If you’re applying for your Master of Social Work, you probably know that the personal statement is one of the most important documents in your application. It’s also usually the most daunting.
Most people don’t know how to write a personal statement that stands out. As a result, applicants struggle to show admissions committees their unique skills, strengths, and experience.
In this article we will be reviewing best practices and a social work personal statement example. You can also get a copy of the MSW Personal Statement Template to help you brainstorm for your personal statement.
The vast majority of schools of social work are looking for you to talk about the following in your personal statement:
Schools may also often ask about things like ethics, alignment with the school, values, conflict, and how you intend to manage the demands of the program, but almost every school asks the above two questions, so this is a great place to start.
One way to really stand out in your personal statement is to create cohesion between your experiences and the social justice issue you discuss. This gives the admissions committee the impression that you're driven by your mission to become a social worker and contribute to the field in a meaningful way.
Schools often ask applicants to talk about their personal and professional experiences in the personal statement.
What you need to do is think about the insights you gained from your experiences. Many applicants make the mistake of regurgitating their roles and responsibilities from their resume, but admissions committees are looking for you to take it deeper in your personal statement.
Example: “As a South Asian woman, my depression and anxiety went on a lot longer than it should have because the stigma and shame I experienced from my family and the inability to find a therapist who understood my culture prevented me from getting the help I needed.”
In this example, instead of just talking about the fact that she has personal experience with depression and anxiety, she was able to draw insights about challenges faced by people in her culture.
Example: “As a volunteer at a community centre, I noticed that the clients who used our services did not match the demographic in the community as a whole. This led me to believe that certain groups faced barriers to accessing services because of stigma and a lack of culturally relevant services.”
Whether you are talking about personal or professional experiences be sure to connect your experience to the “big picture.” When thinking about your experiences, what is really going on at the micro, mezzo, and macro level?
Once you’ve uncovered insights, you can talk about a social justice issue related to your experience and goals.
Example: “The research shows that people from South Asian cultures are more receptive to social workers from the same background who understand their needs, yet, there is a lack of South Asian social workers to meet this need.”
Using research in your personal statement shows the admissions committee that there is a need for social workers in your area of interest, and that you have the critical thinking skills they are looking for as an academic.
Keep in mind that the personal statement is not meant to be a research paper. 1-2 points to back up your insights is perfect when writing a personal statement. I also recommend citing your paper properly with APA Formatting (or whatever formatting style you are used to).
Finally, you should connect your experience and social justice issue with your goals as a social worker.
Example: “My goal is to become a clinical social worker who specializes in working with people from South Asian cultures, and to use my lived experience to connect with clients and fill this gap.”
When you create cohesion between your experiences by discussing your insights, and using those insights to inform your social justice issue and goals as a social worker, you’ll create a compelling personal statement, and you’ll make it a no-brainer to admissions committees that you’ll make a meaningful contribution to the field of social work.
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When Master of Social Work applicants answer the personal statement prompts in a random and unplanned manner, it gives the reader the impression that the applicant doesn’t have strong reasoning behind why they want to pursue a Master of Social Work.
For example, don’t talk about children's mental health if your goal is to become a hospice social worker.
If you are applying to your Master of Social Work grab a copy of the Master of Social Work Personal Statement Template. This easy to fill template was designed to help you identify your insights, potential social justice issues, and your goals in a cohesive way.
