Developing a Personal Statementand a Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)

Sponsored by office of Career ServicesPresented by Emily Salazar, Career Counselor

For an appointment in Career Services:Moody Hall 134 – Phone: 512-448-8530http://think.stedwards.edu/careerservices

Applying to graduate school (Ph.D., Master’s) Applying to professional schools (medical, law,

etc.) Applying for prestigious scholarship Required for research or field study Requested by professor for recommendation

The“big picture, i.e. the application:

o School’s application formo GPA and Admission test o Essayo Sometimes, additional writing sample or

essay on assigned topico C.V. or Resumeo Letters of Recommendationo Sometimes an interview

The Curriculum Vitae, (C.V.)

Resumeo For job or internship searcho Emphasis on work experience and skillso Tailored to job/internship objectiveo For most college students, one page maximum

Curriculum Vitaeo For academic purposeso Emphasis on scholastic achievements, research, field

specific experienceo Objective already understoodo No maximum length, generally 2-3 pages for students

Always: Name, contact information, educationand degrees

Other possible categories: varies according tofield of studyoResearch, publications, presentationsoProfessional conferencesoAcademic achievementsoRelevant internships, experienceoLeadership achievementsoCommunity serviceoArtistic talents, performancesoCertifications, licensuresoProfessional affiliations

…and much more…

Provides the review committee with a “quick read” It’s a snapshot outlining the entire application Some C.V. items can be elaborated on in the Personal Statement Essay Some C. V. items are duplicated on application

form

There is not one standard format (i.e. “look”, “style”)

There are no standard category headingsTip: create a list of similar items; THEN name the category to describe the content

Internationally: Most countries outside the U.S.do not distinguish between Resume and C.V.; the term C.V. is commonly use for job

search AND applying to higher education

Environmental Science student (click here)

SEU professor (click here)

Samples on “Quintessential Careers” website:http://www.quintcareers.com/vita_samples.html

Personal Statements

Personal Statement Statement of Purpose Admissions Essay Essay Letter of Intent Mission Statement

3rd most important item, after GPA and test scores

Additional evidence of intellectual and creative achievements

Insight about you as a person Tells why you’re interested in graduate school,

your field, and your research interests Helps reader determine if your goals and

interests match their program It’s a way for them to assess your writing

skills!!!

• Length requirement varies from school to school

• Some have a required length; others leave it up to you• It could be anywhere from 250 words to five

pages• Read the application and follow instructions

• Start with questions asked on application• Take a deep breath and RELAX• When you’re ready to write, take out paper

and pen or start your computer• Brainstorming ideas with someone else may help• Start writing……

Personal Statements

What the Readers are Looking For

• Put yourself in their shoes. A common complaint is: “So many essays seem the same.”

• After 100’s of essays what a relief to read a 1st line like this: “I was taking out the garbage one morning at Big Bend National Park when I realized what had been bothering me…”

1 - An Essay That Stands Out from All the Rest

• Ask yourself: what makes you unique?• Sometimes the thing that makes a person really

different is a personal or family matter: “I received a bachelor of arts degree twenty years later than my high school peers…”

• Set yourself apart from the rest• Consider your whole life and maybe even your

ancestors’ lives.• Activity: write down the 3 most unique things

about you as an individual.

2 - A Unique Individual

Take the time to remember who and what your intellectual influences have been

Answer each of the following:What writers and which particular articles in your field of study

have had the greatest influence on you? Who were your favorite professors in college and why? How has each influenced you?

What is the best paper or exam you ever wrote in your majorand what makes it good?

What do you consider the most important book, play, article, or filmyou have ever read/seen and how has it influenced you?

What is the single most important concept you have learned in college?

What encouraging words have others said to you that influenced you?

Where were you and what were you doing when you decided on your career path?

3. Choices Based on Life Influences

Build a historic overview:How has your interest evolved, and what specific

turning pointscan you identify?

What work experiences have led you to believe you would

like to pursue graduate education?What experiences as a volunteer or traveler have

influencedyour career directions?

What experiences from your family life have contributed to

this choice?

Define your career goal:

What do you want to study?What do you want to research?What career will you pursue post-graduation?What attracts you to this career?Why have you chosen the particular path you’re

pursuing?How will do you hope to gain from pursuing this

career?

Consider your academic background:How did you prepare yourself academically to succeed in

graduate school?What knowledge did you gain from academic studies?What research skills have you developed to date?How did you excel scholastically OUTSIDE the classroom?What initiative did you demonstrate to further your knowledge in your particular field?

What is your biggest accomplishment to date?

Take some time with this one; it might not be obvious.

While you’re thinking about it, make a list of “many things I am proud of”.

What research have you completed to date?

Make a list of major research projects and your role in them.

If the research is published, look up the exact citation.

Describe your level of participation in the research, such as: “designed experimental methodologies…” or “assisted Dr. Burke on a study of…”

DON’T FORGET CAPSTONE!!

Name Dropping:“In my frequent correspondence

with Dr. Lee I have come to discover…”

Name major advisors, professors, major theorists Make a list of names you might want to

work into your essay Here’s a great opening line: “My uncle, for

whom your library is named…”

Don’t hide information that members of the admissions committee would certainly consider pertinent.

For example: if your higher education goal stems from your cultural heritage, it’s appropriate to include it.

Answer the question: what do you know about the city, geographic region, or state where you will be applying?

How will this environment impact yourgraduate studies, if at all?

Consider the future as well as the past! Short-term: what classes and research

projects will you take between now and graduate school? Example: special summer school classes, orinternships related to your field?

Long-term: Be able to address specific post-graduate career plans - how graduate school will facilitate these plans, your 5-year goal, 10-year goals post-graduation, and additional education beyond the program you’re applying to now?

Are you involved in sports? What do you do with your leisure time? What are your hobbies, past times? What can you tell someone that would lead

them to believe they’d enjoy your company?

If you have grades or test scores that do not represent your true potential, you can explain them in your essay.

Don’t make long, involved excuses; keep it simple and avoid drama; don’t whine or feel sorry for yourself

If they are going to invest time and money into bringing you to the school, they want to know that you will complete the program and that you will excel. They don’t want a dropout! They don’t want someone who fails.

Graduate school is tough! Ask yourself what you can say in your essay that demonstrates that you can be successful.

When else in your life have you been successful with a major challenge? When else have you overcome difficult odds? How did you make it through your undergraduate program?

Don’t forget the basics of what they want to know.

Where are you coming from, why are you coming here, where are you going after this?

Write the essay for your first-choice school first, then modify it as needed for your other targeted schools.

The topic is usually specified by the school to which you are applying.

RTGDQ (Read the Gosh Darn Question)

Be brutally honest! Do not try to second guess your reader.

Make every sentence come straight from your heart

Write like you talk and use straightforward language.

Tape record your first draft and pretend you are reading to a friend

Write when you write; Edit when you edit

Do not let anybody tell you what to write In a first draft, you are brainstorming; fill

the page with ideas before evaluating them You’re not ready to critique yet Just keep writing and move forward

Demonstrate that you have read the catalog carefully, researched the school and the program, and considered your reasons for applying to this particular school:

“I was especially impressed by Dean Jade’s statement in your

brochure that the school “strives to ……..”

Write like a scholar, not like a first year freshman.

Avoid using vague words; say what you mean. Avoid: beautiful, wonderful, meaningful, etc. Replace vague words with a personal

statement from your unique point of view

After you have addressed the specific questions asked by the admissions committee, you are free to weave in any specific additional points you wish to make.

Openingsand

Closings- Writing 101 -

The Opening Line is VERY important:“I am the 6th of 7 children from a large blue-collar Irish Catholicfamily in the Midwest.”

“I am a Puerto Rican woman.”

“If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, my fathercould go to jail.”

“I made an “A” in labor relations, but I learned more about labor-management issues in one summer working on a union construction crew than I learned in class.”

“It happened two years ago as I lay sprawled out on the floor of the library lounge at the Universite de Grenoble in Grenoble, France.”

The Closing Line is also VERY important:“I have developed maturity and tenacity that surpasses many others my age, and I believe that such qualities are ultimately the most indicative of my ability to succeed at a graduate level.”

“Anne Frank once said, “How wonderful it is that no one need stop trying to change the world.” I remember that, and I am hopeful.”

“I have selected Berkeley as my program of choice because of its reputation for commitment to handicapped access, universal design, and related areas of modern architecture and design. I am applying to no other program.” (risky)

“I will know the reward of the pursuit of my goal when I see a young person sitting tall, head raised, and voice loud and confident as I ask her to read to the rest of the class about her ancestors and the mighty West African kingdom of Cayor.”

Subsequent Draftsand

Changes

Check for misspellings Check grammar Avoid overuse of “I”; especially don’t let it be

the first word in your opening line Write your 2nd draft as if you were sitting in the

reader’s brain. How will they react? Check to see if you were positive throughout

your essay

•Shorten it to the required length.

•If they say 700 words, they mean it.

•Edit carefully, but keep the essentials.

Show it to your professors, advisors, writing centers, career planning staff

Read each draft out loud

Consider paying for essay review; there are several services on the internet (EssayEdge.com). This may be one of the most important documents of your life.

Fewer than 3 drafts is not enough. Fewer than 3 drafts is not enough. Fewer than 3 drafts is not enough.

“Graduate Admissions Essays” by Donald Asher, (Ten Speed Press)

“Perfect Personal Statements” by Mark Allen Stewart (Thomson/Peterson’s)(for Graduate School, Law/Medical/Business School)

“How to Write a Winning Personal Statement” by Richard J. Stelzer (Peterson’s Education Center) (for Graduate and Professional Schools)

Internet: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_perstate.html (Owl) http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/ (Berkeley) http://www.accepted.com/grad/personalstatement.aspx (accepted.com) http://www.studential.com/guide/write_personal_statement.htm (studential.com)

“Essays That Worked for Medical Schools” by Stephanie Jones and Emily Baer,(Ballantine Books)

“Essays That Worked for Law Schools” by Boykin Curry and Emily Baer (Ballantine Books)