Personal statement.

[dragonjournal]

So, I wrote one. Not sure how good it is? It's a first draft, but it's exactly 750 words, for WMU. It's here. Anyone can comment? So, feel free to make marginalia for the whole thing.

If someone could give me some feed back, I'd appreciate it!

Comments

[jehanne1431]

I don’t know how WMU frames their personal statement guidelines (I had to write two personal statements/essays; a 500 word and a 1-2K word and in both UMD gave very specific questions for me to answer), so take these comments with a grain of salt, because I’m basing them on my own grad school application experience. These comments are in NO particular order.

I would suggest including something about why you want to attend WMU. Do they offer a specific focus in their program that interests you? Are there specific professors you want to study under? What is it about WMU that would help you further your professional goals?

I would probably not mention fanfic or NaNo, as they can have a negative or amateurish connotation. You probably don’t need to mention your name or what you’re applying for. The school will already know this and you can put that information into the Word header (if you’re uploading a doc and not inputting the essay into an online form). This will give you more space to address other topics.

You wrote: “I am not your typical candidate...” Expand on this. Grad programs get a ton of applications and you’re also applying as an out-of-state student, which may make it more challenging. You want to stand out. Explore why you’re not typical. Make your atypicalness seem like a strength that WMU will want in their program.

I’ve never applied for an MFA, but I would think that it’s a given that all applicants love to write. You spend a lot of valuable space talking about your love for writing. I would suggest very briefly mentioning it and then moving on. You wrote: “I have said before that if I wrote down some of the things that have happened, no one would believe it possible.” Expand on this as well. Talk about one or two of those experiences. How did those experiences influence your desire to pursue an MFA in writing?

I’d also google MFA personal statements and see what comes up. They might have more pertinent pointers applicable to a writing program statement.

I don’t know if any of this helps, but I think you have a good start. :)

[dragonjournal]

Sorry! Thought I included this. WMU has this to say about their personal statement:

Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and modes of study that inspire you and discuss your plans for pursuing them. Please use the essay to highlight important aspects of your application.

[jehanne1431]

Ah, well, disregard what I wrote. :) Or most of it. They do want to know about the key experiences you've had that shaped your decision to pursue an MFA, so I would still say to pick a specific life experience and talk about how it relates to/influences your writing.

>>>You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and modes of study that inspire you and discuss your plans for pursuing them.<<<

This is frustratingly vague. I understand reflecting on ideas, etc. that inspire you, but how in the world do you discuss your plans for pursuing a text or a mode of study? Maybe I'm reading that in too literal a fashion, though.

Also, "highlight important aspects of your application." I think this would be the place to expand on why you're not a typical student. You really do want to stand out from the crowd.


Wait... is this personal essay specific to the MFA program, or is it a general WMU personal statement?

[dragonjournal]

It's specific to the MFA program, it's here.