Writing Personal Statements: Crafting Your Professional Identity

The personal statement is written for admission to graduate and professional programs at academic institutions like UBC. But what does personal mean in an academic context? How do writers construct an appropriate professional identity? Research shows that personal statements must reflect the values of the profession, and that the personal self you construct in the statement must be a relevant self. That is, relevant to the chosen profession or discipline.

This workshop draws on research to introduce participants to some of the typical stylistic features of the personal statement, such as personal narrative, identity construction, and self-promotion, and includes dedicated time for participants to draft or revise a statement.

Facilitator: Dr. Patty Kelly, Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication

Location: IKBLC, Level 3, Dodson Room and on Zoom. Registrants receive the Zoom link 1 day prior to the workshop.