As an Application Advisor at MSW Helper, I have edited many personal statements. Each statement I edit is unique because each applicant has different skills, experiences, and interests within the field. However, while editing personal statements, I have noticed that I often make several key edits on many statements. I also made many of these mistakes on my personal statement when I applied to my MSW as well! I have compiled a list of tips to improve your personal statement based on these key areas for improvement.

The research analysis section of the personal statement is super important because it allows you to really show off your research and academic writing skills, which will help show the school you are applying for that you are prepared for graduate-level studies in social work. 

In this blog post, I’m outlining the 5 most common mistakes I see in the social work research analysis section when reviewing personal statements. I’ll also share some tips for how to avoid making them so you can make sure your analysis section is top-notch! 

I am currently in my first year of the 2-year Master of Social Work program, but I was rejected on my first try.

When admissions decisions came out in February 2020, I was rejected from the MSW program. Upon receiving that rejection, I felt defeated and confused. I thought my statement was great, and I had high grades and lots of diverse experience. However, when I applied a second time in December 2022, I reflected on my application and realized there were some major changes I needed to make to ensure my acceptance.

After several years of helping people with their personal statements, I often see similar phrases over and over again that can come off as weak or controversial. Here are the most common ones:

If you’ve ever had a job interview in the past where you were asked what your areas of weakness are, you might know that the standard answer is to provide a humble-brag, or a weakness that is actually a strength.

“I’m a perfectionist”, “I work too hard”, and “I care too much” are standard answers people often give. People often avoid answering this question because they don’t want to give an answer that might be a dealbreaker for the role.

Schools of social work often ask this question as well, and they are not looking for these types of answers. They are looking for you to demonstrate your critical thinking skills as it pertains to social work practice, which might not be the same as what you would say in a typical job interview.

Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of applicants apply to their Master of Social Work program. These are the top 5 biggest mistakes I see applicants make when writing a personal statement.