sample of personal statement in biology

Sample Personal Statement in Biology (Admitted to JHU)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

Here is the personal statement of a student who made it to John Hopkins University with a 100% scholarship in the field of cancer biology.

I want to emphasise that you must be honest in writing your personal statements. If you borrow content from other places, refer to them in your personal statement. Admissions officers in the US read many essays each year and can easily detect plagiarism.

Sample Personal Statement in Biology

“Raise your hand if your first memory was at age five,” prompted the professor on the first day of my classes. By the time he reached age two, most hands had lowered, but mine remained high. When I was two, I vividly remember when my aunt hugged her daughter tightly and exclaimed to her, “Someone is really brave and is soon going to become even braver!” 

I must have looked bewildered because then my aunt started to sob uncontrollably. How could I have known then what she meant? A couple of days later, my cousin was on an operating table, screaming and crying, with bright lights and nurses poking at her – she never came out of that operation theatre. 

However, it was not until I was in grade 8 that I learned that she had breast cancer, but I have long considered it a defining characteristic. Now years later, I wonder about the rareness of this disorder, the steadfast will of her parents throughout the hardship, and the failure of medicine to save her. From this experience as an onlooker, my passion for medicine emerged.

During my primary education, I expressly recall interacting with several people in the late stages of cancer. I knew my actions would not cure them at that point, yet I endured and persevered with patience. The immovable barriers of affliction I encountered during my academic years were far too menacing to be left unaddressed; during this time, I learned about the staggering number of deaths due to breast cancer alone. After realizing the cost of inaction, I decided to search for a career involving action against affliction.

Since R&D provides a vehicle for such action, I delved into several research efforts at the Molecular Biology (Human Genetics) Lab under the supervision of Dr Brown. Although I wanted to work in the area of breast cancer since I had taken several courses in cancer biology, due to a lack of research in the area of my interest, I decided to get involved in a similar domain called “hereditary hypotrichosis” or research on hair related diseases; also a genetic disease with research techniques similar to that of cancer biology. These experiences have drawn me to research as I have seen its potential to engage disease. 

But could I pursue research for the rest of my life? This question resonated in my head countless times and is still faintly heard. I am attracted to research by its potential for action but am detracted by its distance from the afflicted and its consequent neglect of presence. Unsatisfied, I looked for a vocation involving both presence and action.

Being born and raised in a remote rural village 130km away from the nearest city, I used to walk 6km every day to a shelter home school when I was in grade 5. Later, at the age of 12, I left my home permanently to study at another rural school 30km away – but these efforts and hardships paid off; as I stood ranked 1st in my enrollment. With the help of the Education Scholarship, I could continue my education. 

During these years, I also focused on teaching and ensuring that my rural village benefited from my expertise. However, what drew me to teaching was the capacity to love with both presence and action. This became evident over the years as I have spent countless hours counselling and mentoring those afflicted with educational concerns, both in my home city and places I have been to for work. 

Beyond teaching at various schools, where I taught about biological disorders, genetics, biochemistry, and nutrition to teachers from an arts background, I have also extended my efforts to community work by disseminating scholarship information to our community. Being associated with a village-based development organization as a community mobilizer, I have won rewards for my role in completely eradicating drug addiction in my area. I have also extended my philosophy to social, economic, and emotional affliction by wholeheartedly working on schemes such as “Water Supply”, “Don’t Let Our Environment Get Contaminated”, “Stitching and Handicraft”, and “Try to Boast Economy” – projects that engage in a struggle against poverty, mortality, and social injustice. As my conception of affliction broadened, I began to see many exciting career paths in various fields. However, thought, prayer, and counsel have revealed that my efforts would be best spent focusing on one form of affliction.

This circuitous path has thus brought me back to medicine. In considering teaching, volunteering, and social work as potential vocations, I have confirmed my desire to become a researcher in the field of breast cancer and to focus on physical affliction. Nonetheless, my experiences in these fields have helped me to forge a new conception of medicine that I can uphold as a future researcher. 

From my study and interactions with cancer patients, I have learned about the capacity to love when facing a terminal illness. In addition, my research pursuits have revealed the importance of action in combination with presence. Finally, my experiences with teaching and social service have stretched my conception of affliction.

A further degree will amalgamate my existing knowledge and experiences with a command of the causes and effects of illness, yielding an acute insight into the field of breast cancer. A multidisciplinary approach that involves collaboration across the fields of basic science, medicine, and public health can tackle the roots of problems with a high rate of breast cancer. I believe I can make a significant difference in the health of our society, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to do so actively.

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Successful Personal Statement For Natural Sciences (Biological) At Cambridge

Last Updated: 27th July 2020

Author: Adi Sen

Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through a Biological Natural Sciences applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Cambridge University. The Natural Sciences Course at Cambridge offers a wide range of physical and biological science subjects from 16 departments in a unique and demanding course.

Read on to see how this candidate wrote a Personal Statement that navigates the wide range of biological science subjects. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

Enrolling on our Cambridge Natural Sciences comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts. 

Your tutor will give you actionable feedback with insider tips on how to improve and make your Personal Statement Oxbridge quality for the best chances of success.  

Discover our Cambridge Natural Sciences Programmes today to find out how you can enrol and triple your chances of success. 

Biological Natural Sciences Personal Statement

When Theodore Roszak wrote that nature composes some of her loveliest poems for the microscope and the telescope, I feel he captures the way that science gives us greater understanding of the world in which we live. With this understanding come opportunities to influence the lives we lead. It is my strong interest in science coupled with my inquisitive nature, thirst for knowledge and analytical thinking that compels me to read Natural Sciences. I aspire to work with others at the forefront of scientific knowledge to see how we can apply this knowledge to meet the challenges that unfold in the twenty-first century.

My A level studies have confirmed my interest in a range of scientific areas. After studying cell organelles in biology, I was captivated by reading ‘Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life’ by Nick Lane, delving deeper into the role of mitochondria in cellular function. Continuing to explore beyond the syllabus, reading ‘Genome’ by Matt Ridley and ‘H2O a Biography of Water’ by Philip Ball has fuelled my interest in other areas such as genetics and molecular biology. My enthusiasm for biology was recognised by being awarded the school Year 12 biology prize. In chemistry, exploring carbon nanotubes was exhilarating as I could see that they have enormous potential in diverse applications such as carrying drugs into specific body cells. It was during work experience at a local hospital I saw that scientists provide the tools for doctors and the significance of research in developing new, improved treatments. To explore further the application of science in different contexts, I attended ‘Chemistry in Action’ lectures at the Institute of Education, London.

I was inspired by speaking with scientists at the forefront of research whilst attending the Summer Science Exhibition at the Royal Society. Intrigued by the development of a nanocell to store clean energy using sunlight and that the cell contained porphyrin which is involved in photosynthesis, I realised that studying the structure and function of plants may provide vital information in developing new ways of storing energy. Keen to experiment, it was exciting to make and identify graphene, the first two dimensional atomic material and to explore the potential uses of this strong, transparent and highly conductive material. It is enthralling to consider how these current scientific developments may be applied in the future. Finding great satisfaction in problem solving and thriving on challenge, I have enjoyed studying mathematics, particularly learning new concepts such as calculus. My study of history has enhanced my analytical and essay writing skills. Moreover, it has given me a perspective on the relationship between science and society over the years.

Balancing my extra-curricular activities with my studies has required good time-management. I enjoy playing the piano and a range of sports including netball, tennis and skiing. Playing in the school netball team for the past six years has shown me the value of good teamwork. I have enjoyed volunteering weekly at Strathmore School for children with disabilities and successfully sought permission to organise an Easter Party for them which required initiative, creativity and management skills. Volunteering on the Whitgift Special Needs Activity Project has enhanced my communication and leadership skills and has made me aware of the challenges faced by those with disabilities and their families.

I believe that I have the skills, scientific curiosity and motivation required to learn from, and contribute to, this diverse and challenging course. Studying Natural Sciences will give me the flexibility to explore a wide range of scientific areas and will enable me to develop the skills to work with colleagues at the cutting edge of science.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

Very well-written with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. This statement begins by setting the scene as to why Natural Science, and in particular, Biology, is important to both the world and the applicant. The student clearly explains their interest in Biology and then goes on to explain their interest in the other subjects covered as part of the Natural Sciences degree. Many prospective students forget to do this, and in this statement, every point is justified with examples from the student’s personal experiences which adds emphasis to the statement.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

At times this reads a bit like a list, and removing a few examples so that they could say more about those left would have produced a more impactful statement which would more adequately fulfil the requirements to show interest, ability, familiarity, ambition, and understanding of the course’s demands.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This is an excellent personal statement with a clear and logical structure. The student does not simply list their achievements but provides reasons for their academic interests. 

We’re giving this one 5/5 as it’s clearly a strong statement that made an impact on the admissions tutors reading it. 

And there we have it – a Cambridge Natural Sciences Personal Statement with feedback from our expert tutors. 

Remember, at Cambridge, the Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

Check out our Free Personal Statement Resources page for even more successful personal statements and expert guides.

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Biology personal statement example 1.

Since as long ago as I can remember I have always been fascinated by the natural world. That childish fascination has not left me but deepened over the years. This interest has led me to my love of biology, ecology, animal behaviour and evolution.

Following my graduation from High School I studied Biological Sciences for two years at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. From March 1997 to November 1998 I was obliged to take a break from my studies at university as my father was moving from the city to a more remote rural area.

While helping my father I was able to work closely with birds of prey among others and I was successful in breeding the endangered chinchillas. During my time away from university I continued to deepen my knowledge of my subject and studied evolutionary thinking and the biological basis of behaviour.

I also worked for a brief time as a translator which made me think that perhaps my English was good enough o complete my studies in an English speaking country.

Since coming to Oxford and studying at OLT I have improved my written English a great deal. I am a member of The Natural History Museum (London) and recently attended a course called 'The History of Evolution'. The course was organised by Birkbeck College and took place at the Natural History museum in London each Wednesday.

The course has been fascinating and has served to confirm my suspicion that the more I learn of this subject the more I want to know.

I am hopeful that my previous studies in Santiago, my maturity and my experience in this field will allow me to enter the second year of an undergraduate programme in the UK. After completing my undergraduate it is my wish to continue studying at postgraduate level and ultimately conduct my own research in this area.

My other academic interests include, Paleoanthropology, and the history and development of science. I am most interested in the writings of Darwin and Thomas and Henry Huxley.

I am keen on fitness training, horse riding, trekking and diving. I am most interested in all outdoor pursuits. I am also keen to develop my newly found skills in classical singing and dance.

I realise that as a non-native student I will be required to work harder than my contemporaries and I am prepared to do that. I have a cheerful and open-minded disposition and look forward to sharing and exploring new ideas.

I hope may application will be considered favourably.

Profile info

There is no profile associated with this personal statement, as the writer has requested to remain anonymous.

Related Personal Statements

Your statement appears to be.

Fri, 17/09/2004 - 00:00

Your statement appears to be rather descriptive and doesn't appear to ooze enthusiasm as much as some others.

brilliant ps one of the best

Tue, 18/09/2007 - 12:20

brilliant ps one of the best I have ever seen in my entire life

I think the description of

Sat, 14/06/2008 - 17:44

I think the description of your actions; breeding endangered birds, studying that's not for an exam etc. 'oozes' enthusiasm enough, at any rate it sounds genuine.

Mon, 18/08/2008 - 16:39

sounds .. genuine n fantstic :)

Really good. However maybe

Tue, 07/10/2008 - 10:53

Really good. However maybe you started too many sentences with 'I', if you varied this it would be perfect!

Wed, 11/02/2009 - 11:27

i have never took biology but looks pretty good!

Tue, 07/09/2010 - 15:10

you need to talk more about

Sun, 13/10/2013 - 17:12

you need to talk more about the specifics of the course and why they interest you

Wed, 15/01/2014 - 19:29

WELL DONE WHO EVER WROTE THIS!

Add new comment

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Graduate Application Process

Writing a strong personal statement.

• You should begin a draft of your personal statement the summer before you are applying to graduate school.
• Finalize your draft in September and have your faculty advisor and other close faculty read your essay.
• Spend the rest of September and some of October revising your essay and writing different versions tailored to each school.
• Make your essay sincere but unique by mentioning how you found your own research opportunity, or published a paper when you were an undergraduate, or used a really awesome new technology that inspired you to continue doing research.
• Your most important research projects in brief.  Explain the question(s) you addressed and what you accomplished.  Don’t be afraid to mention that your project didn’t work.  Graduate schools understand the trials and tribulations of research and above all respect honesty.
• Your goals in graduate school and after you receive your doctorate.
• Why you became interested in science and why you want to follow a research career in the immediate future.
• Any professors that you are interested in working with, why you find their research interesting, and possibly a future project based on their current works.
• Explain any discrepancies in your GRE scores, transcript, or disciplinary record.  If you have anything that really stands out, give a simple explanation for what happened.

^Back to Top

• Avoid excessive detail on your personal background or research as well as flowery and verbose writing.  You have limited space; complicated vocabulary or sentence structure will detract from the important points of your statement and won’t impress anyone.
• If you are interested in getting a job in industry after you get your Ph.D., it is not wise to blatantly state that in your essay.  Graduate programs want a significant number of their students to become faculty, so it is safer to mention that you are interested in continuing research post graduate school.
• Don’t write anything that indicates you aren’t sure about graduate school.  If a school knows that you are highly qualified, but feels that you are just applying to have options after college, not because you truly want to attend their program, they will be disinclined to offer you admission. 
• The length of your statement depends on what is specified in each application.  Thus you cannot get away with writing one personal statement and use it for every application.  Typically schools ask you to write a personal statement that is 1000-2000 characters long.
• Make sure to carefully proof read your personal statement.  Typos or grammar mistakes make your essay seem sloppy and easily turn off your reader.  Have friends, faculty, or parents proof read your essay for typos. 
• Look online for sample essays to view examples of strong personal statements.
• Taylor your essay to each program.  You can include the core of your original essay for each school, but add an additional paragraph or two detailing why you want to attend that specific school, why you would thrive there, what professors you are interested in, etc. 
• Most applications have one or two supplemental essays.  For instance, some schools ask you to explain your research in more detail, while others ask you to explain how you think you will fit into their program with respect to the students, faculty, and school community.

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Graduate School Personal Statement

Criteria for success.

• Your personal statement convinces a faculty committee that you are qualified for their program.
• It convinces them that you are a good fit for their program’s focus and goals.
• You show a select group of skills and experiences that convey your scientific accomplishments and interests.
• Your experiences are concrete and quantitative.
• Your personal statement is no more than 2 pages.

Structure Diagram

The graduate school personal statement tells your story and demonstrates that you are a good match for a particular department or program. Matching goes both ways: they should be interested in you, and you should be interested in them. Your personal statement should make this match clear.

Analyze Your Audience

Your personal statement will be read by a graduate committee, a handful of faculty from your program. They’re trying to determine if you will be a successful graduate student in their department, a positive force in the department’s intellectual life, and a successful scientist after you graduate. They are therefore interested in your qualifications as a researcher, your career goals, and how your personality matches their labs and department.

The graduate committee probably reads hundreds of applications a year. To make it easy for them to figure out that you are a good fit, make direct, concrete statements about your accomplishments and qualifications. To make it easy for them to remember you, create a narrative that “brands” you.

Create a personal narrative

PhD programs invest in the professional and scientific growth of their students. Get the committee excited about investing in you by opening your essay with a brief portrait of what drives you as a scientist. What research directions are you passionate about, and why? What do you picture yourself doing in 10 years?

Close your essay with a 2-3 sentence discussion of your career interests. No one will hold you to this; this just helps your committee visualize your potential trajectory.

Describe your experiences

Experiences are the “what” of your essay. What experiences led you to develop your skill set and passions? Where have you demonstrated accomplishment, leadership, and collaboration? Include research, teaching, and relevant extracurriculars. State concrete achievements and outcomes like awards, discoveries, or publications.

Quantify your experiences to show concrete impact. How many people were on your team? How many protocols did you develop? How many people were in competition for an award? As a TA, how often did you meet with your students?

Describe actions, not just changes in your internal mental or emotional state. A personal statement is a way to make a narrative out of your CV. It is not a diary entry.

Explain the meaning of your experiences

Meaning is the “why” or “so what” of the document. Why was this experience important to your growth as a scientist? What does it say about your abilities and potential? It feels obvious to you, but you need to be explicit with your audience. Your descriptions of meaning should also act as transition statements between experiences: try to “wrap” meaning around your experiences.

Demonstrate match to your target program

Demonstrate an understanding of the program to which you’re applying and about how you will be successful in that program. To do this:

• Read the program’s website. See what language they use to describe themselves, and echo that language in your essay. For example, MIT Biological Engineering’s website lists the department’s three objectives.
• Get in contact with faculty (or students) in your target program. If you have had a positive discussion with someone at the department, describe how those interactions made you think that you and the department may be well-matched.
• State which professors in the program you would plan to work with. Show how their research areas align with your background and your goals. You can even describe potential research directions or projects.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

These are selected sections from the personal statement that an MIT BE graduate student wrote in their successful application to MIT BE. 675 KB

Annotated Example 2

This is the personal statement from an MIT BE graduate student’s successful application to the MIT BE program. 11 MB

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Biology Personal Statement

Submitted by Rob

Make the most of your interest in Biology with biomedical sciences at Swansea.

Tailor your studies towards a career in research, innovation or healthcare with Swansea University's range of biomedical sciences degrees. Foundation Year, BSc and MSci available - there's a place for you at Swansea!

Biology Personal Statement

To me biology is everywhere, we can discuss protein synthesis or DNA replication and it is fascinating to visualise that it is happening inside of me. Virtually everything we examine happens within or surrounding an organism; therefore, I strive for a deeper understanding in the way organisms work, different biological processes and how we have evolved. Continuing my studies at university will give me the opportunity to gain that deeper understanding. To further my interest, I attended Professor Cobb’s lecture on “The race to understand the structure of DNA”. This taught me how scientific study can be competitive, helping to quicken the pace of research and improve outcomes. Therefore, understanding the structure of DNA was reduced from decades to years. This led me to read “The Epigenetic Revolution” by Nessa Carey. I was particularly drawn to two chapters; “Why aren’t identical twins actually identical?” and “Battle of the sexes”. I was intrigued that identical twins are different because epigenetics causes differently regulated genes. Equally, the way two genders differentiate is my favourite discussion point in psychology classes where we have examined different approaches to explaining gender development. I found “The Infinite Monkey Cage” podcasts with one named “Battle of the sexes” showing that our brains are fundamentally similar but men will have more grey matter in their brains. This leads to men excelling at information processing tasks whereas women with more white matter would excel at putting the information together.

My love for animals and how they relate to humans caused me to seek and attend the “Animal Research Day” at the University of Manchester . This gave me an insight into the way institutions use animals in research. The session on the fruit fly was particularly interesting, seeing how such a simple change in conditions can cause such drastic changes in behaviour, helping to understand humans and diseases better.

Having seen how animals are used in research, I was curious to see the converse of species conservation. Spending time behind the scenes at The Deep in Hull gave me great insight into the conservation of marine organisms. I explored and learnt about the evolutionary transition of fish to amphibians represented by the Tiktaalik. My intrigue into this evolution compelled me to read the book “Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind”. This showed me how Homo sapiens evolved from the 3 Homo species, including Homo neanderthalensis, 200,000 years earlier. Harari argues; two consequent revolutions, the cognitive then agricultural, leading to the extinction of the other 3 Homo species and the domestication of plants and animals caused Homo sapiens to be the dominant species.

For three years I’ve been involved in a Jewish Manchester youth organisation, holding the positions of vice president and president. Organising the logistics and programmes developed my planning skills to the extent I was selected to run a full weekend of events nationally. I have been appointed Deputy Head Boy, which together with my role as president has enhanced my communication, public speaking and teamwork skills. With my love for sport, I played in the year 7-11 football, cricket, athletics and rugby teams, and was a school sports captain; this developed my team working skills. I am proud to have been chosen for the Manchester FA’s Young Leaders Academy, from 60 candidates. Enabling me to help run tournaments and sessions at Football Futures events. In addition, I am a qualified football Level 1 coach, a qualified first aider and have safeguarding training, I coach under 8’s, 10’s and 12’s football which, along with my other commitments has aided the development of my planning, organisation and time management skills.

The biological world fascinates me and I am excited at the prospect of being in an environment with like-minded people learning, discussing and discovering new biological facts and theories.

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Characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in retail dairy products in the US

• Find this author on Google Scholar
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• For correspondence: [email protected]
• ORCID record for Iryna V Goraichuk
• ORCID record for David L. Suarez
• Info/History
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In March 2024 Clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) was detected in dairy cattle in the US and it was discovered that the virus could be detected in raw milk. Although affected cow's milk is diverted from human consumption and current pasteurization requirements are expected to reduce or eliminate HPAIV from the milk supply, a study was conducted to characterize whether the virus could be detected by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qrRT-PCR) in pasteurized retail dairy products and if detected, to determine whether the virus was viable. From April 18 to 22, 2024 a total of 297 samples of Grade A pasteurized retail milk products (23 product types) were collected from 17 US states and represented products from 132 processors in 38 states. Viral RNA was detected in 60 samples (20.2%) with titer equivalents of up to 5.4log 10 50% egg infectious doses (EID 50 ) per ml, with a mean and median of 3.0log 10 /ml and 2.9log 10 /ml respectively. Samples that were positive for type A influenza by qrRT-PCR were confirmed to be clade 2.3.4.4 H5 HPAIV by qrRT-PCR. No infectious virus was detected in any of the qrRT-PCR positive samples in embryonating chicken eggs. Further studies are needed to monitor the milk supply but these results provide evidence that infectious virus did not enter the US pasteurized milk supply before control measures for HPAIV were implemented in dairy cattle.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This study was funded by the US Dept of Agriculture project # 6040-32000-081-00D and the US Food and Drug Administration project # pending.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Data Availability

All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript and supplemental data.

View the discussion thread.

Supplementary Material

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about medRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

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