personal statement

[KieBelle]

First off, I realize that similar questions to this one have been asked before. I've read through those posts and am still at a loss. So any help would be much appreciated.

One of the schools I'm applying to requires the standard SOP AND a Personal Statement. The prompt for the PS is this:

How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University X?

For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.

Please do not repeat your Academic Statement of Purpose.

I've learned through this forum that this is actually a "diversity statement", the university's way of finding out your ethnic background. My question is, how does a white, middle-class American with no traumatic life experiences or significant challenges to overcome answer this question? I'm sure that when they ask for a "discussion of the journey" that's led me to grad school, they don't want "I've wanted to be a _______ since I was 5 years old." So what the heck am I supposed to write? Has anyone else in my situation had to write one of these? Any suggestions? (Of course I realize you know nothing about me or my life- I'm just asking for general ideas.)

Thanks in advance.

[pea-jay]

Yes those "diversity-seeking" personal statements are annoying. We can't all be children of dirt poor immigrants, lost limbs in traumatic accidents or put ourselves through high school while being homeless. Even being a "boring white american" you can still bring have something of interest to a grad school. You just have to be creative about it. You're focus is middle eastern studies, so something about that region interests you. Does anyone in your family have connections to the area? If not you certainly must have some story to tell how you got interested in it. In that case maybe growing up in an environment where the middle east is viewed in either a disinterested ("a place people hear about in the news") or pejorative ("breeding ground for terrorism and war") sense may be a way of differentiating yourself from those with direct connections to that region. Plus you can answer their question section "grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking" by highlighting your lack of exposure to foreign cultures and/or non-biased opinions towards mid east.

But it probably is your only realistic option, short of getting actual experience. When I left my undergrad school, I had very little to offer grad schools as well. My only options then were certain state schools that did not have requirements such as what you are facing. Since then I bolstered my background with a variety of things schools are looking for.

Good luck

[zilch]

admissions committees can be sneaky but not always in the way that you think. I've always thought that leveraging 'hardships' on these applications are rather insincere. Unless the experience resulted in a horrendous semester or something directly related to my schooling, I'd rather not share those kinds of personal details with strangers. I've also sat on the side of a selection committee (not for graduate admissions, but one of the essays the applicants had was similar) and those that talked exclusively about the difficulty of their experience were tossed out immediately.

What we were looking for (and I'd imagine that adcoms are looking for this as well) is whether or not you can take initiative. If you grew up near a University, they want to know whether you took advantage of having such a resource close by. If you had a family friend or relative that was an expert in something, did you ask them questions. If there were community service projects at your school, did you participate. If you had difficult experiences growing up, what did you do about it. It's not about the obstacle/experience, but rather how you got around it and what you took from it.

if you had a box of legos, did you follow the instructions or throw them out?

the question asks about your experience, what they're looking for is how much of that experience was handed to you, and how much you made on your own.

This is, of course, my opinion. Be mindful that I come from a perspective that may be biased very differently than those in your field. If you have an academic advisor or professors you know well, you should seek them out as they'll have had students go through this before and they may have even sat on admissions committees before.

[coyabean]

I don't understand the bitterness about these statements. No one is suggesting, as was said above, that you have to be an amputee to be interesting. Surely you have considered why your work matters to you? I think they would like to hear about that. Are you fascinated by human behavior? Do you watch people and imagine their personal narratives? Do you prefer documentaries to the big blockbusters? Why is being a white person inherently boring? You are a person. You are unlike any other person. Explain how.

[keylimekai]

hmm, I have to do these too, for Minnesota and the UC system. I'm planning on talking about geography (growing up in rural South Dakota), working through high school and college so I could afford it, and how these things helped develop my work ethic and sense of creativity. Still, my essay feels sort of lame...

[peffy1962]

Does anyone have an idea of how long these statements typically should be? I have a similar prompt for Northwestern (Diversity presents itself in many different forms such as: socio-economic status, race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or place of origin, disability, unique work or life experience, etc. We invite you to use this space to tell us how you may contribute to the diversification of, The Graduate School, your program and Northwestern University), and I'm not sure what kind of detail they're looking for. There's no character limit -- just a link to upload a document. I'm going the "unique life experience" route, so I'm not sure if that makes any sort of a difference.

Any insight would be great! Thanks so much.

[KieBelle]

I don't understand the bitterness about these statements.

I'm not sure bitterness is the right word. Perhaps exasperation?

Does anyone have an idea of how long these statements typically should be?

Mine asks for 500 words, although my essay will probably be half that length, haha.

Thanks for everyone's great suggestions!

[rogue]

(Diversity presents itself in many different forms such as: socio-economic status, race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or place of origin, disability, unique work or life experience, etc.

Interesting that they specifically mention sexual orientation; I wonder if many people respond in that vein. I'm outing myself in my SOPs, but then I'm studying gender and sexuality, and it seems appropriate since my own personal experience is part of what led me to the field. Anyone else mentioning this in their SOPs or personal statements?

[pangur-ban]

Does sexual orientation 'count' as diversity in general, do you think? I have to write the diversity statements for a couple of UC schools, and at a visit, a professor advised me to write about anything at all that might count, as it is a good way to get funding. I'm middle class, American, white, with college-educated parents, etc. so I'm not sure what to write otherwise. The professor's words were that "any group that was traditionally less likely to go to college" was game, so it doesn't seem like sexual orientation would qualify by that standard. Also, my research is completely unrelated to gender/LGBT studies, so it really has no bearing on anything there.

[Dr._Robotnik's_Shadow]

Does sexual orientation 'count' as diversity in general, do you think? I have to write the diversity statements for a couple of UC schools, and at a visit, a professor advised me to write about anything at all that might count, as it is a good way to get funding. I'm middle class, American, white, with college-educated parents, etc. so I'm not sure what to write otherwise. The professor's words were that "any group that was traditionally less likely to go to college" was game, so it doesn't seem like sexual orientation would qualify by that standard. Also, my research is completely unrelated to gender/LGBT studies, so it really has no bearing on anything there.

I think it counts. Gays and lesbians are still often times minorities and treated unfairly. If you have something to say about how you've helped them or whatever it would really be good. Diversity affects everyone, males, females, blacks, whites, rich, poor, disabled, able-bodied, married, unmarried, singles, couples you name it.

I also don't think they are taking this statement literally, Like, what specifically have you done. Anyway in which you have helped someone succeed or open a door for them that might not have otherwise been opened is fair game in these statements.

[pangur-ban]

I think it counts. Gays and lesbians are still often times minorities and treated unfairly. If you have something to say about how you've helped them or whatever it would really be good. Diversity affects everyone, males, females, blacks, whites, rich, poor, disabled, able-bodied, married, unmarried, singles, couples you name it.

I also don't think they are taking this statement literally, Like, what specifically have you done. Anyway in which you have helped someone succeed or open a door for them that might not have otherwise been opened is fair game in these statements.

Hmmm? I thought it was about what diversity we bring to the school, so like "As a lesbian, I will provide someone for campus's other three lesbians to date" rather than "I've helped lesbians" which I haven't done (at least not in any sort of way one could put in an official statement). But if helping counts, I've done various stuff with ESL, so that might be a nice approach for me.

[rogue]

Hmmm? I thought it was about what diversity we bring to the school, so like "As a lesbian, I will provide someone for campus's other three lesbians to date"

Awesome.

[KieBelle]

Okay I've written the first draft of this wretched essay. Now I need help figuring out if it's alright or completely off the mark. Anyone willing to take a look and give some constructive feedback? Let me know and I'll PM it to you. Thanks!

[socialcomm]

Okay I've written the first draft of this wretched essay. Now I need help figuring out if it's alright or completely off the mark. Anyone willing to take a look and give some constructive feedback? Let me know and I'll PM it to you. Thanks!

I'll take a look at it if you'd like.

[swisnieski]

While no graduate schools I'm applying to are asking me about diversity explicitly, one of the research fellowships I'm applying for does; specifically it asks how my receipt of the fellowship would broaden opportunities for underrepresented minorities to participate in research and education generally. I'm using my experience as a peer tutor in my school's Academic Support Center as an example, since many of the people I tutor are non-traditional students (including single mothers) or minorities. It's often enough as well just to say that you will strive to bring minorities and others on board with the work you'll be doing at the graduate level.

I've also stretched the diversity notion a little bit but pointing out that I am part of an under-addressed class of people who traditionally struggle in school because of a lack of family support -- I am a first-generation student.

Hopefully this will give you some idea of ways you can incorporate diversity into your SOP!

Edited October 24, 2009 by evecon12