excitement about the particular program of study and where it might take their career. This is typically communicated to the selection committee through the personal goal statement and any long-form questions on the application itself, as well as through interviews with faculty members, if required during the application process. In order to stand out from the other applicants, it is important to make sure every component of one’s application demonstrates they are ready and eager to succeed in the specific master’s program they are applying to.

According to the faculty members we spoke with, here are some qualities students should be sure to demonstrate in their application:

• A passion for academic endeavors (such as any extracurricular activities)
• Maturity and collegiality
• Alignment with program goals
• Readiness for graduate school
• Intellectual curiosity, inquisitiveness (a readiness to to think, not just read and write)
• Excellent writing skills

Athena du Pré, Ph.D. has reviewed countless applications in her role as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of West Florida. When it comes to choosing the ideal candidate, she says, “Our top priorities are evidence of academic or professional achievement and personal goals that would be well served by our curriculum.” Additionally, Dr. du Pré mentions her department looks for applicants who communicate well and show enthusiasm for the program. “We put a premium on good writing skills and inquisitiveness,” she adds. “Because this is an action-oriented program, we favor applicants who are interested in getting involved and being part of a team.”

Students who have a clear idea of what they want to do with their degree often make the best students and have the most success. An application that demonstrates both passion and clear goals gets noticed.

Dr. Rocky Dailey – South Dakota State University

This motivation to learn and excel, both in the program and professionally, is a major factor schools look for in master’s in communication applicants. Rocky Dailey, Ed.D., Online Graduate Advisor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at South Dakota State University, explains, “We look for students ready to take the next step with their professional mass communication career, so we want highly motivated individuals who come in with some professional experience to build off of.” In their application, students should be sure to convey exactly how they plan to use what they learn in the program to further their careers after graduation. According to Dr. Dailey, “Students who have a clear idea of what they want to do with their degree often make the best students and have the most success. An application that demonstrates both passion and clear goals gets noticed.”

Meina Liu, Ph.D. is the Graduate Director for the Master of Arts in Communication Management Program at The George Washington University. She too stresses the importance of illustrating exactly how one’s goals align with that of the program. “The Graduate Studies Committee reviews applications by looking at the entire package rather than one specific aspect,” says Dr. Liu. “Our MA students come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including international affairs, economics, organizational sciences, political communication, strategic communication, mass communication, women’s studies, and so on.” No matter their particular background, Dr. Liu explains, “In general, applicants that articulate a good fit between their backgrounds/interests and what our program offers are given more serious consideration than those that write a generic essay. For example, a student who describes how the program’s course offerings may help advance his or her career goals is considered to have a stronger fit and motivation than a student seeking a career in journalism.”

Due to their often interdisciplinary nature, master’s in communication programs tend to draw applicants with a wide range of industry backgrounds. While professional experience is something selection committees consider when reviewing applications, they typically place less weight on one’s specific area of expertise, and more on what students hope to achieve through the degree program. Paula Weissman, Ph.D., Program Director for the Online MA in Strategic Communication at American University, says, “We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications. All factors, including previous academic experience, professional experience, letters of recommendation, and the personal essay are considered.” As for the ideal candidate, Dr. Weissman explains, “Some students already have substantial experience in the communications industry; others are experienced in other areas, but looking to make a career switch; and a smaller number are still quite early on in their careers. We look for strong students who have a demonstrated passion for learning more about strategic communication and clear career goals that align with our degree program.”

Above all, most master’s in communication programs are looking for students who display a passion to succeed both in and out of the classroom. This enthusiasm for learning and furthering one’s career is exactly what John McArthur, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Programs at the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, hopes to find in applicants to the school’s online Master of Arts in Communication program. “At Queens, our typical students have a passion for the study of communication as a way to advance their careers in their selected industries,” Dr. McArthur explains. “We have a diverse mix of seasoned professionals who are advancing their careers and recent undergraduates who are just starting to find their place.” In his opinion, “The optimal applicant is one who can match his or her interests to the goals of our program and demonstrates the personal motivation to succeed as an online learner. Our students are practitioners AND scholars, concerned about their own development AND the development of their classmates, and ready to learn AND be a part of a vibrant community.”

One of the best ways applicants to a master’s in communication program can convey their personality, passion, and goals to the admissions committee is through their personal statement essay. This portion of the application is when students have a chance to show admissions faculty who they are as a person, and why they think they would make a good fit for the program. Transcripts and resumes only tell part of the story; schools want to know exactly what applicants hope to achieve through graduate study, as well as how these goals line up specifically with what their program has to offer. The personal statement essay is also an opportunity for students to display their writing skills, discuss any weaknesses in their qualifications, and elaborate on achievements or other elements of their background outlined elsewhere in the application.

Here are the top tips our interviewees had to offer for writing an effective and impactful personal statement essay:

• Be authentic
• Research the program
• Describe your goals
• Detail how the program will help you achieve them
• Be an excellent communicator
• Proofread carefully
• Demonstrate maturity

Before students sit down to write their personal statement essay, it is important that they have thoroughly researched the program they are applying to, and are prepared to explain exactly how the curriculum aligns with their academic and professional aspirations. Rebekah Farrugia, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director for the Department of Communication and Journalism at Oakland University, says, “We encourage students applying to our MA program to do their research and take their time when crafting their Statement of Purpose.” As for the essay itself, Dr. Farrugia stresses, “It should clearly indicate why they believe that they are a good fit for our program and how their interests and goals align with our program offerings.”

In your personal statement, tell us why you want to join our master’s program. Ours specifically, not why you want to join a master’s program.

Dr. Christopher Bell – University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Another faculty member we interviewed who emphasized the importance of proper research is Magdelana Red, Ph.D., who works as the Academic Director for the Master of Arts in Communication Management Program at the University of Denver’s University College. “It sounds simple, but I love to see applications that show how students see themselves contributing to and benefitting from the MA in Communication Management,” she notes. “A strong grasp of how they’ll fit into the program (or, how they’ll get the most out of it!) demonstrates that they’ve done their homework, see the unique value proposition that we provide, and are committed to making a contribution to our community.”

According to Christopher Bell, Ph.D., the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, there are several questions students should address in their essay to show they have done the research and truly believe the program is right for them. “In your personal statement, tell us why you want to join our master’s program. Ours specifically , not why you want to join a master’s program,” he explains. “What is it about our specific program that excites you? What do you plan to study, keeping in mind that’s often going to change over the course of your time here. Whom among our professors are you looking toward working with? What are your plans for after you complete the program?” Ultimately, Dr. Bell says, “We want to know who you are, what you want to study, and why you’re choosing us. That will help us determine if we’re also choosing you.”

When it comes time to craft the statement essay, Karrin Vasby Anderson, Ph.D. from Colorado State University Fort Collins, who spoke at the Western States Communication Association’s (WSCA) 2018 annual convention, says students should be authentic and use simple declarative statements, avoiding effusive language that may read as unprofessional. Along with tailoring their personal statement to the program itself, Dr. Anderson recommends applicants highlight their professional goals and ambitions, while describing in detail how the program will help them reach these objectives. Her fellow panel member, Teresa Bergman, Ph.D., a professor at the University of the Pacific, also stressed the importance of being open and genuine in one’s goal essay, even if that means stating you are unsure about your career aspirations, but excited and open to the possibilities the program might lead to. By being as honest as possible in their personal statement, applicants can better help schools determine if they would make a good fit for the program, or ultimately be unhappy in the course of study.

Robert DeChaine, Ph.D. from California State University, Los Angeles, another speaker at the WSCA convention, emphasizes that the personal statement essay should not just be a laundry list of talents or accomplishments. Instead, he recommends applicants provide an account of their personal interests and passions, and not try to impress admissions staff with their knowledge in the field. For many schools, the way in which the essay is written is just as important as the content itself. The fourth member of the Graduate Student Workshop panel, Margaret Pitts, Ph.D., who teaches at the University of Arizona, says students should strive to be concise and display excellent communication skills in their personal statement. In particular, she likes essays that directly outline the applicant’s direction, the types of approaches they will use in the program, and who specifically (i.e. which faculty members) they hope to work with during their studies.

Of course, several of the faculty members we interviewed also recommend applicants try to make explicit connections between their professional experience and the program itself in their personal essay. For example, Judy Foster Davis, Ph.D., Chair of the Faculty Committee for the Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Program at Eastern Michigan University, suggests students applying to the program “highlight their experience connecting with customers – such as any projects in which they created customer engagement by incorporating effective contact points that provide a setting for interactive communication; or created a seamless experience for customers to interact with a brand by melding elements of marketing and/or communication across various channels to act as one unified force.” In addition to this, she says, “Displaying their understanding of the importance of branding, customer relationships, public relations, and target marketing will make for a strong application.”

Graduate school is a significantly different experience from undergraduate. It requires dedication and focus. So we’re looking for students who are mature and committed to learning about human communication, have the intellectual capability for graduate-level work, and have the drive to grow into independent thinkers.

Dr. Hye-ryeon Lee – University of Hawaii at Manoa

Along with detailing any relevant work experience, students should use their personal essay to demonstrate they are adequately prepared for the rigors of a master’s program. Director of Graduate Studies and a Professor in the Department of Communicology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hye-ryeon Lee, Ph.D. offers this advice, “In our program, we look at several key things. First, we’re looking at your academic capability,” she explains. “Graduate school is a significantly different experience from undergraduate. It requires dedication and focus. So we’re looking for students who are mature and committed to learning about human communication, have the intellectual capability for graduate-level work, and have the drive to grow into independent thinkers.” As for the personal statement, Dr. Lee says, “You want to describe the experiences you have had and your achievements that can give us the confidence in your intellectual capability to handle the courses and projects.” She adds, “Our program is also quite demanding, so you need to have that ‘fire in the belly,’ meaning that you really care about what we study, and about understanding human communication processes.”

For Dr. Lee, ideal candidates for UH Manoa’s Master of Arts in Communicology program are those that exhibit a genuine enthusiasm towards learning. “Whatever you can do to show that you have that passion and that you’re not coming to our program simply because you didn’t know what to do after graduation is helpful to illustrate in your application,” she notes. “You should show us that this field is something that is intensely interesting to you, and that you are ready to give your all to try to study and understand and further your knowledge about how human communication processes work.”

Above all, students should see their personal statement essay as a chance to speak directly to the program faculty evaluating their application. “For your personal statement, use it as your opportunity to really talk to the admissions committee,” says Cylor Spaulding, Ph.D., Faculty Director for the Master of Professional Studies in Public Relations and Corporate Communications Program at Georgetown University. “Our committee meets almost every week for several hours to sit down and go through the applications that have come in at that time. We try to get a sense of each person’s experiences, goals, work ethic, and personality as represented on the page. So, put your best foot forward in your personal statement.”

Dr. Spaulding also suggests prospective students use their personal essay to address any potential weak spots in their application. “I would say even if you had a bad semester at some point in your undergraduate career, address that in your personal statement. Explain to the committee what was going on, because we really do look at students holistically,” he says. “If you don’t have that background in public relations, it’s not necessarily a deal breaker. But make a good case for yourself as to why this is what you want to do. We want to see what the end goal is.”

My best advice… edit. Second best piece of advice… edit again.

Dr. Michael G. Strawser – Bellarmine University

Once the personal statement is complete, students should be sure to meticulously proofread their essay multiple times to ensure there are no mistakes or omissions. “My best advice… edit. Second best piece of advice… edit again,” says Michael Strawser, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Programs for the School of Communication at Bellarmine University. “Applications with typos, spelling errors and/or mechanical/grammatical mistakes show the committee a red flag.” A strong attention to detail will not only improve the overall quality of the essay, but show admissions staff that you are taking the application seriously, and diligent about getting a spot in the program. “I am a big believer (and I hate to be cliché) in grit,” Dr. Strawser adds. “Meaning, when I read your personal statement I want to know that you are passionate about communication and will persevere through the program.”

It is typical for a master’s in communication program to ask applicants to submit several references or letters of recommendation as part of the application process. This is so admissions staff can get a better idea of each student’s personality and work ethic from people who know them firsthand, as well as corroborate certain aspects of their academic or professional background. Positive recommendations that speak enthusiastically about an applicant’s strengths and potential, while reinforcing the qualifications outlined elsewhere in their application, can help bolster one’s chances of being accepted into their program of interest, especially if the selection process is competitive.

In most cases, these letters of recommendation come from either previous instructors or employers. Some schools might explicitly require one or the other, asking for academic references over professional ones, or vice versa. Others may prefer a certain type of reference based on the program’s focus or an applicant’s background. For example, if the person applying has been out of school for a significant period of time, a recent employer may be better able to speak to their qualifications than their last professor. On the other hand, academic or research-based master’s programs often prefer letters of recommendation from undergraduate faculty members as opposed to past employers. Students interested in applying to a master’s in communication program should reach out to admissions staff beforehand to find out which type of reference is preferred.

During the Graduate Student Workshop at WSCA, Dr. Anderson, Dr. Bergman, Dr. DeChaine and Dr. Pitts also had advice for students regarding letters of recommendation. Their advice is summarized below along with information from our faculty interviews.

To get the most effective recommendations possible, students should ask for letters from people they currently know, who can speak to the kind of person they are and work they are doing at the time of application. The faculty members we interviewed also stressed the importance of selecting references that can touch on personal qualities and refer to specifics in their reference letter, meaning they should be someone who knows the applicant well. “Good letters of recommendation from people who actually know you and your work always helps,” explains Dr. Spaulding from Georgetown University. “Generic letters of recommendation are fine, but they really don’t speak to your characteristics. So even if it’s not a professor, but it’s a supervisor or someone who knows you a little better and can actually speak to why this program is a good fit for you, and what you could bring to the program, goes a long way towards selling yourself in the application.”

I highly recommend that students form relationships with their instructors and maximize their efforts at the undergraduate level to ensure strong references when applying to MA programs.

Dr. Rebekah Farrugia – Oakland University

When requesting letters of recommendation from instructors or professors, it is important for students to choose faculty members they have a close relationship with, who can address their academic prowess and potential in detail. “I highly recommend that students form relationships with their instructors and maximize their efforts at the undergraduate level to ensure strong references when applying to MA programs,” says Dr. Farrugia from Oakland University.

One way to go about this is to approach professors and tell them you are considering pursuing a master’s degree, then ask if they would be willing to have a conversation about graduate school. Tell them what you hope to achieve through your master’s studies and ask questions about different program options or the admissions process. When it comes time to ask for a letter of recommendation, they will know more about you personally and hopefully be inspired to help. Additionally, while this may not be possible for every student, if you can find professors who know faculty at the programs you are applying to, their recommendations may carry more weight, as the admissions committee will know the quality of students he or she recommends. The same goes for recommendations from professors with connections to your school or program of interest, for example, an alumnus of the program who knows exactly what it takes to succeed in that particular course of study, and can discuss why you would be a good fit.

Finally, while this may seem obvious, be sure to ask any prospective reference if they can provide you with a positive reference tailored to you specifically, not just a generic or neutral letter of recommendation. If they are unable to do so, try another instructor or faculty member.

Whether academic or professional, Kevin Meyer, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator for the School of Communication at Illinois State University, encourages students to seek out references who have gone to graduate school themselves, and understand the importance of a strong recommendation letter. “I generally advise applicants to seek letters of recommendation from those who have attended a graduate program themselves,” he says. “These letters from faculty tend to be longer and more detailed than those from other recommenders, often speak to the academic and scholarly potential of the applicant (something the selection committee wants to know), and carry the credibility of coming from someone who knows what it takes to succeed in graduate studies.”

In order to give program faculty ample time to review one’s application, students should be sure to submit their documents as soon as possible. Several of the faculty members we interviewed warned against waiting until the deadline, as it can be harder to stand out among the sea of applications submitted at that time. Furthermore, some master’s in communication programs have rolling admission policies. This means they accept applications over a long period of time and review candidates throughout, instead of waiting for a particular deadline to make their decision. In these cases, it is possible for the program to reach enrollment capacity even before the actual application deadline. Students who are accepted after enrollment is full for a given start date typically must wait for the next start date in order to begin the program.

According to Dr. Meyer, submitting one’s application materials early is important because it gives admissions staff more time to get to know a candidate. “I always encourage applicants to have their files complete and submitted weeks before the deadline,” he explains. “The more time the selection committee can spend with a file before being inundated with a stack of materials at the deadline, the more opportunity there is for committee members to fall in love with a file.”

MastersinCommunications.com wants to thank all of the faculty we interviewed, and Dr. Anderson, Dr. Bergman, Dr. DeChaine and Dr. Pitts for their excellent advice on applying to a Master’s in Communication program. We hope this article helps prospective students who are currently in the application process or considering a graduate program in the field.

• Personal Statements
• Journalism personal statement

Journalism Personal Statement Example

Sample statement.

If you want to apply to study Journalism at university then it’s almost a given that you’re good at writing but all good writers suffer from writer’s block occasionally, right?

For those of you that are struggling with a personal statement to study Journalism – here is our example to help you out:

Having developed a passion for writing at an early age my writing skills have evolved over the years and I now feel that a career in journalism is right for me. However, I am not prepared to rest on my laurels and I am always striving to further develop my writing skills.

I enjoy the challenge of conveying a story, event, or thought to a reader in an interesting, engaging, and easily understood way. I write my own blog and look forward to expanding my topic range when I reach university.

To expand my knowledge and skills in journalism I undertook a work experience placement at my local newspaper, The Waterside Herald, whilst I was at school. This gave me the chance to develop my writing skills to suit a journalistic style and to gain an in-depth insight into the daily life of a journalist.

Outside of school I enjoy travelling and hope that my love of travel will enable me to gain experience working for publications in other countries during summer breaks from university.

I am also a keen sports player and regular runner. As well as my academic goals I also hope to complete the London Marathon next year, something that I have been training towards for a number of months.

I look forward to the new challenges that life at university will bring and having the chance to learn new skills and build on my already high standards of writing and communication.

I hope that by studying journalism to degree level I will be able to gain an entry level position at a national newspaper such as The Guardian or The Times. I am also interested in pursuing television journalism as a possible career choice whilst at university.

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Samples of my work in journalism.

• Master’s Global Business Journalism, Korean
• MA Journalism, Chinese, Press Censorship
• Master’s Magazine Journalism, Political Science Major
• Master's Degree Multimedia, Taiwanese
• MA Journalism, Broadcast, Documentary
• MA Masters Journalism UK, Communications

Why I want to help you get admitted to Graduate School in Journalism

Career Possibilities in Journalism

Study how journalism is presented today, how cultures have communicated such information in the past, and how to work within the structure of the industry with a degree in journalism. College degrees in journalism come with a range of options, from broad-based communications degrees to focused electronic communication studies. Choose among the following popular journalism degree options:

• Visual Journalism
• Electronic or Print Journalism
• Mass Communication
• Media Criticism

Journalism combines elements of sociology, economics, politics, communication, and psychology within print, broadcast, or electronic media. By earning a journalism degree online, you get a chance to look deeper into a field with a rich history and evolving future.

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Typical Coursework in Journalism Career Training

The coursework in a journalism major depends highly on the specialization you choose. In an investigative reporting major, for example, students might expect to complete the following courses:

• Journalism Ethics
• Advanced Reporting
• Elective Reporting Topics

In general, expect associate degrees in journalism to offer a basic, focused look at the field, bachelor's degrees to provide a broad base of education, and graduate degrees to give students a chance to focus their education based on their specific research interests.

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The Humanitarian Side of Journalism

You can make your journalism career humanitarian faster than you can say Scooby Doo, and frankly, it´s brave to even consider moving in this direction.

According to Maia Gedde, the authors of Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance: a career guide, there are lots of opportunities, but a master´s degree alone won´t guarantee you a job. The most important thing is relevant experience, says Maia. Here are some more tips from this author:

• It might be easier and faster to gain experience within the corporate sector first, if you´re a graduate that´s just left college. Corporate employers have more resources for your professional development, which you can use to gain skills and experience, before slipping seamlessly into the competitive world of nonprofits.
• Don’t jump straight into a master´s. You might find out you don´t like working in the area you´ve specialized in way too late, and have to go back and study another expensive graduate degree, or end up bitter about your options. Not nice. Working between your bachelor´s and master´s for a few years will help you focus and find out what´s really out there for the taking, and how you can do the most good through something you´re passionate about.
• Don´t forget that you don´t need to study in your own country to get a master´s. Gedde recommends the programs offered by institutions in Scandinavian countries, which are free of charge for EU nationals.
• Note that the communications roles within NGOs are varied: there´s internal communications, corporate communications for PR and advocacy, and communications for development C4D. Try each one, perhaps before you do a master´s, and you´ll know which you´d like to specialize in to make you stand out from that big old crowd.
• Don´t forget that you can freelance, especially for smaller nonprofit organizations, which usually can´t afford to take on a full-timer, and may allow you to gain experience early or in a more flexible manner.

 There are many things you can do to crack into this rapidly changing sector. Work hard, remain determined no matter what happens, and try some tricks of the trade for getting inside that door.

Volunteering in a country you´re interested in can give you some great insights into what it´s like to work for an NGO. Tapping into your social and professional networks can unearth some interesting connections you could use to your advantage. Starting a blog, writing guest posts in the development space and showing you´re a motivated, effective communicator can´t hurt your career prospects. http://www.whydev.org/ could be a cool place to begin.

There are many opportunities out there to get involved in human rights, aid organizations and NGOs of all types. Journalists for Human Rights is currently looking for volunteers with a journalism degree to contribute to media development and human rights awareness in Eastern and Southern Africa for periods of up to 12 months at a time. If you don´t want to travel, there are opportunities that allow you to work from home.

As mentioned, communications jobs allow you to work within the many humanitarian organizations that don´t work with news coverage specifically, but liaise with the media about their various activities, like The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a humanitarian organization with 60 years´ experience helping create a safer life for refugees. It is currently looking for a Media Adviser, who will be responsible for implementing NRC´s international media relations, external communication and its day-to-day appearance in international media; providing media training and support to relevant NRC staff; gathering media content and archiving photos and B-roll, etc.

The required qualification for this role include a minimum of 3 years of experience in professional media and communication work; experience in the field, preferably within NRC program countries; experience with photography and/or video editing. The duty station is in Oslo and the contract period is 12 months.

Save the Children is currently seeking an Information and Communications Manager. This 6-month contract position involves: delivering vital information and communication products during emergency response, enabling excellent media and fundraising activities for Save the Children Members and across Save the Children International. A master´s degree or equivalent field experience are listed as essential. You will be posted in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where there is a large expatriate community.

Master´s Programs

There are a number of ways to specialize if you´re interested in development and humanitarianism. Here are a few options.

The M.A. in Journalism, War and International Human Rights at the University of Lincoln, UK, is a 12-month program that costs GBP 15,605 per year. You can focus on war and the media, journalism and conflict resolution, international human rights for journalists, core broadcast or core writing for your final project. Teachers on the program have produced seminal texts on the field of peace journalism, according to their website, and they have connections with CND, MoD, Peace Pledge Union and other organizations.

The M.A in Journalism, Media and Globalization at Aarhus University, Denmark, is a European Erasmus Mundus Master´s program for those who wish you acquire the intellectual tools to practice journalism in our globalized world. This two-year program costs 8000 Euros per year for international students and non-EEA members. You can gain knowledge in one of the following specialist areas: media and politics, business and finance reporting, journalism and media across cultures or war and conflict.

The M.A. in The Politics of Conflict and Violence is a 24-month, online program offered by the University of Leicester that costs GBP 7805 for the full program. It´s designed to equip you with all the skill and resources you need to ask critical questions about the politics of conflict and violence occurring in the world, and includes the study of the following course: the politics of war and peace, the changing character of war, the nature and theoretical conceptualization of violence, humanitarian intervention. It´s also great for your professional development if you want to tackle a position at a non-governmental organization, the UN or in the media.

Ready to start your master´s study program? It´s bound to be an unforgettable period of your life, but sometimes it´s hard to get onto the program you want to be accepted onto the most. Need some assistance starting your humanitarian academic career? That´s what we´re here for! Get in contact as soon as you can so we can begin on your statement right away.

Sample Introduction to PS in Journalism, Master's Degree, Chinese Applicant

Becoming a world class journalist without national boundaries is my goal, acting always in the public interest and staying loyal to the truth to the extent to which it is possible to do so – especially in China. I look forward to a long professional lifetime of conversation with people from all walks of life, embracing the intellectual diversity of multicultural minds. I aspire to have the courage to step on the toes of important entities. The MA Program in Journalism at XXXX University if my first choice for graduate school because …

Personal Statement of Purpose for Admission to Graduate School in Journalism, Master's MA, PHD.

Few fields of study prepare a young person for as wide a range of interesting and challenging careers. Journalists first and foremost learn to write, to accumulate and analyze information. This set of skills is in demand in a host of fields beyond traditional mass media.

The study of journalism exposes a student to current affairs and problems, from issues of campus governance to international news and concerns. Journalism students are expected to question, challenge sources of information, and seek a variety of data and opinions on any serious issue. These skills are useful in many interesting professions as well as the media itself. Journalism students are given the daily opportunity to practice what they learn, in hands-on student publication laboratories, culminating in a professional internship. The world of work is but a quick step from the world of the classroom and laboratory.

Please note, however, that while almost all Western countries have "freedom of the press", where journalists can have great control over what they can research, write and publish about. Not all countries have this privilege. Many countries oppress the freedom of speech and of the press. In fact, many journalists in these countries are oppressed or censored by their governments. Many journalists are held hostage, captured or detained during conflicts in other countries. They are expected to be treated as civilians and to be released to their home countries - however this is not always the case. Situations such as these can become extremely dangerous.

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N.J. college student killed in I-295 crash ID’d by police

• Updated: Apr. 16, 2024, 9:13 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 16, 2024, 10:39 a.m.
• Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Authorities have identified the 20-year-old man killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 295 in Mercer County on Sunday evening as a Rider University student.

Samuel Beale, of the Kenvil section Roxbury, was driving an SUV north near milepost 60.6 in Hamilton shortly before 8 p.m. when he veered off the highway to the left and struck both a concrete bridge support and guardrail, State Police said.

Beale was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Rider offered its condolences in a written statement to NJ Advance Media.

“The Rider University community was heartbroken to learn of Samuel’s tragic passing,” a school spokeswoman said. “His death touches all corners of our campus, as we remember Samuel for the friendship, kindness and joy he brought to all who knew him. We cannot comprehend the grief of his parents and extended family, and everyone at Rider is keeping them close in our thoughts as they cope with this incredible loss. Samuel was a bright light within our university community and he will forever be a member of the Rider University family.”

Beale was sophomore economic major at Rider, according to his LinkedIn.com page . A 2022 graduate of Roxbury High School, Beale was an honor roll student who was on the Morris County school’s track and field team .

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• The Education Gradebook

Florida survey of college students asks: Does a vote for Trump or Biden end a friendship?

• Lauren Brensel and Amanda Friedman Fresh Take Florida

GAINESVILLE — The latest round of a state survey of Florida college and university students includes a slew of new questions probing how their political views have affected relationships on campus — and whether it’s hard to be friends with people who have voted for Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

The anonymous and voluntary annual survey — which is loaded with ideological political and free speech questions — was distributed by email and text to public higher ed students and was to be completed by Friday. Some students said they viewed participation in the survey as a responsibility. Others, along with faculty members, expressed skepticism about the survey’s content, methodology and security.

Florida temporarily suspended the “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” survey last year after distributing it for the first time in 2022, with a response rate of roughly 2% for students. The annual surveys are mandated by a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 following Republican state lawmakers’ concerns about conservative views being suppressed on college campuses.

The law requires that the Board of Governors and the Board of Education “annually assess intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity at certain institutions.” Faculty have yet to receive a survey this year as the law requires.

The student survey this year has 52 questions, more than double the previous version.

The Biden-Trump questions are asked separately. The survey says, Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “It’s hard to be friends with people who voted for Joe Biden” and then the same question with Trump’s name instead of Biden’s. Students are given a range of possible answers, from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

“The fact that they actually named the presidents — it really rubbed me the wrong way,” said Noah Barguez-Arias, 23, of Miami, a graduate student at the University of Florida.

“It’s kind of gross, it’s kind of slimy,” she added. “I feel like the universities just shouldn’t really worry about that. … It doesn’t really matter what political beliefs or whatever identifying thing students believe in or what their professors or (administration) believe in as long as everyone is safe from harm.”

Some other new politically pointed questions ask whether the student has been socially excluded, harassed or threatened for sharing political views, lost friends because of their political beliefs and witnessed students with either liberal or conservative views receive “uncivil treatment.”

The survey also contains several new questions this year related to protests and freedom of speech on campus. It asks what actions are appropriate to challenge demonstrators or speakers, including using violence or attempting to block other students from attending an event, and what students think of how their administration has handled such matters or how they should.

And it asks students about their comfort level in disagreeing with a professor on a controversial topic and expressing their opinions.

“We didn’t want our members to be taken advantage of for any political interest at all, so we felt the need to communicate that to our members,” said Cassie Urbenz, communications co-chairperson of UF’s Graduate Assistants United, which urged members not to take the survey. “The data can very easily be manipulated.”

In a statement about the survey, a representative of the Florida College System, which includes 28 public community and state colleges, said colleges and universities should be where students are taught how to think, not what to think.

“The college campus is supposed to be a place where ideas can be freely discussed, weighed against each other, and informed conclusions can be drawn, and no student should feel alienated or persecuted for expressing their opinions in their college institutions,” the statement said.

Deanna Michael, an associate professor of higher education and policy at the University of South Florida, said too many of the survey questions focus on the dynamic between liberals and conservatives.

“Intellectual freedom and diversity is not really about political thought,” said Michael, a past chairperson of the Board of Governors’ Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, adding that she isn’t sure whether she will take the survey this year.

On campuses, conservative students welcomed the questionnaire.

Natalie Schiffer, a 22-year-old University of Central Florida senior and president of her university’s chapter of the conservative group Turning Point USA, took the survey using a link sent to her via text. She encourages every student to participate.

Schiffer said she often feels uncomfortable expressing conservative views on campus and added that she has been flipped off by students for being affiliated with Turning Point USA. During lectures, she said, one of her professors frequently expresses his progressive beliefs.

“There are times when I feel that I cannot talk about the clubs I am involved in or I cannot speak on certain things out of fear of getting failed or having someone be mean or nasty to me,” she said.

Owen Girard, a 19-year-old junior at Florida State University and president of his university’s Turning Point USA chapter, said he believes students’ First Amendment rights are at risk with the growing political division on college campuses, making participation in the survey a civic duty.

“You’re an American citizen, first and foremost, and your rights need to be protected,” he said.

Unlike students at the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida, who received the survey through both text and email, Girard received only an email notification. He said he wishes FSU had made more effort to promote the survey, such as by texting students.

Meanwhile, some critics have questioned whether the survey is anonymous as state education officials insist, and expressed doubts about the quality of its methodology.

The lengthy survey also contains an instance in which information is supplied to the student ahead of a question. Before question 49, the survey offers data that purports to be about professors’ alleged party affiliation, saying in part, “A recent national survey of university faculty found that about 56% of professors are Democrat, 16% are Independent, and 27% are Republican.”

No source for the information is provided and the question asks students if they agree or disagree with the statement: “My college or university should take action to promote political diversity among its faculty.” Providing information immediately before a question is a dubious methodological technique that can be used to manipulate polling or survey results. It is known as “push” polling because it pushes the respondent toward a desired answer, rather than simply measuring their opinion.

Michael noted that she believed the 2022 survey was not vetted through an independent review process to determine whether proper precautions had been taken to ensure no personally identifiable information about participants, such as IP addresses, was being collected or stored. It is unclear whether this year’s survey underwent a review process and state officials did not respond to questions about it.

“If it’s going to be anonymous, really make it anonymous” to protect participants from any “negative repercussions,” Michael added.

Cassandra Edwards, a spokesperson for the Board of Governors, said in a statement that the survey is anonymous. She did not respond to efforts to contact her with additional questions.

Stephen Craig, a political science professor at the University of Florida and expert in question writing for survey research, said he was concerned about the lack of answer options on some of the questions about political views and that some could be confusing.

For instance, he cited the question, “Which of the following statements comes closer to your own personal opinion?”

Students could select from only two possible answers: “Speech is violence and should be treated as such by the university” or “It is important for a healthy campus life that the distinctions between speech and violence are maintained.”

“You not only have to write a question that gets at what you’re trying to measure,” he said, “but you need to do it in good conversational language and make it clear as it can be. ‘Speech is violence’ is not clear.”

This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] .

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Over 200 Penn faculty express support for graduate student workers seeking unionization

GET-UP rallied in front of College Hall to support graduate student workers' push for union recognition on Oct. 4, 2023. 

Over 200 Penn faculty members expressed their support for Penn’s graduate student workers organization, which is facing an ongoing battle to unionize and gain University recognition.  

During the past year, hundreds of members of Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania have filed cards expressing their desire to form a union. In response, 224 Penn faculty members affirmed their right to organize by signing a support statement drafted by the American Association of University Professors . 

Several professors who spoke with The Daily Pennsylvanian said they were motivated to support GET—UP due to their own experience with labor organizing. History professor Kathleen Brown attributed her support for GET—UP to her personal experience as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin. During her time as a Ph.D. student, Brown contributed to the unionization efforts of teaching assistants. 

“I was a steward for my department during the election that led to the creation of the union,” she told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Having had this experience, it would be difficult for me not to support an organizing effort led by graduate students.” 

224 Penn Faculty | Statement in support of graduate worker unionization

Penn union coalition, local elected officials call on University to stop union-busting

Originally, the student group was set to vote on whether to unionize on April 16 and 17. However, the election was postponed, and on Monday, GET—UP announced that the election has been rescheduled to May 1 and 2 in Bodek Lounge.

The decision to push back election dates came after GET—UP’s appeal against Penn’s attempt to exclude certain groups of workers from voting. On April 11 , the student group announced that they had won their appeal and continued to urge graduate students to vote in the election.

The issues the group seeks to address include safe, fair, and transparent working conditions; financial security; protections against discrimination and harassment; and healthcare benefits. 

History and Sociology of Science professor Harun Küçük highlighted the significance of ensuring fair wages for graduate students. 

“The hardest topic to talk about is also the most important, which is monetary compensation,” he told the DP. “Although Penn has recently increased the graduate stipends by a substantial margin, we are still relatively behind our peers. This calls for something to be done, and our students have decided to take matters into their own hands.” 

Beginning in the 2023-2024 academic school year, Penn increased the minimum stipend from $30,457 to $38,000. This stipend still remains slightly less than the Ivy League’s average minimum stipend of $39,226 .

“Universities are places for self-fulfillment, and the work that we do is on that path," Küçük said. "If students are financially burdened, they are not in the proper position to fully live this out."

Professor of Russian and East European Studies and Political Science Mitchell Orenstein pointed out the historical impact of unions in the United States. He added that, during his time as a graduate student at Yale, he was an organizer for their graduate student union, Local 33-UNITE HERE.

“The pay at the time was atrocious and effectively unlivable," he told the DP. "When we organized, after many tough battles, the University nearly tripled our salaries."

Orenstein also expressed optimism for GET—UP’s future achievements.

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“I think that the best proof that the unionization efforts have worked at Penn is the responsiveness of the administration before the union is officially voted on," he said. "The student group has already made a major impact and I believe they will continue to do that."

GET—UP has advised graduates to remain attentive to updates, especially those pertaining to the upcoming election. 

“I hope that for the sake of campus democracy, as many graduate students [as possible] come out to vote,” Küçük said.

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