University of Washington Seattle MSW Personal Statement Guide
Introduction
When applying to MSW programs, the personal statement is one of the most important pieces of the application, and the University of Washington (UW) is no different. As with most schools, The University of Washington explains that they review applications holistically and that the personal statement is an important component of the application package. Because of this, it’s worth it to spend a good amount of time drafting your statement to ensure you put your best foot forward on the application.
The University of Washington offers a mix of part-time and full-time MSW programs, as well as multiple program streams depending on whether you have a BSW or a non-BSW degree. However, each of these programs uses the same personal statement questions and formatting requirements.
If you’re applying to the University of Washington MSW program and don’t know where to start on your personal statement, read on! Below, I’ll cover formatting requirements and tips, break down the statement prompt by prompt, and address common mistakes applicants make on this personal statement.
University of Washington Personal Statement Formatting Tips
When working on your MSW personal statement for the University of Washington, there are a few formatting notes from the school:
Personal statements should be in size 12 font (Times New Roman or Calibri), double-spaced, and have 1-inch margins.
UW notes that citations are not required, though they are permitted if you are citing specific evidence to support your ideas
Statements should be submitted as one document in PDF format
If you are applying for the Advanced Standing program, the header “Advanced Standing Specialization Rationale” should be used for this section
In addition to this guidance from the school, I would recommend following APA formatting for the personal statement since the personal statement serves as an academic writing sample. These guidelines align with what the University of Washington requires, and are an easy way to help your statement appear polished and stand out.
I would recommend including an APA-style cover page, headings aligning with the University of Washington prompts, and APA in-text citations and references (if you choose to include them).
If you’re looking for more guidance on formatting your personal statement with APA, check out our APA personal statement formatting guide!
University of Washington Personal Statement Requirements
For the University of Washington personal statement, the school provides this as a preamble:
The MSW Program at the University of Washington School of Social Work is grounded in our commitment to racial, economic, gender, and social justice informed by and for those at the social margins of our local, national, and global communities. Reflecting on the UWSSW’s MSW Program Statement of Purpose, in 2 – 3 pages write a personal statement about why you have decided to pursue an MSW at UW.
Then, there are a few main prompts for applicants to respond to.
Prompt 1:
How has your unique background shaped your perspective and prepared you to work towards social justice? Highlight any skills, professional work, and/or lived experiences you see contributing to the diversity of the school’s learning community and the field of social work.
How to respond:
This prompt is really getting at the why behind your decision to pursue the field of social work, and why you have decided to apply to the University of Washington MSW in particular. Though it may sound obvious, be sure to address all aspects of this prompt, as there are a lot of details squeezed into a single prompt here!
To start to answer this prompt, I would recommend highlighting your professional, volunteer, or personal experience that has motivated you to pursue your MSW. Whether or not this experience is related to social work, highlighting transferable skills and experience can help show the reader that you are well-prepared for the MSW and a career in social work. I recommend including a brief example to help illustrate your experience, and go one step further in demonstrating your experience and alignment with the field of social work.
Additionally, it is important to also directly address how you could contribute to the UW MSW program and community. It’s easy to forget about this part of the prompt because it might feel less important than writing about your personal or professional experience, but I would suggest dedicating at least a few sentences, if not an entire paragraph, to this section.
When considering how you could contribute, some ideas might include speaking to your lived experience or the unique lens you bring as an applicant, any research being done by faculty members you may want to become involved in, and even if there are any school-based organizations or clubs you may want to contribute to. Being specific with this can help show that you are committed to the UW MSW program in particular, and is a good way to set yourself apart from other applicants who may be more generic with their response to this section.
Prompt 2:
How do your professional goals align with the Program’s Statement of Purpose?
How to respond:
This prompt is a lot simpler than prompt 1, and is where you have the opportunity to get into what you hope to do with your MSW degree in the future. This section is important because it can help you emphasize the why behind pursuing an MSW, as opposed to other degrees in helping professions.
When discussing your professional goals, it is helpful to be clear and specific about what you aim to do in the future. For example, saying “I want to work in healthcare” isn’t as impactful as saying “I want to specialize in hospital social work so that I can support clients and families navigating the healthcare system.” Additionally, you may choose to highlight both short-term and long-term goals in the field, which can be helpful if you have multiple goals, or are interested in multiple different levels of practice (for example, direct practice as well as policy work).
Additionally, it’s important to show an alignment between your future goals and what the University of Washington MSW program offers. To do this, I would suggest drawing parallels between your areas of interest and the curriculum focus at UW. This should be done by bringing in the program’s mission since this is directly mentioned in the prompt, but could also include mentioning aspects of the curriculum that you are interested in, or even highlighting faculty members who are engaging in research in your areas of interest. Regardless, this is a great section to ensure that your statement is tailored towards the UW program specifically.
Prompt 3: (Advanced Standing Only)
Please restate your first-choice specialization and provide reasoning for your selection. How might specializing in this area help you to achieve your social work career goals? If you identified a second choice option, please briefly describe why you might also consider specializing in this area. This section should be less than 1 page.
How to respond:
For applicants to University of Washington’s Advanced Standing stream, it is important to explain why you are pursuing the MSW, as opposed to just continuing in the field with your BSW. This prompt gives you the opportunity to highlight a specific gap in your knowledge and experience, and how the UW MSW program would allow you to fill that gap. To do this, you may decide to draw on your professional experience, social work theories, or even academic literature to highlight why specializing in a specific area will enable you to better support the community.
When drafting your response to this prompt, it is important to make sure that your area of specialization is aligned with your future professional goals in the field. Not only will this help create a cohesive statement, but it also helps further underscore that you are a strong fit for the University of Washington's program specifically!
Common Mistakes to Avoid for the University of Washington Personal Statement
Mistake #1: Writing one (generic) statement for multiple schools
What to do instead: If you are applying to multiple schools, you will probably notice that many of them have similar prompts. However, every school has a unique mission and program focus, which is especially relevant for the University of Washington statement, as the prompts center around the UW Statement of Purpose. While you will probably be able to re-use some main ideas from other statements, I’d recommend writing each statement from scratch to ensure that the statement is fully tailored to the University of Washington’s program and mission.
Mistake #2: Sounding too much like your resume
What to do instead: Although the University of Washington asks about your professional experience in prompt 1 (and you should definitely highlight it!), it can be easy to end up regurgitating your resume if you aren’t careful. To avoid this, I recommend including a brief example or two from your experience that highlights your skills and insights, rather than just listing the skills you gained or what you did day-to-day. By incorporating an example, you are able to show the reader your skills, rather than just telling them that you have them!
Mistake #3: Not being clear enough about your professional goals
What to do instead: Oftentimes, applicants will give an overly general future goal. Sometimes, this is because they may not 100% know what they want to do in the future, which is okay at this stage! However, when writing the University of Washington personal statement, it is important to be specific about future career goals, especially because this is the main focus of prompt 2. For example, instead of writing “I want to become an LCSW”, you could write “I want to become an LCSW so that I can work in a community-based organization supporting LGBTQ+ youth.” Being as clear as you can helps show the reader that you have a strong idea of how you will use your MSW in the future, and also allows you to tailor your statement more strongly towards UW’s mission.
Final Thoughts
Getting started on your University of Washington personal statement can be daunting, but you aren’t alone! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I’d suggest starting off by brainstorming your past experience, motivations, and goals for the future, and then expanding on this to form the narrative of your statement.
Still looking for support? We are here to help! Check out our free personal statement template to guide you through brainstorming and writing your rough draft.
Or, if you’re looking for more personalized guidance, book a 1:1 call with one of our Application Advisors to answer any questions you have about your UW personal statement or grad school applications!
