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Over the past year or so I have been getting a lot of requests from students regarding sharing a sample personal statement for the Fulbright scholarship.

The sample Fulbright personal statement below has been shared with me by an anonymous but successful Fulbright applicant who has allowed me to share her personal statement on this blog. It can be used as an example to give you an idea of how to write and structure your own personal statement for the Fulbright program.

If you feel you need a little extra help, you can always contact me to check if I can help but please DO NOT copy chunks from this essay, or plagiarize them directly. You will not only lose your chance of getting the Fulbright scholarship but it is also unfair to copy someone’s original work. Simply use this to as a reference guide for writing your own authentic personal statement.

Before you go on to read this sample personal statement for Fulbright scholarship, let’s do a little exercise to warm you up for writing your own statement of purpose.

So here it goes: Which of the following sounds more appealing?

I went down the building to the cafeteria, which looked good, and bought a burger that I ate.

OR

I strolled down the building as the cafeteria fragrances wafted through the air. I then bought the best chicken burger I have ever tasted.

Of course you would say that the second one is better. This is so because it is more descriptive and creates a more vivid and inspiring picture in your mind. But at the same time it requires the right set of words to describe the situation which is slightly more challenging.

So a word of advice – just write more descriptively so that its all the more exciting to read!

Some examples:

BORING: I performed in my first GRE exam today.
EXCITING: I blew the GRE test away in my first attempt.

BORING: I ran an antivirus, and got the computer to work
EXCITING: Ignoring risks and malfunctions, I did a complete antivirus run on my new computer.

Just know that you all have remarkable stories to share – you just need to dare to be more descriptive!

Sample Personal Statement for Fulbright Scholarship

Jinnah once said, “Failure is a word unknown to me.” His triumphant struggle for a separate homeland was a testament to this statement. Yet sixty years down the road, we have proved our founding fathers wrong as our nation is poised to become a failed state. Since its inception, my homeland has witnessed anything but failures. Despite having vast potential for renewable energy, one of the most significant coal reserves, millions of hectares of cultivated land, and an enormous labor pool, my country’s survival depends on the massive inflow of foreign aid and loans. It’s a pity that our economy continues to be the sick man of the sub-continent even after 60 years of independence. In the face of such economic upheaval, we, as citizens of this embattled nation, can either stand on the sidelines and pass judgment or take a stand and fight for our nation’s progress. I, for one, have chosen the latter!

Belonging to a social setting where typically most young women voluntarily or involuntarily rest their case to marriage at an early age, I, nonetheless, immediately after high school, sought admission to a top-ranking university in the country. Owing to the booming banking industry and fruitful career prospects in the sector, I was faced with immense pressure from my family to opt for a degree in finance; however, having great empathy for issues of economic backwardness and an ardent passion for being a change agent, I chose to major in Economics instead.

My college days, however, were not just about earning an internationally reputed degree – it was an education in all dimensions. My most rewarding experiences were outside of the classroom walls. Though the initial separation from my family’s direct support was challenging, it provided me with an opportunity to discover my capabilities in making and living with my decisions. It made me recognize that survival in a competitive freelance environment depends on how well you do and how well you relate to people. Fortunately, I was able to accomplish results and develop lasting working relationships, not only with my friends and instructors but with people from derelict circumstances through the LUMS Community Service. My association with such services did not end here; instead, it further catapulted me to help those in need. Subsequently, I took up a job as a Teaching Assistant, whereby my colleagues and I worked to retain students with academic difficulty through conducting tutorials and peer counseling.

My introduction to the energy sector was a coincidence at best. Having only an undergraduate degree in economics, I was academically ill-equipped for my first job as an integral member of the corporate finance team of Uch Power. The technical jargon used at work eluded me, and I had to put considerable effort into tasks that others performed with complete ease. However, I soon realized that To survive in the fast-paced life of Uch and with no time to learn the ropes, I had to make a run for it or risk being caught behind. With time, what started as a struggle to survive slowly became a passion: a desire to understand and decode whatever complexities my work entailed. Today, I am working not only with the corporate finance team of Uch itself. Still, I am also a valuable part of the Uch-II team – the expansion project adding another 4040MW to the existing grid.

However, this is merely the beginning, for I aspire to achieve much more. Despite such productive work experience, I continue to thirst for the knowledge needed to give back to my community, help others, and, most importantly, prove that what matters is not where one comes from but where one’s heading! I’ve worked hard to make the most of this chosen career path – in the most derelict sector of the economy, and I intend to continue doing so in the future.