| 1. |
Damaging Personal Statement
Do include information that informs
an admissions committee about personal and professional development,
academic background and objectives, research and field experiences, and
career goals and plans.
Do NOT include:
- Discussion of personal or familial mental health problems
= "To better understand my own problems or problems in
one's family."
- Expressions of excessive altruism in professional goals = "I
want to help all people.... I'm destine to save the world."
- Excessive self-disclosure = long sagas about completing
school over incredible odds does not impress.
- Professionally inappropriate statements or issues = leave out
unusual issues or unique ideas not directly pertinent to the
application process
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| 2. |
Harmful Letters of Recommendation
Do think about who you ask to write
for you. Students should use their 4 years to meet professors so
they can get to know your qualities as a students and interests. Who
will write the most appropriate letters and the best letters for
you.
- Ideal letters include only positive personal characteristics
such as works independently, team player, intelligent, motivated.
responsible, perseverance, and agreeable. Mention of negative
qualities maybe detrimental.
- Appropriateness of the sources - letters should be from
professors and others who have been involved in the applicants
education and research activities. They should not be from
relatives or employees. Employers who are able to address the
applicant's work habits and potential as a graduate student may be
used to supplement those from instructors.
Do NOT assume:
- That even instructors who have worked closely with you remember
details after more than a semester or too. Provide information
to everyone asked about your academic history, year of graduation,
senior research topic and current area of interest, field placement
experiences, courses taken with each referee, ending GPA and major
GPA, related work experiences, etc. It is also a wise idea to
explain your career goals and how the specific program(s) will meet
those needs - show you have done your homework and are making
appropriate choices.
- That an instructor you have had in one or two content courses knows
you well enough to write a good letter.
- That an instructor forgets how often you were late to class,
completed assignments poorly.... and will write a good letter just to
help you out!
- That employers have a clue as to what is involved in applying to
graduate school.
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| 3. |
Lack of Information About the Program
Do your homework before you begin
to write your personal statement. Be sure you read the program
catalog and visit the program on-line. Within your personal
statement, it must be clear that you understand the general focus of
the program and show how your interests fit with this focus.
Do NOT forget:
- That most graduate programs are research-oriented.
- That you should be familiar with the current research
interests of the graduate faculty.
- That it is worth your time to do some background reading - about the
faculty - be sure the person you hope to work with has not left the
school, died, retired....
- That you should be able to say how your current research
interests fit with the research begin conducted by a specific faculty
person. This means, after looking into the graduate faculty,
read some of their recent publications.
- To compare your research interests /activities to the
activities/interests of specific graduate faculty.
"Fit" is essential to being considered and for maximizing
professional gains.
- That your personal statement might need to be tailor for each
program you are applying to!
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| 4. |
Poor Writing Skills
Do write your personal statement so
that it is well organized, cohesive, concise, written skillfully and
proofread thoroughly!
Do NOT submit personal statements
that include:
- Spelling and grammatical errors. Spelling mistakes and
poor grammar indicate that you may lack writing skills, but more
importantly, that you are not serious and careless.
- Poorly written application materials or materials with weak
content. Be concise, but provide enough detail to reflect your
research, educational, and professional goals. Stay organized as
you cover these important areas.
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| 5. |
Misfired Attempts to Impress
Do present a positive picture of
yourself, your accomplishments and your goals.
Do NOT do so by:
- Attempting to impress committee members by being critical of your
undergraduate program or quality of preparation.
- Offering undue/unsupported praise of the graduate program being
applied to.
- Blame others for weakness in your academic record.
- Dropping names of influential practitioners of psychology or
politicians you know.
- Obtaining letters of recommendation of political sources.
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