SocialWorkStatement.com
by Dr. Robert Edinger
* Helping Applicants Since 1995 
drrobertedinger@gmail.com

Sample introductory paragraphs for the MSW Degree Personal Statement of Purpose

 

I cannot imagine applying anywhere else to earn my MSW Degree than the University of ____ because my central goal is to work with military families and children at a major US Military base. A Mexican American woman who is now 46 years old, I have decades invested in the study of Latino issues, particularly with respect to the very large segment of our Armed Forces that are Latino. Born in California, I now live in Florida where I work as a Medical Assistant and I am scheduled to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services in May of 2017. I recently finished an internship working at a rape and domestic mental health facility where I most enjoyed doing presentations and come up with resources to help women recovering from domestic abuse generally combined with some sort of alcohol or drug use. I keenly look forward to learning all that I can at ____ University primarily to spend the balance of my professional lives helping innocent victims who deserve our support.

 

A young Christian woman with high ideals of community service, I came to the USA from my native Korea in 2006. I have now earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Emory University and also had the opportunity to study abroad in London.____ University is my first choice for graduate study because I like very much the way that you incorporate psychotherapy into your curriculum, as part of our efforts to treat clients in a holistic fashion that accounts for psychological and physical needs together as integral parts of human reality. Communicating, learning from, and interacting with friends, fellow students, and professors from all over the world for the past 8 years has expanded my horizons and enhanced my respect for the beauty of individual uniqueness. Having spent significant amounts of time in various Asian countries as well as North America and Europe has enabled me to achieve conversational fluency in French and Japanese, complementing my English and Korean. I feel strongly that my language skills will enhance my contribution to the richness of diversity in your program at __U.

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Since my father is Nigerian, I think of myself as African as well and tend to identify with African issues and concerns. I am as well traveled as I am well read, having visited most of Western Europe as well as Africa and part of Asia. My mother, however, is African-American and this has given me a solid sense of identity and rootedness in the African-American community in Eastern ____, since I have always lived in ____ City. ____ University if my first choice for graduate school because I very much want to earn my MSW as part of a local academic community that has a special concern for issues as they play out on a local level. Over the course of the last few years serving as a social worker, I have been witness, for example, to many changes in insurance policy that have had a profound effect on patients and their families and I want to prepare myself to work with these kinds of issues at the local level. I am concerned in particular with the way in which, at least as I understand it, many patients are being discharged into the community from hospitals and other treatment centers in____, as in many other areas of the country, even though they are in need of further assistance yet have no family willing or able to care for them. Since ____ City is my home, this is where I would like to attend graduate school and also were I look forward to enhancing my capacity for serving as a highly effective advocate for my patients.

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I hope to be accepted to your especially distinguished MSW Program at ____ University as an African man who has spent the last 15 years at the head of the IT department at the NGO ____ Uganda, serving simultaneously in the Neurosurgical Hospital 400 kilometers away. It was a humbling journey, building infrastructure from the ground up starting with a single dial-up internet connection, but we now enjoy high-speed fibre internet connections. I initially started out managing five workstations, but now manage a plethora of devices roaming over available wireless LAN and BYOD networks. After  joining the hospital as a research assistant, I sought training in information and communications technology, public health, and eHealth, and I have successfully integrated much of this technology into our provision of healthcare service. I now hope to put what I have learned about our technological challenges in Africa to the cause of Public Health, especially increasing access to medical care through internet technology.

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Crafting a compelling personal statement or statement of purpose for admission to an MSW program is key to showcasing your passion and dedication. Here are some tips to guide you through the process:

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Writing Tips

1. Start with a Strong Opening

   • Begin with a personal anecdote or story that highlights your interest in social work. This helps to engage the reader and provides a context for your passion.

2. Highlight Relevant Experiences

   • Discuss your professional and volunteer experiences that are relevant to social work. Explain what you learned from these experiences and how they have prepared you for an MSW program.

3. Articulate Your Goals

   • Clearly state your short-term and long-term career goals. Explain how the MSW program will help you achieve these goals and why you chose this particular program.

4. Reflect on Your Personal Values

   • Social work is a values-driven profession. Reflect on your personal values and how they align with the values of the social work profession.

5. Showcase Your Skills

   • Highlight the skills you have developed that are relevant to social work, such as empathy, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

6. Be Authentic and Honest

   • Be genuine in your writing. Admissions committees appreciate sincerity and can tell when applicants are being authentic about their motivations and aspirations.

7. Customize Each Statement

   • Tailor your personal statement for each program you apply to. Highlight specific aspects of the program that appeal to you and explain why you are a good fit for that particular program.

8. Organize Your Statement

   • Ensure your statement has a clear and logical structure. Use headings or separate paragraphs for different sections to make it easy to read.

Editing Tips

1. Proofread for Errors

   • Carefully proofread your statement for any grammatical or typographical errors. Consider using grammar and spell-check tools to help with this.

2. Seek Feedback

   • Ask a trusted friend, mentor, or professional to review your statement. They can provide valuable feedback and help you identify areas for improvement.

3. Read Aloud

   • Reading your statement aloud can help you catch awkward phrasing and identify areas that need improvement.

4. Check for Clarity

   • Ensure that your statement is clear and concise. Avoid overly complex sentences and jargon.

5. Focus on Flow

   • Make sure your statement flows smoothly from one section to the next. Use transition sentences to connect different ideas and sections.

Remember, your personal statement is an opportunity to let your unique voice and perspective shine. Good luck with your application!

If you need more specific guidance or have any questions, feel free to ask! 😊