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5 Steps to Write Your Personal Statement

Getting started can be the hardest part.

Set yourself up for success by giving yourself time to prepare first before jumping into writing your personal statement as a Vanderbilt Pre-Health/Pre-Med student.

Ready to Begin?

Start your personal statement—discover how below.

Step 1: Organize

Research schools, review instructions and update resume.

  • Confirm Instructions
    • Research your top professional schools. 
    • Confirm the national application portal or process your top school(s) use. Review your individual professional school admissions instructions to determine if your professional school utilizes a specific, national application portal. The application portal will include instructions for a personal statement. If not, review the individual professional school admissions instructions for specific personal statement details.
    • Application instructions may change each cycle. Always review your official instructions when your application cycle begins.
    • Don't overthink it. Specific instructions and word count limits are found in the application instruction manual specific to your school(s).
  • Update Your Resume & Unscramble The Egg
    • Fully update your resume and move on to the “Unscramble the Egg” exercise below.
    • If you do not have a resume, create one for general usage and as a starting block in this process.
    • Vanderbilt Career Center has online resume resources and you may make an appointment or access in drop-in hours with their staff for resume assistance. 

    Next:

    • Create a second version from your original resume.
    • Remove all resume categories and "unscramble" your bullet points. List all items in chronological order versus your existing categories (work experience, volunteering, skills, etc.) found on your resume. Unscrambling allows you to see duplication and can also identify gaps. 
    • Go back in time. Reflect about your entire Vanderbilt pre-health / pre-professional journey. Add any personal involvement/items not already listed. Include awards, positions, work or volunteer experiences, extracurricular activities, etc. anything that is not already included. It does not have to be health related experiences. Leave no stone unturned. 
    • How far back? A good starting place is your adult life (post-high school). If  during high school you had unique, health-related experiences or circumstances (prestigious state/national award, certified health care provider or worked in a healthcare office, etc.) you are welcome to include those items if you wish. However, primarily focus on your adult-age timeline, regardless of when you started college.
    • Expect all entries and writing will be much longer than your original resume. Take as much time and written space as you need.

Step 2: Self-Reflect

Journals and helpful reflection techniques.

  • Expand Your Voice
    • Review your expanded resume. Write a journal entry discussing each experience or item listed. Remember, this is an exercise – not about marketing yourself. Take as much time/space as you need.
    • Not sure where to start? Write and consider one or more prompts below. Go beyond a written a list of your general “tasks, duties and responsibilities” commonly summarized on your resume:
      • Why was this activity, role or involvement important to me?
      • What does time spent on this activity say about me?
      • What have I learned about myself/my community/the profession? How have I grown/changed from this experience?
      • How has this activity, role, involvement or personal circumstance prepared/influenced:
        • ...my personal interest to serve my community?
        • ...my specific motivation for a lifetime of public service as a provider in the health field? 
  • Trouble Self-Reflecting?
    • Talk through it. Record yourself talking through your thoughts. 
    • Actively listen to your recordings. This may help you find a starting point for your written personal journal entries.
    • Remember, no one else will be reading your journals - so speak from the heart. Being open and honest helps you process your written reflections and where/how they may relate to various parts of your pre-health/pre-professional journey and application process. 

Step 3: Brainstorm

Formulate your personal statement focus.

  • Review Your Reflections
    • Take a break. Step away from your written journal self-reflections for a few days.
    • Resume with a quiet space and a fresh perspective. Thoughtfully read/review all your personal writing and journal entries.
  • Formulate Your Statement Focus
    • Spend time and answer the questions below to narrow and formulate your individual personal statement focus. This time will allow you to think more freely, without fear or judgment.
      • What initial thoughts/feelings arise from your reflections?
      • What seems to speak to you within any experience or in your personal journey so far?
      • Is there any special information that you feel is extremely relevant for an admissions committee to specifically know about you?
      • Are there any special circumstances which you feel are extremely important for an admissions committee to better understand you?
    • Need additional techniques to narrow your focus? Use a dry-erase board or sticky notes to organize after answering these questions. Often it helps further brainstorm, narrow or connect key thoughts you may have in this formulation process.
    • Looking for more strategies or guided exercises? Explore the VU Writing Studio Personal Statement Pre-Writing & Brainstorming Strategies Guide.

Step 4: Communicate

Writing techniques and tips.

  • Key Elements & Reminders
    • Structure your statement with purpose and impact. Each statement should have a thoughtful introduction, thesis, body and conclusion overall. Ensure you:
      • Create an introduction that is concise, intentional and reflective. Your goal is to spark curiosity, convey maturity and motivate the reader to keep learning about you.
      • Present a clear and focused thesis that clarifies what your statement will illustrate. State the central idea, purpose, or key takeaway(s) that will guide the rest of the essay.
      • Develop well-organized, substantive body paragraphs which highlight key experiences, reflections, skills and growth that support your message.
      • Write a conclusion that leaves the reader with a sense of closure, summarizing your key ideas or delivering a meaningful final perspective.
    • Don’t over-communicate. Stay focused on your key elements when answering these questions below:
      • What key elements and specific thoughts would you like to primarily focus on? (two or three maximum suggested)
      • Out of your entire Vanderbilt pre-health/pre-professional Journey, what is most important to communicate to a professional admissions committee to better understand you and/or your motivation towards this specific profession? 
    • Be authentic and specific. Avoid clichés, and make sure the rest of your statement consistently supports and develops that thesis. A few cliché examples include phrases such as:
      • “Follow your dreams.
      • “Everything happens for a reason.”
      • “I learned the true meaning of teamwork.”
      • “It changed my life forever."
  • Write
    • Get started. Always remember:
      • “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”
      • “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”  
    • No matter what your key elements may be in your personal statement, all great essays will:
      • Be clear and stay on topic.
      • Be logically organized.
      • Be grounded in meaningful experiences / experience-based.
      • Concise (few wasted words).
      • Free of grammatical or mechanical writing errors.
  • Writing Tips
    • Not sure where how to begin? Start by writing the body of your statement. You can craft your introduction and thesis later, shaping them to effectively lead the reader into your key elements and experiences in the body of the statement.
    • Don’t feel that you must tell your entire life story or that it must be shared from the very beginning.
      • Personal statements do have word limits.
      • Nearly every candidate is initially drawn to a healthcare profession for fairly common reasons. If your brainstorming reveals stronger, more relevant elements than your initial motivation or starting point—focus on the experiences that best showcase your suitability for the profession.
      • First impressions of why you initially became interested in your specific health care career are often very powerful and personally unforgettable. However, it might not always be the most relevant, key element(s) that you need to focus on or discuss in your personal statement. 
    • Stay focused in your adult-life perspective to connect who you are today. It is okay to discuss your non-adult past if it provides extremely crucial context to your adult-life and viewpoint today. However, don’t spend most of your statement discussing your individual thought process at a less-developed, non-adult age versus who you are today.
  • Admissions Perspective
    • Professional school statements often are not memorable simply because of “what” experiences you’ve had. Often thousands of candidates applying, like you, commonly may share similar personal experiences or circumstances.
    • What truly stands out is the genuine meaning and growth you've gained from your key experiences and/or circumstances in your personal journey. Be intentional about choosing what feels most important to you to communicate in your personal statement.
    • If appropriate, consider how your key experiences or circumstances have changed you and/or your pathway in a very specific, personal way.
    • REMEMBER, personal statements are:
      • Not just your “what.” = The facts of what happened/occurred.
      • It is your “so what.” = The genuine personal meaning behind your key experiences and/or circumstances along your journey. 
      • And, when appropriate, the "now what" = In what ways have your past experiences changed/influenced/shaped the person your are now? Provide a brief personal context that highlights your recent growth, development, capacities, or contributions that stemmed from those past experiences.

Step 5: Edit, Feedback & Submission

Tips, approaches and resources.

  • Statement General Tips
    • Expect to go through multiple drafts. “There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.”
    • A personal statement is like art. It is one of a kind and may feel in this collective process that it may never be fully done. Don’t expect this to be about perfection but ensure that the statement best represents you.
    • Don’t obsess about the “perfect” personal statement. If you were asked to write this statement from a blank slate 10 times, it might be slightly different each time. Overall, focus on your genuine voice. Stay on topic, be organized and draw from experience-based personal context. Focus on few wasted words, clean grammar and mature writing mechanics.
    • No person is admitted solely on their personal statement. However, is a very important piece of your holistic application, providing additional context of your personal readiness for professional school. Your entire professional application is a collective body of "artwork" which helps fully represent you as a candidate. Always keep in mind that your personal statement, along with many other factors - all matter to professional school admission committees.
  • Proofreading Tips
    • Take a break between your writing and editing. Approach self-editing with a clear head. Plan for one uninterrupted hour to work on written edits to ensure a thorough and thoughtful job. The results will definitely be worthwhile.
    • Remember, editing isn’t just about errors. Polish your sentences at this point, making them smooth, interesting, and clear. Watch for very long sentences, since they may be less clear than shorter, more direct sentences. Pay attention to the rhythm of your writing; try to use sentences of varying lengths and patterns. Look for unnecessary phrases, repetition, and awkward spots.
    • Read aloud, like a speech or use Microsoft Word’s “Read Aloud” review feature to actively listen to your own words. This will slow you down to hear the difference between what you meant to write and what you actually wrote.
    • Use a spell-checker on your computer but use it carefully. Always do your own spell-checking. Computer spell-checkers often make errors. It might suggest a word that isn’t what you want at all or may not catch you've used the wrong word if it's spelled correctly (e.g. there, their, and they’re).
    • Be aware of your tone. Self-awareness in your written communication and tone is very important. Does it come across as arrogant, entitled or uninformed to the realities of a career and/or service as a future provider in health care?
  • Self-Editing, Support & Pre-Feedback Advice
    • Vanderbilt University Writing Studio offers free consultation services to Vanderbilt Students, providing in-person and online one-on-one meetings with trained writing consultants to discuss your personal statement or any writing project. They also provide online resources and individualized support at every stage of the writing process-from brainstorming and drafting to revising, editing and proofreading techniques.
    • Do not expect a Vanderbilt Writing Studio staff or others who review your work to decide “what is best” or “what looks good.” Your statement is personal to you and only you can objectively evaluate your own myriad of experiences to determine what is best for you.
    • The individual 5-step personal statement process is something that you truly must do on your own – it is a personal statement, which must come from you.
    • Although it is encouraged to seek additional feedback on your final personal statement draft, it is imperative to continually improve your overall effective written communication and self-editing skills throughout your journey.
      • Why? Additional writing and essays are expected in your professional healthcare school admissions application and may be discussed during admission interviews. Effective written communication abilities are imperative for future success in professional school.
  • Final Statement Feedback
    • Before seeking final draft personal statement feedback, re-read your final draft. Ask yourself:
      • Does it answer the specific question/prompt (if appropriate)?
      • Did I lose my statement focus? Does it make sense when I read it aloud (like a speech)?
      • Is this written from my perspective or from someone else’s viewpoint?
      • Does it genuinely communicate the key elements I wanted the committee to know about me or my journey towards this profession?
    • Brainstorm a trusted peer, mentor or other individual(s) to review. It is not required to have someone review or provide you with feedback on your personal statement. However, consider feedback to ensure that your written communication effectively aligns with your intentional personal message in your statement. 
    • Don’t wait until the last minute. Ask in advance if they would be willing to read and provide honest feedback regarding your personal statement for a healthcare professional school. Schedule an appointment with an individual in advance to ensure appropriate time to discuss your personal statement together.
    • (Optional) HPAO Services Feedback:
      • Upon completion of all these steps and your final personal statement version is completed, you are welcome to attend a HPAO Personal Statement Support Workshop (offered fall/spring semesters) to discuss your personal statement.
      • All support workshops are found online via our HPAO website, "Attend Events, Workshops & Group Sessions"  Select the appropriate "Personal Statement Support" event option to RSVP.
      • Personal statement support workshops focus on effective, professional school personal statement feedback and techniques to ensure that you have found your authentic voice.
      • We will not edit or proofread your personal statement. A professional school candidate’s writing abilities must stand on their own. Consult with the Vanderbilt Writing Studio if you need help with general writing structure and self-editing techniques to improve your overall writing skill sets in the writing process towards your final, personal statement draft.
  • Personal Statement Submission
    • Detail matters. Follow all official submission instructions and guidelines. Often your submission may not be an “uploaded” document in the national application portal instructions. Please review all official application instructions and formatting guidelines before submission.
    • Complete your final editing on your own personal device (Microsoft Word, etc.) before typing it into your application portal. They will not have a spell-checker tool in national application portals. If your individual school does not use a national application portal, please follow their individual official admissions website submission instructions to the letter.
    • Always double-check your work. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to edit your essay in the application portal.