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The Personal Statement: Strategies

for Fulbright Applicants

Adapted from presentations by University of California Office of the President; and Mark Isham at DVC

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Overview• Q & A and Brainstorm• Purpose of the personal statement• Instructions and prompts• Writing basics and strategies• Feedback

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Q & A and Brainstorm

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BrainstormOn a piece of paper, finish these

sentences:• In the US, I would like to study…• Because…• It will benefit

me because… my institution because… and El Salvador because…

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Purpose of the personal

statement

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Purpose of the Personal Statement

• Opportunity to provide information that supports and augments your application

• Avoid redundancy• Helps readers know and understand you

as a person

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Example 1• Read these excerpts. Are they strong

or weak? Why?“Life has presented me challenges

since the first years of my life. Twice I was denied admission to one of the best schools in El Salvador….I accepted the challenge and studied there for eight years, graduating from high school with the highest GPA of my class.”

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Example 2• “It may sound a little romantic to

say I was a distracted, misbehaved kid who got bad grades and who suddenly discovered he was good with math, liked it, and change. It is a little romantic but it’s true. I was in high school in 9nth grade and saw two girls trying to solve a mathematical quiz which was printed on a newspaper page; I asked what it was, got interested in solving it and actually I solved the problems.”

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Know Your Audience• Your reader is an admissions specialist.• Your personal statement will indirectly tell

your reader:What is important to youWhat qualities/characteristics define you as a

personWhich of these qualities/characteristics is most

prominent

A genuine statement is critical to this process!

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Fulbright:Instructions and

Prompts

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Instructions• Two prompts?• This personal statement should be

a narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals. It should…

• Write a clear and detailed description of your study/research objectives, and give your reasons for…

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Prompt #1This personal statement should be a narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals. It should not be a mere listing of facts. It should include information about your education, practical experience, special interests, and career plans. Describe any significant factors that have influenced your educational or professional development. Comment on the number of years of practical experience already completed in the field in which academic work will be done in the U.S.

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Write a clear and detailed description of your study/research objectives, and give your reasons for wanting to pursue them. Be specific about your major field and your specialized interests within this field. Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your study plan fits in with your previous training and your future objectives. Do not mention specific U.S. universities at which you would like to study.

Prompt #2

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Writing Basics and Strategies

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Academic Essay Organization

Describe the key elements in these parts of an essay:

• Introduction• Body paragraph/paragraphs• Conclusion

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Steps to Writing an Effective Personal

Statement

2) Gather Information

3) Read Critically

1) Complete Your Application

4) Develop Topic and Thesis

5) Draft, Get Feedback, Revise

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Important Strategies• Write about specific, unique experiences that

have influenced you• Depth rather than breadth. Focus on 1 or 2

key themes, ideas or experiences• Evaluate experiences, rather than describe

them• Use a writing process• Get good feedback

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Writing Process• Read the application critically, looking

for questions, patterns, and implications.

• Draft.• Get feedback — give readers at least

several days to respond.• Revise for organization, clarity, and

meaning.• Proofread (errors are distracting).

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Filling in the Blanks• Use the Levels of Questions strategy

with your application What data/facts do you find in your

application? What patterns do you see? What questions would you ask? What assumptions might you make? How well does your essay align with the

application?

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How to Get Good Feedback

• Give your reviewer your application and personal statement, not just your statement.

• Provide your reviewer with a list of questions you would like them to answer.

• Ask them to comment on ideas and the level of persuasiveness, not on grammar and usage.

• Find reviewers who resemble your target audience - adult educators and administrators.

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Resources• Past Fulbright recipients • An English instructor• Contacts at the US Embassy