Personal statements, letters of recommendation and interviews all serve to make an impression. They show potential programs that you have a track record of success and a future direction that aligns with their goals. Let’s make the right mark.
Personal statements typically cover research interests, achievements and sometimes identify possible faculty who you are interested in working with. Sometimes you will receive a general prompt about what to write and other times you’ll respond to a specific essay question(s) tailored to the program.
This document is used by graduate programs' admissions staff to assess potential matches for their programs. And while the primary goal is to determine educational goals and interests, reviewers also are evaluating your writing skills. Writing is often a big part of graduate school, whether it’s law school or a Ph.D. in physics.
Graduate school is competitive, so your personal statement should effectively advertise your skills and background. Covering your unique qualifications, experiences and connections is important. There's a lot to think about, but there are plenty of people at Oregon State to help you through the process. Tutors at the Writing Center can help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts and revise your statement, or you can work with the CDC staff to gain feedback about preparing a strong personal statement.
A letter of recommendation is a written document from a supervisor, professor or other non-family individual who has observed your successes, character, progress and other impressive achievements. Letters of recommendation should be written by those who hold great respect and appreciation for you and can communicate that. The more advance notice you give, the more likely someone will be able to accommodate your request, so aim for a minimum of two weeks.
You must ask someone to write you a letter of recommendation before you list them on an application. When you do ask them, you need to explain what program you are applying for and why you are interested in pursuing graduate school. This will help them gauge what to highlight in the letter. You also need to clarify the deadline and how to submit it (to you or the employer directly, electronic or hard copy, etc.).
Graduate and professional school interviews can take various forms: one-on-one meetings, group interviews, campus/faculty visits, panel interviews and/or phone interviews. Not every program requires interviews, but if your program of interest does, here are some tips. This is also your opportunity to learn more about whether the program would be a good fit for you.