A strong personal statement starts with your real experiences. Write about what you have done, what you learned, and why this program fits your goals. Keep it clear and specific.
Letters of recommendation carry weight. Ask people who know your work well, such as professors or supervisors. Give them your resume and a summary of your goals so they can write a detailed letter. Ask early, well before the deadline.
If the program requires an interview, prepare by researching the school. Review your own application so you can speak to it. Prepare a few questions about the curriculum, faculty, and student support.
Keep track of deadlines and required documents for each school. Submitting early gives you time to fix problems. A checklist for each application helps nothing slip through. Check how long programs take, read our abbreviations guide, compare master’s and bachelor’s degrees, and review capitalization rules for your essays.

