This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms. Statement of purpose the statement of purpose is a short essay introducing the applicant and his or her interests, goals, and reasons for pursuing graduate study in history. A completed uc berkeley graduate and professional application for admission. Uc berkeley does, so it is very important to keep in mind that once you are enrolled in the 5 th year program, you are, for all intents and purposes, treated as graduate student by the campus and the department. Im applying to the berkeley computer science phd, and im currently working on my personal history statement. Im half bolivian and half irish so i will talk about that a little but moreso in terms of how i relate to those around me. This is an especially hard essay for some alumni of foster care. The writer of this personal history statement also authored the statement of purpose. Your personal history statement gives you an opportunity to add some individuality and depth to the basic information contained in your statement of purpose. The personal history statement sometimes called the personal statement can be a description of what makes you unique, but it is not a place to share the intimate details of your life nor is it a place to go into lengthy explanations of your decisions. It is your chance to articulate the passion that will make you a motivated scholar and teacher, as well as your familiarity with. Writing the statement of purpose for graduate school uc berkeley graduate school statement graduate and professional schools often require some sort of written statement as a part of the application. Msw admissions application instructions berkeley social.
Writing the statement of purpose for graduate school uc. The graduate application for fall 2020 closed on december 9, 2019. Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Some programs will ask you to write a single essay covering both your personal background and what you wish to study in graduate school. How to write a personal statement for graduate school. For information you consider to be special circumstances, such as illness, personal hardships, parents status, etc. A graduate school personal statement is an admission essay that typically focuses on your personal reasons for wanting to enter a grad program and particular field of study. Second, the program at berkeley is structured to give students a high degree of independence in tailoring their studies to their interests. Some statements require rather specific informationfor example, the applicants intended area of study within a. How to apply uc berkeley graduate school of journalism. The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with three different parts. Graduate application process uc berkeley sociology.
Others, however, will require both a personal statement and a statement of purpose the personal statement should focus on you and your background, while the statement of purpose should focus on your research or what you plan to study in graduate school. With permission of the author, i have reprinted her essay, parsed with my comments on why and how it works as a winning essay. Graduate research program admissions eecs at uc berkeley. Applicants may wish to share a draft of their statement with the individuals writing their letters of recommendation. Please contact the partner program for any additional information or materials that they may require for the concurrent degree application. Your department may have special prompts and directions for the personal history statement. Present a compelling image of you as a person, and your potential for success as a member of the berkeley social welfare graduate academic community. I did overcome a number of challenges in my personal background. The statement of purpose is where you should focus more on your research interests. Luscious fare is the jewel of inordinate desires,1 cautions2 the author of the gentlewomans. The writer of the statement below was admitted into uc berkeleys history department. I hope that these two essays can give you a sense of where i hope to go in the future and may even inspire you to pursue your own passions and dreams. For over 45 years, uc berkeley has been committed to encouraging and supporting underrepresented students on the berkeley campus. It is from this essay that the admissions committee will discern the seriousness of your intentions, your experience, and your motivation for graduate school.
Finally, well wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online. Your personal history statement should describe how your personal background and experiences have informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree in social work. Guidelines, such as those below, may be considered when composing the personal statement for the uc berkeley graduate application. The personal history statement is where you can inform the committee of your background, what makes you unique, and how you came to apply to a phd program in political science. Instructions for graduate division online application. The statement of purpose is one of the most important parts of the application process. Grad slam is a university and ucwide competition that features graduate students presenting their research in three minutes or less. You may also include any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences, challenges or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. Today, i want to post the second essay, which is the longer of the two and is called the statement of purpose. Note that the personal history statement is not the statement of purpose.
The program allows students to broaden their educational experiences at berkeley by. Graduate admissions uc berkeley department of history. How to write a winning personal statement for grad school. Personal history getting prepared for graduate school. The statement of purpose should not exceed 2 typed pages, singlespaced, font size 12. Personal statements are typically one page or shorter, though some are longer. Essentially, you must tell the story of who you are and how you developed your current research interests. It is your chance to articulate the passion that will make you a motivated scholar and teacher, as well as your familiarity with the field and your potential research interests. Applying for concurrent degree programs goldman school of. Im also going to mention some of the financial hardships i had in school that caused me to have to work for a. Resources for writing the statement of purpose and personal history statement can be found on the uc berkeley graduate division website. The graduate school personal statement is your opportunity to convey what you might be like as a future colleague and professional within your discipline. Berkeleys personal history statement statement of purpose.
How much does the personal history statement count towards. With her permission, i reprint her essay parsed with my commentary about why it works as a winning essay. Goldman school of public policy goldman school of public. Please contact the partner program for any additional information or materials that they may. The gpa we request is for after your 1st two years of undergraduate work. The statement of purpose is where you should focus more on your research interests and how you are a good fit with our department.
Problems with personal history statement college confidential. The office for graduate diversity was established to provide outreach, confidential advising, and mentoring support to students who. Potential to bring to ones academic career the critical perspective that comes from a nontraditional educational background or ones understanding of the experiences of groups historically underrepresented in. Im having some problems writing the personal history statement for uc berkeley. Transcripts from all collegelevel course work undertaken. A statement of purpose applicants who wish to be considered for the concentration in ancient philosophy or history and philosophy of science should indicate this in their statement of purpose for information on application deadlines and other important dates please see the ucb graduate admissions site. Writing the statement of purpose for graduate school uc berkeley. Graduate and professional schools often require some sort of written statement often called a statement of purpose, personal statement, or letter of intent as a part of the application. I tried to analyze the figures and finally formulated them in some equations. Admission uc berkeley graduate school of education. Essay should be a maximum of 12 pages, doublespaced. The office for graduate diversity was established to provide outreach, confidential advising, and mentoring support to students who seek to obtain graduate degrees at uc berkeley. How to write a standout personal statement for grad school. Complete the sociology graduate application which includes the statement of purpose and personal history statement.
Diversity a defining feature of californias past, present, and future refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of. That is, for most, your last two years of university. The writer of the statement below was admitted into uc berkeley s history department. Do not send in a hard copy of the statement of purpose or personal history after submitting it online. Statement of purpose, which they also require, is pretty straightforward. Approximately 500 to wellselected words 12 single space pages in 12 point font is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization. The terminology differs, but may include statement of purpose, personal statement, letter of intent, personal narrative, etc. Graduate school is a big commitment, so professors will want to see that you have thought through your decision carefully and that graduate education is truly. All concurrent degree applicants must meet the same requirements as single degree mpp applicants with regards to resume, policy statement of purpose, personal history statement, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and gre and toefl scores. For one of my schools they ask for a personal history statement. The graduate division oversees graduate admissions, fellowships, grants, academic employment, preparation for teaching, mentoring activities, professional development, academic progress, and degree milestones. The important elements, was written at the request of the ahas committee on women historians. After that, well do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Applying uc berkeley college of environmental design.
So i called the department im applying to, and they told me its typically used for fellowship recommendations. In this essay, she relates how her personal background informs her decision to pursue graduate studies in history. Sample statement of purpose uc berkeley college of letters. Applying for concurrent degree programs concurrent. Graduate school at berkeley is a critical step in transforming my eye for complex problems and love for people into an.
Make sure to address the following two topics in your personal history statement. Preparing your application to graduate school diversity. And you will upload pdf files of your statement of purpose, personal history statement, ten page writing sample, transcripts of colleges attended, and the gpa calculation sheet. Sep 05, 2017 then well provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. This is also where you represent your potential to bring to your academic career a critical perspective rooted in a nontraditional educational background, or your understanding of the. In your personal statement, you should also talk about your future goals. Writing the personal statement berkeley graduate division. Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion office. Looking for grad school personal statement examples.
The next available application will be for fall 2021. Graduate application process uc berkeley sociology department. The graduate division oversees graduate admissions, fellowships, grants, academic employment, preparation for teaching, mentoring activities, professional. We aim at diversity and breadth of coverage, rather than concentration on one or two areas of philosophical activity. Writing your statement of purpose the following is an excerpt from the american historical associations perspectives newsletter and should be helpful when submitting your statement of purpose. The application will be available in september 2020.
Some schools do not distinguish between the undergraduate and graduate components for their 5th year masters programs. Then well provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. Please be specific about why uc berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you. From what i have learnt about admissions through vari. At the graduate school of journalism, we recognize the intrinsic relationship between diversity and excellence in all our endeavors. A graduate school personal statement is a statement written by a person upon hisher admission to graduate school. Scanned pdf s of official transcripts uploaded via graduate application statement of purpose showing evidence of leadership personal history statement. The diversity of the people of california has been the source of innovative ideas and creative accomplishments throughout the states history into the present. Application instructions university of california, berkeley. Statement of purpose history washington state university. Describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. I also have many reasons for being passionate about my current and future research.
I called berkeley and graduate admissions told me that usage of the personal history statement vareis from department to department. Msw admissions application instructions berkeley social welfare. The personal statement should give concrete evidence of your promise as a member of the academic community, giving the committee an image of you as a person. In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, well discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. In writing this statement, the individual, or in this case, the applicant would include hisher attributes and qualifications and other things that makes himher fit for admission, and may include why heshe wants to attend the. Journalism pdf of your transcript official transcript requested if admitted, letters of recommendation, journalist work samples, and resume. Some statements require rather specific informationfor example, the applicants intended area of study within a graduate field. You will also sit for the gre or toefl whichever applies to you and have ets send scores to berkeley institution code 4833. Institute of european studies graduate funding opportunities. I have applied to both umich and berkeley for fall16, and have submitted an sop and a ps for both.
Please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in vision science, including your preparation, your academic plans or research interests, and your future career goals. The personal history statement should convey how a combination of life experiences, idealism, role models, education and work experiences have influenced your decision to apply. A personal statement is a short essay that introduces a grad school candidate and his or her personal reasons for applying to a particular program. Frequently asked questions uc berkeley political science. While metrics such as gpa and test scores can give an admissions committee an idea of a students qualifications, they are impersonal and dont indicate whether a candidate would be a good fit for a. The statement of purpose should reflect your degree goal while the personal history should reflect on your experiences. Sample statement of purpose uc berkeley college of. Graduate school statement uc berkeley career center. As a fellow applicant my knowledge might be limited. Having a lot of friends that go to berkeley, i know they really value diversity i know thats a obvious statement. How to apply uc berkeley graduate school of education. 0 in the junior and senior years andor a successful graduate academic history. Basically, they ask for you to talk about your non research background eg family, cultural experiences, financial experiences etc and how your background can contribute to your field.
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