Personal Statements & References: The Part Everyone Stresses About

Welcome back to our Grad School Application Blog Series! I’m Micah, One Psychology Clinic’s Intern. On our last post, we expanded on the variety of graduate programs and talked through some helpful tips when deciding where to apply to. In this post, we move into the more intimate and critical parts of a graduate application; personal statements and references.

This becomes the moment where you are most vulnerable and openly express your motives and overall goals for the future. Many applicants feel the pressure to write the “correct” answer; however, it’s important to remember that personal statements and references are intended to showcase your ability and experience. Not anyone else’s.

Here are some useful tips I found for myself while I was going through my own graduate applications!

Personal Statements: What They’re Actually For

A large barrier I had to face while writing my personal statements was showcasing the best parts of myself that I wanted known to the application committee. It is very easy to talk about the achievements you have received, but during my writing, I learned that what really shines is your ability and the skills you gained throughout your personal experiences. 

Ultimately, graduate schools are not as interested in knowing where you have worked or volunteered, but rather, how you excelled in those areas and what you learned from the process. When I first started writing my graduate applications, I had a few main roles I aimed to discuss. However, my first draft made me realize that I placed a lot of emphasis on the institutions alone, as opposed to the skills and abilities I developed and how I applied them within my own life.

Ultimately, anyone can say that they have volunteered at a hospital or worked in a lab with a well-known professor, but what is truly important in your writing piece is how those experiences shaped the person you have become today. 

Aligning these experiences with the training goals you aim to achieve in respective programs is what will truly strengthen your personal statements and set them apart from other candidates. The whole idea of a personal statement is to talk about YOU! 

Never underestimate your own abilities and motivation; this is where you want it to shine.

References: Relationship over Resume

Reference hunting was yet another difficult obstacle I faced throughout the application process. While I had a few in mind, it was important for me to find various options, given the programs I chose to apply to. However, what really stood out to me was understanding not only the relationship I have with the referee, but also how they were able to see my abilities.

As such, I asked individuals who could effectively explain my work ethic and determination in various settings. While it is crucial to have at least one Academic Referee for your application, it is also important to have another reference that can talk on your varying skills beyond academia. Graduate schools, of course, want to understand your educational prowess, but they also require an understanding of your abilities in professional settings. 

Finding references that can balance between both parts of your life, and have seen a great deal of what you can do are ultimately, the best candidates for the role. Some good examples of professional references could be your research mentors, volunteer coordinators or professional supervisors. What I found troubling was deciding between my part-time supervisor in a hospitality setting vs. my volunteer coordinator in healthcare. While I felt that my supervisor understood me more personally, I believed my volunteer coordinator understood my professional abilities much more and how I applied them into healthcare settings.

If under similar circumstances as this, it is really important to remember that references are ultimately a reflection of yourself. Understanding your referee’s perspectives, it is important to ask yourself this:

Can my referee’s portrayal of me accurately explain my ability in an honest and dedicated way? 

Does their portrayal of me uplift my identity in alignment with the graduate program?

References: Common Misconceptions

It is normal to feel that you should have the “most senior person” possible or the “highest-ranking professor” in the field. But what ultimately matters is your relationship to that individual. Would you rather have a highly vague reference from someone of good standing, or a greatly detailed and honest response from a less-known supervisor you have worked with very closely? Hopefully, the latter. 

Try to remember that strong references are always relational; never transactional.

Rerframing the Emotional Weight

These sections tend to be the most vulnerable part of the application process. As a result, it can feel uncomfortable and stressful to touch on these aspects of your life, but discomfort often accompanies growth.

Rather than seeing this as a way to advertise your best self, reframe it. This is simply a part of your professional journey and becomes one of the first steps to creating this identity formation for the future. This reflection, communication and relational capacity are key skills and experiences that shape how future clinicians can learn to relate and advocate for themselves within professional spaces.

Growth always begins before training formally starts. This is not only an ode to your individual experiences, but also the beginning of your future capabilities.. 

Claim it, and use it to achieve what you want for yourself.

Final Thoughts

As this Blog Post series comes to an end, I’d like to thank the readers for coming along with me on this journey. While I hope that my words have encouraged prospective students to deliver an outstanding graduate application, I’d also like to say that this piece has heavily helped to diminish my own fears and struggles with applying to graduate school.

If there is one final piece of advice I hope everyone remembers, it is this:

While comparison can be a deadly creature, it is important to know that your graduate application is inherently, yours. You have dedicated so much to your academic journey and will continue to do so throughout the years. Never underestimate how much you have done for yourself and the effort you have done to be who you are today.

Though it may not always seem like it all the time, growth is happening and opportunity is coming. Become your world’s best advocate, not your own worst hater. 

If you have been struggling with accepting your growth, I can promise you, you’re not alone. Reaching out for advice is never a sign of failure, it’s a sign of effort and resilience. If you’d like to reach out for support during this time, we’re here to help. Please feel free to reach out to us at info@onepsychology.ca.