The Goal of a Personal Statement Usually, the

The Goal of a Personal Statement Usually, the desire for financial assistance triggers your need to write a personal statement as part a scholarship process. The goal of a personal statement is to convince someone that you are worthy to be granted a scholarship or receive financial aid.

Shaping/Organizing Your Personal Statement

Organization: There are three parts to a personal Statement: The Introduction The Body Paragraphs The Conclusion

The Introduction Many personal statements begin with a catchy opening, often a distinctive personal example, as a way of gaining the reader's attention. From there you can connect the example to the actual scholarship for which you are applying. Mention the specific name of the, as well as the degree you are seeking, in the first paragraph. Adapted from Indiana University’s Tutorial Services .

The Body Paragraphs Subsequent paragraphs should address any specific questions from the application, which might deal with your own qualifications or your long-term goals or some combination. Each paragraph should be focused and should have a topic sentence that informs the reader of the paragraph's emphasis. The examples from your experience must be relevant and should support your argument about your qualifications. Adapted from Indiana University’s Tutorial Services .

The Conclusion Tie together the various issues that you have raised in the essay, and reiterate your interest in receiving the scholarship. You might also mention how receiving this scholarship will be a step towards a long-term goal in a closing paragraph. Adapted from Indiana University’s Tutorial Services .

Example Introduction: mention that I need a scholarship to University of San Diego because I want to be a teacher. USD has an excellent School of Education. Body Paragraph: Mention how I have always wanted to be a teacher since junior high when I tutored elementary students. Body Paragraph: Mention that I have experience as a teacher’s assistant in Mr. Smith’s biology class. Conclusion: Note that my desire and experience make be an ideal student for USD.