how to start a personal statement for social work

Guide to Crafting a Perfect Social Work Personal Statement

As you prepare to write your social work personal statement, remember that it’s not just about your personality. The goal of this statement is to offer insight into your skills and experiences. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate how well-prepared you are. 

When crafting your social work personal statement, keep in mind several fundamental questions: What are you trying to accomplish? Who do you want to become? What is the population you want to serve, and how can you best communicate that to your audience? 

What Are Social Work Personal Statements

Your social work personal statement typically takes the form of a personal essay that describes experiences and goals that are relevant to a social work program.

Key Components of a Personal Statement 

This essay is usually part of the packet of information that you’re required to submit to an admissions department. Your social work personal statement typically includes the following information:

• Your Past Experiences: Have you already volunteered or worked in social work fields? What experiences have prepared and inspired you? 
• Your Educational Goals: What have you accomplished so far, and what education goals do you plan to achieve? 
• Your Career Goals: What do you want to do with your career? What role do you want to take on in social work?
• Your Challenges: What obstacles have you faced? 

You’ll probably include any details pertinent to your admission into the program. Be sure to include the relevant information that the committee will need to know as they review your personal statement as part of your application packet. 

Why Social Work Personal Statements Are Important

A social work personal statement is a meaningful way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicants. What will set you apart and make the committee remember you? 

Social work is a growing field, and the job outlook for social workers is promising. There were more than 700,000 social worker jobs in the United States in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Jobs in the industry are projected to increase by 12% through 2030, which is faster than average. 

Who Needs To Write Social Work Personal Statements? 

You’ll probably write a social work personal statement if you’re applying for a master’s program in social work. In some cases, you might need it for a bachelor’s program as well. Of course, once you’ve spent the time to write this statement, you can repurpose it for scholarship and grant applications, cover letters, and a range of other needs in your career and future life. 

In other words, the work you do here and the time you spend will not be wasted. You can also reuse what you create here for your future applications and endeavors at work, as part of your academic career, and beyond.

Steps for Writing a Social Work Personal Statement 

Your process for writing your social work personal statement will probably be the same as what you’ll follow for any other essay or college paper. Here are the basic steps you’ll probably take as you create your social work personal statement.

Assess the Audience

Think about who you’re writing for, what they are looking for, and what specific details you should include. You’re probably writing for a committee but think about their academic background. Work to fulfill their expectations. 

Prepare an Outline and Conduct Research

Create an outline of the points you want to include. Fill in your points with relevant research and examples from your personal and professional experience. Don’t worry about having too much research or too many points in your outline. You can always cut it down later. 

Write a Draft

Start writing based on your outline, filling in additional details as you go along. Don’t get too tied to making it perfect at this point. Make sure you’ve covered all the guidelines for the social work personal statement. Is it on-topic and relevant to the topic and course of study? 

You should have multiple revisions of your social work personal statement as you add further details to what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Let the essay sit for a few days if you have time. You’ll see areas of confusion, but you’ll also be more open to changing the work if you’ve given it time to sit and stew. 

As part of the revision process, make sure to read your social work personal statement out loud. Run the paper through spelling and grammar checkers to make sure you haven’t made any mistakes. 

Reach out to friends and professors who might be willing to help you in the review process. You’re not alone on this path, and you can gain great insight when you ask for input from others. 

Social Work Personal Statement Examples

You’ll find quite a few examples of social work personal statements online, but they’re not all high-quality examples. Most of the best examples are available from universities or social work organizations. Here are a few you can use to get your mental gears turning.

• Studential – Social Work Personal Statement Examples
• Social Work Haven – Examples of Social Work Personal Statement  
• Acrosophy – Social Work Personal Statement Examples

While these examples can offer great inspiration and ideas, be sure that your final essay is completely original. If you copy and paste any of these examples, you run the risk of setting off red flags for plagiarism, which typically results in the rejection of your application. 

Where To Find Prompts for Social Work Personal Statements 

You may be surprised by how many places you can find prompts for social work personal statements online. Even as you follow those guidelines, be sure that you read your essay. It should reflect who you are and what you want from social work. Here are just a few prompts: 

• MSW Personal Statement Prompt
• My Perfect Words – Personal Statement Prompts
• The University of Buffalo – Application Essay Guidelines
• Shepherd University – Personal Statement Writing Prompts

These prompts can offer great insight as you write your social work personal statement, but make sure you keep the precise guidelines for the program you’re applying for. It’s easy to get caught up in unrelated topics and directions that have nothing to do with what they have asked you to write about. 

Tips for Crafting the Perfect Social Work Personal Statement 

When you’re writing your social work personal statement, you need to maintain a laser focus on what you’re writing and how your succinct work will further back up your other materials. Here are a few other tips you should rely on when you’re writing the perfect social work personal statement. 

Stay Focused

Don’t get distracted by other topics or the total amount of information you can include. Focus on making sure you highlight why everything in your personal and professional life has brought you to this point, where you’re ready to commit to social work. 

Your writing process might be slightly different, but don’t forget the importance of planning and researching for your essay. Then write everything you think to include. Remember that your pre-writing phase is not the final copy.

Proofread 

Make sure you have enough time in this process to let your social work personal statement sit for at least a few days before you proofread it. You need to have a fresh approach to your writing, so you won’t be so attached to what you wrote before. 

You’re not doing this alone, even though it might feel like it sometimes. There are lots of other people who are willing and able to help you if you just ask. If you’re taking a college class, you could reach out to the professor for input or even visit the school’s Writing Center. 

Additional Resources 

Your social work personal statement may be one of the most important documents you create in your career. The good news is that you’re not alone in your effort to craft your social work personal statement and move forward with your education and career. Here are a few additional resources that will help you along the way: 

• Social Work Advocates magazine
• Social Work Journal
• Choices: Careers in Social Work
• Encyclopedia of Social Work Online
• Social Work Career Development: A Handbook for Job Hunting and Career Planning

As you immerse yourself in these resources, you can and should use what you learn as jumping-off points for future growth and development in your field. Keep track of the areas of study and research that interest you the most.

Be aware of those instances where you feel inspired and passionate. Tap into those areas of interest when you write your social work personal statement. Help the reading committee to understand why you care so much about social work and how you want to make a difference. 

How to Write an Effective Personal Statement for Grad School

Written by Michelle, Founder of MSW Helper

Schools of social work are looking for your ability to think critically and contribute to the social work field. This is more important than your grades and experience. I know this because I’ve seen people with high grades and a ton of experience get rejected from the program because they weren’t able to articulate their critical thinking skills (and I’ve seen it go the other way too, where applicants with low grades and little experience get accepted because of their strong personal statement).

So, let’s talk about how you can write an effective personal statement for your grad school application.

Michelle is the Founder of MSW Helper, where she helps Master of Social Work Applicants write top notch personal statements for grad school. Michelle understands how stressful applying to the MSW can be, and strives to help applicants feel confident about their applications. 

Check out her website to learn more: https://www.mswhelper.com/

What schools of social work are looking for

In my experience, most schools of social work ask about these key areas:

• Your experiences that motivated you to become a social worker, including personal, professional, academic, and other experiences
• A discussion of a social problem and how social workers can work towards solving it
• Your goals as a social worker

In addition, schools of social work typically assess your personal statement for the following:

• Evidence of critical and analytical thinking skills
• Potential contribution to the field of social work
• Your ability to communicate clearly and succinctly

This is how you can demonstrate all of the following key areas seamlessly.

Contribution to the field

Let’s look at a personal statement of a past MSW applicant:

Applicant name: Sally ●        Experiences : Sally works at a women’s shelter and talks about what she learned there. ●        Social Justice Issue : Sally decides to talk about an issue within child welfare. ●        Goal : Sally mentions that she wants to get an MSW so that she can qualify for a job at the hospital.

There are a few issues with Sally’s personal statement.

First, there is no cohesion between her experience, social justice issue, and goals, which makes it hard for the reader to understand why she wants to pursue an MSW and how she’ll be an asset to the field.

Second, Sally is talking about how an MSW will be beneficial for her, which comes off as a bit self-serving. When writing a personal statement, it’s important to talk about how pursuing an MSW will allow her to help others.

With this in mind, let’s see an example of how Sally could improve her personal statement:

Applicant: Sally ●        Experiences : Sally works at a women’s shelter and talks about what she learned there. ●        Social Justice Issue : Sally discusses an insight from her time at the women’s shelter, and backs it up with research that proves that her observation is part of a larger social problem.  ●        Goal : This issue that Sally noticed at the women’s shelter inspired her to get her MSW so that she can address that issue and support her clients in a different capacity and advocate for women’s rights at the macro level.

Better, right?

In this version of her personal statement, Sally demonstrates a high level of critical thinking by talking about her insights and backing them up with research, and she demonstrates her potential contribution to the field by discussing how a Master of Social Work will allow her to serve others in a greater capacity. 

If you’re planning to write a personal statement, a great place to start is to think about insights and problems you’ve observed from your work, volunteer, placement, and personal experiences, and use those insights to develop your social justice problem.

Evidence of critical and analytical thinking

In addition to demonstrating your potential to contribute to the field, there are some tangible ways you can demonstrate your critical thinking skills.

First, make sure you understand what social work actually is.

This might sound obvious, but there are a surprising number of applicants who have a pretty limited understanding of what social work entails. I don’t blame them. The media often portrays a specific image of what social workers look like (usually involving child welfare, case workers, or therapists).

However, social work is so much more than that. Social workers work at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of society, and can work in many areas at each of these levels.

Also, many applicants pursue social work out of a desire to help others, but it’s not good enough to say that in your personal statement. There are a lot of other jobs you can do that would allow you to help others. Think about how social workers are different from other helping professions (such as nurses, psychologists, police officers, teachers, lawyers, etc.).  Why do you want to be a social worker and not another helping profession?

Understanding what social work is will help you provide a stronger and more thorough answer to the question of “why” you want to become a social worker.

Finally, connect your insights to the bigger picture by integrating research into your personal statement .

It’s one thing to talk about the issues you’ve noticed from your experiences, and it’s another to connect your insight to the bigger picture with the help of research.

Let’s look at Sally again.

Sally’s role at the women’s shelter is to help her clients who experienced domestic violence find housing. Sally noticed that many of her previously housed clients got evicted and ended up back at the shelter.

Sally also did some research and found studies to suggest that women who experience domestic violence have an overall higher rate of housing instability due to barriers such as income loss and lack of social support.

This knowledge motivated Sally to pursue a Master of Social Work so that she can move into a policy role to advocate for income and social support for women who experience domestic violence.

Connecting experience to research will demonstrate a high level of critical thinking.

Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly

When it comes to writing your personal statement, it’s not only what you say, but also how you say it. Admissions committees are typically assessing your personal statement for your writing ability.

Make it easy to read : Admissions committees read literally hundreds of personal statements each application season, so it’s likely that whoever reads your personal statement is going to quickly skim through your personal statement to find your answers. With that in mind, it’s important to make your personal statement as skimmable and easy to read as possible.

You can do this by adding headings that match each question or prompt so that the reader can easily see that you did answer each prompt.

You should also be concise and get rid of filler words and sentences that don’t directly answer the prompts.

Finally, you should always try to include an introduction and a conclusion in your personal statement where you summarize your experience, social justice problem, and goals. This will allow the reader to get your whole story in a few sentences, and leave them with a strong impression at the beginning and end of your personal statement.

Treat your personal statement like an academic writing sample: Many applicants don’t realize that the personal statement is a sample of your academic writing and research skills. One way to stand out is to treat your personal statement like a school paper. I often advise applicants to use full APA formatting when writing their personal statement, as this will make your personal statement look more professional and will stand out from the crowd. 

Creating Your Own MSW Personal Statement

When writing a personal statement for your MSW, it’s important to demonstrate your potential contribution to the field, critical thinking skills, and strong writing ability. If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to writing an effective personal statement that stands out.

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Write a Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement (10 Top Tips)

Are you looking for educational and career advancement after completing your Bachelor of Social Work?

You’re probably wondering now how to write your Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement, a requirement for admittance to a postgraduate course. Well, wonder no more! Read on for top tips to make your statement stand out and impress the admissions board.

Help! What is a Personal Statement?!

Not all colleges ask for a personal statement for a Bachelor of Social Work. So, if you’ve never done one and don’t know what to include, don’t panic. I’ll explain it all. Some colleges will give you a prompt to answer, but it is a short essay. In it, you explain why you are suitable to study a Master of Social Work course.

What Should I Include in my Statement?

• Your education – where did you study and what grades did you achieve?
• Your experience – what work or volunteering have you done? If you have experience related to social work, include that.
• Your goals – What are you going to do after earning your master’s degree?
• Your challenges – what challenges or obstacles have you faced? How did you overcome them?
• Anything else relevant

You might feel ready to write a Personal Statement now that you know what to include. Don’t rush off yet, though. Listen to the following tips first. They’ll help make your composition more outstanding.

10 Top Tips for Writing a Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement:

Although a personal statement isn’t a long essay, it is very important. It is a significant part of your application, so don’t rush it. Work out what you are going to say, and how you are going to say it. A mind map can be useful in identifying everything you want to include in your essay. It groups your ideas and will help you create a structure for your composition. Try it! Having a plan also makes getting started less daunting. It’s hard to start when you are staring at a blank page. A page with a plan written on it isn’t blank anymore, so you’re already started. Winner!

This is a basic mind map for general essay writing that I did as an example. Branches and sub-branches can be added or subtracted as needed or desired.

2. Let Your Personality Shine

One of the most important things when you are writing a personal statement is to make it personal. It says so in the title! The admissions board wants to know who you are. They will read hundreds of personal statements, so you need to make yours stand out. Through your essay, your reader should know who you are as a person and why you would excel in the master’s course. Make sure you tell them!

3. Tell A Story

Using a narrative style to tell your reader about yourself is more engaging. A dry, informative essay might tell your reader some facts. But it won’t stay with them. Bring your essay to life by writing it as a (true) story. This will be much more memorable and that is what you want. When your reader puts down your statement, you want them to remember who you are and what you said. Think of it as writing a memoir . It focuses on certain chapters of your life that highlight your suitability for a career in social work.

4. Explain Your Drive

What makes you want to pursue a career in social work? Presumably, you want to take a master’s in social work not only because you want to work in, it but because you want to excel in that field. Was there an event or a person in your life that gave you this drive? This is part of what will make your statement stand out from the rest. Think about the first time you thought about studying social work…what happened? It will pique the interest of your readers and make them want to know you a little better.

Specialization in social work needed a genuine desire to care for others, especially those who needed help most – the sick, orphans, the elderly, and those who were down on their luck.

5. Sell Yourself

Above all, you need to sell yourself to the admissions board. Your Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement is the key to doing that. Be sure to highlight the traits which make you ideal for a career in social work. Cite real-life examples to back up your application. Just saying you are compassionate and caring won’t make you stand out. But telling about the time when you took care of a lost child until his mother was found, will. Do you see the difference? You also need to let the admissions board know what studies you have already undertaken. Where did you do your Bachelor of Social Work ? Are you moving on to your master’s so that you can provide therapy? Make sure your essay reassures your reader that you would be a great fit for their college!

6. Your 5 (or 10) Year Plan

College admissions boards want to know that you have a career plan in place. Prove to them you have goals and have thought beyond the next year or two. Consider what you plan to do with your master’s degree and what your next steps are from there. Will you have a bustling therapy practice in 10 years? Will you be supporting vulnerable adults in your community? Whatever your goals in social work are, make it a point to outline them.

7. Challenges

Don’t be afraid to talk about challenges you have faced or times when life didn’t go your way. Some people might use their essays to focus on their achievements and successes. So, going the other way will set you apart. Especially when you emphasize the lessons you’ve learned from each setback. This is a perfect opportunity to tell your reader how you overcome problems and move forward. It shows resilience and optimism.

The bitter chapters in our lives can either make or break us. The expression of a strong desire to triumph over any adversity, not only for yourself but for others, could add more power to your Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement.

8. It’s All in the Details

If the college you are applying to has guidelines and prompts, make sure you follow them! There is likely to be a word count, perhaps in the region of 500 words. But not all colleges are the same, so make sure you know the limit for the one you are applying for. Colleges often have their preferred formatting style. Check their website or call to confirm if you don’t know what it is. You want to create the impression of someone who has good attention to detail . Don’t fall at the first hurdle by not following the rules for essay submission.

9. Strong Start, Excellent End

What you say in the body of your statement is important. But you also need to make sure you have a strong start and end. From the first sentence, you want to draw your reader in. Have a great hook – start with a question or relevant quote or statistic. You want to grab your reader’s attention right away and make them want to read more. You also need a strong finish. Your conclusion needs to create a lasting impression. You want your essay to stand out so that they remember you at the end of the day.

Competitive swimmers are taught to increase acceleration in the first and last 5 meters of each lap. Have that mindset in writing your essay – start and finish strong.

10. Proofreading / Editing

Once you’ve written your Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement, you might think you are done. You are not! You need to dedicate time to editing and proofreading your statement to make sure it is as good as it can be. A great idea is to try reading it out loud. This will help you assess your sentence structure. Struggling to catch your breath? Your sentences are too long. Does it sound repetitive? Try using different phrases or changing your sentence structure. When you spend a lot of time on an essay, it’s difficult to remain objective about it. If you have a friend who will read it for you, let them. They could offer a different perspective and suggest improvements. You should also take the time to double-check those details. After all, a career in social work will involve report writing and you need to be a great communicator in doing that. You can use your statement to show off these skills, too.

These tips will help you write a Master’s in Social Work Personal Statement that stands out from the crowd. Remember, you are selling yourself through your story. Don’t be afraid to put your personality on the page. When the admissions board finishes reading your essay, they should feel like they know you. You should have shown them you will excel not only in the course but in the actual fieldwork. Your essay is the next step in advancing your career in social work! Next up, you may want to explore a guide to creating enticing essay hooks .

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5 Helpful Tips for Writing Your MSW Personal Statement

For those in pursuit of their master in social work, the MSW Personal Statement is an important stepping stone all must confront along the way. What exactly is this personal statement all about? Here's the scoop, in the form of five helpful tips for writing an effective MSW personal statement.

Stay Topic-Focused

One of the primary things one should keep in mind throughout the process is the core purpose of the personal statement. This statement is meant to provide your school with some information with which to further understand your own personal goals, past accolades, and reasons for pursuing the MSW. It's also meant to gauge your overall commitment to the cause of social work as well as an ability to provide a comprehensive and effective essay. A great sample rundown of the expectations of the statement can be found here .

Prewrite Thoroughly

This is a significant essay that really needs to be done thoughtfully. To get a good start, just like in any other type of writing task, prewriting can really help you to start to gather a wide range of ideas into related bits of information that could be included in the final product. Begin by simply listing all ideas that come to mind involving the material you are being specifically asked for. Keep a pen and paper or cell phone, or other means to record thoughts with you while out so you can record valuable thoughts that may materialize on the subject. To take prewriting a step further, consider linking your ideas together according to relation to each other or their common contribution to the main topic.

Proofread Aggressively

Proofreading is yet another elementary step in the writing process taken for granted by a surprising number of writers. Even when you have proofread once, you can still find otherwise hidden problems by proofreading several more times. As important as this particular product is, you should spare no time at all in thoroughly proofreading what you intend to submit. Another great aid here can be found in seeking out the opinions of multiple other people as to the efficacy of your final piece.

Consult With Others

Sometimes, one of the very best things we can do in such an important endeavor is to seek the outside assistance of others. Whether it's for the purpose of proofreading, as mentioned above, or for guidance from faculty or student advisors on general matters of context, reaching out is nothing more than a fantastic sign of your drive to succeed here. Another great resource to consult with is the student who already successfully satisfied this step of the MSW process.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Finally, and maybe even most importantly, try to give yourself ample time to get this task done. To the trained eye reading hundreds of these statements each year, signs of rush hidden to you will likely show in the quality of your final product. To make the task even more manageable, split it up into five or more mini-tasks. Assign yourself due dates for each task comfortably along the breadth of your calendar. When there is free time to spare between these dates, use it to comfortably start making progress into the next phase in the process.

Those highly educated in the field of social work are holders of a truly noble understanding in society today. The five tips discussed here are meant to provide some extra basis from which to gain a great start in producing an effective personal statement.

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Why study social work (personal statement)

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In applying for social work, you will need to write a social work personal statement that explains why you want to study social work . 

In this article, I have appended my own personal statement below. This was the personal statement I submitted that eventually helped me to get a place in the University of Nottingham (UK). I hope it gives you an example to learn from.

Also, I wanted to add some tips that helped me write a personal statement. 

1. Set a deadline for your personal statement. 

No work will ever be perfect. Yet we often fall into the fallacy of writing and rewriting, editing and re-editing. We think we can make the perfect personal statement that will land us in social work. 

We can’t make it perfect. Before you start writing, you need to know when you have to stop and submit. There is a saying in Chinese that goes, 画蛇添足 (painting legs onto a snake). It tells the story of an art competition. During that competition, an artist, in his quest for perfection, ended up adding legs to his painting of a snake. Naturally, he lost. 

The moral of the story is that there will never be a perfect picture, or perfect personal statement. What matters is that you have tried.  

2. Start writing your personal statement. 

Often, our quest for perfection or plain procrastination stops us from writing. Frequently, we try planning in detail, without actually writing. In my experience, I was pushed for time. I had been awarded a scholarship, but no university place offered to me. Due to the urgency of the matter, I had to write quickly. I had to submit. 

There was no time to think. 

Similarly, rather than spending too much time thinking, simply start writing. Writing has a magical way of sorting out your thoughts. Later, you can always come back to edit it. 

3. Include real-life examples of why you want to study social work. 

As you can see below, I included examples from my own experiences being helped by a social worker and helping others as a volunteer. The truth is: facts tell, stories sell. Stories give the applications panel another side to you. They make you real. 

In writing your stories, be clear about what your role was. What did you contribute? What did you do? What was your impact? Did anyone praise you?

Secondly, link it to the wider motivation for social work. What did your experience teach you? How did it push you to decide on a career in social work? 

Lastly, you need to clarify. Why does social work matter to you?

4. Edit your personal statement. 

Grammatical and spelling mistakes are a no-no. They show that you have not spent as much effort as you should have on your personal statement. When editing, print out a copy of your personal statement, and then read it out loud. 

Secondly, reading it out aloud helps you to hear the arguments. It lets you see if the arguments make sense, flow well, and are cogently linked together. 

This advice, from Cal Newport’s book, How To Be A Straight A Student, helped greatly. You can read it if you would like to get your first too!

5. Give your personal statement to someone else to read. 

Fortunately, I had a friend who was a social worker. She agreed to read my personal statement. From that reading, she gave me valuable feedback on what I could improve on. 

Having someone else to read removes our blind spots. Having interacted so much with your personal statement, you might be too emotionally invested in it to remove parts that are not as good. Therefore, having someone else helps to make your essay much better. 

I hope the advice here helps you to write a better personal statement on ‘why study social work?’

Example of personal statement

This was the personal statement I wrote that eventually allowed me to be accepted into the University of Nottingham’s BA Social Work course.

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Indeed, I have come to see how a life well-lived is one through which we give out of the largesse of our hearts. With a desire to engender positive change in the society around me, contributing to the community that has nurtured me, studying social work develops the expertise needed to aid the communities around me. 

My desire to study social work stems from a wish to help people deal with the befuddling complexities of life, for which there is often no proper problem-solving method, and certainly no correct answer. What piqued my interest in social work was a first-hand encounter with social workers, who inspired me to take up social work myself.

In college, I remembered seeing my mother bent over the toilet bowl, vomiting out the remains of her previous meal. Days later, she was stripped of her once lustrous, beautiful hair. Watching my mother buried under blankets, trying to keep warm, I was overcome by a sense of helplessness. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. The months after were a harrowing experience. 

So often used to the pillar of strength my mother represented, to see her reduced to such a state, ravaged by the destruction of cancer, terrified and frightened me. As the eldest in the family, I had to take on additional responsibilities at home on top of my academic workload. It was arduous juggling the various obligations. There were times when exhaustion overtook me, causing me to fall asleep in my uniform, waking up only to fight another day. 

However, I was fortunate to have the guidance of a social worker, who helped me regain emotional balance. She enabled me to stand on my own two feet again, anchoring myself in the midst of the changes that were happening around me. Just as I have been so helped, I desire to offer lifebuoys of aid to others, assisting them in finding greater emotional stability and eventually soaring towards a more fulfilling life.

Intrigued by the complexities of social work, I joined YGOS, a welfare organization reaching out to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds, as an intern. There, I worked with youths who were doing poorly academically and exhibiting behavioral problems. I enjoyed the opportunity I had to personally mentor these youths, working closely with them to improve their academic grades and attitude towards learning. Having a hand in molding them positively, revealed the possibilities that social work offered in eliciting real change in the community around me.

The myriad of opportunities that an overseas education offers me excites me. Exposure to a different welfare system will further my perspectives on the various welfare models in the world, and broaden my horizons on the pros and cons that each welfare system inherently possesses. Studying overseas will push me out of my comfort zone, forcing me to live independently. Experiencing another culture, environment, and country will open my eyes to the diversity in the world, and begin seeing the world in a different lens. 

Beyond school, I volunteer regularly with the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. In one of my earliest experiences volunteering, I was teaching a boy to write the alphabet “A”. After struggling for thirty minutes, he threw up his arms, exclaiming, “I don’t know how to write this!” For him, the writing of such a simple alphabet had already prompted so much difficulty. 

It was a reminder that in the search for the academic “A”s in our lives, it is such a blessing to even have the chance to search. Volunteering regularly has equipped me with empathy, which will aid me in better understanding my clients’ needs, finding lasting solutions for them.

Through social work, I hope to impact the world, shaping it, one person at a time, community by community, walking with my clients through some of their darkest emotional tunnels, and helping them to find the light again.

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Formatting tips for your MSW personal statement (APA Style)

The Master of Social Work personal statement is one of the most important aspects of a MSW application. It gives you, as the applicant, a space to discuss your motivations for pursuing social work, and allows you to explain how your experience, aspirations, and goals all intersect to make you a top candidate for the program you are applying to. 

Why you should write your personal statement in APA format:

One thing I often see applicants overlook is formatting their personal statement. The personal statement serves as a sample of your academic writing abilities, so properly formatting your MSW personal statement is a simple way to help your application stand out and look more professional.

To format your personal statement I suggest following the formatting style you adhered to while you were in your undergraduate program. The most common formatting style in social work programs (and social sciences in general) is APA formatting , so that’s what I’ll be focusing on here. 

What to include in an APA style personal statement:

Here’s what I usually suggest applicants include: 

Title page: An APA style title page should include the title of your personal statement, your name, the date, and the school you are applying to. The title page should be centered and double spaced. 

Subheadings: There will often be several prompts for answering your MSW personal statement. If there are, they should always be separated with subheadings. This makes is easier for the person reading your statement to read your statement as well, and we always want to make it as easy for the reader as possible. Subheadings should be bolded and oriented to the left side of your paper. 

Word formatting and spacing: In APA formatting you should always use 12 pt. Times New Roman font, as well as double spacing. 

Page numbers and running head: Add page numbers and a running head to the margins of your paper. If you aren’t sure what a running head I recommend checking out Google for some examples. 

References: When writing a MSW personal statement, you should include research to back up the points you are making (check out other posts about this for more information about why this is important). If you can include a reference page, that’s great. If you can’t (due to page limitations) you can include a modified citation (Name, Year, Source). Most applicants don’t include research in their personal statements, so even if your citations aren’t perfect you’ll still stand out! Tip: Use Bibme to help you create APA style references

Use the APA Style template below that is ready made for your personal statement.

APA Style personal Statement Template

Simply pop in your email to get your ready made APA style word doc!

The APA style template is a Word Doc that has already been formatted in APA style, and includes tips and resources for adhering to APA format. Simply plug your personal statement into the template to start your APA style personal statement!

Adhere to instructions from the school you are applying to:

Be sure to follow any specific instructions from the school you are applying to, and if any of these contradict those instructions you should always default to what the school wants! 

Ready for the next step?

The MSW personal statement template was designed to help you write the rough draft of your social work personal statement. It’s a great starting point for those of you who are starting the process of applying to social work graduate programs.

You can also work me and my team of social work grads who specialize in social work personal statement editing services. We’re here to help you craft a top personal statement for your MSW, and we can help you make sure that your personal statement adheres to APA formatting. Click here to learn more about MSW Helper.

Happy writing! 

-Michelle from MSW Helper

Michelle Bruxer is the Founder & CEO of MSW Helper, and a Registered Social Worker in Ontario.

MSW Helper is a resource hub designed to help future social workers get accepted to their dream MSW programs. Through our personal statement editing services and free resources, we’re here to help you write your MSW personal statement with confidence.

MSW Helper is the ONLY grad school application service designed specifically for students who are applying to social work programs. Learn more about MSW Helper here.

How to write a Master of Social Work (MSW) Personal Statement: with Examples

How to answer the question “why do you want to be a social worker” when you already have a bsw.

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• 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.

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A Social Work personal statement is an essential part to your UCAS application. Every single student has to complete a personal statement. This gives universities the chance to see what kind of person you are and to gauge just how interested and passionate you are about the subject you're applying for. In terms of what your Social Work personal statement should be about, you should treat this as a chance to convey just how passionate you are about the subject and why you would be an asset to the university. Before writing a Social Work personal statement, you should take a look at some Social Work personal statement examples beforehand to gauge an idea of what you should include and what the structure and tone of the statement should be. Your personal statement is only 4,000 characters long, so make sure that you are using that character count to the best of your ability. With regards to what to include in a Social Work personal statement, you should make sure you talk about the things that make you tick. You should talk about your passions, your interests and what your career goals are. These things are essential for a Social Work personal statement and universities will be looking out for them, so make sure you mention them!

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Social work personal statement example 21.

Throughout my childhood and into college I have encountered many personal experiences that were very troubling for me. For example, some members of my family are/ have struggled with drug and alcohol use. I lost my uncle to drug use when I was a freshman in college. This was very challenging for me I felt that I could have helped them or done something differently that would have resulted in them to still being here today. Furthermore, I was a caregiver for my grandfather when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the fall of 2018. I cared for him day and night for many months until he passed in January of 2019. These two experiences allowed me to gain personal experiences with interacting with people in vulnerable populations and allowed me to learn that I have a passion for helping others and making a difference in their lives.

I believe that entering the social work field would be the perfect way to turn my passion into a career. Being a social worker is a unique and rewarding career choice that will give me the perfect opportunity to make a difference in my community. I believe one of the most rewarding parts of this career is making an impact in someone’s life. Even though, being a social worker can be rewarding, it can also be challenging at times. These challenges will allow me to expand my problem-solving skills and to continually grow professionally and personally.

I was raised in a working-class family, resulting in me having to work part-time while going through high school and college in order to be able to afford my education. Which allowed me to have great time-management and organizational skills. For much of my undergraduate education, I waitressed part-time, which granted me to gain a skill of social perceptiveness. I needed to be able to understand costumers from non-verbal communication. Furthermore, I demonstrated earlier a skill of being compassionate by providing the examples of my grandfather and uncle. Being a mature and responsible student allowed to learn how to communicate effectively, work in a team setting, and ask for help when needed. My toolbox of strengths and skills is constantly expanding, and I believe that these strengths will aid me in becoming a successful social worker.

Along with strengths, I believe I have some limitations. Self-confidence has always been a continuous battle for me because I am always second guessing myself. This needs to be improved because when working in this field, I need to be confident that I am making the right decision and I cannot keep second guessing myself. Moreover, I find myself making decisions with my heart rather than my head. I have always been known for caring too much for others and placing others before myself. I always want to heal everyone. This can be a good thing at times but within this field of work it can be a limitation because this could lead to taking on more than I can handle leading to me becoming overworked and burnt out. I have discovered these personal strengths and limitations about myself through experiences with interactions with a variety of different populations.

Other than personal experiences that were discussed earlier, I also have professional experiences with interacting and aiding individuals in vulnerable populations. My first internship experience was at ARISE at the Farm, where I worked with individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities using horseback riding as a form of therapy. Furthermore, I am currently employed through an agency called Elara Caring, where I provide in home assistance by assisting individuals in cleaning, shopping and laundry. I also have specific clients who do not have many friends or family, so I come to their home and aid them with social support. Lastly, I will be doing an internship through The Department of Children and Families in Pittsfield, Ma during my last semester as an undergraduate student. I am excited for this opportunity to be able to expand on my experiences with different populations of people.

When working with individuals, I will always be dedicated to complying to the NASW Code of Ethics. In congruence to the social workers profession’s value system I personally believe it is crucial to aid individuals in need and seek social change. I also believe that it is crucial to respect each client and treat every client in a caring way. It is also essential to acknowledge the importance of human relationships. Whether it is between client and professional or concerning friends, family, or social groups. Lastly, I promise that when working in the social work field I will act honestly to promote an ethical practice and I promise to be constantly expanding my knowledge for constant growth. I will take great pride in furthering myself professionally and would be grateful to continue my professional career through your Master of Social Work program.

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