Need some guidance for my "personal statement" for my application.

TPfan24 · Sep 24, 2007

My feelings are this statement serves to explain who you are and why you want to persue an advanced degree. Some meaningful nursing moments would be good. Tell about yourself, what makes nursing so important that you want to continue on. Make this statement as individual as you are. I would not be blunt or formal. Make it personable with your writing style. There will plenty of time for APA or formalized writing styles. Do double check your punctuation and sentence structure. Read it outloud to yourself and others. If it is genuine you'll be just fine. Hope this helps a little and good luck.

core0 · Sep 24, 2007

Hi--
Would any of you be willing to give me some guidance on what to include in a personal statement to go with my application for nurse practitioner school?
Should I be formal, blunt, brief?
Should I mix in a little lightness, a brief anecdote or two, that would help to show "the real me?" Do they want to know about the "real me?"
Or is this just an exercise to make sure that I can write well and have organized thoughts?
Anyone with any suggestions, I would be so grateful. It is the only thing holding up my application. I have it all written, and I am not comfortable with it because I don't know the expectations of my "audience."
TYVMIA,
Chris

You have to walk a delicate balance. You don't want to be too long or people will get bored and not pay attention. Too brief and you look like you don't care. Anecdotes are good but personally I would stay away from lightness. It is hard to determine what someone will find funny. Drama is always interesting unless it debases or demeans someone.

At least in PA school this is not just an exercise. It is clearly part of the way that you sell yourself to the school. If you have to sort through 400 applications for 40 slots the personal statement is one of the ways that you distinguish yourself.

For writing especially at the graduate level the OWL site is excellent:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_perstate.html

I recommend the Stelzer book if you have time to get it.

The other good site I recommend for personal statements is the IU site:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_perstate.html

Finally for a nice list of do's and don'ts:

http://www.accepted.com/grad/personalstatement.aspx

This is a vital part of any graduate school application. Essentially you are selling yourself on why you should get a place or an interview. I have seen a personal statement gain entry for students with less than stellar "scores" and doom otherwise solid applications.

Good luck

David Carpenter, PA-C