fellowship personal statement sample

Fellowship Personal Statement Examples

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples for scholarships.

Here is the personal statement of an applicant who got admitted on a fellowship to  the MIT Sloan fellows MBA program . This fellowship paid for the complete tuition fee, the cost of living, and the cost of health insurance. In addition, the MIT fellowship covered the entire program duration, which was one year.

For the fellowship personal statement, MIT poses several questions to applicants, which the admissions committee expects to be answered in an essay form. MIT provides these personal statement prompts to encourage students to self-reflect and share their insights with the program. 

In this Article

Fellowship Personal Statement Prompt 1

Fellowship personal statement prompt 2, fellowship personal statement prompt 3.

What are your short-term and long-term professional objectives for attending the program? Specifically, please indicate your objectives and how they fit with the purposes of the Program. How would your unique background contribute to the diversity of the Fellows community? 

Ten years of diverse experience driving commercial functions of Fortune 500 firms has established me as a well-versed sales leader. To further enrich my experience, I intend to work on international assignments as a sales expert in global consultancy firms. This career progression would help me understand the corporate DNA of various organizations across industries spread around the world. After receiving adequate multi-faceted exposure in global consultancy, my ultimate objective is to land back in my home country and lead any sales and distribution company as a C-level executive and derive satisfaction by positively influencing the lives of employees and their families, customers, and business partners and the society at large.

I am inclined to the MIT fellowship program as its core philosophy of innovation and leadership resonates with my key strengths and career background. My undergraduate studies in computer sciences and my initial work experience in the software industry imbued in me the significance of framing systems and structures to enhance an organization’s performance capabilities. My undergrad from the top business school in Switzerland and my experience in key leadership roles in commercial functions of fortune 500 companies further polished my leadership skills.

Because learning innovations in technology and leading diverse teams have been the key motivating factors for me, the more I read about the fellowship program, the more I feel I belong here. This program would also provide a window to the world and make me more relevant and worthy of consideration for international positions. As I aim to work internationally, this program is the perfect platform to develop the knowledge, skills, and network I need. By traveling to essential centers of enterprise and government during the Seminar in a Leadership course, having direct interactions with world-class leaders through Dean’s Innovative Leader Series, and networking with classmates coming from 30+ different nations, I would gain the essential exposure needed to become a globally relevant team lead.

Not only is the fellowship program a perfect fit for me, but I am also confident I could enrich other fellows’ experiences. My personality reflects my culture, religion, and family values, and my presence in the cohort will help my fellows learn more about this part of the world. Because Singapore is one of the fastest-growing markets internationally, understanding how the business operates in this area would be invaluable to anyone wanting to work internationally. Having spent most of my life in Singapore and Malaysia, I possess deep knowledge of its indigenous culture, the opportunities this land offers, and the challenges companies face. My experience would help others understand the application of innovation and leadership from the perspective of a small country.

I started my career as a software engineer, firmly believing in systems and processes, but my career taught me the importance of people in an organization. The experiences from this transition from a system enthusiast to a transformational leader have stories worth sharing.

Give an example of how you have used your strengths to demonstrate leadership. Now consider the leader you aspire to be – what areas of personal development do you want to focus on in this fellows program to become that leader?

During my career at Nestle, Singapore, I developed a strong reputation for being a change agent and a leader of high competence and integrity. Because of this, I was handed the extraordinary task of rejuvenating the biggest region in constant negative growth. The management gave me complete autonomy to get the house in order.   

My leadership style was very transformational. I articulated my vision to become number one and then motivated people to turn this vision into reality. Being very friendly and democratic, I opened candid discussions to identify problems and find their solutions collectively. I focused on positive reinforcement and introduced an employee recognition program called ‘Champion of the month’ to encourage initiatives and developed a ‘Wall of Champions’ to create a high-performance culture. My core job was to establish a culture of a supportive climate to promote creativity, autonomy, and ownership, an environment where people feel excited to contribute. By motivating the team and making them believe in themselves, I could deliver results surpassing management’s expectations.

The business required some tough decisions to be taken as well. A few team members and business partners needed to be set off the bus. But first, I had to establish that the decisions taken were for the right reason and the bigger interest of the organization and not based on personal interest or ego. My fair and honest treatment of all the team members helped them accept a not-so-popular decision. I suppose my people leadership skills blended with the system-oriented mindset, creating a positive difference in the region.

There is an adage that the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. The world is full of diversity – race, faith, values, cultures, traditions, and languages, and there is much to learn from. Therefore, to continue the lifelong learning journey, I aspire to see the next phase of my life unfold while working in different parts of the world. Hence, being a global leader defines my passion and future career aspiration. The fellowship program would be the perfect platform to prepare me for the international arena. I would improve my effectiveness as a multicultural leader and work on social and networking skills. The 360° Leadership Assessment would also be beneficial in identifying the improvement areas and eventually developing me into a distinctive and effective leader. I believe the more I want to grow outwardly, the more I need to develop inwardly.  

So, this 10-month fellowship would give me the space and time to self-reflect and develop personal leadership skills. The ultimate objective, however, is to become a better human being and serve humanity.

Tell us about the most challenging experience you have had in collaborating with a person or group who did not share the same ideas. What did you learn from this experience, and did it change how you dealt with similar situations afterwards?

After my undergrad from NUS, I was hired as Area Sales Manager at Nestle Singapore. Coincidently, one of the third-party distributors in my area also got appointed simultaneously. The first task I was assigned was to chalk out the commercial plan for the current year, which included presenting the growth forecast and a detailed action plan. The analysis revealed that the area under the newly appointed distributor had tremendous growth potential. However, the plan required increased fleet infrastructure, additional headcount in the sales team, and injection of further credit investment in the market. 

When the plan was discussed with the distributor, he rightly rejected it as he considered the forecast highly exaggerated and impossible to achieve. Hence, he did not want to invest any further. The fundamental reason for the conflict was the lack of confidence the distributor had in me; I was naïve to propose a concrete business plan. Since the initial few discussions didn’t work out well, I tried to delay further talks to avoid conflict and let him take his time to digest my proposal. However, subsequent discussions also didn’t turn out to be positive. Instead, the confrontation kept increasing to the extent that the distributor started taking it personally as a matter of his ego.

To sort the confrontation amicably, I tried to find a middle ground and convert the negative conflict into creative tension. Since the core objective was shared between us to increase profitability, we decided to kick start the plan while partially compensating him for additional expenses. We also announced target achievement incentives to make him stretch for the set goals. The distributor agreed, and a collective effort was made in the new direction. The recent developments brought success beyond our expectations and improved profitability by leaps and bounds. Thus, both of us have a great sense of achievement and recognition.

Later, while reflecting on the initial conflicts we faced, I realized that the situation might have been tackled much better if I had invested more time in rapport and trust-building at the start. Suppose I had built more confidence that I cared about him and his business, the matter would have been resolved much more amicably. I learned that trust leads to acceptance and willingness to collaborate, and building trust is much more important than conquering discussion through logic and numbers. Since then, I got to work with different teams and business partners. However, I ensured I did not initiate business discussions before achieving personal rapport and a bond of trust.

WANT MORE AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Outstanding Examples of Personal Statements
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Winning Personal Statement
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
• Writing a Killer Opening Paragraph for Your Personal Statement
• Ideal Length for a Graduate School Personal Statement
• 100 Inspiring Quotes to Jumpstart Your Personal Statement

Sample Personal Statement for Fulbright Scholarship

Over the past year or so I have been getting a lot of requests from students regarding sharing a sample personal statement for the Fulbright scholarship. The sample Fulbright personal statement below has been shared with me by an anonymous but successful Fulbright...

Scholarship Personal Statement Example that Won $250,000

Here is the personal statement of an applicant who got admitted to several top graduate schools for a degree in business and management.  Variations of this personal statement got scholarships of upto $250,000 at Columbia, Harvard, and NYU. Read this essay to...

WANT AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Personal Statement Templates

Fellowship Personal Statement

Whether the personal statement is called Career Goals , Intellectual Excitement , or Statement of Purpose , it should contain a coherent theme that ties together your experiences, the goals of the program, and your research interests. Regardless of the structure you choose, the committee reading your application should get to know your scientific identity and see a place for you in their program.

Check out NSE’s page on fellowships to see which ones you may be eligible for. For more information on international fellowships, contact the Office of Graduate Education .

1. Before you start

Most applications are rejected if they look generic or the applicant appears uninformed about the target program. Your strategic goal is to demonstrate that you understand what they are about, and that your qualifications, values, and interests are a match for them. So don’t start writing yet—not until you’ve clarified this match for yourself.

1.1. Who are you?

You are more than a research project. Spend some time reflecting on your experiences and values. What do you care about? Why do you need this fellowship to accomplish your ulterior objectives?

Think beyond the technical space as well. If you only have one summer research internship because you spent your summers mentoring under-served high school students, use that to demonstrate your commitment to service and diversity. If you discovered a passion for fusion energy in your senior year and all your previous experience was optimized for an industry job, show that excitement to the committee. Whether it’s growing up on a farm, hiking the Appalachian Trail, or leading a high school robotics team, these experiences can be used to demonstrate motivation, commitment, and a good work ethic. These are attributes that can help you be successful in research.

1.2. What is your target program?

Take the time to carefully read about the program. Consider the goals of a fellowship and pay attention to any special requirements (e.g. Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit for NSF applications) as well as any tips they might offer on their websites.

As for t he backgrounds of the actual reviewers, the evaluating committee may vary from non-technical readers to specialists in your scientific niche. Usually, they are academics from your broad area of science (e.g., nuclear engineering) but not from your specific area (e.g., thermal hydraulics). Consider this as you choose the details and vocabulary to describe your current and former research and activities.

Return to Contents

2. What goes in your statement

As long as you stay within the specifications set by your target program, you have the freedom to structure your personal statement as you wish. Some programs have specific prompts seeking 300–500-word answers, and others ask for 2–3-page statements.

2.1. A personal narrative

Build a personal narrative that ties together y our personal history, experiences, and motivations. In addition to a few paragraphs (2–3) at the beginning of your statement, you can weave your motivation and goals throughout your document to create a cohesive story. This cements your identity into the minds of the reviewer. If they remember you, they will be more likely to accept you!

2.2. Your experiences: meaning and match

This section is typically 3–6 paragraphs long, with a few examples to illustrate your point. To decide which experiences to share, ask yourself these two questions:

1. In which ways did this experience help me grow? One common mistake is to describe an experience in great detail and fail to translate it into skills or qualifications. Instead, explicitly say what that experience means for your future goals. Ex: Building a fusor in high school has prepared you for laboratory work, or volunteering with a recycling program shows your dedication to protecting the environment. More details here.

2. Why should the review committee care? Make it very clear that you are a match for their program. Tie your experiences and their meaning directly to the qualities that the fellowship program is looking for in successful applicants. For NSF GRFP applications, you’ll need to have explicit sections for Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit. Be sure to explain how you and your project will fulfill these two goals.

2.3. Research interest

Spend 1-2 paragraphs describing your research goals. Depending on the application, you may or may not have a specific research statement. If you have a separate research statement , save the more specific research topics for that document, and reference them in your personal statement. If there’s no research statement, you should briefly summarize the projects you want to work on, and how those fit in with your experiences.

2.4. Career goals

Wrap up by looking into the future. Your long-term career goals should be a logical completion of the personal narrative you’ve built throughout the document, and usually takes up one paragraph. Will you leverage the fellowship to explore new and impactful ideas without established funding? Will you be able to engage in public outreach and education more easily with a secure source of funding? Answering these questions will show that you are forward-thinking and will put the fellowship to good use.

3. Maximize effectiveness

Now that you’ve got the main pieces down, revise your document to maximize its impact.

3.1. Be specific and quantitative (show, don’t tell)

Make your relevant experiences tangible by stating specific outcomes such as awards, discoveries, and publications. Whenever possible, try to quantify the experience. How many people were on your team? How many protocols did you develop? As a TA, how often did you meet with your students? Here are some examples of vague and concrete experiences:

3.2. Explain the meaning of your experiences

Your goal in sharing your experiences is to demonstrate that you have the qualifications, qualities, and promise found in successful recipients of that specific fellowship. Therefore, you will need to not only choose experiences wisely but also state specifically what they mean within the context of your application.

3.3. Match your level of specificity to your current academic level

Your current education level should influence the tone and topics you address in your statement. For instance, the NSF GRFP accepts applications from three levels of students: senior undergraduates, first-year graduate students, and second-year graduate students. The tone and specificity of your application should reflect your level. While senior undergrads can write generally about their future goals, second-year graduate students should write about specific progress towards career goals.

3.4. Try section headers

Consider labeling your sections to show the structure of your statement. These will guide the reviewer through your document and explicitly call attention to sections where you answer questions from the application material. In an NSF research proposal, “Intellectual Merit” and “Broader Impacts” section headers are specifically requested.

4. Quick tips

• Start early. It is critical that you spend the time to carefully read through the program’s solicitation and guidelines, and that you have the chance to receive and incorporate feedback on your drafts. The evaluation committee will be reviewing hundreds of applications and yours will be quickly dismissed if it doesn’t quickly make an impact.
• Pay close attention to formatting instructions. The NSF GRF Program is notorious for rejecting applicants who use the wrong font size or line spacing. Whatever fellowship program you apply to, make sure to follow the formatting instructions.
• Read the prompt carefully. Each fellowship is unique and will have unique requirements for their applications. If anything in those requirements contradicts with advice you read here or elsewhere, go with the application guidelines.
• Double-check your spelling and grammar. A well-written statement demonstrates your communication skills, which are essential for success as a researcher.
• Be strategic with letters of references. Do not go to professors who you think will write you the most positive letters. Instead, go to those who can write about specific experiences that demonstrates the skills that you want to highlight in your application. Each letter should bring new and complementing insights into who you are as a student and researcher.
• Check out other fellowship resources , especially those on the MIT Office of Graduate Education website . If you are an international student enrolled at MIT, you can email OGE ([email protected]) to learn more about your options.

5. Authentic Examples

Selection criteria can vary from year to year. Be sure to follow the most up-to-date guidelines provided by your target fellowship program, especially if you are referencing older examples. You can also find examples from across different disciplines here (scroll to the bottom).

To get started or receive feedback on your fellowship personal statement, make an appointment with one of us. We would love to help you!