Personal statements, statements of interest, or graduate school application essays all require you to reflect upon your experiences and accomplishments as an undergraduate as you plan your next steps. Here are some resources to make the process a little easier.

Step One: Prepare

• Use the resources on Lettersmith. This will help you communicate more effectively.
• View the Canvas tutorial Personal Statements 101. This tutorial focuses on the elements and mechanics that go into effective personal statements.
• Review pre-professional resources if relevant.
  • Pre-Health Personal Statements
  • Pre-Law Essays

Step Two: Have someone review it

The LSA Opportunity Hub

Coaching at the LSA Opportunity Hub helps LSA students with personal statements as well as other wrap-around services focused on your next steps. Additionally, the LSA Opportunity Hub has a Drafting Your Personal Statment module within their canvas course for drafting your personal statement.

Sweetland Peer Writing Center

Students like you are available to discuss your personal statement through the Sweetland Peer Writing Center. You can schedule with the Sweetland Peer Writing Center or submit your work through the Asynchronous Written Feedback option from their Writing Support page. Please note that the Writing Workshop does not review personal statements - be sure to schedule with the Sweetland Peer Writing Center.

The best letters of recommendation are written by people who know you well. If possible, choose a variety of letter writers to present a more comprehensive picture of yourself. Some of your references may not be faculty members (e.g. graduate student instructors). That’s okay! Most often, it is the depth of response and not the title or position of the letter writer that is most important. 

1. Know what graduate schools are looking for in their applicants.This will help you select letter writers who can speak to those criteria. In general, graduate schools seek applicants who demonstrate the following, so you’ll want to find someone who can speak to these qualities or the qualities that your program is looking for.

• Intellectual development through college
• Aptitude for independent thinking and research
• Analytical abilities and writing skills
• Leadership or creative qualities

2. Think about people who could tell a good story about you. A letter that only includes general comments, such as, “She was a good student who participated in class and turned in her assignments on time,” indicates that the person only knows you superficially and is unable to talk about you with any depth or knowledge. A strong letter writer is someone who knows you well, knows your educational and career goals, has a high opinion of you and who can:

• evaluate your performance in your field of interest
• discuss your personal characteristics
• discuss your capacity to work with others
  
• discuss your leadership skills
• evaluate your level of professionalism
• discuss your academic skills -- not simply experience, but evaluate your potential to succeed in graduate-level study.

3. Choose a variety of letter writers. You could select one person under whom you have done a research project or an independent study, another who is familiar with your experiences on a study abroad program or an internship, and select another you have had for several classes.

Avoid asking for a letter of recommendation in an email unless you’ve already mentioned your plans in a previous conversation. Instead, discuss your plans during a meeting and ask for a letter there. During your meeting, be direct. Ask the instructor if they are able to write a strong letter to support your application to graduate school. A lukewarm letter won’t be helpful and will likely hurt your application, so if the instructor cannot offer a strong letter, it is best to ask someone else. If an instructor says no, do not be offended; they are doing you a favor.
If you have not already done so, you’ll want to meet with the person you’re going to ask and share some of the following:

• Your reasons for pursuing this particular program
• Your career goals
• How your undergraduate program has led you to this graduate path
• Why you have selected this particular person as a letter writer
• Why you are a strong candidate for this graduate program
   

When someone agrees to write the letter for you, send the following in a single email to them:

• Resume
• Transcript 
• Any activities/experiences (not on your resume) that you want your reference to highlight 
• A list of each school/program for which they will write a letter with instructions for how they will submit the letter and the deadline

Give your letter writers at least one month to write your recommendations and be sure the deadline is clear. People are busy and have likely been asked to write letters for other students. By asking well in advance of the deadline, you are demonstrating not only that you are respectful of their time, but also that you are able to manage your time and prioritize things that are important to you like graduate school. This also demonstrates maturity.

It’s okay to send friendly reminders, such as, “Is there any additional information you need to complete my application for Harvard Graduate School by Oct. 22?” Most people appreciate gentle reminders; an irritated email, such as “I gave you the materials over two weeks ago, can you please get the letter in by tomorrow,” will likely only agitate rather than expedite the process.
 

Perhaps the most obvious place to get to know faculty is in the classroom. However, an instructor will not have the opportunity to get to know you from the other 300 students if you simply attend the class lectures. You will have to find a way to engage the course material and the instructor. Here are some ideas.

• Be on time and sit near the front of the class. This allows you to focus on the instructor and the course material. If you are close enough, the instructor will be able to make eye contact with you and will see that you are engaged in the lecture. Even this non-verbal interaction creates a connection.
• Be prepared for class by reading assigned materials, writing required papers, and completing problems so that you can ask intelligent questions and follow the lecture more closely. If you are behind on the readings or the homework, it can be more difficult to ask thoughtful questions in class. Instructors very quickly identify students who are well prepared for class.
• Tie current events into lecture material. After class or during office hours, approach your instructor to discuss a news article, documentary, or news radio program that recently published/aired an article/story related to a topic covered in class. This shows the instructor that you are not only interested in the course but that you are making connections between the classroom and current events.
• Use office hours, and use them effectively.
   

• Mind your manners: Arrive on time, address the instructor by their last name with the appropriate title (professor, doctor, etc., unless they have asked you to address them by their first name). Keep your interactions professional, and thank the instructor for their time. Some instructors will be happy to chat about a range of topics, but some will want to stay focused on just those topics directly related to their class. Follow their lead.
• Prepare: Write down some questions to ask, and bring a notepad to take notes on the answers. Bring your text, your class notes, and any recent assignments you would like to discuss. This all shows the instructor that you’re on top of things—and that you respect their time. You’ll also feel more confident and you will benefit more from your meeting.
  
• Don't wait: Go to office hours early in the semester when you can talk about ideas without the anxiety of an impending exam. Keep going to office hours so you can ask questions as they arise and not let them pile up. This can help you stay on top of the course material—and, when you show up for the instructor’s help at exam time, you won’t be a stranger.

• Use a recent assignment as a springboard. If you’ve recently taken a test or completed an assignment for the class, take it with you so you can discuss specific questions with your instructor. Ask if they notice a pattern in the types of questions you missed—and if they have advice about how you can better prepare for such questions or problems.
• I'm doing pretty well, but could I be doing even better? Meet with your instructor to discuss your performance in the class and the possibility of revising your strategies to do even better. Instructors can help you formulate study questions, think about the best way to prepare for an exam, understand their evaluation of your written work, or strategize about an upcoming essay assignment.
• I'm struggling. HELP! If you are struggling in the class, meet with your instructor to ask for clarification of key concepts and for help adjusting your study strategies. If possible, before meeting, catch up on the readings, review your notes, and try to solve problems on your own. Write down specific questions, highlight sections of your notes you would like to discuss, and bring problems that have baffled you. It’s appropriate to stop by office hours if you missed a class and need some clarification of the topics covered, but don’t ask or expect the instructor to re-teach the material or go over everything you missed. Go in with a short list of specific questions.
  
• I’m really behind and really struggling! If you’re really struggling with the class, it’s okay to show up and simply talk about how to get back on track and/or if that’s even possible. You can ask for an assessment of your grade and standing in the class. An instructor can help you think about the most effective ways to study and learn the material. All of this will be information you can use to make a decision about how to proceed.
• Explore majors, classes, and opportunities. Ask questions like: What majors would be the best fit for me considering my interest in your class? What other classes could I take to continue to explore the topics your class addresses? What kinds of organizations or programs would help me to develop these interests outside the classroom? What kinds of careers are available to someone who pursues this field of study?
• Ask for advice. Visiting office hours is a great way to discuss graduate school possibilities, ask about research, talk about your interests, or ask if they have any suggestions for how you can achieve your goals.