Goal Statement Essay

Of all the tasks you must complete when applying to graduate or professional school, writing the personal statement (sometimes called an application essay) is often the most difficult. Nevertheless, this is an important opportunity to express yourself beyond your GPA and GRE scores. The personal statement usually addresses your motivation and interests for following your particular career path and why you are interested in a particular program/institution. Each graduate program will likely ask different questions and may require a different format. Questions may be very specific and give little latitude for content or they may be quite general giving you greater freedom in your writing. Whatever type of application you are writing a personal statement for, make sure you carefully read the questions and instructions.

Be prepared to spend time on each personal statement. If you are feeling frustrated and stuck, RELAX. This is normal. The first draft won't be perfect. Remember the word "personal" when you begin writing. Your personal statement should portray you as unique and show that you have gone through a thorough self-examination. Try not to sound canned or generic and don't just write what you think the graduate program wants to hear. These are common mistakes by writers. Overall, your personal statement should help persuade the admission committee that you are a good match for their program. You must provide the most compelling reasons, in the format they request, for acceptance into their program.

I found a very good book on this subject.  I must say, it is very informative.  "How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School" by Richard J. Stelzer.  This book gives tips from Admissions Officers at the Nation's Top Law, Business, Medical, and Graduate Schools.  It is also filled with actual essays from students.