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Liberal arts and philosophy personal statement example.

Coming from an Asian culture, I have often been berated for considering anything other than STEM subjects, leading me to a path of intellectual autonomy. My interest in Philosophy therefore originates from an internal inquisitiveness and a deep appreciation of how Philosophy has had a profound effect on humanity.

When briefly touching on liberalism in Politics, I began to see the importance and the value of freedom, and how Mill's 'harm principle' is applied when a sovereign Parliament passes new legislation. Political philosophy is oftentimes rooted in the theological theories of divine command, free will and ethics. Mill therefore contextualises the impact of politics on the lives of ordinary citizens and their tenets. For my English Literature NEA I compared the play 'Julius Caesar' to the historical novel 'Alexander at the World's End', to answer whether the pursuit of political power triumphs personal morality. Here I explored hegemony, divine command, as well as dogmatic, political and social philosophy.

History has enabled me to appreciate the significance of empirical and descriptive data from major historical events within the past century or so. From Thatcher's conviction politics and radical economic solutions, to the interventionist solutions in Roosevelt's New Deal following the Great Depression of the 1930s, I believe History anticipates the liberalization of the mind. Drawn in by the different economic approaches of political leaders from History and Politics, I enrolled on the MOOC 'Political Economy of Institutions and Development'; it covers topics from societal fragmentation to classical liberalism.

Captivated by the interdisciplinary nature of Philosophy, I completed the MOOC 'Introduction to Philosophy'. I briefly studied moral and political philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of the mind and of science as well as metaphysics; giving me insight into what Philosophy entails. Intrigued by the developments of religion, I completed the MOOC 'The Cosmopolitan Medieval Arabic World'. My study allowed me to see the important developments of Islamic societies and the contemporary significance of religion and Theology in complex issues such as the Arab Spring and Iran's troubled theocracy. Curious to see how academics critically propose viable solutions to reconstruct modern society, I also read 'Utopia for Realists', alongside 'How Britain Really Works'. The latter provided context to the current state of affairs.

During my Year 12 work experience at a local museum, I compiled a portfolio which identified skills to develop when undertaking tasks; analytical, logical, research and communication skills. My primary task was to conduct a review of the museum's welcome leaflet, outline its functions, assess its effectiveness, and then pitch my findings to the operations team.

Alongside my studies, I take on the duties and responsibilities of Deputy Head Boy. I regularly attend Sixth Form Council meetings and contribute to the agenda for improving the Sixth Form. Finding intellectual humility to be a valuable quality, I joined the Debating Society, where I enjoy engaging in discourse on ethical issues such as mandatory vaccination. My EPQ focussed on solutions to the environmental detriment of fashion, and outlined its contributions to the global environmental crisis.

My liberal approach to the art demonstrates a willingness to enter university with elements of academic rigour and enthusiasm. My approach reflects a keenness to develop transferable skills for an eventual career in the public sector.

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July 6, 2018, by Ross Wilson

How to apply to Liberal Arts – Personal Statements

Every student applying to Liberal Arts will come from different backgrounds and they will have their own experiences and individual qualifications. That’s why we don’t look for specific A-Levels, International Baccalaureate profiles or their equivalents in any application. What we are interested in is why you want to explore issues across a range of subjects and study for a Liberal Arts degree. We all have different interests but what brings us together as Liberal Arts scholars is that we don’t want to be confined to one approach.

Your personal statement

When writing your statement to apply for the Liberal Arts degree we want to learn more about you. We want to find out about what you are motivated by, what you are interested in and what you want to study here at the University of Nottingham.

Writing personal statements for Liberal Arts can seem complicated because of the range of options but this is an opportunity to tell us more about you. We want to hear about your work and your pastimes and why these are important to you and why this has led you to Liberal Arts.

Trent Building, University Park

Liberal Arts at the University of Nottingham is about choice, exploration and it is about innovation. If you want to study across a range of subjects that says something exciting and interesting about you and we want to know what that is. We are all interdisciplinary in our interests. For example, we can enjoy music, art, literature, languages or mathematics; but we want to find out why you want to study subjects together and connect up areas of thought.

You might be interested in architecture, gaming, politics, culture or society. You could want to work on issues to do with the environment, equality or education. You may want to take a role in the future that will change how we live, work and engage with one another. But we do this by thinking differently and using the range of approaches from the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Don’t worry about covering every single approach or trying to address all the subjects we have to offer in your statement. We only want to find out about your route to studying Liberal Arts and what you want to do. We read all the personal statements because we are interested in your work as a Liberal Arts scholar. So, use this chance to:

1 – Describe your current subjects of study and why you want to explore these further

2- Explain how you want to combine different subjects and approaches

3 – Report on the books, films, television programmes, music or art that have inspired you or made you think differently about what you want to work on at university

4 – Inform us of the areas you would like to study here at Nottingham and why

5 – Tell us about any trips, plans, volunteering or jobs you have undertaken or plan to complete and why this has influenced you

6 – Communicate your interests, your motivations and what makes you want to study Liberal Arts

Hallward Library, University Park Campus

Liberal Arts is for people who want to study, explore and innovate and we will work with you to develop a degree programme that reflects your interests and which opens up opportunities for a range of careers. Do not worry about having to decide your route through Liberal Arts right now as this is something you can explore when you begin your studies.

Your personal statement reflects who you are as a Liberal Arts student and why this degree is important for you.

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News, views and experiences of Liberal Arts  staff and students at Nottingham. Our Liberal Arts courses allow students to  explore  their interests within a framework of problem-solving, enquiry and global  exploration.

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Top tips for writing the perfect personal statement for Liberal Arts

Studying Liberal Arts at Loughborough offers a broad and well-rounded education that can be both intellectually stimulating and versatile. If you are applying for 2024 entry, you're probably now thinking about your application and personal statement. Writing a personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your passion for the humanities and your unique qualifications. If you're not sure where to get started, check out our top tips below for writing the perfect personal statement when applying for Liberal Arts.

1. Think broadly

Why do you want to study a wide range of subjects in Liberal Arts rather than specialising in one? What about this approach appeals to you and your interests?

2. Draw connections between your different subjects and interests

Has a book you’ve read in one subject helped you understand another? Have you studied similar issues from different angles? What connections can you draw between these?  

3. Reflect on the big questions

What contemporary or historical interests and questions do you have, and how might the interdisciplinary approach of Liberal Arts help you to address these? 

4. Consider your skills

What skills do you have that will help you to study interdisciplinary topics? Have you analysed visual material, texts, or historical sources before? What skills do you want to develop through Liberal Arts?

5. Don’t worry if you haven’t studied certain subjects before, or for a while.

What about the subjects you have studied fits into the Liberal Arts programme? Or, why are you interested in studying or returning to particular subjects?

Writing Your Personal Statements

Your personal statement must demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have considered graduate school and their specific program seriously. It’s your opportunity to summarize your academic and research experiences. You must also communicate how your experiences are relevant to preparing you for the graduate degree that you will be pursuing and explain why a given program is the right one for you.

The personal statement is where you highlight your strengths. Make your strengths absolutely clear to the reviewers, because they will often be reading many other statements. Your self-assessments and honest conversations with peers and advisors should have also revealed your strengths. But you must also address (not blame others for) weaknesses or unusual aspects of your application or academic background.

Your personal statement should focus on two main aspects: your competence and commitment.

1. Identify your strengths in terms of competence that indicate that you will succeed in the grad program and provide examples to support your claims. Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many statements, it’s important to start off with your strengths and not “bury your lede.” Consider traits of successful graduate students from your informational interviews, and identify which of these traits you have. These traits could involve research skills and experiences, expertise in working with techniques or instruments, familiarity with professional networks and resources in your field, etc.

• Check your responses from the exercises in the self-assessment section. You may wish to consult notes from your informational interviews and your Seven Stories . Write concise summaries and stories that demonstrate your strengths, e.g. how your strengths helped you to achieve certain goals or overcome obstacles.
• Summarize your research experience(s). What were the main project goals and the “big picture” questions? What was your role in this project? What did you accomplish? What did you learn, and how did you grow as a result of the experience(s)?

My research examines the interplay between U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy during the Cold War. As a native New Yorker, I saw firsthand how dramatically my city changed after 9/11, which prompted my early interest in U.S. policy at home and abroad. As an undergraduate at the City College of New York, I planned to study international relations with a focus on U.S. foreign affairs. I also quickly became involved in student activist groups that focused on raising awareness about a wide range of human rights issues, from the Syrian refugee crisis to asylum seekers from Central America.

The more I learned about the crises in the present, the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of the past to fully grasp them. I decided to pursue a PhD in history in order to gain a clearer understanding of human rights issues in the present and to empower young student-activists like myself.

— Vannessa Velez, PhD candidate in History

Addressing weaknesses or unusual aspects

• Identify weaknesses or unusual aspects in your application—e.g., a significant drop in your GPA during a term; weak GRE scores; changes in your academic trajectory, etc. Don’t ignore them, because ignoring them might be interpreted as blind spots for you. If you’re unsure if a particular issue is significant enough to address, seek advice from faculty mentors.
• Explain how you’ll improve and strengthen those areas or work around your weakness. Determine how you will address them in a positive light, e.g., by discussing how you overcame obstacles through persistence, what you learned from challenges, and how you grew from failures. Focusing on a growth mindset  or grit  and this blog on weaknesses might also help.
• Deal with any significant unusual aspects later in the statement to allow a positive impression to develop first.
• Explain, rather than provide excuses—i.e., address the issue directly and don’t blame others (even if you believe someone else is responsible). Draft it and get feedback from others to see if the explanation is working as you want it to.
• Provide supporting empirical evidence if possible. For example, “Adjusting to college was a major step for me, coming from a small high school and as a first-generation college student. My freshman GPA was not up to par with my typical achievements, as demonstrated by my improved  GPA of 3.8 during my second and third years in college."
• Be concise (don’t dwell on the issues), but also be complete (don’t lead to other potentially unanswered questions). For example, if a drop in grades during a term was due to a health issue, explain whether the health issue is recurring, managed now with medication, resolved, etc.

2. Explain your commitment to research and their graduate program, including your motivation for why you are applying to this graduate program at this university. Be as specific as possible. Identify several faculty members with whom you are interested in working, and explain why their research interests you.

• Descriptions of your commitment should explain why you’re passionate about this particular academic field and provide demonstrations of your commitment with stories (e.g., working long hours to solve a problem, overcoming challenges in research, resilience in pursuing problems). Don’t merely assert your commitment.
• Explain why you are applying to graduate school, as opposed to seeking a professional degree or a job. Discuss your interest and motivation for grad school, along with your future career aspirations.

I am definitely not your traditional graduate student. As a biracial (Native American and white), first-generation PhD student from a military family, I had very limited guidance on how best to pursue my education, especially when I decided that graduate school was a good idea. I ended up coming to this PhD in a very circuitous manner, stopping first to get a JD and, later, an MFA in Young Adult Literature. With each degree, I took time to work and apply what I’d learned, as a lawyer and as an educator. Each time, I realized that I was circling around questions that I couldn’t let go of—not just because I found them to be fascinating, but because I did (and still do!) feel that my research could help to bridge a gap that desperately needs bridging. Because my work is quite interdisciplinary, I strongly feel that I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this line of research without the degrees and life experience I gained before coming to this program.

— Jamie Fine, PhD candidate in Modern Thought and Literature

Statement of Purpose: subtle aspects

• Think in terms of engaging faculty in a conversation rather than pleading with them that you should be admitted. Ask reviewers to read drafts with this concern in mind.
• With later drafts, try developing an overall narrative theme. See if one emerges as you work.
• Write at least 10 drafts and expect your thinking and the essay to change quite a bit over time.
• Read drafts out loud to help you catch errors.
• Expect the "you' that emerges in your essay to be incomplete. . . that’s OK.
• You’re sharing a professional/scholarly slice of "you."
• Avoid humor (do you really know what senior academics find funny?) and flashy openings and closings. Think of pitching the essay to an educated person in the field, but not necessarily in your specialty. Avoid emotionally laden words (such as "love" or "passion"). Remember, your audience is a group of professors! Overly emotional appeals might make them uncomfortable. They are looking for scholarly colleagues.

© Stanford University.   Stanford, California 94305.

Chapter 4: Sample Personal Statements and Application Essays

Easy writing makes hard reading.

—Ernest Hemingway

As a graduate student taking fiction writing workshops many moons ago, I recall what was most motivating to me as a creative writer. It wasn’t the reading of published or award-winning work, and it wasn’t the classroom critique given on high from the professor nor the scribble from my classmates on my manuscripts. All these things were helpful and valuable, but nothing motivated me more than comparing my fiction to the work of my peers. As I read their work carefully, both objectively and subjectively, I found myself thinking at times that I was sure I could write better than the others around me at the seminar table—then I’d read an artful, poignant story that made me wonder whether I could ever even compete.

Perhaps somewhere between these two attitudes is the most profitable approach when studying the work of your peers. In critiquing the work of others who essentially represent your competition, you should take a respectful stance both critical and kind, just as selection committee members are likely to do. The sample essays in this chapter represent personal stories that are intriguing, diverse, complex, honest, and humanizing. These samples present opportunities for you to study, admire, question, emulate, reject, and—most importantly—consider how to present the best, truest, most effective picture of yourself, carefully refined for the eyes of others.

Websites with sample personal statements abound. Here are two:

Sample personal statements from indeed.com

Sample personal statements including reader comments from studential.com

Short Essay Samples

Below is a pdf link to personal statements and application essays representing strong efforts by students applying for both undergraduate and graduate opportunities. These ten essays have one thing in common: They were all written by students under the constraint of the essay being 1-2 pages due to the target program’s explicit instructions. In such circumstances, writers must attend carefully to the essay prompt (sometimes as simple as “Write a one-page summary of your reasons for wanting to pursue graduate study”) and recognize that evaluators tend to judge these essays on the same fundamental principles, as follows:

• First, you are typically expected to provide a window into your personal motivations, offer a summary of your field, your research, or your background, set some long-term goals, and note specific interest in the program to which you are applying.
• Second, you are expected to provide some personal detail and to communicate effectively and efficiently. Failure to do so can greatly limit your chances of acceptance.

Good writers accomplish these tasks by immediately establishing each paragraph’s topic and maintaining paragraph unity, by using concrete, personal examples to demonstrate their points, and by not prolonging the ending of the essay needlessly. Also, good writers study the target opportunity as carefully as they can, seeking to become an “insider,” perhaps even communicating with a professor they would like to work with at the target program, and tailoring the material accordingly so that evaluators can gauge the sincerity of their interest

Overview of Short Essay Samples

Geological sciences samples.

In the pdf link below, the first two one-page statements written by students in the geological sciences are interesting to compare to each other. Despite their different areas of research specialization within the same field, both writers demonstrate a good deal of scientific fluency and kinship with their target programs.

Geography Student Sample

The short essay by a geography student applying to an internship program opens with the writer admitting that she previously had a limited view of geography, then describing how a course changed her way of thinking so that she came to understand geography as a “balance of physical, social, and cultural studies.” Despite her limited experience, she shows that she has aspirations of joining the Peace Corps or obtaining a law degree, and her final paragraph links her interests directly to the internship program to which she is applying.

Materials Sciences Student Sample

For the sample from materials sciences, directed at an internal fellowship, the one-page essay has an especially difficult task: The writer must persuade those who already know him (and thus know both his strengths and limitations) that he is worthy of internal funds to help him continue his graduate education. He attempts this by first citing the specific goal of his research group, followed by a brief summary of the literature related to this topic, then ending with a summary of his own research and lab experience.

Teach for America Student Sample

The student applying for the Teach for America program, which recruits recent college graduates to teach for two years in underprivileged urban and rural public schools, knows that she must convince readers of her suitability to such a demanding commitment, and she has just two short essays with which to do so. She successfully achieves this through examples related to service mission work that she completed in Ecuador before entering college.

Neuroscience Student Sample

The sample essay by a neuroscience student opens with narrative technique, telling an affecting story about working in a lab at the University of Pittsburgh. Thus we are introduced to one of the motivating forces behind her interest in neuroscience. Later paragraphs cite three undergraduate research experiences and her interest in the linked sciences of disease: immunology, biochemistry, genetics, and pathology.

Medieval Literature Student Sample

This sample essay immerses us in detail about medieval literature throughout, eventually citing several Irish medieval manuscripts. With these examples and others, we are convinced that this student truly does see medieval literature as a “passion,” as she claims in her first sentence. Later, the writer repeatedly cites two professors and “mentors” whom she has already met, noting how they have shaped her highly specific academic goals, and tying her almost headlong approach directly to the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, where she will have flexibility in designing her own program.

Beinecke Scholarship Student Sample

The Beinecke Scholarship essay is written by a junior faced with stiff competition from a program that awards $34,000 towards senior year and graduate school. This student takes an interesting theme-based approach and projects forward toward graduate school with confidence. This writer’s sense of self-definition is particularly strong, and her personal story compelling. Having witnessed repeated instances of injustice in her own life, the writer describes in her final paragraphs how these experiences have led to her proposed senior thesis research and her goal of becoming a policy analyst for the government’s Department of Education.

Online Education Student Sample

Written during a height of US involvement in Iraq, this essay manages the intriguing challenge of how a member of the military can make an effective case for on-line graduate study. The obvious need here, especially for an Air Force pilot of seven years, is to keep the focus on academic interests rather than, say, battle successes and the number of missions flown. An additional challenge is to use military experience and vocabulary in a way that is not obscure nor off-putting to academic selection committee members. To address these challenges, this writer intertwines his literacy in matters both military and academic, keeping focus on applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), his chosen field of graduate study.

Engineer Applying to a Master’s Program Sample

This example shows that even for an engineer with years of experience in the field, the fundamentals of personal essay writing remain the same. This statement opens with the engineer describing a formative experience—visiting a meat packaging plant as a teenager—that influenced the writer to work in the health and safety field.  Now, as the writer prepares to advance his education while remaining a full-time safety engineer, he proves that he is capable by detailing examples that show his record of personal and professional success. Especially noteworthy is his partnering with a government agency to help protect workers from dust exposures, and he ties his extensive work experience directly to his goal of becoming a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

Sample Resumes

Frequently, graduate school or scholarship applications provide an option or requirement for you to submit a resume to complement your other written material. The two sample resumes provided in the link below offer good examples of what graduate schools and scholarship committees look for in a resume (or “curriculum vitae,” which is typically a lengthier resume with an academic and research focus).

Overview of Short Sample Resume

The writer of the short sample resume in the pdf below wisely excludes the usual “Objective” section (needless for a graduate application) and focuses instead on his education. Note how he briefly discusses his thesis research and lists his key courses—information he hopes will be of special interest to the selection committee. With little meaningful work experience in the field, the writer simply summarizes his experience briefly and lists activities, some of which relate to his field of study. Standing alone, this resume will not help the student rise above other applicants, some of whom are bound to have paid work experience in the field. However, it will be helpful to the application, particularly when joined with the student’s corresponding personal statement.

Overview of Lengthy Sample Resume (Curriculum Vitae)

With curriculum vitae tailored to graduate school or scholarships, the category headings can be determined both by the writer’s strengths and by the selectors’ needs. Thus, the sample three-page curriculum vitae in the pdf below focuses on languages, international experience, and leadership positions. Note how the writer effectively uses subcategories to underscore a diversity of experience, ranging from political involvement to research. She describes volunteer positions as thoroughly as one would describe a job. Also, she uses various formatting strategies, including ample white space, selective indentation, and boldface of parallel headings to allow for easy visual scanning of her credentials. Clearly, this student has a lot of offer in her chosen field of political science.

Lengthy Essay Samples

The lengthy sample essays in the pdf link below showcase writers who, to varying degrees, took chances or simply reached higher. Not only did these writers compose lengthy essays (still within prescribed word-count limits), but in many cases they did something bold with content, form, or personality.

In these samples, length can readily be justified by the fact that these are writers who don’t necessarily fall into “typical” student categories but nevertheless are applying to graduate programs or for scholarships. To be competitive, these writers decided to stand out by telling their stories in a way that they hoped would set them apart from, and above, the crowd. A common thread linking these diverse writers is their obvious confidence that:

• their essays matter to the selection committee, and
• their essays will be both noticeable and noticed.

Overview of Lengthy Essay Samples

Mechanical engineering student sample.

In the first sample essay from mechanical engineering, what stands out immediately are the length and the photographs. In this case, the student was applying for an engineering scholarship, so he was given room to flesh out technical material as well as address issues such as personal motivations one would expect to read in a personal statement. Much of the essay is given to a discussion of his thesis work, which involves the examination of “the propagation of a flame in a small glass tube.” The figures depict the experimental work and represent the success of preliminary thesis results, visually indicating the likely point at which the flame reached detonation.

Liberal Arts Student Sample

The three-page personal statement by the liberal arts student is interesting in that it is often intentionally abstract and a bit philosophical. This student attended a small liberal arts school that promotes a “Think, Evolve, Act” theme to its students, and this student reflects on this theme and embraces it in his own life from the beginning of the essay. In his curriculum, he has taken a course on Gandhi and Nonviolence, studied abroad in Belgium, and self-designed a program of “Peace and Conflict Studies with an emphasis in Technological Revolution.” He has also taken a ten-day service learning trip to Costa Rica, studied at the Institute of Gandhian Studies in India, served part-time as an assistant to a member of the European Parliament, and written a paper entitled “A Knowledge-Based Society and the Digital Divide.” Meanwhile, he plans to graduate with distinction in both of his majors. In jazz terms, this student certainly does seem to have the chops.

Film Student Sample

One way to get a sense of the daring of this personal statement, written by a student who aims to study film at Columbia University, is simply to consider the allusions he makes throughout his statement. With neither apology nor obvious humility, this writer makes references to Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Vigo, Terrence Malick, and David Gordon Green. Further, this writer takes the unusual step of using section headings in his personal statement, including, on his first page “Poetry,” “Plastics,” and “Children.” But no matter how creative this writer is, of course, we must ultimately judge him on his evidenced ability as a filmmaker. In that regard, he showcases his ease with talking about films and directors, posits an analogy about student filmmaking (“directing your own material is like parenting”), and discusses the success of his nineteen-minute senior project, “Burying Dvorak”—a film he promoted by taking a year off after graduation, successfully landing it in more than 20 film festivals. As he closes his essay, he makes a specific pitch for Columbia University, where he hopes to continue “to discover my own voice, my own poetry.”

Biological Science Student Sample

For the lengthy sample essay from the student in biological science, the extensive length and scientific depth are necessary because the student is applying for the highly competitive STAR Fellowship. The STAR (Science to Achieve Results) program offers graduate fellowships through the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), funding several years of study. Given the competitiveness of the process and the EPA’s mission of environmental protection, it is vital that this student presents a viable, environmentally important project in a persuasive, professional manner. To achieve this, the writer successfully approaches the essay as she would a thesis proposal, using science-related section heads, providing original figures and data, focusing heavily on future research goals, and essentially performing a literature review, citing 19 sources ranging from basic textbooks to refereed journals. The result is a powerful essay with scientific depth.

Professional Essay Samples

Sample essays for professional school—written by students applying for business, law, or medical school—are abundant online, and they also can be highly specialized. Many medical schools require two separate applications: one directly to the target school itself and one through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) , both of which usually require essays. Both law and business schools also often require multiple essays of their applicants, with questions ranging from details about your personal background to questions asking you to write an essay exploring a controversial issue. Therefore, I provide just a few samples of professional essays here in the pdf link below, referring you to online sites in the “Self-Study” box below for further study and targeted samples.

For students applying to professional schools who desire further advice and samples, I do recommend three books throughout this manual, all available for purchase online:

• Mark Alan Stewart’s How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement .
• Donald Asher’s Graduate Admissions Essays .
• Richard Stelzer’s How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School .

In addition to these books all having a well-established and positive reputation, they offer insights from the admissions officers themselves at professional programs, thus giving readers an inside track as to what will be expected of them in both the application essays and the overall application process. With each of these books costing less than the price of most professional school application fees, they’re all well worth the investment.

Overview of Professional Essay Samples

Pharmacy student sample.

The sample essay from a pharmacy student was written during the student’s sophomore year and before she had experience in the field. Therefore, she chose to highlight her attitude towards and seriousness about her future path of study.  She also discusses pre-pharmacy courses she has already completed and stresses her academic success.

Law School Student Sample

The student applying to law school to study environmental law immediately persuades readers of his commitment by telling a personal story of how environmental law affected his family business. He also traces his educational path from community college to a bachelor’s program, where he completed a technical senior thesis with ties to a government agency. With law schools just as interested in recruiting students with a diverse background and life experience as they are with seeking pre-law majors, this student builds a strong case for himself as a candidate in just one page.

Business School Student Sample

The two business application essays, written by the same applicant, are in response to questions posed by an MBA program, which is especially interested in how candidates take risks and overcome challenges. The writer handles the first question, which allows for one page to describe a personal risk and its impact, by vividly recounting a life-changing 3500-mile bike trip he took across the US with his brother at the age of 21. The second essay gives applicants two pages to describe a challenging team experience and their contributions to its success. Here, the writer has the advantage of having already worked in business for a few years after completing his bachelor’s degree, so he wisely turns to his most successful team experience at his company, where he was a project leader.

Short Medical School Student Sample

With medical school applications sometimes asking very focused questions with short answer responses, this student uses the small amount of space allotted to explain why she’s applying to med school by describing how she applied creative thinking to working with a disabled patient in a clinic. Here we recognize that the writer has the sensibility to respond individually to her future patients with respect.

For advice specific to writing essays for professional school, turn to targeted websites such as these:

The website thedoctorjob.com, which includes blog articles on writing personal essays for medical school

“Law School Personal Statements Advice” article from top-law-schools.com

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A personal statement gives you the platform to share your creative story and tell us why UAL is the university for you.

What is a personal statement?

Our definition.

A personal statement is a written pitch.

It is your opportunity to tell us what inspires you, what you're interested in and why you want to study your chosen course at UAL.

Where to begin?

First, ask yourself a few questions.

• Why this subject?
• What artists and styles inspire you?
• What experience and skills do you have?
• What are your career goals? How can this course help you achieve them?

7 tips for your personal statement

• It's all about you.  Your personal story is what makes you unique and stand out from the crowd.
• Make it relevant. Talk about examples and experiences that match your course criteria.
• What about extra-curricular activities?  Do you do any volunteering or have any hobbies?
• Structure as well as substance.  Structure it carefully to create a clear narrative.
• Watch out for errors.  Ask someone else to read it to check for mistakes.
• Practice makes perfect. You may need to write a few drafts before you're happy.
• Read aloud.  Before submitting your statement, read it aloud as a final check.

Advice from UAL staff and students

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Liberal Arts vs. STEM: Comparing Education Pathways

Sarah bellardini.

• Last Updated on August 29, 2024

Table of Contents

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the choice between a liberal arts education or a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree is one of the most significant decisions students must make. While both pathways offer unique benefits and challenges, understanding their key differences and similarities can help students and parents make informed decisions about their academic futures. In this blog post, we’ll break down the significant factors to consider when evaluating liberal arts vs. STEM.

Understanding a Liberal Arts Education

Liberal arts education has a long-standing tradition rooted in the idea of developing well-rounded individuals. At its core, a liberal arts education emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. Students are exposed to a broad range of subjects, including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the arts. This interdisciplinary approach encourages students to explore various fields of knowledge, fostering intellectual curiosity and creativity.

One of the most significant advantages of a liberal arts education is its emphasis on transferable skills. In a rapidly changing job market, where specific technical skills may become obsolete, the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and adapt to new challenges is invaluable. A study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) found that 93% of employers prioritize hiring graduates with strong critical thinking and communication skills over specific majors. This highlights the importance of a liberal arts education in preparing students for a wide range of careers.

Additionally, liberal arts colleges often offer smaller class sizes and more personalized attention from faculty, which can enhance the overall learning experience. The close-knit communities fostered by these institutions also provide students with opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions, collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, and develop lifelong connections with peers and professors.

For a full breakdown of all the unique reasons to pursue a liberal arts education, visit our blog post the Benefits of Attending a Small Liberal Arts College .

However, one of the common criticisms of a liberal arts education is its perceived lack of direct career preparation. While liberal arts graduates are often equipped with valuable skills, they may face challenges in securing jobs in highly specialized fields without additional training or education. This is where the contrast with STEM education becomes particularly relevant.

The Appeal of STEM Education

STEM fields have gained immense popularity in recent years due to their direct alignment with many of today’s high-demand careers. A STEM education is typically more focused and specialized, with a strong emphasis on technical skills, scientific inquiry, and quantitative reasoning. Students pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines often engage in rigorous coursework that prepares them for specific careers in areas such as engineering, computer science, healthcare, and research.

One of the primary advantages of a STEM education is its clear career trajectory . STEM graduates are often in high demand, with many opportunities for high-paying positions in industries like technology, finance, and engineering.

According to projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM jobs are projected to grow by 8% from 2019 to 2029, compared to 3.7% for non-STEM occupations. This demand for STEM professionals reflects the increasing reliance on technology and innovation in the global economy.

Moreover, STEM education encourages a strong foundation in analytical thinking and problem-solving, skills that are highly valued in today’s workforce. The focus on research and experimentation within STEM programs also equips students with the ability to tackle complex challenges, making them attractive candidates for positions in research and development, data analysis, and technical fields.

However, the highly specialized nature of STEM education can also be a limitation. While STEM graduates often excel in their chosen fields, they may find it challenging to transition to careers outside of their specific areas of expertise. Additionally, the intense focus on technical skills in STEM programs may come at the expense of developing softer skills, such as communication and ethical reasoning, which are increasingly important in many professions.

Liberal Arts vs. STEM

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the value of integrating liberal arts and STEM education. Many educators and employers advocate for a more holistic approach to education, one that combines the strengths of both liberal arts and STEM disciplines. This approach is often referred to as STEAM, where the “A” represents the arts (including the humanities and social sciences).

The STEAM movement emphasizes the importance of creativity, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning alongside technical skills. By incorporating liberal arts into STEM education, students can develop a more well-rounded skill set that prepares them to address complex, real-world problems. For example, engineers who have a background in the humanities may be better equipped to design products that consider the social and ethical implications of their work. Similarly, scientists with strong communication skills can more effectively convey their findings to a broader audience, influencing public policy and societal change.

Furthermore, liberal arts and STEM disciplines are not as mutually exclusive as they may seem. Many liberal arts colleges offer strong STEM programs, and students can pursue interdisciplinary majors that blend the two fields. For example, a student might major in data science while taking courses in philosophy and ethics; or a biology major might explore environmental studies and public policy. This interdisciplinary approach both broadens a student’s perspective and enhances their ability to adapt in a changing world.

Choosing the Right Path: Factors to Consider

When deciding between a liberal arts and STEM education, students should consider their interests, strengths, and career goals.

For students passionate about the humanities, social sciences, or arts, a liberal arts education may provide the best foundation for exploring a wide range of topics and developing versatile skills. On the other hand, students who are drawn to scientific inquiry, technical problem-solving, and quantitative analysis may find a STEM education aligns more closely with their interests and career aspirations.

It’s also important to consider the long-term implications of each pathway. While STEM degrees often lead to higher starting salaries and more immediate job opportunities, liberal arts graduates may find their broader skill set opens doors to a wide range of careers over time. According to a report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce , liberal arts majors often see significant salary growth in the later stages of their careers, particularly when they combine their education with additional training or graduate degrees.

Ultimately, the choice between liberal arts and STEM education depends on the student’s individual interests, goals, and values. Both pathways offer unique benefits and challenges, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. By carefully considering their options and seeking advice from educators, mentors, and professionals in their desired fields, students can make informed decisions that set them on a path to success.

Conclusion: The Future of Education

As the lines between disciplines continue to blur, the debate between liberal arts and STEM education is likely to evolve. The integration of liberal arts and STEM, as seen in the STEAM movement, suggests that the future of education may lie in a more interdisciplinary approach that values both technical expertise and broader intellectual skills. By embracing the strengths of both pathways, students can make informed choices that set the stage for fulfilling and impactful careers.

Need help deciding which college pathway is the best fit? HelloCollege is here to offer personalized guidance based on your individual strengths and aspirations. Schedule your free 45-minute consultation today!

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What Does Liberal Arts Mean?

A liberal arts education offers an expansive intellectual grounding in all kinds of humanistic inquiry.

By exploring issues, ideas and methods across the humanities and the arts, and the natural and social sciences, you will learn to read critically, write cogently and think broadly. These skills will elevate your conversations in the classroom and strengthen your social and cultural analysis; they will cultivate the tools necessary to allow you to navigate the world’s most complex issues.

A liberal arts education challenges you to consider not only how to solve problems but also trains you to ask which problems to solve and why, preparing you for positions of leadership and a life of service to the nation and all of humanity. We provide a liberal arts education to all of our undergraduates, including those who major in engineering.

As President Christopher Eisgruber, Class of 1983, stated in his 2013 installation address: “[A] liberal arts education is a vital foundation for both individual flourishing and the well-being of our society.”

A commitment to the liberal arts is at the core of Princeton University's mission.

This means:

Princeton is a major research university with a profound and distinctive commitment to undergraduate education.

Our curriculum encourages exploration across disciplines, while providing a central academic experience for all undergraduates.

You will have extraordinary opportunities at Princeton to study what you are passionate about and to discover new fields of interest.

Students who elect to major in the natural sciences or engineering, for example, also take classes in history, languages, philosophy, the arts and a variety of other subjects.

You could major in computer science and earn a certificate in theater. Or major in African American studies and earn a certificate in entrepreneurship. Many other options are possible through the range of Princeton's concentrations and interdisciplinary certificate programs.

You will be exposed to novel ideas inside and outside the classroom that may change your perspective and broaden your horizons.

We value learning and research as a source of personal discovery and fulfillment — as a pleasurable and enlightening experience in its own right. But it is also a means to an end, in preparing you to live a meaningful life in service to the common good.    

Your Princeton education will facilitate your progress along whatever path you choose to pursue, and you will continually rely on what you learned here in your career and in your life.

Our graduates are prepared to address future innovations and challenges that we may not be able to even imagine today. 

We hope you will take time to explore how a commitment to the liberal arts is part of what makes Princeton special. Consider our 30+ m ajors and 50+ minors ; discover the research conducted by our distinguished faculty; engage with the range of superlative visiting scholars and artists we invite to campus each year; and imagine the quality of conversations you’ll be able to have with your professors and your peers.

Humanities Sequence

In Princeton's yearlong humanities sequence—team-taught by professors from a variety of academic disciplines—undergraduates are immerse in texts that span 2,500 years of civilization.

Integrated Science Curriculum

Integrated Science is a revolutionary introductory science curriculum intended for students considering a career in science. This year-long course prepares first-year students for a major in any of the core sciences while bridging meaningfully across other disciplines.

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The School of Engineering and Applied Science challenges students to both solve problems and understand which problems are important by emphasizing fundamental principles of engineering with their connections to society.

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Liberal Arts

Liberal arts: frequently asked questions, can i transfer between ba and mlibarts, how do 'pathways' work, how much free choice will i have, how does the year abroad work, how do i write my personal statement for ucas, who do i contact for further information.

Yes. If you would like to go abroad in Year 3 and are doing the BA Liberal Arts, you are welcome to apply to study abroad, and if you are successful, you will need to transfer to the MLibArts degree programme. However, please note that students who applied for the MLibArts programme will be given priority for spaces. You can transfer onto the BA from MLibArts at any time up until the end of Year 2.     

Informally, the pathway is also called your ‘major', ie the subject in which you will specialise, while also taking Liberal Arts core units and options in other subjects that interest you. One-quarter of your units are done in the pathway. Each subject has a coherent curriculum for Liberal Arts students, with some required units and plenty of optional choices.

In the last year of your degree you will do a dissertation that ideally will be on a topic that draws on material you have been studying both in your pathway and in other units. 

How many credits do I need to take in my pathway?

Students are expected to take 120 credits in each year of study. By the end of your degree you should have passed:  

Liberal Arts (BA) – 360 credits in total of which 100 credits must be in your pathway;  

Liberal Arts with Study Abroad ( MLibArts ) - 480 credits in total of which 120 credits must be in your pathway.  

To meet these targets the framework requires you take:  

Years 1 and 2 – at least 40 credits in your subject pathway for each year  

Year 3 - at least 20 credits in your subject pathway (BA programme OR up to a third of your units in your subject pathway whilst abroad ( MLibArts programme)).    

Year 4 - at least 20 credits in your subject pathway ( MLibArts only).  

Quite a lot. In Year s 1 and 2 half of your units will split between pathway and optional units of your choice. The amount of choice for your pathway will depend upon which pathway you choose. Some pathways list units which the departments feel Liberal Arts students should take to help their studies progress in that discipline. Other departments allow students to choose from a range of units.  In Year 3 of the BA programme you will choose three pathway and optional units. In Year 4 of the MlibArts programme, you will choose up to four pathway and optional units.    

See our study abroad page.

It might seem difficult to write a statement both for the interdisciplinary Liberal Arts degree and for a single or joint degree (eg BA English), but the qualities we look for in students coming to the University of Bristol are the same in all cases.

Other applicants will be in the same situation as you, and our admissions team is fully alert to it, so you needn’t think you will be disadvantaged. The reasons you give for your interest in specific subjects will stand you in good stead for Liberal Arts. Conversely, a good Liberal Arts applicant will be attractive to admissions officers recruiting for single or joint honours degrees. If you read the admissions statement carefully, you will notice that one of the criteria for Liberal Arts is “interest in links between subjects and overarching themes of historical or contemporary relevance”. This is what the Liberal Arts degree is about; but it’s also a quality that any admissions officer would think commendable.

If you have any questions about our Liberal Arts courses, get in touch with our admissions team via:

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• Email:  [email protected]

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Philosophy: Margaret Cavendish.

The Heroines of Liberal Arts

Liberal arts programs may include the study of literature, philosophy, mathematics and social and physical sciences, history, language and more. This is one of the top ten college majors for women, according to Forbes.

In Time magazine, it was also stated that HBO, Starbucks and Disney´s CEOs were also once liberal arts majors. You never know where it could take you. Here are some women we´d like to celebrate that studied liberal arts that went in different directions post-university.

Baroness Ingrid Daubechies

Baroness Ingrid Daubechies is a  Belgian   physicist  and  mathematician . Between 2004 and 2011 she was the  William R. Kenan, Jr.  Professor in the mathematics and applied mathematics departments at  Princeton .

She taught at Princeton for 16 years, then moved to Duke University in 2011, where she worked as a professor in mathematics.

She was the first woman to be president of the  International Mathematical Union  (2011–2014), and is best known for her work with  wavelets  in  image compression .

Andrea Jung

Andrea Jung has a B.A. in English Literature, which she earned at Princeton University, in 1979. She never imagined being a  Fortune 500 CEO. A trailblazer for female CEOs, Jung finds it hard to believe how a Princeton bookworm came to lead the world’s largest direct cosmetics seller. She was chief at Avon from 1999 to 2012.

“What I find myself doing [now] was pretty unimaginable for me in 1979, after I finished my much-loved thesis on Katherine Mansfeld and my junior papers on Virginia Woolf,” Jung told students in  a 2012 speech.  

“To be standing here, and saying, ‘I now run a $10 billion global company’—I would’ve said, ‘Couldn’t be possible, that is not an imagined career path, not an imagined journey”.

“Because I was an English major, I loved journalism. I thought perhaps I’d go back to journalism school or law school,” Jung said during her speech. But a friend told her about a training program at Bloomingdale’s to gain experience in marketing and merchandising. “I fell in love with the business and the consumer,” says Jung. So she ditched her grad school plans, and dove into the women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics industry instead. The rest is history.

Karen Smith

Karen Smith is an American mathematician, specializing in  commutative algebra  and  algebraic geometry . She studied for her bachelor's degree in mathematics at  Princeton University  before earning her PhD in mathematics at the  University of Michigan  in ‘93.

She is currently the Keeler Professor of Mathematics at the University of Michigan. In addition to being a researcher in algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, Smith wrote the textbook  An Invitation to Algebraic Geometry alongside a few other authors.

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford) is an American novelist, editor, and Professor Emeritus at  Princeton University .

Her novels are known for their  epic  themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters and we think her best novels are  The Bluest Eye ,  Sula  ,  Song of Solomon , and  Beloved .

Morrison won the  Pulitzer Prize  and the  American Book Award  in 1988 for her book  Beloved . It was later adapted into a  film of the same name  (starring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover) in 1998.

Morrison won the  Nobel Prize in Literature  in 1993. Three years later, she also won the National Endowment for the Humanities selected her for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities.

Morrison was honored with the 1996 National Book Foundation's Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, too. She was commissioned to write the  libretto  for a new opera,  Margaret Garner , performed for the first time in 2005.

On May 29, 2012, Morrison received the  Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2016, she received the  PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction .

Carly Fiorina, Former Hewlett-Packard CEO

Carly Fiorina has a B.A. in Medieval History and Philosophy. She studied at Stanford University.

Armed with a Stanford history degree yet still  “completely unemployable,”  Fiorina worked short stints as a receptionist, taught class as an English teacher and labored away as a secretary.

But at 25, she landed a sales rep job at AT&T. She quickly rose up in the IT and tech industry, eventually becoming HP’s chief (1999 to 2005).

Interestingly, when asked if her degree was of any use, Fiorina said how learning about the transformation from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance helped her approach the ongoing technological revolution. “We have, in fact, seen nothing yet,” she says.

She is proud of her liberal arts background.  “While I joke that my medieval history and philosophy degree prepared me not for the job market, I must tell you it did prepare me for life,” the 2016 Republican presidential candidate  said  in March on education policy. “I learned how to condense a whole lot of information down to the essence. That thought process has served me my whole life… I’m one of these people who believes we should be teaching people music, philosophy, history, art.”

Fiorina also earned an MBA from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1980. She received an MS from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1989.

Daniela K ühn

Daniela Kühn is a  German   mathematician  and the Mason Professor in Mathematics at the  University of Birmingham  in the UK. She is known for her research in  combinatorics , extremal combinatorics  and  graph theory .

Alexa Hirschfeld

Alexa Hirschfeld went to Harvard University and received a B.A. in Classics in 2006. She quit her first job to co-found Paperless Post with her brother. 

This e-vite service was conceived in 2007 by her younger brother, James. He was a Harvard undergrad at the time and was planning his 21st birthday party when the idea came to him.

He then called his sister, who was planning to leave her first job as an editorial assistant at CBS. She was often merely opening mail. She needed a job with more creativity, she says.

“[James and I were] really focused on not having lives that were really awful and conventional,” Alexa told the  Harvard  Crimson  in 2011 . But starting out wasn’t easy, either. “We sat in my parents’ living room and we didn’t celebrate any holidays for two years,” she adds. Both lost a lot of weight.

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• (Liberal) Arts and Science / Natural Sciences Personal Statement
• Personal statements
• Writing a personal statement for liberal arts/ french at oxford?
• Talking about foreign literature in my english literature personal statement:
• Questions about UEA
• Applying to various courses
• Liberal Arts BA at KCL
• how do i specify the languages for a modern languages degree?
• southampton
• Applying for a combined degree or joint honours?
• Is a 2 year accelerated degree worth it?
• Can I still get AAA conditional with A*AB predicted if I had a late ADHD diagnosis?
• Liberal Arts at UEA
• Liberal Arts Course
• liberal arts vs combined hons social science
• liberal arts @ Bristol
• Where to do joint honours or major/minor?
• What degree do you have no respect for?
• What uni offers my desired course?

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