Students seeking a fellowship must write a clear personal statement.
When applying for a fellowship you must write an application that includes a personal statement. This is your chance to explain why you should be awarded the fellowship. It is often the only time for your voice and input to come into the process, as other factors are test scores and academic marks.
The term "fellowship" has two meanings. It can refer to an internship; a period of time in which you are engaged in work for an institution or on your own project. This could include a medical residency or a post-doctoral position. A fellowship can also refer to a financial scholarship to support your studies.
Instructions
1. Begin early. Writing a personal statement is a complex and detailed process. Make sure you give yourself enough time.
2. Check and double-check the guidelines. Each fellowship has different requirements. Don't get disqualified by making an assumption based on the last personal statement you wrote.
3. Undertake background reading. Borrow successful examples of fellowship applications from colleagues. Read articles and books on writing personal statements and proposals.
4. Brainstorm. Use whichever technique works for you such as mind-mapping, free-writing, charting, cubing or bullet points. Think of all the pieces you want to include in your personal statement to tell the reviewer about your interests, your background and your desire to receive the fellowship.
5. Start strong. Catch the reviewer's attention from the very beginning. The reviewer is likely to be reading many statements so make sure you catch her attention immediately.
6. Write clear, concise statements that highlight your experience and education as it pertains to the fellowship. Talk about your strengths; don't mention anything negative but don't overdo it; maintain a level of modesty.
7. Conclude by talking about your future career aspirations. Explain why this fellowship would be of value to you. Summarize the key points that you made. End on a positive note.
8. Take a few days away from your personal statement. You need to take a fresh look at it to undertake your revisions, but you will need some distance in order to evaluate it properly.
9. Revise and edit your statement. Make sure you are under the maximum word count. Ensure your spelling and grammar are perfect. Look for, and remove, duplications and redundancies.
10. Read through your statement again. Make sure it sounds like you. The statement should be consistent throughout and have a clear storyline from beginning to end.
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