For those in pursuit of their master in social work, the MSW Personal Statement is an important stepping stone all must confront along the way. What exactly is this personal statement all about? Here's the scoop, in the form of five helpful tips for writing an effective MSW personal statement.
Stay Topic-Focused
One of the primary things one should keep in mind throughout the process is the core purpose of the personal statement. This statement is meant to provide your school with some information with which to further understand your own personal goals, past accolades, and reasons for pursuing the MSW. It's also meant to gauge your overall commitment to the cause of social work as well as an ability to provide a comprehensive and effective essay. A great sample rundown of the expectations of the statement can be found here.
Prewrite Thoroughly
This is a significant essay that really needs to be done thoughtfully. To get a good start, just like in any other type of writing task, prewriting can really help you to start to gather a wide range of ideas into related bits of information that could be included in the final product. Begin by simply listing all ideas that come to mind involving the material you are being specifically asked for. Keep a pen and paper or cell phone, or other means to record thoughts with you while out so you can record valuable thoughts that may materialize on the subject. To take prewriting a step further, consider linking your ideas together according to relation to each other or their common contribution to the main topic.
Proofread Aggressively
Proofreading is yet another elementary step in the writing process taken for granted by a surprising number of writers. Even when you have proofread once, you can still find otherwise hidden problems by proofreading several more times. As important as this particular product is, you should spare no time at all in thoroughly proofreading what you intend to submit. Another great aid here can be found in seeking out the opinions of multiple other people as to the efficacy of your final piece.
Consult With Others
Sometimes, one of the very best things we can do in such an important endeavor is to seek the outside assistance of others. Whether it's for the purpose of proofreading, as mentioned above, or for guidance from faculty or student advisors on general matters of context, reaching out is nothing more than a fantastic sign of your drive to succeed here. Another great resource to consult with is the student who already successfully satisfied this step of the MSW process.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Finally, and maybe even most importantly, try to give yourself ample time to get this task done. To the trained eye reading hundreds of these statements each year, signs of rush hidden to you will likely show in the quality of your final product. To make the task even more manageable, split it up into five or more mini-tasks. Assign yourself due dates for each task comfortably along the breadth of your calendar. When there is free time to spare between these dates, use it to comfortably start making progress into the next phase in the process.
Those highly educated in the field of social work are holders of a truly noble understanding in society today. The five tips discussed here are meant to provide some extra basis from which to gain a great start in producing an effective personal statement.
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