HTML Preview Psychology Graduate School Personal Statement page number 1.
SAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY TAKEN FROM
http://www.psychology.sbc.edu/6_3.htm
JULY, 2013
I became initially interested in psychology when I was helping a friend who was having
problems at home and was considering suicide. I felt so helpless trying to deal with his problems
that I decided to learn more about human behavior and how to help those in need. This
experience led me to enroll in an introductory psychology course in order to understand more
about what motivates people. I have become more and more interested in the field of clinical
psychology during my four years at college.
In addition to my educational experience, I actively pursued work experience in psychology-
related fields. I worked as a resident assistant in one of the dormitories during my junior year. In
this role, I encountered students who had problems relating to their family, depression, suicide,
alcohol, and drugs. I attained an internship position during my senior year as a residential
supervisor at the Indianapolis Center for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, a facility dedicated
to teaching brain injured individuals not only to deal with their handicaps, but to overcome them.
I witnessed counseling of both clients and their families, and I learned to administer and score
several psychological tests used in clinical assessment (e.g., the Wechsler Memory Scale and the
MMPI). My work experience has proven to me how much more I need to learn before I can
attain my goal of becoming an accomplished researcher and teacher.
I became interested in research as a sophomore when I enrolled in a research class. By the time I
graduate, I will have presented a total of five papers on a variety of topics at undergraduate
research conferences. My experience with the first study, an examination of mood effects on
time perception, led to other research endeavors on topics including student evaluation of
faculty, academic integrity, and comparisons of personality profiles of brain injured individuals.
The relevance of two of these projects, academic honesty and student evaluation of faculty, led
me to present my results at two College Forums. At St. Louis University, I am specifically
interested in the research efforts of Harvey Austrin (hypnosis), Nancy Brown (child adolescent
psychotherapy outcomes), and Thomas Grisso (clinical, personality, and community
assessment). As an undergraduate, I have learned the importance of working closely with
members of the faculty. A great deal can be accomplished by working with someone who is
already an expert in the field.
I have become firmly committed to the beliefs that the most appropriate way to answer "real
world" questions is through basic research and that these answers should be communicated in a
professional manner to those audiences who can benefit most from them.
My undergraduate experiences have inspired me to continue my education in graduate school so
I can further my research and make a meaningful contribution to the field of psychology.