MSW Admissions
Applications
Personal Biographical Statement
In order for the School to obtain a clearer picture of who you are, why you have chosen to enter the social work profession, your readiness for graduate education, and what motivates you to apply to the Boston University School of Social Work, we ask you to submit a personal statement with your application. This statement, which is a very important part of your overall application, should not include a detailed description of your entire life; it should briefly cover important experiences, interests, and abilities as they relate to your seeking professional training in the School of Social Work.
The statement should be divided into three subject areas: personal background,
personal evaluation, and career objectives.
Personal Background
A description of your significant life experiences that have led to the development of your personality and your value and belief systems. Use each of the following topics as an outline:
Relationships Experiences
- individual
- educational
- group
- work
- family
- cultural activities
- community
- recreational
- political
Personal Evaluation
A description of why you think you would make a good social work student as well as an effective social worker. In writing this description, please address the following:
- Your readiness for undertaking graduate social work education. Please address how you believe you will face the rigorous demands of coursework and field education (in the latter case, especially in terms of being able to handle the emotional and practical strain of dealing with client and community problems).
- Why you believe that Boston University School of Social Work is best suited to your needs. Please bear in mind that the School strongly identifies itself as an urban school of social work. The significance of social work in an urban environment is highlighted throughout the curriculum, in many of the field placements, and in the School's various special projects.
- Both your developed areas and those which need further development in relation to the profession of social work.
- If applying to the part-time program, your rationale for doing so.
Career Objectives
A description of why you want to be a social worker and what you would like to do in the future. Please answer the following questions.
- What do you hope to gain from graduate education?
- What has led you to decide to enter the social work profession?
- What are your future professional goals?
- How would you define "an urban mission," and how do your career goals fit with the School's mission?
This outline should be used as a guide in writing your essay. For example, when writing about your personal background and how your personal experiences have led to your individual development, you need not write about all your educational, cultural, and work activities. It would be more helpful if you concentrate on one of the most significant experiences and how it relates to your development. The statement should be in your own writing and no more than six (but not fewer than three) double-spaced, typed pages.
