how to avoid cliches in personal statement

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Applying to graduate school
• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

College essays

• College essay examples
• College essay format
• College essay style
• College essay length
• Diversity essays
• Scholarship essays

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Avoiding repetition
• Literature review
• Conceptual framework
• Dissertation outline
• Thesis acknowledgements
• Burned or burnt
• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Theater vs theatre

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 03). How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/graduate-school/personal-statement/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write a graduate school resume | template & example, how (and who) to ask for a letter of recommendation, master's vs phd | a complete guide to the differences, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

Avoiding cliches in your personal statement

6 Minute Read

Tagged as: How to Apply

One of the most crucial components of the college application process is the personal statement: an opportunity to sell yourself ( your unique skills, traits, and experiences ) to the admissions committee. This can be a daunting task for humble and confident students alike. It is also an endeavor that students will need to replicate as adults when writing a grant proposal or a cover letter for a job, or applying for a loan.

The personal statement might be the first time you are asked to prove you are different, special, and desirable, but it won’t be the last. For this reason, you need to learn to talk about yourself in a way that leaves a lasting impression now.

Low-impact phrases to avoid (clichés)

So, how do you distinguish yourself from the thousands of other voices in the ether?

Provide colorful, specific details that paint a genuine picture of the student, or employee, you both are and hope be.  One of the world’s leading professional staffing agencies, Robert Half International, suggests you avoid these non-descriptive résumé terms:

• "Hard worker"
• "Dynamic"
• "Problem solver"
• "Self-starter"
• "Reliable"

Some other hackneyed terms students are prone to use in essays include:

• "Passionate"
• "Life-changing"
• "Motivated"

While all of these refer to very positive - even attractive - characteristics, they generally lack substance.  They are superficial adjectives, words used by people to describe how they think they should be seen. One of our staff was fond this piece of advice: "The only person who describes himself as not lazy, is the lazy person."

In other words, describing yourself as "not-something" demonstrates that you fear being construed as such. Moreover, using / over-using phrases like the ones above demonstrates nothing but a yearning to be seen in that light without providing any evidence that you should be seen that way.

A personal statement should show , not tell

Rather than relying on a collection of overused terms in your personal statement,  show  your most remarkable qualities by talking about experiences which highlight those qualities.

If you do consider yourself a "hard worker", write descriptively about the hours you devoted to overcoming deficiencies in math, or about the summer program you spent working to improve. Invite the reader to imagine the dedication it took to seek a private Math tutor while balancing those bi-weekly sessions with daily piano lessons, biology lab reports and charity work at the local community center.

Proclaiming that you never missed a tennis practice, even when you were injured and could only watch from the sidelines, is much greater proof that you are reliable than the word itself.  If your high school service trip to an impoverished community was truly "life-changing," take time to weave a first-hand account of the people who touched your life, and precisely how you were "changed" because of them. Make your individuality shine through your own personal tales and accomplishments; this is how your voice becomes audible amongst the white noise.

Remember that you can easily be trapped by clichés that 30,000 others will also write.  Exhibit your best self through stories which no one else can replicate - your experiences, told in such detail and depth in a way only you know. You are unique, so help your readers get to know the person they’ve been dying to meet.

In need of more college application essay advice? In addition to test prep, deadline trackers, and a Q&A feature, Occam's new app, Wend has dozens of articles about writing college application essays and applying to college.

Download Wend on the App Store for free test prep, essay writing tips, and more!

Was this helpful?

Thanks for voting, more articles, from test prep to essay editing, wend makes applying to college easier..

Use code OGWEND before Dec 31 for 50% off our annual membership!

How to Avoid Cliches in Your Personal Statement

When you sit down to write your personal statement for the first time it can be really tempting to use age-old cliches like ‘I've always been fascinated by…' or ‘I have a deep and enduring admiration for nurses/doctors/midwives'. However, you can quite easily avoid these cliches and I'm going to show you exactly how in today's blog and video.

Typical personal statement cliches to avoid

One personal statement cliche you should avoid is defining the subject you want to study. Frankie, a reader of my blog, wrote to me saying:

“I'm really struggling in starting my personal statement for BSc Geography! I don't know what to say, and whether it should be a cliché definition about what geography is? Any tips?”

“There are some things I do not know how to express [in my personal statement] so that it doesn't sound like a cliché. My mother is a doctor and she's doing some really interesting research. My parents' work has brought up many interesting conversations that have both educated me and have additionally fed my passion for Science. For this reason I would love to include it in my statement and at the same time make it not sound like the clichéd sentence “My parents are doctors and I really like their job. Therefore, I want to be a doctor/scientist as well.”

• Why using these cliches is a bad idea
• How to avoid using cliches in your personal statement

Watch the video: How to avoid cliches in your personal statement

Personal statement resources mentioned in the video

My vlog on How to Stand Out in an Oxford or Cambridge Personal Statement or Interview really delves into how to tell your story in your personal statement (and isn't just for Oxbridge applicants – it will help everyone!) – which is the surest way to stop yourself from using cliches. After all, you're unique so your story is not a cliche. It's all about delving below the surface of your story/cliche to find the individual motivations, inspiration and curiosity you have for your subject.

There's a collection of all my university application resources on the page How to apply to university: everything you need to know .

Finally, if you want the quick, simple and easy way to go from blank piece of paper to done (avoiding all cliches in the process) take a look at my e-course for writing personal statements  Your Complete Guide to a Winning Personal Statement .

Over to you…

In the comments below I'd love to know:

• Are you struggling to avoid cliches in your personal statement? Which cliches are you trying to avoid? Using the tips I've shared in this video, how do you think you can get around the problem?
• What's behind your desire to study your subject at university? Share your story in the comments below to inspire and motivate others (and I'll give you some feedback about whether it's strong enough).

Wishing you all the best of luck with your personal statement!

Get my free download: 11 Personal Statement Dos and Don'ts

Your personal data will be treated with respect. View my privacy policy here .

You might also like...

What’s the difference between personal statements for vocational courses and academic subjects?

3 Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid to Get University Offers

Help with achieving your goals this Christmas holiday

When should you write a UCAS personal statement?

How important is a UCAS personal statement?

What is a UCAS Personal Statement?

Lucy Parsons

Click here to leave a comment below, leave a reply:.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Would you like the FREE download 11 Personal Statement dos and don'ts?

Just enter your name and email below and the free tip sheet will be sent directly to your inbox.

Your data will be treated with respect. View the privacy policy here.

13 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

Without question, your grades and test scores are the most important part of your grad school application. But stellar grades and a high GRE score are not enough to make you stand out from the thousands of other applicants with similar scores.

So how can you distinguish yourself? The answer: A unique and thoughtfully crafted personal statement.

Think about all the study sessions, missed parties and hard work you’ve put into maintaining good grades and achieving a score that made your mother cry tears of joy. Don’t throw all that away by writing a weak personal statement. This is a valuable opportunity for you to show the admissions department why they would be remiss not to accept you.

On the other hand, it’s important to not get too creative. I’m sorry, but you should probably save your Quentin Tarantino-style statement for another time. Trust me on that one.

Instead, it’s time to channel your inner Goldilocks and express who you are in a way that’s not too much and not too little, but is “just right” to catch the admission department’s attention.

To help you navigate through the writing process, we’ve compiled a list of 13 mistakes you should avoid when writing your personal statement.

Cliches can be hard to avoid. They’ve been lodged in our memory since the dawn of time. (See what I did there?) But they’re uninspiring, tired, and show a lack of creativity. Instead, come up with your own metaphors and similes to say in your unique way that you “have a thirst for knowledge,” and avoid clichés like they’re going out of style.

2. Redundancy

Don’t include your GPA in your personal statement. Let me say that again. Don’t include your GPA in your personal statement. In fact, avoid including any information – such as awards you’ve received, etc. – that can be found elsewhere in your application. It’s redundant. Think of your personal statement as valuable real estate and there’s only enough space for the best, most unique information.

3. Spelling or Grammatical Errors

This cannot be overstated. Admissions directors won’t be able to fully appreciate your powerful personal statement if they have to keep stumbling over spelling and grammar errors. Avoid errors by asking a friend or family member to help you proofread your statement. Another pair of eyes is more likely to catch if you misspelled “conscientious,” for example.

4. Profanity or Slang

This should go without saying, but some students forget to leave out certain inappropriate four-letter words. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

Quotes can be very inspirational, especially when they come from great writers and charismatic people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or E.E. Cummings. But they’re not YOUR words, and they don’t tell the admissions director who you are. Leave them out of your personal statement and post them on your Instagram instead.

6. Hyperboles

You want to show enthusiasm in your statement, but it’s not necessary to say that if you don’t get into grad school your “mother will kill you.” The admissions director will also likely not be impressed if you tell them you have studied no less than a million hours to get into their school. In fact, avoid any and all exaggerations.

7. Plagiarism

These days, it’s easy to find examples of great personal statements online. However, keep in mind that universities will be able to identify if you have copied any material from another source. It’s not worth the risk and, again, it doesn’t let the school see your uniqueness.

8. Other People

Remember, keep the focus of your statement on you and what makes you stand out. Avoid too much mention of mentors, family members, or other people who may have inspired your academic goals. Keep it all about you.

9. Negativity

Keep your personal statement upbeat and positive. Avoid talking about any past educational experiences. You should also avoid mentioning any personal circumstances that have caused you difficulty – unless you are able to highlight how you overcame the circumstances and what you learned from them.

Although you may be trying to secure a financial award from the school, you should leave out any mention of money in your essay. Period.

11. Arrogance

Of course you want to highlight what differentiates you from other students, but be sure to do so in a humbling way. Boasting about how awesome or great you are may be off-putting to those reviewing your application. Also, you should show , rather than tell how wonderful you are by describing certain unique experiences rather than listing superficial adjectives to describe yourself.

Often times, we immediately try to use humor to showcase what makes us unique. Being quirky, though, can be risky in an admissions essay. So proceed with caution. Keep in mind that those in the admissions department may not share your sense of humor, so it’s best to keep your weird jokes between you and your friends.

13. Confessions

This is an opportunity to describe your educational and professional goals in an intentional way. It is not an opportunity to reveal the deepest, darkest corners of your mind, so stay on point and avoid any irrelevant information.

  About the Author:

Jennifer is here to help you navigate college and grad school while still maintaining your sanity. She is a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!), with a major in Journalism and Communications and a minor in Psychology. She’s also a certified Montessori instructor and once witnessed a four-year-old correctly label all 54 countries on a map of Africa. She prefers to sing when not in the shower, and she’s not afraid of heights as long as she’s standing on something that is less than 15-feet tall.

Image Sources:

• https://tessatypt.wordpress.com/author/tessaotten/
• http://thumbpress.com/10-funny-spelling-and-grammar-mistakes/
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533113674616215339/
• http://tnova.fr/notes/refonder-l-aide-aux-eleves-en-grande-difficulte-scolaire

Jennifer is here to help you navigate college and grad school while still maintaining your sanity. She is a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!), with a major in Journalism and Communications and a minor in Psychology. She’s also a certified Montessori instructor and once witnessed a four-year-old correctly label all 54 countries on a map of Africa. She prefers to sing when not in the shower, and she’s not afraid of heights as long as she’s standing on something that is less than 15-feet tall.

View all posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

What this handout is about

This handout discusses clichés and why you should generally avoid them in order to achieve specificity in both your academic writing and your application essays.

Introduction: What’s so bad about clichés?

Let’s say you are on a study abroad applications review committee. You are responsible for making sure a limited amount of money goes to the most qualified applicants…and you have to read through hundreds of application essays! Here are two personal statements:

I’m a people person, so I am certain to get along well with new people in a strange country. I know how to adapt, because I’m a jack-of-all-trades. I am also prepared to deal with adversity and learn from challenges because I know that every cloud has a silver lining.

I will be able to immerse myself in another country because I have experience as an ESL tutor interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Growing up in a military family taught me how to quickly adapt to new people and environments. I won’t let the inevitable challenges of living abroad deter me from my educational goals. As my numerous failed experiments for my chemistry senior project show, challenges are profitable in the long-run. I finally made a contribution to my field after 200 experiments!

Who gets the money? Both applicants made the same basic argument about themselves. But the second did it with more specificity—in other words, by using detailed evidence to reinforce their more general claims about themselves. The first applicant relied on clichés—“I’m a people person,” “jack-of-all-trades,” “every cloud as a silver lining”—that anybody could have used. We didn’t learn anything specific about this person. The second applicant gets the money.

This example shows the problem with clichés—they are general statements that do not add any detailed evidence or unique support to a piece of writing, whether that writing is a personal statement or an academic essay.

What is a cliché?

Clichés are expressions that either have a general meaning or have “lost their meaning” over time. These overused phrases do not provide a specific meaning or image. You are probably familiar with many of them, although you might find it difficult to pinpoint their exact definition. Some are idioms, where the figurative meaning of a group of words is different from the literal definition. For example, “The devil is in the details” should hopefully not be taken literally! Other clichés may once have possessed a precise meaning that made them creative metaphors, but they have now lost their edge because that specific definition has been forgotten or dulled through overuse. “Survival of the fittest” once evoked Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection. Because readers have largely lost this unique context, the phrase has also lost the specificity which may have once made it a potent metaphor. Clichés can also obscure fully-developed ideas by serving as placeholders for a more sophisticated discussion. Clichés lack specificity and complexity; therefore, they do not make distinctive or memorable contributions to your writing.

What are some examples of clichés?

We’ve divided some common clichés into categories based on the genre in which you might encounter them. Follow the links at the end of this handout for much more comprehensive lists of clichés.

Academic Writing – especially in formulaic introductions or conclusions (see our handouts on introductions and conclusions to make sure that you don’t start or end your papers with clichés):

• In modern society
• Throughout history (Be warned: History TAs hate this one!)
• In this day and age
• In the current climate
• From the dawn of man (Historians are also not fond of this one!)

Application Essays – where talking about yourself can lead to getting mushy and using clichés (check out our handout on application essays to make your personal statements specific and effective):

• Good things come to those who wait
• Every cloud has a silver lining
• Little did I know
• I learned more from them than they did from me
• Every rose has its thorn
• The time of my life

Any type of writing:

• In the nick of time
• Opposites attract
• You win some, you lose some
• Easy come, easy go

Why shouldn’t you use clichés?

Clichés are usually not acceptable in academic writing, although some may be effective in daily conversation and less formal writing. Evaluate the context of your writing and be aware that you’re making a choice when you use them.

• Clichés make you seem boring. By using a cliché, you’re telling your reader that you lack originality, making them want to yawn and stop reading your paper.
• Clichés make your writing and argument interchangeable with anybody else’s. Make sure that your argument and writing are specific to you and your writing task.
• Clichés are vague. It is best to use the most precise wording in order to present evidence and support your arguments as clearly as possible. Specific details and explanations make better evidence than generalizations and trite phrases.
• Clichés make you seem lazy. They are a hedge when you don’t want to do creative work.
• Clichés make you lose credibility. Your reader will not trust you as an authoritative source if you can’t come up with a better description than a cliché.
• Clichés are poor substitutes for actual evidence. Because clichés are not specific, they do not offer strong enough commentary to prove your point. Make sure that every sentence of your paper is working toward a goal by eliminating meaningless phrases.

How to tell when you’re using a cliché

• If instructors provide feedback such as “too general,” “vague,” or “be more specific,” what they might really mean is that your writing relies on clichés.
• Ask a friend to listen as you read your writing out loud. If they can finish any sentence before you read the whole thing, you have probably employed a cliché.
• Read through your writing alone. Read it slowly and out loud, stopping often to develop mental pictures that reflect what you have written. If you’re writing a paper that needs to be descriptive, do all of your sentences evoke strong images? If you’re writing about something theoretical or persuasive, are all of your points specific and clear? If something is easy to skip over or you can’t assign a direct meaning to it, go back! You may have a cliché.
• Ask yourself if what you’ve written is a product of your research, an original argument, or a portrayal of your personal experiences. Could what you wrote appear in anyone else’s essay? If so, you may be relying on clichés. No other writer has had exactly the same personal experiences as you, conducted the same research, or formulated the same arguments.
• Look through your introduction and your conclusion. Often writers rely on clichés to power through what many consider to be the most difficult sections of a paper. If you’re using phrases that sound like they could belong in any generic paper, chances are they’re not serving you well. Of course, you may reuse certain transition words or forms of argument in multiple papers, but try to avoid hackneyed phrases like “Throughout history…” or “In conclusion…”

How to get rid of clichés

• Research or brainstorm some more. If you are relying on clichés, you might not have prepared enough for your writing assignment. Check out our brainstorming handout . If you think you may be relying on clichés instead of actual evidence, consult our handout on evidence for clarification.
• Stop and think about what you’re trying to say. What do you really mean? Say your answer out loud and then write it down. List the main ideas that you want to convey in each sentence, and then list synonyms of each idea underneath. Pull out a thesaurus if necessary. This method leaves you with a list of many words, and you can pick the most fitting combination.
• Try to pinpoint exactly what you want to say, and write it! Often, keeping it simple is a good idea.
• Ask yourself questions as you write. Use “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how” questions to spur your thinking. Rather than writing “throughout history” as your introductory line, stop and ask yourself, “When? In what era? Where? Who was in power during the specific historical context I am addressing?” The answers to these questions will give you a more focused opening line. For example, imagine you’re writing a paper about papal history. Rather than saying something generic such as, “Throughout history, only two popes have resigned,” you can write something better with the help of a little research. You could end up with the more precise: “In what represented a nearly unprecedented departure from papal tradition, Pope Benedict XVI became the second pope to resign in 2013.”

Consult these resources for lists of clichés:

Cliché List: Definition, Meaning & Examples. http://www.clichelist.net/

Examples of Clichés. http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-cliches.html

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

• Personal statement dos and don'ts

Applying to university

• Getting started
• UCAS Tariff points
• Calculate your UCAS Tariff points
• Amendments to the Tariff consultation
• Offer rate calculator
• How to use the offer rate calculator
• Understanding historical entry grades data
• Admissions tests
• Deferred entry
• Personal statement advice and example: computer science
• Personal statement advice: English
• Personal statement advice: Midwifery
• Personal statement advice: animal science
• Personal statement advice: biology
• Personal statement advice: business and management
• Personal statement advice: chemistry
• Personal statement advice: dance
• Personal statement advice: dentistry
• Personal statement advice: drama
• Personal statement advice: economics
• Personal statement advice: engineering
• Personal statement advice: geography
• Personal statement advice: history
• Personal statement advice: law
• Personal statement advice: maths
• Personal statement advice: media studies and journalism
• Personal statement advice: medicine
• Personal statement advice: modern languages
• Personal statement advice: music
• Personal statement advice: nursing
• Personal statement advice: pharmacy
• Personal statement advice: physiotherapy
• Personal statement advice: politics
• Personal statement advice: psychology
• Personal statement advice: social work
• Personal statement advice: sociology
• Personal statement advice: sports science
• Personal statement advice: statistics
• Personal statement advice: teacher training and education
• Personal statement advice: veterinary medicine
• Personal statement: finance and accounting
• Filling in your application
• Staying safe online
• How to write a personal statement that works for multiple courses
• How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement
• Fraud and similarity
• How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber
• How to end your personal statement
• Introducing the personal statement tool
• What to include in a personal statement
• Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
• Using your personal statement beyond a university application
• Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
• Personal statement guides
• References for mature students

Shona Barrie – Director of Admissions, University of Stirling

UCAS asked admissions tutors – the people who read and score your personal statement – for their advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when writing your personal statement. 

The most common piece of advice was not to worry about it – and don’t be tempted to copy anyone else’s.

Read our step-by-step guide to writing your personal statement

Then follow our simple tips below.

• Do talk about why you’re a good candidate – talk about you, your motivations and what brings you to this course.
• Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
• Do make it relevant . Connect what you’re saying with the course and with your experiences.
• Do outline your ideas clearly .
• Do avoid the negatives – highlight the positives about you, and show you know your strengths.
• Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.
• Do ask people you trust for their feedback.
• Don’t be modest or shy . You want your passions to come across. 
• Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
• Don’t use quotes from someone else, or cliches.
• Don’t leave it to the last minute – your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.
• Don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement , but don't just rely on a spellchecker. Proofread as many times as possible.
• Don’t copy and paste – make yours original.
• Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or on social media or share your personal statement with anyone including your friends and family, unless asking for feedback from people you trust.
• Don’t worry about it – we have all the advice you need to help you stand out in your personal statement. 

The personal statement tool image

Don’t be tempted to copy or share your statement.

UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied. 

Find out more

Ana ghaffari moghaddam – third year law student and careers coach, university of liverpool.

You’ve got this. Follow those simple steps and use your personal statement as your chance to shine .Use the below as a checklist to make sure you've avoided all common pitfalls.

Want more tips on what to include in your personal statement? Use the links below.

• Get started with our personal statement builder . 
• Five things all students should include in their personal statement. 
• See how you can turn your personal statement into a CV, apprenticeship application or covering letter. 
• Read How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber .

Sponsored articles UCAS Media Service

Five reasons to sign up to the ucas newsletter, how to find a job, make the most of your student experience.

Professionals

Choosing What Not to Write in a Personal Statement

Written by David Lombardino   |  Updated February 29, 2024

The Other Side of the Coin

With as much time as candidates spend thinking about what to write in their personal statements , what often gets overlooked is what NOT to write in a personal statement.

With the over 15 years’ experience I have in critiquing, editing and proofreading personal statements , I have gotten to know the mistakes candidates commonly make in their personal statements and the effect those mistakes have on the program directors and admissions committees reading them.

Once you know what these mistakes are, they will be easy to avoid, and get you that much closer to a good working draft of your personal statement—and a good first impression with your application.

Item 1 to Avoid: Clichés

The first step is to avoid using clichés in a personal statement. A cliché is a word or phrase, or even idea, that has been used so many times before that it is no longer effective, or original.

When we hear someone use a cliché when speaking, it makes us want to groan or wince. The effect is the same for the program director or admissions committee when reading a cliché in a personal statement.

An example is stating in a medical residency personal statement, for the sole purpose of communicating that you know how to work in a team, that you have played on a sports team.

If you want to use something that is normally considered a cliché in your personal statement, one solution is to provide the specific details that make the cliché particularly relevant to you.

In other words, provide the details that show that it is genuinely your particular story. In the example of wanting to communicate your ability to work in a team, you could describe a particular time when you stood out for putting the team’s or a fellow teammate’s needs first, and how your efforts helped the team.

Another solution is to think of the idea you wish to communicate with the cliché, then think of another way to communicate that same idea. Continuing with the teamwork example, rather than stating that you played on a sports team, you can describe an experience from the clinical setting in which you demonstrated a team-first attitude and other positive teamwork characteristics.

Item 2 to Avoid: Opening With a Story Written in the Present Tense

Avoid opening your personal statement by writing in the present tense unless what you are writing is something that is actually taking place in the present tense.

Don’t write in the present tense a story that happened in the past.

If the story happened in the past, then write it in the past tense. If the story didn’t happen in the past, but is one actually happening in the present, then think twice. Most likely there is a better option for the introduction to your personal statement.

How to Hook the Reader

Every candidate wants to open their personal statement with a hook that will get the program director’s or admission committee’s attention. The best and easiest way to do this is to have confidence in your story and tell it exactly how it is.

Your confidence, and telling your story in a genuine and forthright manner, will be all you need to hook your reader into wanting to read your personal statement.

Item 3 to Avoid: Gimmicks, or Any Other Attempt to Be Catchy

Avoid using any gimmicks or attempts to be catchy in your personal statement. Writing unnecessarily in the present tense is an example.

Another example is writing your personal statement in a question-answer format as if you were being interviewed by a game show host.

Instead, simply tell your story.

If you use a gimmick or otherwise attempt to be catchy in your personal statement, program directors or admissions committees will think there is a problem with your story, and that there is a reason you are not telling it in a clear and forthright manner. They will think you are trying to hide something, or that you know you are not a strong candidate for the program.

There is nothing positive that comes out of using a gimmick or other attempt to be catchy in a personal statement.

Item 4 to Avoid: The Passive Voice

Avoid using the passive voice in your personal statement. The passive voice occurs when a statement or question does not communicate the one who takes an action.

For example, “The patient received a shot in the arm.”

We see this most commonly in personal statements for medical residency. The effect of the passive voice is to distance both the subject and, therefore, the reader from the narrative. It prevents the reader from engaging, or maintaining engagement, with the personal statement.

Your personal statement is your story, and it should therefore state what YOU did.

The subject of each action described in the personal statement needs to be clearly communicated. If you did not take the action, then state who took the action in the context of what other action you were taking.

Example Solution 1—You Took the Action

Instead of “The patient received a shot in the arm,” write, “I gave the patient a shot in the arm.”

Example Solution 2—Someone Else Took the Action in the Context of Another Action You Were Taking

Instead of “The patient received a shot in the arm,” write, “My attending gave the patient a shot in the arm, while I held the patient’s hand and offered consoling words to the patient and her family.”

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy .

Write once, proof twice

Personal statement do’s and don’ts: avoid clichés, trust your own voice, you want a personal statement that isn’t just like everyone else’s. these 10 tips can transform your essay from cookie-cutter to captivating..

When you submit a personal statement for medical school or residency, you’re going up against applicants who are smart, driven and deeply passionate about medicine—just like you. To craft a personal statement that’s truly unique, it’s best to weave in compelling life experiences that speak to your goals and skills, and avoid oft-used essay tropes.

Here are the key do’s and don’ts of creating an engaging personal statement , according to emergency medicine residency program director William Fraser, DO; emergency medicine resident Janine Curcio, DO; and Elizabeth McClain, PhD, MPH, associate dean for academic affairs at the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Personal statement pitfalls: 5 things to avoid

Cliché #1.

“Your personal statement should only include elements that are still relevant today,” advises Dr. Fraser.

Cliché #2

“When you’re writing your personal statement, think back to a experience where you wanted time to stand still so you could take it all in,” says Dr. McClain. “Those one-of-a-kind stories are the ones you want to include.”

Cliché #3

“I don’t want to see quotes from historical figures or philosophers—I’d rather hear the applicant’s own voice,” says Dr. Fraser. “What drew you to this specialty, or to medical school, and what motivates you and keeps you going when things are tough?”

Cliché #4

“The single biggest mistake you can make is to submit a generic personal statement—you want to highlight what makes you unique,” says Dr. Curcio, whose essay on her experiences in the Navy earned praise from residency program directors during interviews last year.

Cliché #5

“As an emergency medicine physician, I already know why emergency medicine is a great career,” says Dr. Fraser. “I want to know why you think so, and what unique skills you have that would make you a good fit.”

5 steps to creating a personal statement that’s distinctively yours

“Build your personal statement around experiences you’ll be excited to discuss during an interview,” Dr. McClain advises.

“Ask yourself, what life experiences have you had that set you apart from anyone else who’s applying?” Dr. Curcio advises.

“You don’t want to sound arrogant or boastful, but you do want to sound confident,” says Dr. Fraser. If you’re unsure how your essay reads, try asking an honest friend or relative for their take.

“If you’re targeting your residency search by region, it’s definitely not harmful to include in your personal statement, and it’s helpful information for some review committees,” says Dr. Fraser.

Though you should ask several people to review your statement and offer suggestions, the finished product should be 100% your writing. “Nobody is better equipped to write about you than you,” Dr. McClain says.

For more personal statement guidance, see The DO’s recent article on how to write a compelling personal statement .

Mile marker

20 reasons to love and hate retirement, emergency preparedness, high-altitude health care: navigating in-flight medical emergencies, road to residency, how to soften red flags on your eras application, the do book club, june 2024: ‘autobiography of andrew t. still’, a life in medicine, in memoriam: june 1, 2024, related article.

Lights, camera, action: How to write a compelling personal statement

Envisioning your essay as a movie trailer and avoiding common storytelling pitfalls can help your writing stand out, experts say.

More in Training

AOA works to advance understanding of student parity issues

AOA leaders discuss student parity issues with ACGME, medical licensing board staff and GME program staff.

PCOM hosts annual Research Day showcasing scholarly activity across the college’s 3 campuses

Event highlighted research on important topics such as gun violence and COPD.

Previous article

Next article, leave a comment cancel reply please see our comment policy.

UCL Psychology and Language Sciences

MSc LangSci - 10 things to avoid in your personal statement

Following on from our list of 10 things to think about when writing your personal statement, here are ten things to avoid in your personal statement.

If you haven't already, take a look at our list of 10 things to include in your personal statement .

When you are writing a personal statement for your application, for every opportunity to shine there is a pitfall to be dodged, so let's have a look at some of the most common ones.

These are things to think about. Almost everything below is about how and why you include something in your personal statement, rather than about avoiding it altogether.

We want to hear about you and your interests in your words.  Quotes rarely add much to an application, so unless you think they’re really relevant, use your own voice .

It’s difficult to avoid personal statement clichés when you haven’t seen other personal statements. If you avoid using templates and keep it simple , stay away from quotes and use your own words, your statement will be naturally original.   UCAS has published a list of the most commonly used opening lines in undergraduate applications. These should give you an idea of some phrasing you might want to avoid.

3. Don’t write too much

We want to see that you can express yourself clearly and concisely. Stick to what’s relevant and try to resist the temptation to include everything you think of. When you apply you will be able to include your personal statement as an attachment (without a word limit). Keeping it to around a single page is a good guide (don’t worry if you’re a little over or under).

4. Don’t write too little

See 3. It’s OK if your statement is shorter than one page, but read it over to make sure you’ve included everything you want to . Take a look at our list of the things to include in your personal statement if you think you've missed something.

5. (Irrelevant) Hobbies

If they aren’t relevant, leave them out.  If they are, tell us why .

6. Don’t tell us that you’re “passionate” – show us

You don’t need to tell us that it’s always been your dream, or that the fire of language sciences burns within you. Just write honestly about why you want to study and your interest in the subject will come through on it’s own.

7. Don’t use the same personal statement for different programmes

It’s great if you want to apply to several programmes, but try not to use the same statement. If the programmes are different, shouldn’t your motivation and your personal statement be different too?

Instead of just telling us what you’ve read; what modules you’re interested in; or what experience you’ve had, tell us why it matters .  

What about the things you’ve read relates to MSc Language Sciences? Why do those modules interest you? How does your experience relate to MSc Language Sciences or to postgraduate study in general?

9. Don’t forget to proof-read

Applying for postgraduate degrees can be stressful. It might sound obvious, but it's all too easy to just click “submit” without checking your statement.

Is there anything you meant to add? Anything you meant to take out?

If you’re applying for more than one programme make sure your statement is for the correct programme... and the correct university.

10. Don’t forget to ask

Always remember, if you have any questions about the programme or the application process you can always contact us at [email protected] .

Don’t forget these are just tips to help you think about your application. Don’t worry if there is something here that you did or didn’t do, there aren’t any hard and fast rules for the personal statement.

Remember, it’s only one part of the whole application.

Words you should never use in your university application

Applying to university? Before submitting your application, make sure none of these cliché words have crept in.

Putting together a personal statement for your university application can be overwhelming – your future hinges on it being written well. If your application is full of clichés, exaggerations and downright oddities, it’ll be a one-way ticket to the admissions bin.

Here are some words you should remove if they feature in your personal statement.

Possibly the most overused word when it comes to personal statements. Approach this with extreme caution. It’s such a strong word, and when it accompanies "since an early age" it just makes you think, really, you’ve been passionate about poetry (or whatever) since you were a child? 

Top tip:  Try to convey your interest in something without the dreaded P word altogether. For example, rather than writing "From an early age I have been passionate about poetry,” try “Poetry first grabbed my attention when I read..."

Team player

You’re a team player and can also work well individually? Congratulations, so can the other 500 people who've applied for this place on the course.

Top tip:  Rather than using clichés like "team-player", give a real-world example of this in action. The same goes for demonstrating your solo working ability. These common clichés don’t mean much when they’re not backed up by an example.

Watching TV

It’s good to include a section about what you like to do outside of your academic or work life. However, if you pad out your statement with generic hobbies such as "watching TV", "going to the cinema" or "socialising with friends", you may just as well describe your interests as "breathing" and "eating".

Top tip:  If you want to include a hobby, make sure it says something worthwhile about you and actually adds to your application. All the better if you can somehow relate it to the course you’re applying for.

Ashley Harrison-Barker, Home Admissions Manager at University of Hertfordshire , says "Always use ‘I’ and avoid using ‘we’ where possible. Admissions Tutors want to hear about you as an individual and your experiences. You may want to mention experiences you’ve had working as part of a team but try to focus on your role within that team and your contribution in helping to achieve the overall outcome, rather than just the outcome itself."

Generally speaking, you want to avoid unquantifiable descriptions like "plenty", "extensive", "lots" and so on.

Top tip:  Use real numbers, whether in months or years, to describe your experience of whatever it is you’re talking about. There’s only so much "extensive" experience someone can have, so actual figures will always stand out more.

Try to avoid overly using words such as "also", "as well as", "additionally" and so on. These make your personal statement read more like a dispassionate list of things you've done rather than making it flow nicely.

Top tip:  Instead of writing really long sentences, make sure each sentence covers only one topic. Using a mix of shorter simple sentences and longer complex sentences makes your work easier to read. It also shows your writing and communication skills.

Jokes and puns

Trying to convey a funny tone in writing is hard, especially in a formal document such as a personal statement. At best, you’ll make the admissions tutor groan at your terrible joke or pun. At worse, you could actually offend someone. So just stay clear altogether.

Top tip:  Although this is a personal statement, you need to stay professional. Show your personality through your hobbies and interests rather than through humour.

If you’re an expert in something, why are you going to university to learn more about it? Maybe you have a lot of knowledge about something – that’s good, but describing yourself as an expert at this stage can make you sound pretentious and arrogant.

Top tip:  Quantify your knowledge with qualifications, books you’ve read, courses you’ve attended and so on.

Overly long words  

Did you swallow a thesaurus for breakfast? Words that are overly long scream "I couldn’t think of a word so I’ve used a thesaurus to find an alternative!"

Top tip:  As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t actually use a word in real life, ditch it from your personal statement.

-  Write a winning personal statement

- Haven't decided where to apply? Browse and book open days.

Similar articles

YOUR UCAS POINTS 0

Please wait

• WRITING SKILLS
• Clichés to Avoid

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Writing Skills:

• A - Z List of Writing Skills

The Essentials of Writing

• Common Mistakes in Writing
• Introduction to Grammar
• Improving Your Grammar
• Active and Passive Voice
• Punctuation
• Clarity in Writing
• Writing Concisely
• Coherence in Writing
• Gender Neutral Language
• Figurative Language
• When to Use Capital Letters
• Using Plain English
• Writing in UK and US English

Understanding (and Avoiding) Clichés

• The Importance of Structure
• Know Your Audience
• Know Your Medium
• Formal and Informal Writing Styles
• Note-Taking from Reading
• Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
• Creative Writing
• Top Tips for Writing Fiction
• Writer's Voice
• Writing for Children
• Writing for Pleasure
• Writing for the Internet
• Journalistic Writing
• Technical Writing
• Academic Writing
• Editing and Proofreading

Writing Specific Documents

• Writing a CV or Résumé
• Writing a Covering Letter
• Writing a Personal Statement
• Writing Reviews
• Using LinkedIn Effectively
• Business Writing
• Study Skills
• Writing Your Dissertation or Thesis

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Clichés are words or phrases that have been overused in writing or speech, and have therefore become largely meaningless. They include examples such as the classic ‘leave no stone unturned’ and the more modern ‘it is what it is’. In many ways, much ‘jargon’, especially management jargon, has now become a cliché as well, because it has little meaning, and is often used solely to fill space or make the user sound important.

This page discusses the effect of including clichés in your speech or writing, and why it is better to avoid them. It suggests some example clichés, though there are many others, and provides some suggestions for alternative phrases.

The Effect of Clichés

Research shows that people are so used to seeing and hearing clichés that they literally overlook them in writing or speech.

As far as the reader is concerned, a cliché might as well not be there. The eye (and brain) simply skips over the words. In other words, these phrases are not just meaningless, they are actively ignored. Their use can also make a writer look lazy and unimaginative.

Worse still, some clichés have taken on almost the opposite meaning because we are so cynical about them. For example, when you hear the phrase ‘We’ll leave no stone unturned”, how often have you assumed that it actually means “We won’t do anything, but we want you to think we will”? Similarly, the phrase ‘I promise’ almost always means ‘I won’t manage this’.

It is therefore essential to avoid using clichés in your writing if you wish it to have any impact, or even to seem interesting.

Identifying Clichés

To avoid clichés, you need to be able to identify them effectively.

The box below shows some examples of clichés, but there are many more. You may find our page on Deciphering Jargon helpful in identifying some more.

Examples of Clichés

The following list highlights some common clichés used in English.

It is by no means comprehensive.

It is also important to be aware that clichés are often different in different cultures and in different environments.

• In a nutshell.
• It’s not rocket science.
• At long last.
• Going forward.
• All walks of life.
• At the end of the day.
• Bring to the table.
• I'm giving it 110%.
• Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
• As bold as brass.
• Uphill battle.
• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
• Too little, too late.
• Sleeping like the dead.
• Actions speak louder than words.
• Two wrongs don’t make a right.
• Never say never.
• Laughter is the best medicine.
• People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

You can probably think of both other examples of clichés and/or people who overuse them both in writing and also in verbal communication .

One way to identify clichés is to consider your own reaction to certain phrases. For example:

• Do you find yourself irritated by someone’s use of a particular phrase?
• Do you feel that you are hearing or reading a word or phrase a lot?
• Does your eye or ear skip over the phrase, making it a bit like verbal ‘white noise’?

All these are signs of a potential cliché—in both your own and someone else’s writing.

Avoiding Clichés

Spotting a cliché in your own writing or speech is often harder than seeing them in someone else’s words. After all, if you thought it was a cliché, you wouldn’t use it!

Some ways that you can spot and avoid clichés in your own writing include:

1. Be aware of what you are writing

The best way to avoid clichés is simply to become more aware of what you are writing.

Clichés tend to slip in when we stop concentrating—effectively, when our brains switch off a bit. They really are a sign of your brain being lazy. Try to concentrate on what you are writing, and make sure that you are phrasing it as clearly and succinctly as possible. Think about your intended audience, and what they need to know, and you are likely to write more effectively.

There is more about this in our page on Know Your Audience .

2. If possible, put aside your finished piece of writing for a day or so and read it again

When you are familiar with a piece of writing, you often do not see its flaws.

It is therefore good practice to put your writing aside for 24 hours, before coming back to it and reading it over again. You are more likely to spot typos and other issues, including the use of clichés.

One very good question to ask at that point is whether your brain is skipping over any phrases. That is a sure sign of a cliché. Also check whether you have included any common phrases that may not yet be clichés, but are coming close.

Ideally, you want your work to be fresh and original.

New analogies and metaphors are good, but tired old phrases, or previously used ideas are not.

3. Check for any unnecessary padding

Using clichés often feels like unnecessary padding. You may therefore find that you have used them subconsciously if you are worried about reaching a required word count.

Phrases such as ‘going forward’, and ‘at the end of the day’ are often subconsciously used as a way to pad out the text. However, they have no real meaning—even to you.

If you can simply delete a whole phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence, it may well be a cliché. Cliché or not, it is almost certainly irrelevant!

4. Try rephrasing your text to make it more concise

Another good tip is to try to shorten your writing.

Making your sentences more concise, and using shorter, simpler words and phrases is usually a helpful way to ensure that you are not using either clichés or jargon.

5. Ask somebody else to proof-read your work

Regardless of the need to avoid clichés, it is often helpful to ask someone else to read your work.

If you are a student, you can read and check each other’s assignments. This will help to ensure that you are not using clichés or other unnecessary padding words and phrases. It will also check whether your work is as clear as possible, or if any sentences are over-complex. Finally, it can help to identify whether you have inadvertently included any typos or grammatical errors.

A final thought

Avoiding clichés is not impossible—but it can still be quite challenging unless you are concentrating. The best way to do this is to be aware of your writing, and particularly to think about your audience and their needs.

Continue to: Coherence in Writing Grammar

See also: Clarity in Writing Writing Concisely Common Mistakes in Writing

3 Foolproof Ways to Make Your Personal Statement Memorable

By: Ryan Kelly

Since the dawn of time, there have been many different cultures and societies with various beliefs on medicine.

Ugh. Scratch that.

What exactly is ‘medicine?’ Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease.”

As the great thinker Paracelsus once said, “Medicine is not only a science, but also an art.”

Alright I’m going to have to stop us right there.

These hooks are bad - more likely found in English 101 papers than medical school personal statements. In fact, they’re inspired by my time teaching clueless freshmen how to write.

If you scoffed at these lines, then good, your instincts are spot on.

But what if I challenged you to write your own hook right now? Think you could do better? Go ahead - I’ll wait - take all the time you need:

WRITE YOUR OWN PERSONAL STATEMENT HOOK:

____________________________________________________________________________

Maybe you came up with one, maybe you didn’t. But my guess is that it wasn’t easy and that you didn’t feel satisfied.

WHY ARE PERSONAL STATEMENT HOOKS SO CHALLENGING TO WRITE?

1. getting started feels daunting..

You often don’t know where you’re going or where you’ll end up. Discussing medicine in relation to your entire life story feels impossible. No hook feels good enough for the perfect, all-encompassing essay that you envision.

“I want to talk about translational research, but I also want to mention the free clinic for the underserved. Oh, and my three weeks in Ghana. How can I tie that together with my grandma’s cancer and my brother’s mental problems? Is there a hook for all of that?”

Every year, I watch perfectionism and self-consciousness cripple pre-med writers. They “pre-write” things in their heads for weeks, maybe months, never getting anything down on the page. They ponder ways to somehow combine all the different angles or ideas they want to explore, rather than writing one solid, focused essay. They forget that the personal statement is just one element of the primary application (and the last one that admissions officers read!).

Don’t get me wrong, outlining and pre-writing are great strategies - they might help you figure out a way to callback to your hook at the end, or how to make its theme emerge throughout.

But DON’T be fooled into thinking that the muse will suddenly strike and you’ll knock the personal statement out in one brilliant sitting. Writing is a process, and most personal statements take three or four revisions. Sometimes your hook won’t even reveal itself until you’ve warmed up and word-vomited a few paragraphs.

Your hook doesn’t need to be all-encompassing (which is impossible anyway). As we’ll see, most good hooks rely on their specificity and narrowed scope.    

2. EVERY IDEA SOUNDS CLICHE. ESPECIALLY THE IDEAS THAT FEEL MOST HONEST OR AUTHENTIC.

Ever since doctors cured my grandfather’s cancer, I have wanted to pay forward that same service to other patients and their families.

Even as a child, I had medical aspirations. I remember using my toy stethoscope on my three younger siblings as we ‘played doctor.’

Family illnesses and childhood dreams are important, but they’ve become cliche due to their overuse. I’ve written about these cliches before:

THE 5 MOST OVERUSED SENTENCES IN PERSONAL STATEMENTS

3 TECHNIQUES TO AVOID SOUNDING CLICHE IN YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT

It’s frustrating to realize that your motivations towards your life’s calling are cliche, unoriginal, run-of-the-mill. But it’s okay. Most pre-meds have similar reasons for choosing medicine (helping people + using science), so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just have to make it your wheel by figuring out what makes your story/application distinct.      

3. EVERY INTRIGUING OR CREATIVE IDEA FEELS TOO RISKY. YOU’RE NOT WRITING THE NEXT EXPERIMENTAL NOVEL, AFTER ALL.

“I was thinking about comparing medicine to the ingredients and layers of a burrito. Like an extended metaphor. I could also compare the healthcare system to an open wound - that’s attention-grabbing, right?”

Okay, there is such a thing as TOO risky. Fancy extended metaphors or blatant shock value might not be the way to go.

But most of the time, pre-meds play it too safe. Playing it safe might mean straying away from “frivolous” storytelling or “tangential” information that could actually be the most memorable or unique aspect of their experiences.

Pre-meds don’t have many opportunities to write about themselves, and their academic and research experiences don’t always encourage risk-taking. They never have to worry about grabbing the reader’s attention in their lab reports. So playing it safe might also mean sticking to the expository writing that they’re accustomed to in academia (all telling, no showing).

You have to change your mindset when writing a hook.

Imagine you’re a journalist writing a feature story about your life. Or you’re writing a memoir about your pre-med journey. You need to make a good impression right away and compel the audience to continue reading. For example:

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Our research team in the Philippines had taken every precaution. But somehow a rogue mosquito had managed to venture into the booties designed to protect my feet. When I looked down at the angry inflammation on my foot, I couldn’t believe the damage inflicted by such a tiny creature. The gruesome edema around my ankle served as a direct reminder of the mosquito-borne diseases that ravaged this community.

In general, it’s smart to open your essay with a problem, a failure, an unexpected challenge, a surprise, an ethical dilemma, an unsolved mystery, etc. All of these strategies create a “narrative question” that the reader wants answered. You might be worried about sounding too negative, but trust me, it’s okay. The conflict and tension are what make it interesting.

REGARDLESS OF THE CONTENT, HERE ARE THREE QUALITIES OF A GOOD HOOK:

1. good hooks are counterintuitive..

If something on your pre-med path has surprised you or upended your expectations, it might be a great thing to use as a hook. Chances are, it will surprise the reader too.

Cotton candy. Heavy metal music. American Ninja Warrior. Not what you’d expect to encounter in palliative care. But then I met Jimmy, a teenager with terminal cancer. A few months earlier, the words “children’s hospice” almost seemed like an oxymoron…

I’ve always been known for my sweet tooth, but I never expected that all the gummy worms and peanut butter cups would lead me to medicine. Growing up, I was resented for my lightning-fast metabolism, never gaining weight despite my sugary indulgences. On the outside I seemed healthy, but my sweet tooth had a secret cavity. At 18, I was diagnosed with secum diverticulitis and told that I had the digestional tract of a 60-year-old…

2. GOOD HOOKS ARE CONTRARIAN.

To illustrate this idea, let’s take one of our previous example hooks and make it better.

This type of narrative is expected. It could benefit from a reversal:

When my six-year-old nephew told me he wanted to be a doctor, I didn’t give him a high five or tell him “that’s awesome.” Instead, I asked, “Are you sure? That’s a pretty tough job.” I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the same question I was asked growing up. There are several doctors in our family, but they never push the career on their children. Instead, the career choice is more of an interrogation.

3. GOOD HOOKS ARE MORALLY AMBIGUOUS.

Again, let’s take one of our previous examples and make it better.

“Ever since doctors cured my grandfather’s cancer, I have wanted to pay forward that same service to other patients and their families.”

This type of narrative is too straightforward. It needs more tension and ambiguity:

I couldn’t understand my grandfather’s decision to give up. When he looked the doctor in the eye and refused treatment, my heart sank. The prognosis was grim, and he did not want to endure more chemo with such a low recovery rate. To me, the 5% was worth the agony, but I was being selfish. My family pleaded with the doctors to help change his mind, but they had to respect his decision.

It took me years to realize this was the humane thing to do.

REMEMBER THE HOOK YOU WROTE EARLIER? WITH THESE QUALITIES IN MIND, TAKE A SHOT AT REVISING IT:

Getting started can be the toughest part of the writing process, but hopefully my advice helps you jumpstart your essay with a memorable hook that feels authentic and distinct.

Upcoming Online Classes

SUBSCRIBE AND GET YOUR FREE ADMISSIONS TIMELINE

Learn to be Savvy! Get creative pre-med strategies delivered right to your inbox. FREE Medical School Application Timeline when you subscribe.

We follow the email Golden Rule: we will never send you anything without your permission.

All work on this site is our own. The content for the Savvy med school search was found on the webpages of the respective medical schools.

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS: The 10 Big Mistakes Students Should Avoid

James is senior content marketing manager at BridgeU. He writes and directs content for BridgeU's university partners and our community of international schools

• Writing a UCAS Personal Statement for a subject that isn’t the right fit
• Spelling & grammar mistakes
• Avoid pointless cliches
• Endlessly listing extracurriculars
• Over-using quotes or taking them out of context
• Telling the reader something they already know 
• Ignoring word limits
• Unnecessary origin stories
• Making things up
• Controversy

Join 10,000 fellow counsellors and get exclusive insights delivered straight to your inbox.

Writing a UCAS Personal Statement requires a student to convey a lot of information in a short space of time. Mistakes are easy to make. Read our run down of the most common ones and how to avoid them

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS is, in many ways, like asking a student to tell the story of their life in 4,000 characters or less. 

And if that sounds hard, it’s because it is. 

The UCAS Personal Statement is the  cornerstone of a UK university application . Students need to write a genuine, authoritative and compelling account of who they are and what they want from a UK university degree. They need to quickly grab the attention of the university admissions officer reading their Personal Statement, and they need to make sure they stand out from the hundreds of other applications that will be crossing that admission officer’s desk. 

In order to do this, the Personal Statement will require a student to master form, structure and content in such a way that makes their writing stand out. 

Understandably, students might feel an inordinate amount of pressure to get their Personal Statement right first time. 

Indeed, more often than not, it’s not a case of students being lazy when writing their UCAS Personal Statements. The problem is often that students will have a lot to say and will have put a lot of thought into their Statement, but may make some simple stylistic mistakes that could cost them when they finally submit their application. 

But if these mistakes are easy to make, they’re also easy to avoid. 

So we’re going to take you through the 10 most common (and potentially costly) mistakes that a student might make in their UCAS Personal Statement, and give you some tips on how to help your students avoid them. 

Bonus Resource –  To help your students avoid any major mistakes before they begin, our Personal Statement worksheet helps them to plan and write a truly compelling account of themselves.  Click here to download

1. Writing a UCAS Personal Statement for a subject that isn’t the right fit 

If students have done their research carefully and considerately, then this shouldn’t be a problem. Ideally, in the year leading up to the submission of the Personal Statement, your students will have shortlisted their university and course preferences to the point where they’re applying for a subject area they’re truly passionate about. 

But this first, major mistake is the natural conclusion of a student being pressured into a subject or career path by family, parents or even school peers. Hopefully this won’t happen – but if a student is writing their UCAS Personal Statement for a subject they’re not truly passionate about, then this should set off alarm bells. It will ultimately affect the quality of the Personal Statement. 

And, most importantly, admissions staff will easily spot a Personal Statement where the student’s heart isn’t in it. 

Top tip:  We at BridgeU are big fans of students finding their best-fit universities and courses (after all, it’s why we built our platform!). Students need to put a lot of time into making sure the UK course they are applying for is right for them. Starting a Personal Statement without having thoroughly researched university and course options is one of the most fundamental mistakes a student could make. 

2. Spelling & Grammar Mistakes 

This may seem like a rather obvious mistake, and one your students hopefully shouldn’t be making. 

But the tight time frames associated with a UCAS Personal Statement will make spelling and grammar mistakes more likely, especially if your students aren’t taking the time to proof-read their personal statement before submitting it. 

Spelling and grammar mistakes can really count against students, and can make their writing appear sloppy or poorly thought through. It’s an especially bad look if your students are applying for humanities or social sciences courses, or indeed any degree that requires a lot of extended writing! 

Top tip:  Encourage your students to print out their Personal Statement. Whilst we know that a lot of students do more things digitally these days (and BridgeU is an online platform after all!), reading a UCAS Personal Statement back as a living, printed document can really help students hone their eye for detail! 

3. Avoid exuberant language and pointless cliches 

“My love of Physics began when I used to look up at the night sky as a child, and found it simultaneously breath-taking and awe-inspiring.” 

“I’ve been passionate about the works of William Shakespeare since seeing my first production on stage. I’m fascinated by how Shakespeare remains relevant for today.” 

Can you see what’s wrong with these two examples? 

Whilst they are very positive and well-worded statements about why a student might want to study astrophysics, or Shakespearian literature, both these Personal Statement examples tip very quickly into cliche and generalisation. 

We’re not suggesting you shouldn’t encourage your students to use positive language when writing a UCAS Personal Statement, but this positive language needs to be backed up with clear, specific examples and rigorous analysis. 

Remember – the key to an excellent Personal Statement is showing, not telling. 

So why is Shakespeare still relevant to today? What specific examples could a student writing about a 16th century author use to demonstrate their relevance to the 21st century? 

Likewise, proclaiming a love for the wonders of the night sky is all well and good, but why did it make our example student want to study Physics? 

Top tip:  Encourage students to set a limit on the number of adjectives or descriptive phrases they use in their writing. It’s important to remember a Personal Statement has to accomplish a lot in a relatively short number of words. If students over-use words like ‘passionate’, ‘breathtaking’ and ‘awe-inspiring’ they’re just going to end up repeating themselves. 

4. Endlessly listing extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities are a vital part of any Personal Statement. If used in the right way, they can help a student to stand out, and seem like a more well-rounded person. Extracurriculars can also help to showcase valuable soft skills that universities value in their students. 

But there’s no point using extracurriculars like a grocery list. Students endlessly describing their extracurriculars will mean nothing if they don’t link them back to the overall narrative of the Personal Statement. 

Again, it’s about showing, not telling. Saying ‘I have captained my school football team for three years’ means nothing if the writer doesn’t explain this activity within the context of the Personal Statement. 

Top tip:  When planning their Personal Statement, students need to think about the extracurricular activities that can demonstrate soft skills. What did they learn from doing this particular extracurricular activity? Do they think it will set them apart in their overall application? If the answer is no, then it’s best not putting it in. 

5. Over-using quotes or taking them out of context

Remember what we said about exuberant language and cliches? 

It’s the same with the use of quotes. 

Quotes can be a powerful tool to back up any argument, be it in a UCAS Personal Statement or any other kind of essay. 

But quotes used clumsily can often have the opposite effect, and make the writer of a Personal Statement seem pretentious or just quoting for the sake of it. 

Many students may feel tempted to open their Personal Statement with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King. A student who is submitting an application for psychology may feel it necessary to begin their Personal Statement with a quote from Sigmund Freud. 

The trouble is that many UK university admissions tutors have probably seen the same quotes again and again. Again, if quotes aren’t used in context, or don’t serve the overall narrative of the Personal Statement, then it may be worth not putting them in. 

It’s also important to remember that universities want to hear from the student, not Sigmund Freud! If in doubt, a student writing a Personal Statement should use their own thoughts and insights, not someone else’s. 

Top tip:  Encourage students to use less well-known quotes in their Personal Statement. Quotes from less well-known, specialist thinkers within a subject discipline are more likely to show that a student is widely read and has a deep and rich knowledge of the subject they’re applying for. 

6. Telling the reader something they already know 

Demonstrating subject knowledge and background reading is vital for a UCAS Personal Statement. But this must fit in with the student’s overall story of  why  they want to study that particular degree. 

What students shouldn’t do is explain academic or scientific theories at length, or regurgitate existing arguments that have already been made by other writers in their chosen field of study. 

Students writing a UCAS Personal Statement need to operate from the assumption that the person reading it is probably an expert in their field. It’s only worth students talking about their wider reading, or their take on another piece of academic writing, if they can demonstrate its relevance to them. 

Top tip:  Students should avoid going into depth about other academic or scientific theories unless they have a bearing on the student’s own worldview, and can tell the reader something about why they want to study for that particular course. 

Video: Tips from UCAS on starting a Personal Statement

7. not paying attention to word/character limits .

It’s pretty hard to literally ignore the word/character limit for the UCAS Personal Statement, as there will come a point where students will simply run out of space. 

But some students can fail to pay attention to word/character limits to the extent that they don’t plan the form and structure of their UCAS Personal Statement properly. 

Planning the overall structure and flow of the Personal Statement before writing it is absolutely essential if students are to make the most of the space that UCAS allocates. Half finished thoughts and hastily written conclusions will do more harm than good when someone reads the Personal Statement. 

Top tip:  Run one class/workshop with students where they brainstorm and plan the overall structure of their UCAS Personal Statement. Break the components of a good personal statement down into chunks, and get students thinking about the optimal structure for making their Personal Statements as good as they can be! 

8. Unnecessary origin stories 

Everyone loves an origin story (why else would film studios keep remaking Spiderman?). But origin stories in UCAS Personal Statements can sometimes be a waste of time (this is in sharp contrast to an application like the Common App in the USA), where they love to hear a student’s origin story)

Remember our physics student from Tip no.3 who loved to gaze at the night sky? Childhood anecdotes are great, and can certainly add character to a student’s application. But they’re not always necessary to showcase a student’s devotion to their chosen subject. 

In fact, it’s fair to say that admissions tutors at UK universities are more interested in an applicant’s more recent contributions or achievements in their chosen field of study than snippets of their biography. 

Yet it remains the case that students sometimes feel the need to profess their lifelong devotion to a subject they’re hoping to study at university. It’s really not necessary. 

In fact UCAS themselves once published a list of the  most commonly used opening lines in a Personal Statement . Three of the most frequent openings were 

“I have always been interested in…” (used 927 times)

“For as long as I can remember I have…” (used 1,451 times) 

“From a young age I have always been interested in/fascinated by…” (used 1,779 times) 

Not only does drawing on childhood memories risk losing sight of more relevant information, it’s also something that lots of universities have seen before. 

9. Making things up 

We hope that none of your students would ever lie in their Personal Statement. But if someone feels the pressure to stand out from the crowd and really impress a university, then it could happen. 

Even small, believable exaggerations could come back to haunt a student if they were hypothetically invited to an interview further down the road. It could be as small as pretending to have read a particular book, or quoting/discussing a piece of research in their chosen subject field and not having fully engaged with it. 

Top tip:  When it comes to putting anything untruthful in a Personal Statement, we can only offer you one piece of advice to give to your students. 

Don’t do it! It’s not worth it, students will probably get found out and there’s likely plenty of achievements and skills that students can talk about in their Personal Statement. They just need to think long and hard about what it is! 

10. Being controversial or contrarian for the sake of it 

Being controversial or argumentative can seem like a good way to sit up and get the reader’s attention – but it’s not worth a student doing it unless they’ve really got the evidence and the argument to back it up. 

For example, arguing against a famous essay or piece of research in a student’s chosen subject might seem like a good way to score some brownie points. But why does a student take issue with this particular piece of research? And is it really wise to try and tackle it in the space of a 4,000 character Personal Statement. 

Top tip:  Students should definitely be independent and analytical when discussing their degree subject in their Personal Statement – after all, it’s the most surefire way to stand out. But taking a contrarian position, or trying to make an explosive new contribution to academic discourse in the course of one Personal Statement probably isn’t a good idea. 

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS – final tips to avoid mistakes

What do these mistakes all have in common? 

The answer is they are the natural consequence of students forgetting some of the core principles of UCAS Personal Statement writing. 

• Students need to ensure their Personal Statements are well-structured and well-planned – so as to avoid spelling mistakes and/or falling foul of the character limit. 
• Students need to keep their Personal Statements as unique to them as possible – this means staying truthful to their own ambitions and worldview, and avoiding generalisations or cliches. 
• A good Personal Statement needs to be rooted in strong analysis and writing that makes good use of evidence and specific examples to back up an argument. 
• A standout Personal Statement needs to be compelling account of a student’s suitability for a course with a good story at the heart of it – it needs to show, not tell. 

Our Personal Statement template is a great resource if you want to help your students plan and write a truly individual Personal Statement, and avoid some of the mistakes we’ve listed here. Download it below! 

Bonus Resource!

How to write a Personal Statement Worksheet & Template

See what BridgeU can do for you

Book your demo to learn how BridgeU’s free platform can deliver better outcomes for your students and improved results for your school.

Get the Reddit app

Reddit's home for wholesome discussion related to pre-medical studies.

What are some personal statement cliches?

Hi, I've been trying to write my personal statement and can't help but think it sounds like a cliche and it doesn't stand out. So how are you suppose to stand out without writing a sob story or making the personal statement sound unreal?

• Communities Pre-Med Medical Resident Audiology Dental Optometry Pharmacy Physical Therapy Podiatry Psychology Rehab Sci Veterinary
• What's new Trending New posts Latest activity
• Support Account Help Confidential Advising
• Vision, Values and Policies

• PreMed Communities
• Pre-Medical (MD)

The Personal Statement CLICHE LIST!!!!!!

• Thread starter phillz123
• Start date Jun 3, 2007

Junior Member

• Jun 3, 2007

"The Mac Guy"

Not really a cliche but still to be avoided nonetheless. Any of these = instant death! "I wanna be a doctor so I can make money" "I wanna be a doctor because my parents told me to" "I wanna be a doctor so I can boss people around"  

Forgot the safe word...

Doctors are great with the ladiez  

has an opinion

All my life I've wanted to help people. Until her untimely death from a terrible disease that I'm about to describe in excrutiating vapid emotional detail, my grandmother encouraged me to follow my dreams and to always be a good person. With each sub-Saharan baby that dies in my arms, I become more steadfast in my resolve to become a healthcare provider who will change the world. I believe I can make a difference.  

pagemmapants

Unknown member.

"I have hugged a LOT of orphans."  

President, Gunner Central

Cover letter type of things like "I'll make a great addition to your team."  

apnea said: Doctors are great with the ladiez Click to expand...

TheRealMD said: Lol, lady nurses no doubt. Click to expand...

apnea said: nurses are great...they don't care what we're covered with because there's a good chance they're covered in more of it. Click to expand...

apnea said: yeah...poor people are the worst (i've eaten ghetto noodles twice this week because poor people are the worst) Click to expand...

apnea said: haha, proof that not ALL Canadian men i meet online are twats Click to expand...

apnea said: Dude...zero to jackass in 3 seconds why did i think you were a guy?? Click to expand...

haha, see, most people here know i'm XX because i put my pic in my avatar...but i had an entire thread of people thinking i was gay because i'd originally planned to pay for med school outright by hostessing an exclusively hot chick jello wrestling match. It sort of spiraled out of control from there.  

OH OH! NEW CLICHE!! "You should let me in because i'm a hot lesbian. Who doesn't love hot lesbians?" (PS i'm not actually a lesbian)  

I was told by a friend on the admissions committee at Harvard that they roll their eyes when they see the statement in every single personal statement about how "medicine just seems like the perfect means to integrate my passion for science and my love of people".  

The Doctor said: I was told by a friend on the admissions committee at Harvard that they roll their eyes when they see the statement in every single personal statement about how "medicine just seems like the perfect means to integrate my passion for science and my love of people". Click to expand...

jochi1543 said: It's true, though, when you think about it! Click to expand...

MedStudentWanna

Membership revoked.

2. Growing up I never wanted to be a doctor, but _________ 3. I wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. Click to expand...

MedStudentWanna said: I think the most cliche thing of all is people telling others what's cliche. I think people only do it to come off as a know-it-all who should be turned to for expert advice when really the only advice they're dishing out is stuff they've heard from countless others who were just as wrong as they are now. Notice the two things I quoted above. The OP said these ideas make your personal statement weak. So, if claiming that you wanted to be a doctor since you were a kid makes your PS weak and claiming that growing up, you didn't want to be a doctor makes your PS weak, what exactly does the OP think a person should claim? It's either one or the other, isn't it? Either you wanted to be a doctor as a kid or you didn't want to be a doctor as a kid, but god forbid you should ever (gasp!) be honest and say to hell with cliches, I'm going to be myself. Click to expand...

DropkickMurphy

apnea said: OH OH! NEW CLICHE!! "You should let me in because i'm a hot lesbian. Who doesn't love hot lesbians?" (PS i'm not actually a lesbian) Click to expand...

apnea said: haha, see, most people here know i'm XX because i put my pic in my avatar...but i had an entire thread of people thinking i was gay because i'd originally planned to pay for med school outright by hostessing an exclusively hot chick jello wrestling match. It sort of spiraled out of control from there. Click to expand...

BigRedPremed

Senior member.

To me, no idea is too cliche. We're all here because we like science to an extent. We all want to help people. We all enjoy social interaction (most of us anyway). What separates a strong PS from a weak PS is how you support those assertions, the type of experiences you choose to highlight and the way you write about them.  

Full Member

Prmdbeach17.

DropkickMurphy said: I know a CT surgeon who stripped her way through med school...... Click to expand...

I did all of the cliche things. I started with a story to get some interest, told how I didn't always want to be a doctor, then gave a short biography which explained how I came to wanting to be a doctor. Guess they'll just toss it right in the garbage.  

TomWestmanRules

Md supplicant.

phillz123 said: 1. I want to be a doctor because I want to help people. 2. Growing up I never wanted to be a doctor, but _________ 3. I wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. 4. The human body fascinates me 5. I know that the realities of medicine are harsh, but because of ___________ I know its worth it. 6. _________ died so I want to be a doctor. Click to expand...

BigRedPremed said: To me, no idea is too cliche. We're all here because we like science to an extent. We all want to help people. We all enjoy social interaction (most of us anyway). What separates a strong PS from a weak PS is how you support those assertions, the type of experiences you choose to highlight and the way you write about them. Click to expand...

TomWestmanRules said: 10. A quote from Robert Frost talking about how 2 roads diverged somewhere... Click to expand...

jochi1543 said: No, the idea here is that you can still eloquently describe that you wanted to be a doctor since you were a kid or decided on it later without using those EXACT phrases. Of course we all have to talk about those things, but it's HOW you talk about them that makes a difference. Click to expand...

chicksdigdocs

My three word personal statement: "Chicks dig docs."  

Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Admittedly I haven't read many personal statements, but I'm waiting for someone to come up with a completly 100% unique reason for going into medicine.  

DropkickMurphy said: 1. I want to go back to the small rural town I grew up in and be the local primary care physician. 2. I really felt a close connection to the poor and unfortunate souls I met while in Uganda. That's why I wrote about their plight on my blog every evening when I returned to hotel room. Click to expand...

prmdbeach17 said: This is what I don't get either. I won't be writing my PS til next year, but I read a list of about 35 things NOT to do in your PS. So what reasons are left for wanting to go into medicine, and what are you supposed to write then? It really was for me an experience where my brother almost died that drew me to medicine and the fact that it is so fascinating and there's nothing else I'd want to do. Click to expand...

Speaking of PS clichés, I can't let this thread go by without posting this link to the best one I've read yet. It's by PandaBear, and is a collection of almost every cliché in the book.  

Has an MD in Horribleness

I'm sure this is beating a dead horse, but does anyone else think that the personal statement should just be eliminated? Unless you've had a truely bizzare childhood/college, the personal statement that you're going to write is almost certain to be both a cliche and a real stretch of the truth (everyone wants to save African children, then everyone compete for Plastic Surgury residencies). Maybe they should just have an optional box like they have on most secondaries, for 'If you have experienced any difficult circumstance you would like the admissions committee to know about'. Honestly they should just replace the PS with a series of check boxes: you want to become a doctor because (check all that apply): __ You have a guilt complex that prevents you from working at most normal corporations, but you care too much about your income to join the Peace Corps. __ You're not good enough with people for sales, you're too ugly to be a model, and you're scared of the military. __ You think you'd probably spend the years from age 22-30 watching Stargate anyway, so you might as well trade them for a higher income bracket __ You think House is real __ MD is your best hope for a girlfriend/ money/ popularity __ You're dying of a disease no one else is interested in. You're your only hope.  

Perrotfish said: I'm sure this is beating a dead horse, but does anyone else think that the personal statement should just be eliminated? Unless you've had a truely bizzare childhood/college, the personal statement that you're going to write is almost certain to be both a cliche and a real stretch of the truth (everyone wants to save African children, then everyone compete for Plastic Surgury residencies). Maybe they should just have an optional box like they have on most secondaries, for 'If you have experienced any difficult circumstance you would like the admissions committee to know about'. Honestly they should just replace the PS with a series of check boxes: you want to become a doctor because (check all that apply): __ You have a guilt complex that prevents you from working at most normal corporations, but you care too much about your income to join the Peace Corps. __ You're not good enough with people for sales, you're too ugly to be a model, and you're scared of the military. __ You think you'd probably spend the years from age 22-30 watching Stargate anyway, so you might as well trade them for a higher income bracket __ You think House is real __ MD is your best hope for a girlfriend/ money/ popularity __ You're dying of a disease no one else is interested in. You're your only hope. Click to expand...

Depakote said: Admittedly I haven't read many personal statements, but I'm waiting for someone to come up with a completly 100% unique reason for going into medicine. Click to expand...

Perrotfish said: __ You think you'd probably spend the years from age 22-30 watching Stargate anyway, so you might as well trade them for a higher income bracket __ MD is your best hope for a girlfriend/ money/ popularity __ You're dying of a disease no one else is interested in. You're your only hope. Click to expand...

jochi1543 said: Donuts. Great donuts in the hospital caf. Click to expand...

voirlesetoiles

apnea said: That's what scares me most about med school/residency/hospital work. i'm scared i'll be eating junk all the time and i'll get just absolutely horrifically fat again Click to expand...

Similar threads

• izzeinthepool
• Apr 15, 2024

• linabeana13
• Jun 4, 2024

• Apr 26, 2024

• Apr 25, 2024

• sheeeesh2021
• Jun 2, 2024
• This site uses cookies to help personalize content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies and terms of service . Accept Learn more…

Personal Statement cliches to avoid?

Scroll to see replies

Quick Reply

Related discussions.

• Sixth form personal statement
• Personal Statement Guidance Hub 2024 Entry
• things to avoid in personal statement
• Compsci personal statements
• pls helppp !! diagnostic radiography personal statement
• Medicine personal statement tips
• struggling with reference
• What to include in a Computer Science Personal Statement
• Authentic Connections: Crafting a Personal Statement Beyond Clichés
• year 12 psychology help
• What to include in a math personal statement?
• Is law worth it 2024
• personal statement
• A short guide to writing a Personal Statement...
• UCAS CopyCatch tool
• Can you send your personal statement to lecturers?
• AQA A-level English Literature & Language Paper 1 (7707/1) - 24 May 2023 [Exam Chat]
• Tips to help you write a stand-out UCAS personal statement
• How do i update my UCAS personal statement?

Last reply 5 hours ago

Last reply 1 day ago

Last reply 2 days ago

Last reply 5 days ago

Last reply 6 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Articles for you

How important is the personal statement on your Ucas application?

Expert tips on writing a great personal statement for law

Writing a law personal statement: expert advice from universities

Writing a psychology personal statement: expert advice from universities 

Messages can trigger the opposite of their desired effect − but you can avoid communication that backfires

Director of Education Initiatives, School of Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego

Disclosure statement

The UC San Diego Research Communications Program, in which S. Seethaler teaches, is funded by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

University of California, San Diego provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

View all partners

The best graduation speeches dispense wisdom you find yourself returning to long after the graduation tassels are turned. Take the feel-good life advice in Baz Luhrmann’s song to a class that graduated 25 years ago. Only on a recent relisten did I realize it also captures one of the research-based strategies I teach for avoiding communication that backfires.

The tip is hiding in plain sight in the song’s title, “ Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) .” Communication aimed at promoting a certain behavior can have the opposite effect when the message is perceived as a threat to individual autonomy.

Health campaigns frequently use strongly worded messages that end up backfiring . For example, strongly worded messages promoting dental flossing made people angry and more likely to resist flossing their teeth. Coercive alcohol prevention messages, with language like “any reasonable person must acknowledge these conclusions,” instead increased alcohol consumption . In contrast, the wording of the title “Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen)” is less likely to backfire by emphasizing liberty of choice.

Research reveals lots of reasons why well-meaning attempts to inform, persuade or correct misinformation go awry. Despite the ubiquity of backfires, formal instruction about why they happen and how to avoid them is rare. The omission inspired my new book, “ Beyond the Sage on the Stage: Communicating Science and Contemporary Issues Effectively ,” which translates scholarship from across disciplines into practical strategies that anyone can use to improve communication.

When new info challenges your identity

Backfires are often a response to communication of unwelcome information.

In addition to threats to autonomy, information can be unwelcome because it appears to conflict with how you think about yourself. Consider a study that asked people to read a message about genetically modified foods. Participants for whom purity, health and conscientiousness of their diet was an important part of how they defined themselves had more negative attitudes after reading a message intended to refute their views about GM food. Those who did not have a strong dietary self-concept did not react negatively to the message.

The same resistance can rise up when you’re confronted with something counter to the beliefs of a group you feel a strong affiliation with. Emotional and identity attachment to a group such as a political party can cause people to subjugate their own values to align with the group , a phenomenon called cultural cognition. Reactions to messages about climate change often exemplify this phenomenon .

Against the backdrop of protests and an impending election, communication breakdowns are increasingly blamed on political polarization , with more than a hint of fatalism. But the current heavy focus on ideological differences serves only to fuel a vicious cycle that amplifies them . To halt the cycle, the focus needs to shift away from the differences. Divides are not always what they seem, and even when they are, there are often ways to bridge them.

Every person contains multitudes

Encouragingly, a study recently published by the Pew Research Center found that just 11% of Americans consider it very or extremely important that they get their news from journalists who share their political views . Less than 40% of Americans said that it was even somewhat important. The study is a reminder that we are all complex mixes of identities, and those distinct identities can offer fruitful starting points for a conversation.

As the various identities within people interact, the context can bring a particular identity to the fore. For example, a study that examined the importance of voters’ identity as parents revealed that when thinking about their children, people were more willing to oppose the policies of their own political party. “ Animal lover ” is another example of an identity that researchers have time and again seen relegate party identity to the background.

Therefore, appealing to a shared identity is a strategy for bridging the divide.

Another strategy is to make it safe to go against the group without damaging an individual’s connection to it. For example, people may act anonymously, which is what happened during the pandemic when some people reportedly chose to wear disguises when getting their COVID-19 vaccine.

Accidentally conveying what you don’t mean

As in the case of threats to autonomy, the language you choose can minimize backfires caused by threats to group affiliations. People may agree that a proposed action is sound and consistent with their party’s beliefs but still reject it if it contains even small polarizing cues. Triggers, such as words associated with the opposing party such as “tax” for a conservative or “deregulation” for a liberal, lead people to judge that their party would reject a policy. The fix is to remove both real and perceived threats to group identity by using party-neutral language.

Surprisingly, communication need not be threatening or unwelcome to backfire. It can happen when communication contains hidden unintended messages or when it inadvertently makes an undesired behavior seem normal. For example, messages from a utility about reducing energy use caused low-energy users to consume more energy when their consumption was compared with others, and anti-littering posters emphasizing the extent of the problem increased littering.

Another intuitive communication strategy that backfires is presenting information in a myth-versus-fact format. You’ve probably seen this format used in communications aimed at debunking myths about health, science, technology, culture and more. Yet, research demonstrates that the “state-and-negate” format makes it more likely people will remember myths as facts. A facts-only approach improves retention of the correct information.

Research finds where instincts lead you astray

“Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen),” originally penned as a newspaper column by journalist Mary Schmich , doesn’t tell graduates to trust their instincts, but that is commonly dispensed commencement advice.

The research demonstrates that when it comes to effective communication strategies, trusting your instincts can lead you astray. The same research provides insight into why you may instinctively react in certain ways to some messages.

So, if I were to offer this year’s graduates just one tip for the future, I would encourage them to check their communication instincts against evidence-based recommendations. I would call my speech “Everybody’s Free (to Beat Backfires).”

• Science communication
• Communication
• Polarization
• Cultural cognition theory
• Science of science communication
• Self-concept

Dean (Head of School), Indigenous Knowledges

Business Improvement Lead

Senior Research Fellow - Curtin Institute for Energy Transition (CIET)

Laboratory Head - RNA Biology

Head of School, School of Arts & Social Sciences, Monash University Malaysia

• Graduate School

How to Write an Effective Statement of Intent

While most students have heard of a personal statement or statement of purpose, not many can accurately describe what a statement of intent is. This grad school admissions requirement is subtly different from the other “statement” essays you may be familiar with. It is most often requested as an application component for research intensive master’s programs. It typically centers around a cohesive narrative of the applicant’s research interests, experiences, long-term goals, and what they intend to study in grad school. You’ll need to tailor your essay to ensure you meet the unique requirements for this application component.

In this blog, our grad school essay tutors reveal what a statement of intent is, how it differs from a statement of purpose for graduate school , and how to write and structure your statement of intent. You can also check out a sample statement of intent for graduate school.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 16 min read

What is a statement of intent.

A statement of intent, sometimes called statement of interest, is one of the many written essay-style components requested during the higher education admissions process to help admissions committees understand the applicant better. Specifically, a statement of intent is something you’ll need to write to get into grad school . Not all master’s programs ask for it. It is typically requested in addition to the statement of purpose or as an alternative to the statement of purpose. Research-intensive programs most often favor this type of statement. In this essay, they are looking for applicants to expand on their research skills, research experience, and specialized interests.

A statement of intent is, at its core, a functional document with an implicit argument. It serves a very specific purpose and has a singular theme: explaining how your research or career interests align with the features of the program you’re applying to.

It’s important to understand the difference between a statement of purpose and a statement of intent, especially if you need to submit both during a single application cycle. It’s easy to mix up these two essay components! They have a lot of overlap in terms of their content, presentation, and format. Both ask applicants to focus on their research interests, describe why they are interested in a specific field, expand on relevant past academic/professional experiences, and explain their long-term career goals. Admissions committees evaluate both of these statements to assess specific skills and qualities: communication skills, research skills, scientific literacy, problem solving, intellectual curiosity, teamwork, and leadership potential.

Despite these similarities, there are certain factors that differentiate a statement of intent and statement of purpose. The key difference is the scope. A statement of purpose is more general, focused on your overall suitability for the program. A statement of intent is more specific and detailed, focused on your intention to make use of actual features of the program. Statement of intent prompts often ask you to talk about which faculty members you want to work with, what program faculties you wish to use, etc.

The way you discuss your experiences is also different in each of these essays. In a statement of purpose, you can discuss your overall research vision, and connect your past experiences to your long-term career goals. While you can certainly do this in a statement of intent as well, you need to take it one step further. Programs actually expect you to use this essay to expand on the specific skills you gained through past research experiences and connect them with program details like curriculum, preferred departments or modules, faculty members, on-going projects, etc.

The statement of intent actually works as a base template for your research proposal. Many students opt to use their statement of intent to develop their research proposals later in their career. As it’s extremely detailed, some programs even opt to use it in lieu of an interview. On the other hand, some programs refer to your statement of intent as a kind of blueprint to structure your graduate school interview questions . You can expect questions that directly reference the ideas and experiences you’ve discussed in your statement of intent. That’s why it’s so important to be confident about and committed to the ideas you discuss in your statement of intent.

Are you working on your statement of purpose and looking for tips? Check this out:

The structure of your statement of intent is very important as it serves to build a coherent progression of experiences. In this type of essay, you need to provide specific, technical details related to your research interests and experiences, while also telling an engaging narrative that logically builds to the conclusion of you applying to grad school. The key to achieving this balance is creating an effective essay structure.

Start by creating an outline of your essay that is centered around your basic thesis or main point. Return to this thesis periodically to ensure you’re not straying from it as you structure your essay.

Add the following paragraphs:

Introduction:

The first paragraph should immediately grab the reader’s attention and set up a clear framework for the rest of the statement. Unlike, say, a medical school personal statement , or college essays , we don’t recommend starting with an “anchor” story or incident. Since this is a more functional document, including dramatic personal details or childhood memories would only end up clouding the key message of your statement. It’s better to go with a more straightforward introduction that succinctly sets up the main thesis. You can opt to make your introduction more engaging by adding a quote or referencing a specific book or mentor who inspired you; having said that, make sure any external references are always relevant to your actual research interest and further your central argument. Critically, make sure you don’t forget to introduce your research topic, the name of the school you’re applying to, as well as the name of the specific program/department in the very first paragraph.

Body Paragraph 1/2/3/4/5

Next, you can add 1 to 5 main body paragraphs (depending on your word count) where you build a foundation of your research work, interests, experiences, and goals. Each paragraph should be clear, concise and informative. There are certain critical content targets you should keep in mind as you write these paragraphs:

Address the prompt and talk about the specific aspects of the program you\u2019re interested in, such as faculty members you\u2019d love to work with. "}]">

Your conclusion should include a concise statement of your key qualifications and unique suitability for the program. Touch upon how you’ll make use of your time at this school, and how that will help you in your long-term career goals. Reiterate your interest in their specific program.

The word count for a statement of intent can vary from school to school, but it generally ranges between 250 to 1000 words. You should tailor your statement as per your specific word count requirements.

Top Tips for Writing Your Statement of Intent

Keep these tips in mind to write an outstanding statement of intent that effectively communicates your research strengths.

Develop your central research thesis

If you’re applying to grad school, then you probably already have some idea about the kind of research you want to specialize in. If you’re having trouble formulating this idea or condensing it down for your statement of intent, try using the following strategy to structure your thinking and organize your thoughts in a more logical flow. Break down your research interest into three levels, as follows:

Are you solving any specific problem or addressing an existing issue via this research? ","label":"Problem","title":"Problem"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

As we mentioned above, your statement of intent needs to be very specific and must reference the programs you’re applying to. Some schools even provide a specific prompt asking you to talk about which faculty members you want to work with, what sub-department you want to study under, and so on. Make sure you do the required research about what the school and the program have to offer so you can accurately reference this information in your statement. To begin with, you should check the program websites. If they don’t provide enough information, we recommend you reach out to alumni, professors, and current students to learn more.

Find out about the credentials of faculty members, their previous published work, their on-going projects, etc. Check the range of facilities that the school is offering, such as equipment, labs, and academic resources, as well as unique research or clinical experience opportunities. Don’t neglect the extracurriculars such as student support groups, prestigious clubs, and other opportunities that you won’t get on any other campus.

While you’re doing this research, make notes about how your own strengths connect to the unique features of the program. Do you have skills that could be particularly useful for an on-going research project? Do you have past research experience in the same topics that a faculty member is an expert in? When you’re actually writing the statement, these notes will help you to explain not only what you have to offer to the program, but also how you can use this program to further your long-term professional or academic goals.

Looking for a summary of our top tips for writing an effective statement of intent? Check out this infographic:

Follow the guidelines

As you begin your writing, ensure that you review all the guidelines that the school has provided and are closely adhering to then. For example, if there’s a prompt, go through it a few times, and make sure you are responding to the spirit as well as the letter of the prompt. Other considerations you should keep in mind include the maximum and minimum word count, the specific format, and “recommended” stylistic guidelines. For example, some schools ask you to write a formal statement that includes academic citations of works to support each of your research arguments along with references to works that have inspired you. You’ll have to customize the presentation, format, and content of each statement of intent to meet these kinds of specific requirements.

Tell a story with your experiences

It’s very important to remember that your statement of intent, though it is a more technical and functional essay, should not be merely a dry summary of facts, similar to a CV for grad school . Instead, you should write a logical and engaging narrative of the achievements and experiences that led you to your research goals, and how they connect to the program you’re applying to. Add details of your skills and commendable qualities backed up by actual experiences that demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for the subject. Admissions committees are always more impressed by “proof” of abilities i.e., they want applicants to show them their journey, not merely tell them about it. For example, instead of merely saying that you have an extensive knowledge of bio-chemical reactions in banana enzymes, identify the specific research experience where you honed this knowledge, and explain the circumstances in your essay. If it was a research project, then provide details about the project name and supervisor, as well as your own role in the project and the daily tasks you performed.

Check out this video for tips on writing your CV for Grad School:

Don’t clutter your statement of intent with too many experiences and achievements. Always keep referencing your central thesis and evaluating if a specific experience will add to your overall narrative or not. After you’ve worked out your central thesis, spend some time analyzing all your academic, research, volunteer, extracurricular, employment, and life experiences. Select 2 to 5 of the most suitable experiences that align with both your research interests and the program admissions criteria and add only those. If you have numerous such experiences to choose from, we suggest prioritizing current or recent experiences.

As you’re discussing each experience or achievement, be specific and detailed, and provide all the relevant information including the names of supervisors, a detailed list of your duties, and so on. You can also make your statement of intent more robust by referring to a wide variety of sources as your research “inspiration”, including classes, academic conversations, workshops, lectures, seminars, books, as well as the more typical experiences of volunteering, work, or research.

A useful tip: make sure you’re adding transitory statements at the end and beginning of each paragraph, to build that logical flow and connect one experience or idea to the next. If you think your essay is looking too dry or CV-like, this is one quick fix you can try in order to narrativize your experiences.

Since a statement of intent is a more formal document written for a very specific purpose, ensure you are using professional/academic and formal language and, if required, you can use technical terms to explain your research ideas. Your evaluators will most likely be professionals from the same field, and they actually expect you to show your expertise in that specific area.

At the same time, avoid using long, complicated sentences. Make sure you use your authentic voice and keep your tone as natural as possible. Thoroughly check your essays for grammar, spelling, clarity of thought, logical flow, and coherence.

Remember that your statement of intent is very different from a personal statement. As we mentioned previously, it’s more formal and has a very specific focus. The admissions committee is expecting to see a coherent autobiography of your academic or professional interests and experiences. That should be your focus – you should only refer to personal information as it relates to the larger context of your academic experiences. For example, avoid telling stories from your childhood about your early interests or including details about life events that shaped you, unless they are strictly relevant to your research journey.

This isn’t the right platform to expand upon excessively personal issues such as an illness or major life changes. You can briefly touch upon these topics or weave them into your professional narrative, if it makes sense. For example, if your grades took a serious dip in a specific period due to personal circumstances, you could choose to briefly address that. But don’t make such incidents the central thesis of your statement of intent. Focus on skills, abilities and contributions, and your inspiration and motivation to pursue research. Rather than expanding on irrelevant childhood details, expand on your professional, academic, and personal connections to the program and school you’re applying to.

Avoid cliches and focus on facts

You don’t need a high-level research “break-through” or nationally recognized academic or research award to make your statement of intent stand out. Many students turn to cliches such as “I want to make the world a better place” or “I just want to help people” to hide what they perceive as insufficiently impressive experiences. In fact, no matter what your past experiences, it’s much better to focus on covering the facts, rather than evoking sentimental cliches to make your experiences seem grander than they actually are. Admissions committees aren’t expecting you to have advanced achievements beyond your level – the whole point of applying to grad school is to get the opportunity to do that level of work.

So instead of worrying about the “quality” of your experiences, focus on ensuring that your essay effectively discussed your best skills and true capabilities. Spend some time self-reflecting about what you learned from your academic, professional, and extracurricular experiences, how they contributed to your journey to grad school, what new skills you developed, what obstacles you overcame, and so on.

Write multiple drafts and seek feedback from experts

A statement of intent requires a little more intensive writing and editing than your typical admissions essays and statements. We suggest sharing your essay with subject matter experts such as research supervisors, faculty members, and other academic mentors who can give you their detailed feedback about the technical aspects of your statement. Their suggestions can help you refine your essay and identify ways to differentiate your thesis from others.

If you’re sure about the technical content of your essay, but need help with the writing, flow, coherence, grammar, and other such stylistic elements, consider getting expert help from a graduate school admissions consultant . These consultants have worked with numerous other students and can help you improve your written communication skills with proven strategies that work.

Whether or not you engage the help of experts, make sure you ask at least 1 other person to review your statement of intent once, even if they’re just a friend or family member. Remember, after going over the same content over and over again for days and weeks, visual fatigue sets in. A fresh pair of eyes can spot small errors and mistakes that you might have missed.

Sample Statement of Intent

Here’s a sample statement of intent for your reference:

Program/School : Clinical Psychology Masters at Ryerson University

Prompt : Describe your reasons for pursuing graduate study in the Psychology program, your research interests, how your previous studies and experiences have prepared you for the program, as well as your career objectives and how the graduate degree will advance them. (500-1000 words)

Statement of Intent:

“What is the ticking mechanism of the human mind? How can we truly know it?”

Professor Donaldson’s words from my very first Intro to Psychology class sparked my interest in the world of clinical psychology. Following my curiosity rewarded me with the discovery of my central academic passion in life – developmental psychology and its applications for adolescent females. Today, I hope to enroll in Ryerson University’s Clinical Psychology program so I can further explore my research interests and channel them towards my long-term goals of becoming a research-psychologist, combining clinical psychology practice with research experience to make new discoveries in this area. I believe my undergraduate education has prepared me to undertake advanced research projects and I would be an excellent candidate for your program.

My initial interest in psychology at the beginning of my freshman year soon led me to take on advanced psychology coursework, targeted personal reading, and extra credit projects. I soon built up a strong foundational base in the concepts of General Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Psychology of Gender Roles. When completing the last course during my sophomore year, I found that I had a strong academic interest in the intersections of gender theory and clinical psychology. I was simultaneously completing a Psychological Assessment Tools course to hone my clinical lab skills. The confluence of these two courses helped me synthesize my special interest in understanding and addressing the biases in classic psychological assessment tools and analyzing their impact on incorrect diagnosis, failed treatments, and rate of relapse in impacted patients, especially women. That was when I decided that I wanted to improve my research skills so I could eventually complete advanced studies in this area.

A statement of intent is an autobiographical summary of your research interests and experiences, with an emphasis on how the program you’re applying to can help you achieve your goals. Some schools provide specific prompts for their statement of intent, asking students to describe aspects of their program they would most benefit from. A statement of intent is a more formal and functional document than your typical admissions essays, and usually only research-intensive master’s courses request this type of essay in your application.

While these two admissions essays have a lot in common – for example, they are both research-focused and help admissions committees evaluate your academic and professional credentials for their program. However, a key difference between them is the scope. A statement of purpose is more general, focused on your overall academic, professional and/or extracurricular experiences and your long-term career goals. A statement of intent is more targeted and detailed, with a clear focus on your specific research interests. In your statement of intent, you must reference the programs you’re applying to, and explain at length how you can contribute to them and which of their offerings most attract you.

This depends on the specific requirements of the program you’re applying to. Generally, a statement of intent has a prescribed word count ranging from 250 to 1000 words. Even if there’s no maximum word count provided, we recommend not exceeding 900 words. While you need to explain your research interests in detail, remember that this essay is not a research thesis and doesn’t need that level of scientific enquiry.

Your statement of intent should have the following structure:

• Introduction : This should clearly set out your central thesis and reference your research interests and the name of the program/school you’re applying to.
• Main body paragraphs : You can add 1 to 5 body paragraphs to discuss the details of relevant experiences and achievements, key skills and qualities, and your specific interest in the program you’re applying to.
• Conclusion : Here, make sure you reiterate your research thesis, and call back to the program/college name. Provide a clear statement of why you think you are a uniquely well-suited candidate for their program.

To write an impressive statement of intent, you’ll have to spend sufficient time researching the facilities and features of the program and school you’re applying to, analyzing your own research interests and skills, and coming up with a central “thesis” that aligns the two. Include details of multiple experiences, achievements, awards, and activities to support your claims and prove your passion and suitability for a specific research area. Avoid including irrelevant personal details or cliches, and instead focus on creating a logical flow of experiences leading to your current application.

No, your statement of intent must be tailored for each program you’re applying to. That’s the whole point of a statement of intent – it explains why you’re well-suited to a particular program, and how you intend to use their resources to further your research interests. If you don’t refer to their unique offerings and instead just provide a general summary of your research interests, admissions committees will not be able to gauge why you’re a good fit for their program.

No, not all graduate programs ask for a statement of intent. Some ask for an additional statement of intent along with a personal statement and/or statement of purpose, while others only require the statement of intent. You should check the admissions websites of the schools you’re applying to learn more.

We recommend that you spend at least 6 weeks writing your statement of intent. This will give you sufficient time to refine your central “research thesis”, analyze your history of experiences to identify the most suitable ones, write and edit multiple drafts, and seek out feedback from expert reviewers.

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

ITABANA, BLESSING EFFIONG

Absolutely loved reading this. Great job!!!

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello and thank you very much for your comment! So glad you enjoyed this article!

Do you have any research statement of intent for Master's in Physics?

Hello Saba! Thanks for your comment. We will try to include one when we update the blog :)

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your grad school application stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee you'll get into grad school or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

• How to write the perfect CV

A job applicant walks into a bar

Your browser does not support the <audio> element.

I MAGINE MEETING a stranger at a party. What makes for a successful encounter? Lesson one is to heed the wisdom of a shampoo commercial from the 1980s: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Lesson two is to remember that you do not need to wear a beret or a fur stole in order to stand out. Lesson three is not to forget that what you leave out matters as much as what you say.

These same principles, it turns out, apply to writing a CV . A résumé is not a list of every job you ever had. It is not your autobiography. It is, like that hair-care advert, a marketing tool. Your audience is made up of recruiters and hiring managers. Like cocktail-party guests, they do not take a long time to decide if they want to keep talking. According to one study, such professionals spend an average of 7.4 seconds skimming a job application. Your guest Bartleby has a few tips on how best to ensure that these seconds count.

The CV ’s number-one task is not to put the reader off. If you are thinking of adding a watermark with your initials, think again; you are trying too hard. Use a clean, simple format and avoid fancy fonts (Arial or Helvetica are fine; Century Gothic is not).

Adding colour does not mean using a teal background. Nor does it mean using purple prose. Clichés can be a reason you are passed over for an interview. So can typos; spell-check and proofread over and over. You would be surprised how often someone forgets to include their name and contact details. Dispense with hackneyed descriptors (“cultivated and passionate professional”, “a keen eye for detail”)—facts should speak for themselves. But not all facts. You may think including your ranking on “Overwatch” is a quirky way to illustrate how quick you are on your feet. A recruiter may conclude that it shows you spend hours on the sofa tethered to a gaming console.

Do not hammer your CV out in an hour—take your time to polish it. Condense, filter and distil until what you are left with captures the essence of you. Anyone’s CV can fit on a page, even if you have held residencies in the world’s eight top hospitals or are Christine Lagarde. Forget the personal statement—no one has time for that. If you spent three weeks in the summer when you were 17 keeping the books in your uncle’s hardware store, no one needs to know that if you are now over the age of 25. The older you get, the more you should prioritise work experience over education.

Tailor your résumé for every application by making the relevant tweaks and highlighting different areas. Otherwise you are like the bore who tells the same story to every person he meets. Not everyone—and not every recruiter—is interested in the same things. If you can quantify an accomplishment, do. A second-year law student who just completed his summer internship having worked on six M & A deals? Put that in.

Reasonable gaps in a résumé are not cause for concern. Life happens and sometimes people take time off; you do not have to explain that you spent three months between jobs hiking around Machu Picchu to clear your head and recharge your batteries. A ten-year gap from the workforce may be another matter. So might constant job-switching, which is as much of a red flag to recruiters as admitting to never having had a long-term relationship might be to a stranger at a party. But if this describes your work history then you probably have bigger problems that a CV alone, no matter how masterful, will not fix.

Once you have sent your application, refrain from emailing prospective employers to see if they received it. You risk coming across as that annoying person who texts to see if their previous texts have got through.

In his commencement address at Kenyon College in 2005, David Foster Wallace, an American novelist, used the metaphor of fish oblivious to the element surrounding them in order to point to the dangers of the “natural, hard-wired, default setting which is to be deeply and literally self-centred”. Your life, he implied, should illustrate an acute awareness of the outside world. So should your CV . Drafting a presentation of your skills and achievements will inevitably reflect the sovereignty and self-absorption of your “skull-sized kingdom”, as Wallace described it. So as you launch yourself into the job market, follow his counsel to young graduates to try always to be aware of their place in the greater scheme of things: “This is water…this is water.” ■

Explore more

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “A job applicant walks into a bar”

Business June 1st 2024

• Japanese businesses are trapped between America and China
• Can Elon Musk’s xAI take on OpenAI?
• Can Benetton be patched up?
• ExxonMobil rediscovers its swagger
• The soldiers of the silicon supply chain are worried

From the June 1st 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

More from Business

A price war breaks out among China’s AI-model builders

It may stymie innovation

The rise of the far right alarms German business leaders

At least, most of them

How Gen Zs rebel against Asia’s rigid corporate culture

Young workers are striking, slouching off and setting sail

What Indian business expects from Modi 3.0

After a brief panic, investors and bosses welcome the new government

The EU hits China’s carmakers with hefty new tariffs

Duties will only hold them back for a while

Hey Siri! Help me get Apple out of an AI-shaped hole

Tim Cook’s prayer to the almighty

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

View all Consumer Alerts

Get Consumer Alerts

Credit, Loans, and Debt

Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt.

View Credit, Loans, and Debt

Jobs and Making Money

What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment.

View Jobs and Making Money

Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts

What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams.

View Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts

Identity Theft and Online Security

How to protect your personal information and privacy, stay safe online, and help your kids do the same.

View Identity Theft and Online Security

• Search Show/hide Search menu items Items per page 20 50 100 Filters Fulltext search

What To Know About Identity Theft

Learn what identity theft is, how to protect yourself against it, and how to know if someone stole your identity.

What Is Identity Theft?

How to protect yourself against identity theft, how to know if someone stole your identity, monitoring services, recovery services, and identity theft insurance.

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission.

They might steal your name and address, credit card, or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical insurance account numbers. And they could use them to

• buy things with your credit cards
• get new credit cards in your name
• open a phone, electricity, or gas account in your name
• steal your tax refund
• use your health insurance to get medical care
• pretend to be you if they are arrested

Taking steps to protect your personal information can help you avoid identity theft. Here’s what you can do to stay ahead of identity thieves.

Protect documents that have personal information

If you get statements with personal information in the mail, take your mail out of the mailbox as soon as you can.

Ask questions before giving out your Social Security number

Some organizations need your Social Security number to identify you. Those organizations include the IRS, your bank, and your employer. Organizations like these that do need your Social Security number won’t call, email, or text you to ask for it.

Other organizations that might ask you for your Social Security number might not really need it. Those organizations include a medical provider, a company, or your child’s school. Ask these questions before you give them your Social Security number:

• Why do you need it?
• How will you protect it?
• Can you use a different identifier?
• Can you use just the last four digits of my Social Security number?

Protect your information from scammers online and on your phone

If you’re logging in to an online account, use a strong password .

Add multi-factor authentication for accounts that offer it. Multi-factor authentication offers extra security by requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account. The additional credentials you need to log in to your account fall into two categories: something you have — like a passcode you get via text message or an authentication app, or something you are — like a scan of your fingerprint, your retina, or your face. Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.

Do not give your personal information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you. It could be a scammer trying to steal your information .

Watch  5 Ways To Help Protect Your Identity .

In addition to taking steps to protect your information, it pays to know how to tell if someone stole your identity . There are things you can do yourself to detect identity theft. There also are companies that sell credit and identity monitoring services.

What you can do to detect identity theft

Here’s what you can do to spot identity theft:

• Track what bills you owe and when they’re due. If you stop getting a bill, that could be a sign that someone changed your billing address.
• Review your bills.  Charges for things you didn’t buy could be a sign of identity theft. So could a new bill you didn’t expect.
• Check your bank account statement.  Withdrawals you didn’t make could be a sign of identity theft.
• Get and review your credit reports.  Accounts in your name that you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft. Here’s how you can get your free credit reports .

(View or share the  YouTube version of the video. )

If you discover that someone is misusing your personal information, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report and recover from identity theft.

Many companies sell identity theft protection services that may include credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity recovery services, and identity theft insurance. These services also might be offered by your

• bank or credit union
• credit card provider
• employer’s benefits program
• insurance company

Credit monitoring services

Credit monitoring services scan activity that shows up on your credit reports. They might monitor activity at one, two, or all three of the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Credit monitoring services will usually alert you when

• a company checks your credit history
• a new loan or credit card account appears on your credit reports
• a creditor or debt collector says your payment is late
• public records show that you filed for bankruptcy
• someone files a lawsuit against you
• your credit limit changes
• your personal information, like your name, address, or phone number, changes

Credit monitoring services will not alert you when

• someone withdraws money from your bank account
• someone uses your Social Security number to file a tax return and collect your refund

If you’re considering using a credit monitoring service, here are some questions you can ask them:

• How often do you check credit reports for changes?
• Which of the three credit bureaus do you monitor?
• Is there a limit to how often I can review my credit reports?
• Will I be charged each time I review my credit reports?
• Are other services included, like access to my credit score?

Identity monitoring services

Companies that offer identity monitoring services check databases that collect different types of information to see if they contain new or inaccurate information about you. Those could be a sign that someone is using your personal information. These services can detect uses of your personal information that won’t show up on your credit report.

Identity monitoring services may tell you when your information shows up in

• a change of address request
• court or arrest records
• orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
• an application for a payday loan
• a request to cash a check
• on social media
• on websites that identity thieves use to trade stolen information

Most identity monitoring services will not alert you if someone uses your information to

• file a tax return and collect your refund
• get Medicare benefits
• get Medicaid benefits
• get welfare benefits
• claim Social Security benefits
• claim unemployment benefits

Identity recovery services

Companies that sell credit and identity monitoring services also may offer identity recovery services to help you fix any damage caused by identity theft. These services may be included or cost extra. Some of the services they offer may be things you can do on your own for little or no cost.

Identity recovery services typically give you access to counselors or case managers who will help you recover your identity. They may

• help you write letters to creditors and debt collectors
• place a freeze on your credit report to prevent an identity thief from opening new accounts in your name
• guide you through documents you have to review

Some services will represent you in dealing with creditors or other institutions if you formally grant them authority to act on your behalf.

Identity theft insurance

Companies that sell monitoring services also may offer identity theft insurance. These services may be included or cost extra.

Identity theft insurance may cover

• the cost of copying documents
• postage costs for sending documents
• costs for getting documents notarized
• wages you lost
• legal fees you paid

Identity theft insurance generally won’t reimburse you for money stolen or financial loss resulting from the theft. Most policies won’t pay if your loss is covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. If you’re considering getting identity theft insurance, ask about the deductible and find out what’s covered and what isn’t.

Find out how to recognize the signs of medical identity theft , tax identity theft , and child identity theft .

File Download PDF 677a_idt_what_to_know_wtd.pdf (6.09 MB)

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Build a Corporate Culture That Works

There’s a widespread understanding that managing corporate culture is key to business success. Yet few companies articulate their culture in such a way that the words become an organizational reality that molds employee behavior as intended.

All too often a culture is described as a set of anodyne norms, principles, or values, which do not offer decision-makers guidance on how to make difficult choices when faced with conflicting but equally defensible courses of action.

The trick to making a desired culture come alive is to debate and articulate it using dilemmas. If you identify the tough dilemmas your employees routinely face and clearly state how they should be resolved—“In this company, when we come across this dilemma, we turn left”—then your desired culture will take root and influence the behavior of the team.

To develop a culture that works, follow six rules: Ground your culture in the dilemmas you are likely to confront, dilemma-test your values, communicate your values in colorful terms, hire people who fit, let culture drive strategy, and know when to pull back from a value statement.

Start by thinking about the dilemmas your people will face.

Idea in Brief

The problem.

There’s a widespread understanding that managing corporate culture is key to business success. Yet few companies articulate their corporate culture in such a way that the words become an organizational reality that molds employee behavior as intended.

What Usually Happens

How to fix it.

Follow six rules: Ground your culture in the dilemmas you are likely to confront, dilemma-test your values, communicate your values in colorful terms, hire people who fit, let culture drive strategy, and know when to pull back from a value.

At the beginning of my career, I worked for the health-care-software specialist HBOC. One day, a woman from human resources came into the cafeteria with a roll of tape and began sticking posters on the walls. They proclaimed in royal blue the company’s values: “Transparency, Respect, Integrity, Honesty.” The next day we received wallet-sized plastic cards with the same words and were asked to memorize them so that we could incorporate them into our actions. The following year, when management was indicted on 17 counts of conspiracy and fraud, we learned what the company’s values really were.

• EM Erin Meyer is a professor at INSEAD, where she directs the executive education program Leading Across Borders and Cultures. She is the author of The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business (PublicAffairs, 2014) and coauthor (with Reed Hastings) of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention (Penguin, 2020). ErinMeyerINSEAD

Partner Center

On page S4032, June 12, 2024, third column, the following appears: The PRESIDING OFFICER \(Ms. CORTEZ MASTO\). On this vote the yeas are 87, the nays are 8. The Record has been corrected to read: The PR\ ESIDING OFFICER \(Ms. CORTEZ MASTO\). On this vote the yeas are 86, the nays are 9.