MSW Personal Statement Example and Tips to Help You Stand Out

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Enjoy this interview with Michelle Bruxer, MSW, founder of MSW Helper.

Getting Started: Writing a Social Work Personal Statement

What do MSW admissions committees look for in a social work personal statement?

Admissions committees are looking for two big things: Your ability to think critically and your potential to contribute to the social work field in a meaningful way.

That’s why the personal statement is such an important tool in the application process. It allows you to articulate your understanding, insights, and goals for becoming a social worker.

How do I start off my social work personal statement?

The first thing you should do is get the prompts from each school you are applying to. Each school will have specific prompts that they want you to answer.

Then, you should brainstorm. It’s important to have some ideas or a central theme before you start writing. In the brainstorming stage, you should think about:

Once you have some ideas, you should find a “throughline” between all of your experiences. This will help you create an introduction that tells the reader about your background, goals, and motivation for pursuing social work.

Here is a more detailed guide on how to start the MSW personal statement and how to create a thesis statement for graduate school applications.

Sharing Your Story in a Social Work Personal Statement

How personal should you get in a personal statement?

Many social workers enter the field because of personal experiences. In my opinion, this is valid to discuss in the personal statement. However, it’s very important to be intentional about what you choose to share and why.

Any experiences you discuss should be connected to your goals as a social worker. Like I mentioned, the purpose of the personal statement is to showcase your critical thinking skills and potential to contribute to the field of social work.

The best way to talk about personal experiences is to connect them to the “big picture”. Did your experience happen in isolation, or is it connected to a bigger social issue?

For example, in Taylor’s personal statement, she mentioned having a family member with a hearing impairment who had challenges getting the mental health support they needed because of a lack of ASL trained social workers and therapists. This is a good insight that could be connected to research that shows that there is a societal gap and a lack of ASL trained social workers across the board.

To strengthen it even further, she could connect her insight and social issue to her goals as a social worker. She mentioned that she knows ASL. If we know there is a lack of ASL trained social workers, this is potentially a gap that she could fill as a social worker.

By connecting your personal experience to a gap or social issue, you demonstrate critical thinking skills, and by talking about how you can address that gap, you show the reader how you can contribute to the social work field in a meaningful way.

What do I write in my personal statement if I have no experience?

I always say that if you are applying to graduate school, you do have experience. Think about the transferable skills and insights you have gained from academic, personal, and even non-social work experiences.

For example:

• Someone who worked as a financial advisor would have developed transferable skills like communication, advocacy, and client-facing skills. They may have also developed insights about financial barriers and systemic issues that influenced their desire to pursue a Master of Social Work.
• A barista at a coffee shop would have developed transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. They may have also developed insights from working with diverse clientele that influenced their desire to become a social worker.

How do you talk about career goals when you’re not 100% sure what area of social work you want to pursue yet?

It’s totally fine if you aren’t completely sure what area of social work you want to pursue yet. However, you should have some idea about why you are choosing social work and what you see yourself doing. Consider thinking about:

Remember, schools aren’t asking you to commit to a certain area at the application stage. They simply want to understand your critical thinking skills and potential to contribute to the field, so I think it’s okay to pick a topic for the purpose of showcasing what they are looking for, even if your career interests shift over time.

Should I tailor my personal statement to different schools?

Yes. Each school will have different prompts and requirements, and it’s very important to read them carefully and make sure you have answered them accurately.

There might be some overlap in your responses, but I do find that when applicants try to copy and paste their answers, they often miss important details and differences between each school.

Social Work Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the 3 biggest mistakes I see when editing personal statements:

Mistake #1: Saying you want to become a social worker because you want to help people.

Schools often ask students why they want to become a social worker, and I often see applicants say that they want to “help people”. There are a few problems with this statement. One, it’s extremely vague and generic. Of course, as social workers, we want to help people. However, social work is such a broad field that it doesn’t tell the reader anything tangible about what you want to do as a social worker.

Second, it doesn’t even tell the reader why you want to become a social worker. If you want to help people, why not become a nurse? A teacher? A doctor? A lawyer? A first responder? All of these professions also “help people”.

Be clear about what you want to do and why social work is the right path for you. It can be helpful to think about social work theories, perspectives, and the Code of Ethics to guide your discussion.

Mistake #2: Focusing on the “what,” not the “why”.

Schools will often ask you about the experiences that motivated you to pursue a degree in social work. Schools are not looking for you to list off all of your experiences. That’s what your resume is for.

Instead, schools want you to talk about the experiences that motivated you to continue your education and become a social worker.

For example, when I was in school I worked as a camp counsellor in the summer.

The skills I gained (or the “what” I did) belong on my resume. This is where I might talk about crisis intervention skills, problem solving, teamwork, and building rapport.

My motivation (or the “why”) belongs in my personal statement. This is where I might talk about the challenges I noticed families were facing and how that influences my desire to pursue a Master of Social Work.

When writing your personal statement, think about WHY your experiences motivated you to pursue social work, not WHAT you did.

Mistake #3: Choosing a social issue that is not connected to your goals.

Many schools ask for the following:

When writing your personal statement, it’s important to be very clear about your goals and to pick a social issue that is connected to those goals.

For example, if you say that your goal is to become a child welfare social worker, but you talk about a social issue that has to do with older adults you miss an opportunity to show the reader that there is a need or gap in your area of interest.

By choosing a social issue that is connected to your goals you show that there is a need that you can address as a social worker, therefore making your acceptance to programs a no-brainer.

Getting Feedback & Extra Help

How can MSW Helper support students with their personal statements and applications?

At MSW Helper, we help applicants showcase their background and show admissions committees the unique contribution they can make to the field of social work. Here are some resources to get you started:

You can also send an email to info@mswhelper.com to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to get your application questions answered.

Planning for MSW School Costs and Programs

Beyond your personal statement, it’s important to think about the cost of graduate school and finding the right program for your goals. Here are a few helpful reads:

Michelle Bruxer is a Registered Social Worker and the founder of MSW Helper, a platform dedicated to guiding future social workers through the competitive graduate school application process. MSW Helper has supported thousands of applicants through editing services, webinars, partnerships, and free resources. Today, MSW Helper is recognized as the go-to resource for Master of Social Work applicants looking for support with their applications.