Almost all scholarship applications involve writing a personal statement. Sometimes it is the only piece of the writing required for the scholarship, but sometimes there are several other things required for applying for a scholarship. So overall it means that the requirements of one scholarship with another scholarship vary a lot. Writing a personal statement shows how well the applicant relates to their work and their goals. And what makes them very unique is that they should be selected for that scholarship.
Writing a strong personal statement will help you achieve your goals and make your career successful. The best personal statement will help an individual stand out and be unique from other candidates. Writing an amazing personal statement will help you win the scholarship. And it will help you convince the scholarship committee that you deserve the scholarship.
It is the best way to set yourself apart from others. So, therefore, I have listed some elements that you should include in your personal statement while applying for a scholarship. Let’s have a quick look at them as follow:
What Should You Write in Your Personal Statement
1. Personality
What makes you think that you are unique, what do you think about yourself, and who you are? So for giving answers to all these questions, you have to write a personal statement and describe your abilities and personality. If you want to impress the reader, then you must include this element because it is very helpful. Therefore, it is the most important element for impressing the reader. Why should they invest in your studies? You have to make them believe that you are different from others and your personality is very unique. You have to describe yourself the way they expect from you. So if you want to win scholarships, then you have to include this element in your statement.
Example:
My name is…………….. I was born in the city of _______in _______ I am a student of ……….University.Write 3 to 5 more lines about yourself.
I become to know about this scholarship a few days ago. I am willing to apply for this scholarship and this would be a good opportunity for me to graduate from (name of the university you apply to) with a valid and valuable degree that can help me to give hand to my people in my country.
Why do I choose to apply for this Scholarship and study in this university?
The University of _______ is one of the top universities in…………. and its IT department is one of the most highly ranked departments as well. Studying in such a first-class IT program is always my dream. I chose this program because nowadays technology plays a vital role in the life of human beings. Knowing about technologies of the day will make me to be updated and have knowledge of the day.
Also Read: Personal Statement Example
2. Goals
Why should they invest in your studies and in you? What will they get in return? Will they benefit by selecting you? Your goals must be as good as they expect from you. You must convince them that by winning the scholarship, you will be able to achieve your goals and career goals. And your only purpose is to bring improvements to this world and work for the betterment of it. Make sure that your goals are clear to the reader and it will only happen when you mention it in your personal statement. So mentioning your goals is the second most important element of winning scholarships.
Example:
I will pursue my IT degree at _______University of…………… The normal length of the study is about _______. Throughout these five years, my study and research will be focused on _______. The time arrangement of the study plan is listed as follows.
First Year (From – to )
2nd Year
3rd Year
4th Year
My plan after graduation
After graduation, I plan to find a job as an IT manager in my country. Moreover, the knowledge I gain through this scholarship, I would try to spread this knowledge and help people who are interested in this field. Write 3 more lines…..
3. Authenticity
Write your opinions about yourself honestly because honesty is the best policy for winning a scholarship. If you lack authenticity, then you will lose your trust in front of the reader and the scholarship committee. Once they start trusting you, then everything will come under your control. Therefore, be honest and genuine while applying for a scholarship. Write what the reader expects to hear from you. This must be applied while writing a personal statement for a scholarship.
Example:
For instance, you can add the following qualities which show you are authentic:
- Have realistic perceptions of reality.
- Accepting of themselves and of other people.
- Thoughtful.
- Have a non-hostile sense of humor.
- Able to express your emotions freely and clearly.
- Open to learning from your mistakes.
- Understand your motivations.
4. Be careful with Humor
Remember that a personal statement is an opportunity for you to describe your life completely and make a good image of yourself in front of the scholarship committee. Therefore, don’t allow clichés to speak for you. Once put yourself instead of the reader and think about what you want to read and what you expect from the candidates. If they start writing useless things, then how you will react to it. Obviously, you will reject that person and will move to review someone else’s application.
What might seem funny to you, might not seem like that to someone who even doesn’t know you very well.
So be careful while writing a personal statement and don’t allow your clichés to destroy your life.
5. Be Clear, Consiced and Organized
Make sure your personal statement follows a logical and accurate structure. There should not be any grammatical errors, punctuation marks errors, capitalization mistakes, and spelling errors. If you have committed an error, rectify it before you are rejected.
Avoiding long and irrelevant statements will help you win the scholarship easily. Explain everything briefly with clear ideas. Think about how it will sound to someone who even doesn’t know you. As I stated before that put yourself instead of the reader and review your personal statement. If you receive any candidate’s personal statement and it is long and complicated, then how you will react to it. Obviously, no one would like to waste their time and read such a complicated, irrelevant, and long personal statement.
6. Be Thoughtful
A strong personal statement should reflect your thinking power and the way you think about this world and your surroundings. Writing a strong personal statement doesn’t mean that you should discuss all the difficulties you have faced. Basically, the writer should be able to show their perspective on how he/she sees the world and what they think about this world. Therefore, it is a very important element to include in the personal statement while applying for any scholarship.
7. Give Yourself Time for Revision
Personal statements should go through several outlines before submission. Recheck your statements and make sure you have not committed any mistake in your personal statement otherwise, you will be rejected. We all know that before submitting the scholarship application, we have to take plenty of time to review and rectify our mistakes. And then we have to rewrite all the statements once again. Outlines are known as our best friends so therefore, you have to follow this simple tip to win the trust of the reader and get the scholarship.
Read: 5 Tips to Help You Proofread Your Writing Like a Pro
Bottom Line
These were all the seven elements that you should include in your personal statement while applying for a scholarship. Remember, a well-written personal statement includes clarity, relevance, sense of humor, authenticity, review, thinking power, your goals, and a good impression by describing your personality.
These are the seven secret elements of writing a perfect personal statement. All you have to do is include and write these things in your personal statement and follow what is required. What do you think about this title? What have I missed to mention in this article? Do you guys know about any other element which we should write in your personal statement? If you know, please feel free to share your feedback and ideas with us in the comments section below. And stay tuned for more articles and updates.
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