Writing a Personal Statement
Thank you for your interest in applying to a graduate program in the Graduate College at Hampton University. All applications to main campus graduate programs at Hampton University require a Personal Statement.
Your personal statement should:
- Be approximately 250-500 words;
- Be written in a professional/scholarly tone;
- Highlight strengths (start with these!) and address weaknesses (e.g. a drop in GPA, a weak test score, an uneven academic record);
- Provide a sense of yourself as a person and as a student beyond the information on your transcript and your résumé/CV;
- Summarize your academic and personal experiences;
- Explain how and why those experiences are relevant to your decision to apply to graduate school and to your specific program;
- Address how you imagine using your graduate degree or certificate to have an impact;
- Be concise;
- Demonstrate a commitment to personal, professional, and academic integrity in alignment with Hampton University's Code of Conduct;
For additional guidance, please see the resources below and contact us with any questions.
Resources for Writing a Personal Statement: These are just a few of the many resources out there on writing a personal statement. Our best advice: use what works best for you.
- "Four Tips to Write a Great Personal Statement" (HBCU Career Center/Mississippi Valley State University)
- "Tips: Writing a Personal Statement for Graduate School" (UMBC)
- "Write a Compelling Graduate School Personal Statement" (University of Kansas)
- "Writing Personal Statements for Grad School" (Yale Office of Career Strategy)
- "How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD Program" (Columbia University Center for Career Education)
- "What is a Personal Statement" (ETS)