writing a personal statement structure

How to structure your personal statement

Need some direction on your university personal statement? We've got a handy example of a personal statement structure for you to use!

There’s no single right or wrong way to write a personal statement, but the successful ones are usually well-researched, sincerely written and follow a familiar structural form. It’s a good idea to read examples of existing personal statements to get an idea of the many ways they can be written, but make sure the text you end up submitting is your own. 

To help you get an idea of how you could structure your personal statement, we’ve got a guideline for you to have a look at below. 

First paragraph   

Introduce yourself and why you want to study your chosen subject. It sounds obvious, but it’s what admissions tutors want to know.  

You can keep it simple and straightforward, or you can allow yourself some artistic license and explain how your interest in the subject began – perhaps a person or place where your curiosity is rooted, and why the subject is important to you.  

It's good to kick things off with something personal, but be mindful not to waffle or spend too long on it. Try to avoid the well-trodden cliches which you will certainly encounter as you research past examples online. 

Second paragraph   

Demonstrate your understanding of your chosen course through your current studies. Mention specific modules, and why they’re relevant to your degree, as well as things which you’ve recently learned which excite you.  

Include details in this section to reference later on – for example, mention what A-levels you’ve chosen, then when you’re writing about your career goals, reference how those A-level choices will help you achieve this. Doing this helps to create a cohesive and connected piece of writing. 

Third paragraph 

Detail any work experience, summer internships, jobs and volunteering positions which you’ve recently held. Ideally these will be relevant to your course, but remember that they are not expecting you to know everything about working professionally before starting your undergraduate studies.  

What you’re really doing is showing a dedication to pursuing your education in your own time. It shows initiative and the ability to take responsibility for your direction, both of which will be extremely useful to you while studying at undergraduate level. 

Fourth paragraph 

Use this paragraph to write about extracurricular activities and hobbies, because, yet be aware of pitfalls. Avoid simply listing all your hobbies and achievements, as this can feel quite impersonal if they are not written in context.  

Instead, choose two or three key examples and spend a few sentences linking them to your degree choice. It’s a nice touch to include a future-focused comment about how you intend to continue with a hobby at university, and how it might complement or combine with your studies. 

Fifth paragraph 

Make the final paragraph about your future career goals. It’s one of the most important paragraphs of your personal statement, so take your time with it.  

If you know what you want to do after university, give an outline of this. If you haven’t planned that far ahead, use the opportunity to dream a little. Using the skills, interests and qualifications that you mentioned earlier, build a narrative of how you might develop yourself through studying your degree. 

It’s important to note that you don’t have to follow these guidelines – it’s not the only way you can structure a personal statement by any means! You might use a few ideas from it, you might use all of them, you might use none. Find what works best for you in showing why you’re a good choice for the university admissions team. 

Want more personal statement help? Check out our personal statement guide!

Looking to find out what a uni is really like?  Book an open day visit!

Similar articles

YOUR UCAS POINTS 0

Please wait

• Career Milestones
• Identify Your Career Goal
• Develop a Career Plan
• Complete a Career Wellness Check
• Graduate School
• Professional Development
• Expand Your Professional Network
• Informational Interviewing
• Cover Letters
• Personal Branding
• Internships & Experiential Learning
• AI for Job Search
• Job Interview Prep
• Salary Negotiation
• Leavitt School of Health
• School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Technology
• Career Interests
• Candidates With Disabilities
• Justice-Impacted Candidates
• LGBTQ Candidates
• Candidates with Military Experience
• Biracial, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC)
• Neurodiverse Candidates

Personal Statement Outline & Structure Guide

• Share This: Share Personal Statement Outline & Structure Guide on Facebook Share Personal Statement Outline & Structure Guide on LinkedIn Share Personal Statement Outline & Structure Guide on X

A compelling personal statement needs both structure and purpose. Each section should clearly connect your experiences and goals to the opportunity at hand. Below is a step-by-step guide for crafting each paragraph. These are merely suggestions—how you choose to write your personal statement is entirely up to you!

1. Introduction: Hook the Reader

• Purpose : Capture attention immediately and set the tone for your statement. The introduction should intrigue the reader and encourage them to keep reading.
• Why : Admissions officers or hiring managers often review many applications. A compelling introduction ensures your statement stands out from the start.
• Start with a powerful anecdote, surprising fact, or a vivid description of a defining moment in your journey.
• Clearly introduce your theme or motivation—what brought you to this field or opportunity?
• Weak: “I have always wanted to be a nurse.”
• Strong: “At 10 years old, I watched my father’s surgeon deliver news with compassion, and I knew I wanted to be in a role where I could not only provide care but also comfort during life’s most vulnerable moments.”

2. Body Section (Paragraph 1): Background and Motivation

• Purpose : Explain your “why”—why you are pursuing this field or opportunity, and what sparked your interest.
• Why : This section builds the foundation for your narrative. It personalizes your statement and helps the reader understand the origins of your goals.
• Share a specific event, class, or experience that ignited your passion.
• Highlight any challenges or turning points that shaped your perspective or commitment.
• Demonstrate self-awareness by reflecting on what these experiences taught you.
• Weak: “I took some science courses in college and found them interesting.”
• Strong: “In my sophomore year of college, a biochemistry course transformed the way I saw science. Learning how molecular processes influence human health inspired me to contribute to research that drives solutions for global health challenges.”

3. Body Section (Paragraph 2): Experiences and Skills

• Purpose : Highlight key experiences that demonstrate your qualifications, skills, and readiness for the opportunity.
• Why : The reader wants to see evidence of your preparation and capability. This section connects your past achievements to the future goals you outlined.
• Focus on 2–3 meaningful experiences (academic, professional, or personal) that directly relate to the opportunity.
• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe each experience with specificity and impact.
• Emphasize transferable skills (e.g., leadership, problem-solving, collaboration).
• Weak: “I interned at a tech company last summer.”
• Strong: “During my internship at a tech company, I led a cross-departmental project to streamline client onboarding, reducing processing time by 30%. This experience strengthened my ability to manage complex workflows and collaborate effectively across teams.”

4. Body Section (Paragraph 3): Alignment and Goals

• Purpose : Articulate how the opportunity aligns with your values, skills, and aspirations. Show how you will contribute to and benefit from this program or role.
• Why : This section demonstrates your research and thoughtfulness. It reassures the reader that you are genuinely interested and a good fit.
• Connect the mission, values, or offerings of the program/employer to your personal values or goals.
• Discuss specific aspects of the program/job that excite you (e.g., courses, mentors, company culture, or opportunities for impact).
• Illustrate how the opportunity supports your long-term goals and how you will contribute in return.
• Weak: “This program seems like a good fit for me.”
• Strong: “I am particularly drawn to your program’s emphasis on underserved communities, as my volunteer work with refugee resettlement agencies has instilled in me a commitment to health equity. I hope to leverage this training to provide accessible healthcare solutions in rural areas.”

5. Conclusion: Reinforce Your Enthusiasm

• Purpose : Leave a lasting impression by tying everything together and reiterating your excitement about the opportunity.
• Why : A strong conclusion leaves the reader with a positive image of you as a candidate and a clear sense of your future contributions.
• Briefly summarize your key points without repeating them verbatim.
• Reaffirm your enthusiasm and commitment to the field, program, or role.
• End with a forward-looking statement that projects confidence and readiness.
• Weak: “Thank you for considering my application.”
• Strong: “I am eager to bring my dedication to health equity and my analytical skills to your program, and I look forward to contributing meaningfully to its mission while preparing for a career of impact in global health research.”

6. Final Editing and Review

Purpose : The final editing ensures that your statement is polished, free of errors, and effectively conveys your message.

Why : No matter how strong your ideas are, poor grammar, awkward phrasing, or inconsistencies can undermine your message. Editing ensures that your statement is professional, clear, and compelling.

• Revise for clarity and coherence : Ensure that each paragraph flows logically to the next. Remove any repetitive or unnecessary information.
• CPD Advisors are happy to provide a review. Email [email protected] to request a review. Please send your statement draft and any relevant content from the program, including prompts or guidelines.

Example of a Poor Personal Statement

Having graduated with an MA in English from Purdue University, with an emphasis on the writing of poetry, I feel that I have come a long way as a writer. I think that my poetry is strong, but I also feel that I need to continue in a concentrated study of writing and poetry. This is an important stage for me, and I think that continuing in a writing program – especially one as strong as the XYZ program – is the best way for me to accomplish my goals. Eventually I would like to be teaching poetry writing at the college level. After teaching creative writing at Purdue, I realize that it is something that I would like to continue doing as a career, along with writing my poetry. I have also taught composition at Purdue, and I enjoy teaching at that level as well. If accepted into the program at XYZ University upon graduation I would like to teach composition, and continue to write and publish poems, in the hopes that I will eventually be able to publish enough to allow me to gain employment as a creative writing teacher.

Every morning at 10:00 a.m. I come face to face with the power of language to free; it happens in a classroom. The students I teach at Seattle Central Community College come from night work in an industrial bakery, from a Vietnamese refugee camp, from a 9-to-5 job in a car wash, or from the day care center where they have left their children. All come to the English Skills Shop to improve their use of language and they move through the same process I have undertaken: uncovering their voices. When they get discouraged, I read aloud excerpts from their own writing. They applaud themselves. In this room, their varied experiences count. I remind them that the only reason to learn how to write well is because they have something to say. And they do. Until this past summer, I had no training in creative writing, nor even in literature; all my knowledge was absorbed like trace minerals from mass consumption of contemporary American fiction. The writer who does most masterfully what I attempt in my own stories is Wallace Stegner. He makes the intricate webs connecting his characters visible by illuminating the tears of dew balanced on each strand. Last summer I enrolled at the local university and have been working ever since to find resonance in my own stories and

Better Personal Statement

study the voices within others’. Through an advanced short story class and a creative writing conference, along with literature and critical theory classes, I’ve become a more critical reader and a better writer.

I’m looking for a graduate program which combines the two elements I’ve found most valuable in my recent studies: strong mentors and tight community. I seek teachers who can pull me out of the details of works and phrases to see the whole piece, its form and contradictions. I seek guidance; the self-motivation is there. To balance the hours of solitary writing, I want a graduate program, which nurtures a supportive community. Throughout this process of thawing my voice, I’ve taken periods of formal training and applied the techniques; I see graduate schools as one of these steps. Through it expect to move to another level in my writing and myself, the ability to honestly and compellingly explore the world through stories. The stronger and more fluid connection between my life and writing, the better I’ll be able to teach that connection to others. I would like to write my own stories and teach other how to write theirs. In the end, both undertakings help us all find our voices.

Good Personal Statement (with commentary)

My awakening to the wonder of human cultural diversity began with my entry into Army Basic Training. Living in an open barracks for three months with women from every corner of the United States opened my eyes and mind to the amazing variety of cultural groups just within our own country. Since then, I have lived, worked, and traveled in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I gained valuable cross-cultural experience as a member of a multi-national task force, which provided Emergency Medical Service in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. In addition to these experiences, my Army training has enabled me to develop strong skills in leadership, teambuilding, and organization. These are all qualities that will help me to be successful in my chosen field of Community Health Nursing . [In this paragraph, she shares her turning points, skills and attributes. She also connects her past and present.]

I have chosen the focus area of cross-cultural nursing because I know that making health programs culturally accessible is as important as making the geographically and financially accessible. This has been clearly demonstrated to me at the Washington Poison Center where we provide telephone information services to the entire state of Washington. Poison Center services are underutilized by non-English speaking population groups and those with English as a second language. This is due in part to a lack of awareness of or understanding of the services provided by the Poison Center. Cross-cultural health education is the key to informing these populations of the benefits of using Poison Center services. [In this paragraph, she discusses why she is applying for this program and talks about some related experiences.]

As a cross-cultural nursing consultant, I will work with multidisciplinary teams planning and implementing community health programs for underserved populations. I will bring to these teams the unique nursing perspective and an expertise in the effects of culture on health seeking behaviors for underserved populations. I will bring to these teams that unique nursing perspective and an expertise in the effects of culture on health-seeking behaviors. Washington State has a rapidly growing Hispanic population with a large subculture of migrant farm workers. I intend to spend some time in rural eastern Washington working with Public Health officials and community leaders to increase the focus on primary prevention for this population group. I am also interested in working with Hispanic populations in other locations. With these plans in mind, I am currently studying Spanish. In addition, I plan to teach cross-cultural nursing subjects in the academic setting and in other venues such as hospital in-service training. [In this paragraph, she talks about her future goals. She also describes why she is a unique candidate.]

Personal Statement Structure: How to Organize Your Essay

• July 1, 2020

If you’re about to be a high school senior, you’ve probably heard this many times by now — the personal statement can make or break your application. Using just  650 words, you have to demonstrate who you are, what makes you unique, and what you’re passionate about in a way that impresses admissions officers. Once you’ve found the perfect topic, the question then becomes, what is the right personal statement structure?

High school students are used to writing a traditional five-paragraph essay. The Common App essay doesn’t follow that pattern. Your personal statement structure needs to highlight the core of your personality and character with more of a “bang.” So, you can’t necessarily go on philosophical tangents or drag out introductions. In this blog, I’ve elaborated on ways to organize your essay so that you can captivate admissions officers at your top choice colleges and sets yourself apart from the other applicants. 

How to Organize Your Essay

No matter what you’re writing about, your essay needs to be well organized and flow smoothly. Admissions officers will not appreciate a haphazard piece of writing that seemingly tells no story or where the narrative is all over the place. As you figure out personal statement structure, you need to keep 3 key aspects in mind: the introduction, the evidence, and the ending. Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements.

The Introduction

An exceptionally important step in your personal statement structure is your introduction. Obviously, this is the first thing that admissions officers will read, so you have to make a memorable impression with your opening statement and paragraph. Remember that these officers read hundreds of applications – and essays – each day, so it’s crucial that you start your story off in a unique way so that you grab and keep their attention. 

• Hook: The hook of your essay is a catchy phrase or sentence that should capture the reader’s attention immediately as they start your essay. Your hook can include a quote (for a personal statement, quotes are better suited if they’re a dialogue from real life rather than from a famous person), a fact that might startle your audience, or a vivid description of something unique and makes the admissions reader say, “That’s interesting!” and want to keep going.

Example of a hook: It hit me when I was twelve years old: I had a problem. I hated taking showers. 

• Problems: Once you’ve got your hook, you can build on it by outlining the problem, or issue that you faced. Because many essays often tell stories of growth in an individual or how the writer worked on something they’re passionate about, there’s often a conflict that stands in the way. As you work on your personal statement structure , consider whether you faced any obstacle that could go hand in hand with your hook.

Example problem: No, it had nothing to do with the warm water, fragrant hair products, or the time spent alone, but rather with how I spent my time afterward. For a little over a year, I blow-dried and straightened my hair after every shower, turning what should have been a fifteen minute affair into an hour-long ordeal. Why did I do this? It was a symptom of what I call ‘The Curly Hair Teenage Angst Syndrome.’ 

• Solution or Thesis: You’ve probably heard the word “thesis” when it comes to your English class essay. This is the main point, the purpose of your essay. What do you want to convey to the reader in the next few paragraphs? As you introduce your essay, you want the reader to know that this is a story of personal development or hard work and determination. So, take advantage of the introduction to provide a picture of exactly what you’ll be covering in your response — how did you get to the solution? This gives the admissions officer an idea of what to expect as they continue reading.

Example thesis: My hair was perfectly straight, but I hated it. I hated succumbing to my vanity, continuing to do something that the reasonable part of my brain knew was silly. Deep down I could acknowledge that I was blow-drying my hair only for external approval and that ultimately, my curly hair was just fine by me. 

The Evidence

Once you’ve introduced the topic or theme of your essay, it’s time to get into the more nitty gritty details. Next up in the personal statement structure : the evidence. If your story is about your amateur wrestling career or how you founded your own company, it’s time to let the admissions officer know about the specifics. Because this essay is one of the most effective ways to let the colleges of your choice get a picture of who you are, making careful choices here is very important. You want your personality to shine through by using captivating dialogue, vivid descriptions, and subtle tone techniques. The reader should come out of this experience knowing what makes you unique and different from other candidates. 

You don’t have to use overly flowery language. The point is clarity and vividness. The more concrete your depiction of events, the better the admissions officers can picture it, and understand why this topic is important to you. And of course, as cliche as it sounds – remember to show, not tell.

Example evidence: As a lifelong artist and self-proclaimed craft aficionado, I decided to bring my cache of crafting supplies to the hospital the next day: colored-paper, yarn, fabric, beads, and more. My grandma and I spent hours weaving bracelets and debating color combinations. By the time it got dark, my grandma, satisfied from an unexpectedly eventful day, fell asleep quickly, unbothered by her back pain. I went home, eager to brainstorm new crafting ideas. I scrolled through blogs, scoured YouTube compilation videos, and scribbled down crafting plans in my sketchbook.

Once you’ve fleshed out your plot and descriptions, you’ve arrived at the final part of understanding the personal statement structure. Just as it’s crucial to start your essay in a catchy manner, it’s essential that your ending is memorable as well. There are a few ways you can end your response. Your conclusion can refer back to your opening paragraph — especially if you’d started with an anecdote — and talk about it in light of the things you mention as part of the evidence. You could choose the expansion route and reflect on a personal or universal truth, and how you’ll focus on events or similar situations moving forward. You could also take it back to your thesis — talk about your growth, and how you’ve changed or how your life may have shifted. Or, you could be more creative and take less of a traditional path and end in a quote or ellipses. 

Example ending: In addition to establishing a meaningful friendship, this experience seeded a mentality that will continue guiding my actions, attitudes, and interactions. It showed me the value of being empathetic and considering others’ perspectives. I learned to view my setbacks and predispositions as mere short-term obstacles that can be overcome with a growth mindset – truly believing that anybody can do anything.

Now that you have a clearer understanding of personal statement structure , it’s time to start brainstorming. Once you have a topic, think carefully about the best ways to approach it through your essay. Write multiple drafts to figure out the best way to convey your story so that you can stand out among the competition. Good luck!

Tags : personal statement tips , personal statement structure , how to organize your personal statement , common app essay , common app personal statement tips

Related Posts

InGenius Prep’s 2025 Early Admissions Results

The Secret to Stellar Letters of Recommendation

Mastering The Additional Information Section & SRAR

View all posts, webinars you might like, high school trends for middle schoolers.

• The evolving academic landscape:  What subjects and skills are in high demand?
• Social dynamics and expectations:  How to navigate friendships, peer pressure, and more.
• The extracurricular scene:  What clubs, sports, and activities will help you shine?
• Essential tips for a smooth transition:  How to set yourself up for success from day one.

Step-By-Step Guide For Graduate School

• Admissions Edge:  Gain valuable tips on how to differentiate yourself from other applicants and make a lasting impression on admissions committees.
• Program Selection:  Discover how to choose the right graduate program aligned with your academic interests and career goals.
• Application Mastery: Learn the ins and outs of crafting a standout application, including personal statements, letters of recommendation, and transcripts.

Pursue Your Reach Schools with InGenius Prep and Increase Your Admissions Chances