chatgpt prompt for personal statement

How to Use ChatGPT for Writing a Personal Statement

For the past two years since AI tools like ChatGPT became available, concerns have arisen about their potential to be unethical, make students less capable, and facilitate cheating.

However, universities are now recognizing that AI tools can be beneficial when used properly. It’s important to use AI ethically to enhance efficiency and overcome barriers to reaching your full potential.

According to Elliot Newstead , Head of UK Student Recruitment and Outreach at the University of Leicester, AI tools like ChatGPT can be beneficial for students applying to university if used correctly.

In the following section, we’ll explore how to use ChatGPT ethically to assist with writing your personal statement.

Using ChatGPT for Brainstorming

The first way to use ChatGPT is for brainstorming ideas.

When writing a personal statement, you need to create a document that showcases why you are a good fit for a particular degree. It’s essentially a CV for university admissions, highlighting your interests, passion, credentials, and future goals related to the degree.

Start by brainstorming career ideas.

For example, if you’re applying for a psychology degree but are unsure about future career paths, ask ChatGPT:

“ What are some career paths that I can pursue with a degree in Psychology?”

ChatGPT can provide various options such as clinical psychologist, counseling psychologist, health psychologist, school psychologist, social worker and researcher. You can then choose a couple of these paths to focus on in your personal statement.

Another useful feature is to generate a list of key achievements or skills needed for your chosen degree.

For example, if you’re applying for a business management program, ask ChatGPT:

“ List my key achievements and experiences relevant to a business administration program. “

It might suggest skills like leadership, project management, and strategic planning. You could then consider gaining relevant experience, like starting a podcast, to strengthen your application.

Gather Information

An essential part of your personal statement is discussing the subject in depth. Include information that interests you and is relevant, showing your passion and willingness to learn.

For example, if you’re applying for a degree in neuroscience or psychology and have a strong interest in dementia research, you might want to mention a new method, finding, or drug that has caught your attention.

You can use a platform called R Discovery, which has a tool called Ask R Discovery . It searches through the literature and provides you with relevant research findings.

You can ask a question like:

“ What is a recent research finding in dementia research?”

The AI tool will generate a summary and provide literature for further exploration. This can be a great topic to include in your personal statement to demonstrate your genuine interest in the subject to the admissions tutor.

Structuring Your Statement

The next way to use ChatGPT is to structure and generate an outline for your personal statement.

For instance, ask it:

“Create an outline for a personal statement for a computer science degree.”

Include details about your background and experience for a more tailored outline.

Typically, a personal statement should start with a compelling hook, followed by your academic background, achievements, relevant coursework, practical experience, skills, career goals, and a strong conclusion.

You can copy this outline into your document and start writing. This method saves time while ensuring your statement remains original and ethically written.

Writing the Content

ChatGPT can also assist with writing the content of your personal statement.

For example, you might ask it:

“Explain in the first person how my internship at a tech company prepared me for a computer science degree.”

It can help draft strong paragraphs by relating your experience to the course you’re applying for, discussing practical applications, teamwork, and professional development.

Refining and Editing

Once you have a draft, use ChatGPT for refining and editing. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to paraphrase a sentence or simplify a paragraph. It can also help with critical discussion points, such as presenting challenges or opposing arguments related to your experiences.

ChatGPT can also assist with adding recent research references or discovering relevant literature to include in your statement. This can be particularly useful if you want to demonstrate a deeper understanding of your field.

I hope you find this information useful. If so, feel free to share it on your social media and let me know in the comments.

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How Can I Use ChatGPT for My Personal Statement?

Learn how you can use ChatGPT to enhance your personal statement whilst retaining your original voice and without risking plagiarism.

• Introduction
• How Not To Use ChatGPT
• How To Use ChatGPT

With AI - powered tools such as ChatGPT becoming increasingly popular, we are seeing more and more applicants wondering about how to use these tools to help their university application.  

Whilst harnessing AI can be very beneficial, danger this way lies: over-reliance on AI can result in your work being flagged for plagiarism and risks your applications being rejected.  

In this blog, we will show you the dangers of using ChatGPT too directly (for drafting your final statement, for example), before walking you through a number of other ways to use AI technology in fruitful ways that are allowed by universities.   

WRITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR YOUR UCAS APPLICATION? 

Our Personal Statement packages pair you with an Oxbridge-graduate subject-specialist who talks you through the subject, helps you find topics that interest you, and helps improve your personal statement drafts.

The golden rule of ChatGPT is to never ever use it to actually write your work for you. Regardless of whether you are feeding it with resources, giving it suggestions, or going in with a blank page, you absolutely should not be using anything or anyone other than yourself to actually write your personal statement. This is for a number of key reasons.   

Firstly, whilst AI is improving, the writing style of programmes like ChatGPT is still pretty clunky and generic. This means that not only is it relatively easy to recognise when a text has been written by ChatGPT, but even if admissions tutors do not pick it up as being AI-written, it results in a relatively uninspiring final text. The AI-style of writing is unlikely to pique the interests of Oxbridge admissions tutors.   

Secondly, the statement should be as it says in the name: personal . Your aim here is to give tutors a good idea of who you are as a student, what you are passionate about, and what motivates you. Using AI, or anyone else for that matter, to write the statement risks giving tutors the wrong impression of you as a person (which, if you make it to interviews, they will realise was misleading).   

Lastly, ChatGPT simply doesn’t know the details of your subject. Statements written by ChatGPT may list various books and look impressive from the outside, but this can often be incorrect.  

AI software has been known to skip over the details and just name-drop instead, mistakenly attribute works to the wrong topic, and (worst of all) completely make up sources to reference! You can be sure that admissions tutors are looking for a depth of research and accuracy that you simply cannot rely on ChatGPT to produce.   

ChatGPT prompt: Draft a UCAS personal statement for English Literature

From my earliest memories, stories have been my most constant companions, a source of both solace and discovery. My love for English literature is not just an academic interest but a lifelong passion rooted in a deep appreciation for the power of language to evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and reveal truths about the human condition. It is this passion that drives my desire to study English Literature at university, where I can delve deeper into the worlds created by authors and explore the intricacies of their craft.  

Throughout my academic journey, I have been captivated by the diversity of voices and styles within English literature. My A-level studies have allowed me to engage critically with a broad spectrum of texts, from the hauntingly beautiful poetry of Sylvia Plath to the social commentary of Charles Dickens. A particular highlight has been my exploration of postcolonial literature, where works like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea have challenged my understanding of identity, culture, and power. These texts have inspired me to question the narratives we take for granted and to consider the perspectives of those whose voices have historically been marginalized.  

One of the most rewarding aspects of studying English literature has been the opportunity to engage in literary analysis. Writing an extended essay on the theme of madness in Victorian literature allowed me to hone my skills in close reading and critical thinking. I was particularly fascinated by the ways in which authors like Charlotte Brontë and Wilkie Collins used narrative structure and language to reflect the psychological states of their characters. This project deepened my understanding of how literature can both shape and reflect societal attitudes, and it solidified my desire to pursue English literature at a higher level.  

Outside the classroom, I have sought to immerse myself in literature in various forms. As a member of my school’s book club, I have enjoyed lively discussions on contemporary and classic works, ranging from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale to Homer’s The Odyssey . These discussions have not only broadened my literary horizons but also enhanced my ability to articulate my thoughts and engage with differing viewpoints. Additionally, my experience as a volunteer at a local library has given me the opportunity to share my love of literature with others, particularly by leading reading sessions for younger children. This experience has deepened my appreciation for the accessibility of literature and its ability to inspire readers of all ages.  

I am also deeply interested in the intersection of literature and other art forms. My participation in theatre productions, both as a performer and as a script editor, has given me a unique perspective on the performative aspects of literary texts. Bringing a character to life on stage has allowed me to explore the subtleties of dialogue, tone, and emotion in ways that have enriched my understanding of the written word. Moreover, my involvement in creative writing has furthered my appreciation for the craft of storytelling. Writing my own short stories and poetry has taught me the importance of word choice, rhythm, and narrative structure, and has given me a greater respect for the skill and creativity of the authors I study.  

I am particularly drawn to the study of English Literature at university because of the opportunity it offers to explore the vast and varied landscape of literary history, theory, and criticism. I am excited by the prospect of engaging with texts from different periods and genres, and of exploring the connections between literature and broader cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts. The chance to study with passionate scholars and to participate in rigorous academic discussions is one that I eagerly anticipate.  

In conclusion, I believe that my academic achievements, combined with my deep passion for literature and my commitment to understanding the myriad ways in which it shapes and reflects human experience, make me a strong candidate for the study of English Literature. I look forward to contributing to and growing within a vibrant literary community at university, where I can continue to explore the power of the written word.  

Oxbridge Applications Review:

On the surface, this is a seemingly well-written personal statement which mentions lots of activities and resources. However, on closer inspection, a lot of the resources and analysis thereof is very surface level.  

Additionally, the books/authors mentioned are relatively generic and we see them mentioned all the time (e.g. Sylvia Plath and Charles Dickens), making the statement and the applicant less intriguing (see our blog on overused personal statement topics for more advice on avoiding the generic choices).  

For example, when the applicant says ‘My A-level studies have allowed me to engage critically with a broad spectrum of texts, from the hauntingly beautiful poetry of Sylvia Plath to the social commentary of Charles Dickens’, they really should be more specific about what aspects of these authors’ work they enjoyed, or how they engaged with it more academically than simply reading and enjoying them.  

Where they state that ‘works like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea have challenged my understanding of identity, culture, and power’, they need to give more details from within the works to really convince the admissions tutor that they are thinking at a sufficiently academic level. This lack of depth is evident in every one of the books mentioned in the statement.   

The opening of the statement is full of cliches which are really best avoided. Phrases like ‘From my earliest memories, stories have been my most constant companions…’ and ‘My love for English literature is not just an academic interest but a lifelong passion…’ are hackneyed, and will do little more than convince admissions tutors you’ve got little real personal connection to the subject.   

The personal statement mentions some super-curricular activities such as a book club, theatre, and an extended essay. These are good ideas for activities to discuss, but if the applicant has not actually done them themselves, then they risk coming undone at the interviews.  

This also goes for the various books mentioned in the statement; tutors are very likely to ask you about what your wrote in the personal statement when you are shortlisted for interview, so you simply cannot allow topics that you are unfamiliar with, or lies about super-curricular activities, to remain in your final statement.   

Lastly, on a practical note, this personal statement is simply too long. It is 4,305 characters, where UCAS specify the statement cannot be any longer than 4,000.   

There are a few ways to use AI in a safe and fruitful way when it comes to personal statement writing.   

1. Brainstorming Activities and Resources

If you are right at the start of your personal statement journey, you could ask AI to suggest you some interesting topics, subject areas, or authors to investigate yourself. This can help save some time as well as widening your view to finding topics you might not otherwise have thought of.   

You could also ask ChatGPT to suggest key skills relevant to the course to which you are applying. You can then take these skills and think of examples from your own life and studies to relate to them in the statement itself.   

Lastly, if you are trying to think of super-curriculars to enhance your statement, ChatGPT could also help you come up with some ideas.   

If you are looking for additional resources for your reading list, there are several AI-powered tools available with this specific purpose. Programmes such as Scholar GPT and SciSpace could be helpful in tracking down resources and recommending new ones. These resources, however, should be used both sparingly and critically; trusting AI alone to build your reading list risks literature bias, s ome may not be up to date with errors and retractions published after the article or book, and, ultimately, it’s always risky to trust something that you do not fully understand the inner workings of .  

2. Structuring the Statement

Once you have got a list of resources, experiences, or topics you want to discuss in the statement, it could be a good idea to ask ChatGPT for a little help structuring them. AI could be beneficial in suggesting topics you can link together, or a logical order in which to place the disparate ideas you’ve collected so far. 

3. Rereading your First Draft

After producing your own, self-written personal statement draft, you could paste it into ChatGPT and ask it to check for readability. This is much like getting a friend or family-member to read over the statement (which we also highly recommend you do as well); it may suggest places where your wording is not so clear and that you could benefit from rewriting.  

Always remember, though, to rewrite sections yourself rather than blindly accepting any edits from ChatGPT itself.   

Get Personalised Advice

If your subject isn't mentioned here, or you want to get bespoke advice on your personal statement draft, get in touch with our expert consultants on + 44 (0) 20 7499 2394 or send us your query at [email protected] .

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ChatGPT Prompts For Personal Statement

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Doc
• Get started in seconds

Are you looking for help crafting your personal statement? ClickUp's ChatGPT Prompts for Personal Statement can help you create a unique and compelling statement, whether you're applying for college, for your first job, or something else.

With our template, you'll be able to:

• Generate ideas for your personal statement using natural language processing (NLP)
• Create an engaging and memorable piece with AI-driven prompts
• Share your personal statement with universities, employers, and more

Make sure your personal statement stands out with ClickUp's Personal Statement Prompts!

To give you an idea, here are 5 examples of ChatGPT prompts for personal statement and how to use them.

This prompt is an effective way to craft a personal statement that will make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

To use this prompt, fill in the variables with the relevant information:

• [type of job]: Specify the type of job for which you are applying.

For example, a completed prompt could look like: 'I need help writing a personal statement that will make me stand out from the rest of the software developer applicants.'

Using this prompt will help you create a personal statement that highlights your unique skills and experiences and sets you apart from other applicants. Focus on how you can provide value to the company and how your skills and experiences can help them reach their goals. Make sure to include any relevant achievements or awards that demonstrate your qualifications. Finally, be sure to proofread your statement for any grammar or spelling errors before submitting it.

This prompt is an effective way to craft a compelling and persuasive personal statement that helps you stand out as the ideal candidate for the job.

• [type of job]: Specify the type of job you are applying for.

For example, a completed prompt could look like: 'I'm looking to craft a personal statement that captures my unique qualifications and makes me the ideal candidate for a software engineering position.'

Using this prompt ensures that your personal statement highlights your most relevant qualifications and experiences and is tailored specifically to the job you are applying for. This will help make your statement stand out and demonstrate why you are the best fit for the role.

This prompt helps job applicants create an effective personal statement that highlights their strengths and appeals to the desired employer.

To use this prompt, fill in the variable with the relevant information:

[type of employer]: Specify the type of employer you would like to impress, such as a university, tech company, or non-profit organization.

For example, a completed prompt could look like: 'I need to write a personal statement that will highlight my strengths and make an impression on a tech company.'

Using this prompt ensures that you are crafting a personal statement that is tailored to the desired employer and focused on your unique strengths and qualifications. This will help you stand out from other applicants and make your application more competitive.

This prompt is an effective way to craft a personal statement for job applications that stands out from the crowd and demonstrates your commitment and enthusiasm for the role.

• [type of job]: Specify the type of job you are applying for, such as a teaching position, customer service role, or engineering job.

For example, a completed prompt could look like: 'I'm looking for advice on how to write a personal statement that will demonstrate my commitment to teaching and why I am the perfect fit for the role.'

Using this prompt ensures that your personal statement is tailored to the specific role you are applying for and highlights your skills, experience, and qualifications that make you the ideal candidate. This will help you stand out from other applicants and make it easier for employers to see why you are the perfect fit for the job.

This prompt helps job applicants craft compelling personal statements that demonstrate why they are the best fit for the job.

Next, identify your transferable skills and experiences that demonstrate why you are the best candidate for that particular position. Think about your achievements, successes, and unique qualities that will make you stand out from other applicants. Make sure to include concrete examples and evidence to back up your claims.

Finally, use this information to write a personal statement that showcases why you are the best candidate for the job. Focus on how your skills and experiences will be beneficial to the employer and how you can contribute to their organization.

For example, a completed prompt could look like: 'I need guidance on how to write a personal statement that will showcase my transferable skills and show why I am the best candidate for a software engineering position.'

Using this prompt allows you to craft an effective personal statement that highlights your skills and experiences and demonstrates why you are the ideal candidate for the job.

Download Additional ChatGPT Prompts For Personal Statement Today

ClickUp is a productivity platform where teams come together to plan, organize, and collaborate on work in one place. With the addition of ClickUp AI , teams can complete Writing tasks with lightning speed.

ClickUp AI will assist you in brainstorming ideas, writing blog posts, or overcoming writer's block. What once took hours can now be accomplished in mere seconds, thanks to the platform's advanced technology.

Here’s how to get started. 

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite your team to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Navigate to the Doc template where you will find all the template name.

You can either copy and paste these finalized templates into ChatGPT, or utilize ClickUp AI within the same document.

To use ClickUp AI:

• Type / to open the /Slash Commands AI modal, then select an option.
• Or write some text, highlight it, and select AI from the Docs toolbar.
• Then from the AI modal, select an option.
• After the content is generated, you can insert it into your Doc or copy it.
• You can also ask the assistant to try again or discard the content.

You can now take advantage of content creation and task management, all within one place.

ClickUp’s ChatGPT Prompts for Personal Statement template is designed to help you create content for your written works. Here are the main elements of this template:

• Prompts: Access 10 prompts for personal statement and 200 prompts for writing in general in a nested ClickUp Doc
• Custom Views: After creating your statements, access different project views in ClickUp configurations, such as Table or List view to organize and easily access your works
• Project Management: Improve your writing projects with time tracking capabilities, tags, relationships and time estimates

To use ChatGPT effectively, provide as much information as possible about yourself and the purpose of your statement. Include details such as educational background, career goals, and personal values in our prompt templates. Be sure to be clear in your purpose and objectives for the personal statement, so that you can get the most tailored and effective advice to help you make your statement stand out.

To enhance the quality of AI-generated content for personal statement, it's important to provide detailed and specific prompts that outline the topic, objectives, and desired tone. Experiment with different prompt structures and phrasing to achieve more accurate results. Additionally, providing examples of personal statements or desired outcomes can help guide the model towards generating more relevant and meaningful content.

ClickUp AI can assist in creating personalized statements by providing intelligent outputs to your prompt. It can generate ideas based on your preferred topics and goals, ensuring that the content is tailored to you. Additionally, ClickUp's project management tool can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that all the required information is included in your statement.

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How to Write a Personal Statement Using AI and ChatGPT

What is a personal statement.

A personal statement or personal essay is a written document that often accompanies college/university, job, scholarship, or grant applications. It is an application essay in which an individual shares information about themselves, their background, experiences, goals, and aspirations. It can be submitted to provide admissions committees with insights into a student's or academic interests, achievements, and reasons for wanting to pursue a particular course of study.

Alternatively, the purpose of a personal statement can be to highlight a job seeker's relevant skills and work experience, to describe a student's financial needs and how receiving a scholarship would help them achieve their educational goals, or to explain a researcher's interests and the potential impact of their proposed work. A personal statement should be well-written, concise, and tailored to the specific purpose and audience. It offers applicants the opportunity to stand out and provide a more personal and comprehensive view of themselves beyond what can be conveyed through grades or one’s resume.

Should I use AI tools like ChatGPT to write a personal statement?

The short answer is no, you should not use an AI personal statement generator to write your application essay for you. Why not? The most important reason is that overreliance on AI tools to generate text that you then simply copy-paste into your application can be considered plagiarism or cheating by admissions committees and scholarship reviewers—this could negatively affect your chances of being considered.

Another important reason not to include an AI-generated personal statement in your application is that it won’t be personal . AI-generated content is based on patterns and data from various existing sources, and those cannot reflect your unique experiences, motivations, and personality. For example, if you let ChatGPT write a personal statement for an application to law school, it might output something like this:

As you can see, this statement is well written but lacks content—it is made up of common key words and platitudes that could describe anyone eager to become a lawyer. What the admission committee wants to know, however, is where your “passion for justice” came from. Is a relative of yours a jurist and has inspired you? Or has your family suffered some kind of injustice and you are now determined to become a professional and put things right? ChatGPT does not know such details and cannot add examples or personal flavor to your text.

AI tools may also not understand the specific context or requirements of an application, and may generate content that is irrelevant or inappropriate for your purpose. This can lead to your application being sorted out early on in the selection process.

What AI tools can help you with, however, is the generation of ideas to draft your statement or the correction of the grammar, flow, and style of your text.

How to Use ChatGPT and AI Tools to Write a Personal Statement

ChatGPT and other AI tools can help you generate ideas , draft your statement , and revise it. Just make sure the rules and regulations of the school or funding organization you apply to allow AI assistance and declare it honestly if necessary. It is also always advised to ask human teachers or mentors for feedback before you submit your application.

1. Use ChatGPT to make your personal statement draft unique

Instead of using AI personal statement writers to produce very generic statements that don’t describe who you are, you can let ChatGPT figure out what might be unique about your life story if you are unsure where to start: Feed your CV into the bot and ask it to extract interesting and notable details. Since ChatGPT is trained on a large set of existing texts that includes such essays, it can come up with useful ideas that might really help you stand out from the crowd.

2. Write a personal statement outline and let AI tools like ChatGPT fill in the details

If you need more hands-on assistance with developing your writing, feed an outline (maybe bullet points) of the aspects you want to include in your statement into ChatGPT or a similar bot, and then ask the tool to connect the points with well-written sentences. Make sure you check for accuracy, because ChatGPT is prone to making things up if there are gaps, and revise the text as often as possible so that it reads like your own voice.

3. Edit and paraphrase your personal statement with AI tools as you draft

If you are looking for help with correcting and improving your writing, there are more specialized tools than ChatGPT (which is more of an all-rounder). As these specific tools, such as the Wordvice free AI Writing Assistant , rely on more human input, they do not pose any ethical dilemma. For example, you can simply draft your own statement and then use the Wordvice free AI Proofreading Tool , AI Paraphrasing Tool , and AI Summarizer to help you correct your grammar and improve the clarity and flow of your text.

AI Personal Statement Examples

Look at the below personal statement examples created for different types of applications/purposes and see how ChatGPT and other AI tools can help you improve them.

AI Common App personal statement example

Let’s say you chose the following prompt for writing a college personal statement that is part of most college applications:

What challenges/obstacles have you faced? How have they influenced your personal growth?

An AI bot can only write a generic reply to such questions, but you need to generate a statement that reflects your unique story. You therefore need to list all the important details that you want to feed into your essay, and let it connect the dots. For example, if you tell ChatGPT to explain how moving to the US from South Korea at age 6 and having to learn English while also starting school has taught you grit and self-reliance , it might come up with something like this:

You can now play with this draft, add more details to your story, and revise and rephrase until it sounds like you .

AI medical school personal statement example

Medical school admissions committees want to understand an applicant's motivation and potential contributions to the field of medicine. A common motivation to become a doctor is a sick family member who has left one with a passion to help others, as reflected in the following example statement:

Title: A Journey of Compassion and Determination

Growing up, I witnessed the profound impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) firsthand as my grandmother battled this poorly understood disease. Her struggle to find effective treatment and support left an indelible mark on my heart and ignited my passion for medicine.

In those challenging times, I became her advocate, accompanying her to countless doctor's appointments and researching treatments. My role as a source of comfort and information revealed to me the power of empathy and the need for more compassionate, patient-centered care.

This experience drives my unwavering desire to become a doctor. I aspire to bridge the gap between science and humanity, to provide answers and solace to families facing medical uncertainties, just as I did for my grandmother.

I am committed to advancing our understanding of complex diseases like MS and ensuring equitable access to healthcare. My journey alongside my grandmother has shown me that medicine is not just a profession; it is a calling to alleviate suffering and bring hope.

As I embark on this journey to medical school, I carry with me the lessons of empathy, determination, and the profound impact of compassionate care. My goal is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients, just as medicine has done for my family.

However, what sometimes happens when we are reflecting on our past and reframing parts of it for a specific purpose is that we get lost in our memories and can’t really judge anymore whether our text has a logical structure that a reader can follow.

The Wordvice free AI Text Summarizer can help you in such a situation, as it can check the logical connections between paragraphs and the overall logical flow of your medical personal statement: Copy-and-paste your statement into the left-hand box and click “Summarize,” and the AI will give you a list of the main points:

The author witnessed the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on their grandmother.

They accompanied her to appointments and researched treatments.

This taught them the power of empathy and need for compassionate, patient-centered care.

The author's goal is to become a doctor and bridge the gap between science and humanity.

They want to provide answers and solace to families facing medical uncertainties.

They believe medicine is a calling to alleviate suffering and bring hope.

Their goal is to make a difference in the lives of patients, as medicine has done for their family.

Now you can easily check the overall flow of your text and the connections between points and paragraphs, and can add or remove details as necessary.

AI resume personal statement example

A resume personal statement, or a career summary, is a brief section at the beginning of a resume that provides an overview of your qualifications, skills, and career goals. Its primary purpose is to grab the attention of potential employers, and it is therefore essential that it is intriguing, concise, and absolutely flawless. The free AI Proofreader can help you with the fine-tuning of this statement: paste it into the left-hand box, choose your correction level (light - standard - intensive - concise) and click on the flagged errors to receive feedback and make corrections:

Using AI Tools and Human Editing for Your Personal Statement

Even if you follow all these tips and make use of all that AI tools have to offer, it is a good idea to let a professional human editor proofread your personal statement AI-assisted version before submitting your application. Wordvice’s Editing and Proofreading Services , especially our Personal Statement Editing Services , are all you need to perfect your writing.

Using ChatGPT to Write a Statement of Purpose (Personal Statement)

Writing a compelling Statement of Purpose (SOP) or Personal Statement is a crucial part of the graduate school application process. It requires careful thought, self-reflection, and effective storytelling. With ChatGPT and several AI writing tools out there, you can create a standout SOP, here’s how:

1. Generating Ideas and Inspiration:

One of the initial challenges when writing an SOP is brainstorming ideas and finding inspiration. ChatGPT can serve as a creative partner by generating prompts and asking thought-provoking questions. Try asking questions like:

“What are some topics for a personal statement of a student applying to Masters in Biotechnology?” “Suggest themes for an SOP for MS in Data Science”

2. Structuring and Organizing your SOP:

ChatGPT can save you tons of time by making a base draft of the essay. To get started, ask something like:

“Write an SOP for a student applying to MS in Chemical engineering who is passionate about developing eco-friendly alternative fuels.”

3. Refining Language and Style:

A well written story makes all the difference. ChatGPT can help refine your writing style by offering suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and phrasing. Prompts like are useful here:

“Improve the style of writing of the following paragraph: …”

4. Maintaining Authenticity:

Do NOT, and we can’t emphasize this enough: Do not copy paste direct essays from ChatGPT. Remember that the final piece should reflect your personal experiences, goals, and aspirations. Use ChatGPT as the first draft, but always modify it with your unique story. Copy-paste essays are easy to detect and will cost you an admission.

5. Final review:

Fix the grammar and get feedback from some friends / professors on your essay. Another cool way to use ChatGPT is to ask for improvements on your essay, but use your human judgment while receiving feedback.

Conclusion:

The use of AI can greatly enhance the process of writing a standout Statement of Purpose. It offers assistance in generating ideas, organizing your thoughts, refining language, and identifying errors. However, it's crucial to remember that ChatGPT is a tool, and the final product should reflect your own voice and experiences. Alternatively, with a thoughtful approach and the support of GradGPT, you can craft an impactful SOP that effectively communicates your passion, qualifications, and aspirations to the admissions committee.

Using ChatGPT to help write your personal statement

With the meteoric rise of Chat GPT and other AI tools, it makes sense that you might want to use them as a power-up to write a great university application. While we absolutely recommend against copying and pasting a personal statement directly from an AI tool straight into your application, there are ways you can use it ethically and to give you a boost. Here’s our advice for using Chat GPT and other AI tools to write a great personal statement that enhances your uni application.

Posted 21 December 2023

How can AI help with writing my personal statement?

AI, or artificial intelligence, is massively changing the world of work, research and content creation. As these tools develop, they’re helping students in many different ways, including writing personal statements for university applications. 

There are many AI tools out there, but  Chat GPT is making the most noise. This tool, when asked the right questions, can generate human-quality text across a wide range of topics. 

When writing your personal statement, Chat GPT and other AI tools can: 

• Brainstorm ideas – come up with ideas that are related to the subject you want to study, your interests or your experiences. 
• Help with structure – AI tools are brilliant for suggesting a strong structure and can help organise your thoughts and ideas into a tight and persuasive narrative.
• Proofread – they can check through your statement for spelling and grammar errors, plus suggest some ways you could improve your writing and style. 
• Detect plagiarism – use the tools to ensure you haven’t copied anyone else’s words or taken anyone’s intellectual property.

Other AI tools

There are lots of other AI tools you could use to help write your personal statement, here are just a couple of alternatives: Google Bard , Grammarly (great for proofing), Bing AI ,  Open AI Playground

How to use Chat GPT and other tools effectively (and ethically)

Use them as a starting point.

AI tools can help you get started. No one likes staring at a blank page and they’re a great way of getting your creative juices flowing. While they may be able to write “human-quality text” an AI’s writing is no substitute for human creativity and originality. You’ll have your unique way of writing, and the personal statement is your first chance to show a university your personality, who you are and why you care. 

Check your work

If you are using tools to suggest ideas and you’ve worked with AI to generate your personal statement, be sure to check through your work carefully and ask “Does this sound like me?”. Often, text generated by AI can read a little oddly and won't convey your tone of voice or writing style.

Get feedback 

Once you’ve finished writing your personal statement ask for a teacher, mentor or someone who knows you well to read it for you and give suggestions. Getting feedback from other people is a great way to improve your personal statement and could help make it more emotive or relevant. 

How to avoid plagiarism 

While it’s pretty tempting to have ChatGPT or another AI tool write your whole personal statement, the ethics of that aren’t great and universities really don't like plagiarism. In a world where the use of AI is on the rise, admissions departments and UCAS are hot on spotting if it’s not your own work (UCAS have a tool to check for AI plagiarism). Also, you don’t want to get into bad habits before starting at university, when you’ll probably be writing a whole lot more. 

Your personal statement is a chance to show a university who you are. While an AI tool can write a generic personal statement, it can’t take on your personality and it definitely can’t go out and get work experience for you. Universities want to hear your authentic voice and find out what interests, hobbies and skills you have.

Here are some tips for avoiding plagiarism when using AI:

• Don’t copy and paste directly from the platform  – if the tool has suggested some text, use that as a jumping-off point, or ask it for short bullet points or ideas rather than writing the full text for you (like we have with this article).
• Check for plagiarism  – once you’ve written your personal statement, run it through a plagiarism checker to ensure you haven’t used someone else’s words.

More help with your application

We recommend checking the  UCAS website  for the latest advice and guidelines about using AI for your personal statement . But, if you’re worried about applying for university, have a look at our advice for your application. You can find loads of advice on how to get started and what to include.

Google Bard was used to generate ideas for the structure and content of this article, and Grammarly was used to check the spelling and grammar.

What should you do next?

Download your free personal statement guide.

Get even more advice on starting, writing and checking your personal statement. Plus, be inspired by real personal statement examples from our students!

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