<p>Michigan requires the standard SOP and in addition a 500 word limit “Personal Statement” with the parameters:</p>
<p>“How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan?
For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.”</p>
<p>They also explicitly say do NOT repeat the SOP.</p>
<p>I am having a difficult time in deciding what exactly to write for this. I trace my academic journey in decent length in my SOP. Should I go the literal “Personal” route and discuss family events/situations that have impacted my development? I don’t want to be too cliche and talk about my parent’s divorce or anything… but I’m not sure what else there is.</p>
<p>I’m applying to Michigan and had the same dilemma. Writing statements of purpose is slightly easier than writing personal statements for me (especially in that 500 word limit). </p>
<p>I ended up going with the traditional “personal route” to which you’re referring, but I did not use the topic of family. I chose a situation that affected my emotional development (mainly my confidence) and described how I changed up until the time I was ready to apply to graduate school. </p>
<p>However, I do believe that if you choose to write about family, a death, etc, it will not be cliche if it’s written well. I recently read a personal statement in which an applicant described the way she dealt with her father’s chronic illness, and it was very interesting and beautifully written. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I suppose it all depends on the piece’s execution.</p>
<p>Good luck with this essay! I know it’s tough–I feel for ya.</p>
<p>I think that this question is hinting at the question that a lot of schools out right ask- how are you going to diversify their incoming class. </p>
<p>I think I adapted my diversity statement last year, but then again I did not get an interview there.</p>
<p>In Michigan, proposal 2 passed a couple years back which bans the use of race, gender, etc. in admissions. Thus, this is U of M’s way of getting past it.</p>
<p>OP- you’re on the right track. The SOP is a place where the adcoms can see how you think as a scholar. It’s a place where you can deomonstrate your curiosity, thoughts, ideas, etc for your field and research proposal. What inspired you to ask these academic questions?</p>
<p>Personal Statement- it’s a place where you’re going to show that you can make <em>it</em> by showing your maturity and confidence. Use it to show more personal reasons for doing that research that you won’t show in your SOP. </p>
<p>Think of these essays as a way to show Michigan your personal and business lives. What happens in the lab/classroom stays in there, what happens at home, stays at home, you know? Let’s say your research originated in a conversation with a family member or a situation with a friend, that goes in the Personal Statement. But your train of thought or road map to your research questions and ideas goes in the SOP. Get it?</p>
<p>I applied for Michigan (PIBS) and had to answer this question, but I took a very different understanding of what they wanted from the question. I answered</p>
<p>“This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.”</p>
<p>with a discussion of how my educational background/experience eg. cool science fair projects in high school, utter failures of experiments in college, lab classes, work projects etc informed my decision to go to grad school. I didn’t hash out my reasoning for picking Michigan as I did in the SOP. I didn’t discuss how I would contribute to the racial, economic or gender diversity of Michigan. I am not even sure that is on the radar for adcoms.</p>
<p>Also, isn’t the application for Michigan due tomorrow. Get on it.</p>
<p>thanks for the responses. Do you think it’s safe to assume this will be much less important than the SOP? So I don’t really need to get a prof to read it over or anything, right?</p>
<p>Michigan deadline (at least for my dept?) is Jan. 1st.</p>
<p>Like belevitt, I excluded my reasons for choosing Michigan and put that stuff in the SoP.</p>
<p>I would not assume that the personal statement is less important than the SoP, crispyspringroll. If you get the chance before the deadline, I would advise getting a professor to check the personal statement over for you. Unless you contact someone at Michigan and he or she says otherwise, it’s safest to assume that all major parts of the app. (especially writing samples) are treated equally.</p>
<p>C’mon, it wasn’t that bad… NYU was horredeous (but I’ve heard otherwise for Maryland-College Park). At least for 2008 admissions cycle.</p>
<p>I would take the essay seriously but don’t think of it as “make-or-break” as you should with your SOP. It’s improtant but it’s not going to keep you out.</p>
<p>well. the system is dumb…i assumed the whole thing was due by midnight.</p>
<p>i realized that i wasn’t in the same time zone as michigan. i realized this at 10:45pm. im one hour ahead…but i was kinda dumb and thought michigan was one hour ahead… and i was like…darn…i gotta submit this by 11pm…so i quickly put everything together and submitted it…didn’t even have time to check if everything was complete.</p>
<p>then…after i submitted it, i got a confirmation…‘application submitted at 12/8/08, 7:55pm…pacific time…’</p>