The Personal/Autobiographical Statement

Since the applicantion process is competitive, most admissions committees are looking for reasons to reject applicants. Documents such as the Personal/Autobiographical Statement may contain information that will harm your chances of acceptance. The Personal Statement will harm you if it is too personal, presents irrelevant material or poorly written. It will help you if it is a well-written, professional document.

Write a generic personal essay then taylor it for specific programs. Taylor the essay consistent with the specific training opportunities offered by the specific program. Mention the names of no more than two faculty members.

Essay Outline:

How did you become interested in Clinical Psychology?

How did you become interested in a particular occupation in Clinical Psychology?

Describe your research experiences and interests

Describe your clinical experiences and interests

Describe the relationship between your training interests and career goals and the opportunities of the program.

Do not reveal irrelevant personal information simply because the program requests something callled a personal statement, or autobiographical statement. If your GPA is less than 3.2 and your GRE is less then 500 AND you have a reasonable explanation for the low score, mention this in the personal statement. Describe unique, relevant experiences. Edit and re-edit your essay. Get feedback from other readers.