Helping Your Students Write Personal Statements

Stephen Lassonde is Director of the Newman Office of Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships at Hunter College, City University of New York. He was formerly Dean of Student Life at Harvard College, Deputy Dean of the College at Brown University, and an Assistant Dean at Yale College. Lassonde has previously published on the history of childhood and education in the United States.

“This must-read book for fellowship advisors should be shared with their students. Lassonde’s success with first-generation college students has produced a “developmental” guide to writing the personal statement emphasizing applicant growth, rather than a singular focus on winning. No matter their starting line, no matter the outcome, your students will gain a sense of who they are, what they care about, articulate their goals, and hone their life’s purpose.”Jonathan F. Fanton, President Emeritus, American Academy of Arts and Sciences"I wish I’d had this book by my side throughout my three decades of advising students. Using clear language and illuminating examples, Lassonde draws a map for advisors to guide their students through what is often an opaque process, showing how the well-executed personal statement enables applicants to learn about themselves, and in so doing, become better versions of the people they hoped to be in the first place."Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University"On my campus I advise many students who begin to think about applying for fellowships sometime during their college years. Stephen Lassonde’s book is chock full of “real world,” super low-cost methods for helping fellowship applicants from modest backgrounds. Faculty and staff at every university should use this book: “a friendly read” and broadly applicable with so many concrete suggestions."Richard J. Light, Pforzheimer Professor of Teaching and Learning, Harvard University“Stephen Lassonde…has just published an exceedingly valuable handbook for helping undergraduates frame the well-executed personal narratives that are central to any successful scholarship application.”Steven Mintz, Inside Higher Education

• Acknowledgements Preface Chapter 1: What Our Students Don’t Know: What Is a Fellowship, and Why Apply for One? Chapter 2: Common Denominators: What It Takes to Be a Successful Applicant Chapter 3: "Who Are You?" Helping Your Students Know Who They Are Chapter 4: What a Fellowship Committee Wants to Know about Your Student: Helping Your Students Understand How to Present Themselves Chapter 5: Framing the Narrative: Authenticity in the Personal Statement Chapter 6: Where to Begin? Getting Your Students Started on Writing Their Personal Statements Chapter 7: Revising and Ending: Helping Your Students Understand the Importance of Refining Their Personal Statements Conclusion: Recruiting, Cultivating, and Retaining Student Talent, and Faculty Collaboration Index