PERSONAL STATEMENT
Social Work Personal Statement
As part of your application for admission to the MSW program , you are to write a statement that addresses the questions listed below. This statement will be used to assess your writing skills and aid the Admissions Committee in making a decision about your application. Your statement should not exceed five typewritten, double-spaced pages.A. The concept of “cultural pluralism,” which plays an important role in social work, emphasizes
respect for diversity of values, heritages, customs, and lifestyles.
1. What experiences and/or background characteristics (past and present) would contribute to your
ability to work effectively with people from diverse populations (e.g., race and ethnicity, disability
status, socioeconomic status, consumers of social/mental health services, the LGBTQ community
and specific groups with social service needs, such as Latino and African American men, etc.)?
2. What difficulties, if any, do you think you might have in working with any of the populations listed
above?
3. What experience have you had in dealing with ageism, homophobia, racism, sexism, or other forms
of oppression?
As part of your application for admission to the MSW program , you are to write a statement that addresses the questions listed below. This statement will be used to assess your writing skills and aid the Admissions Committee in making a decision about your application. Your statement should not exceed five typewritten, double-spaced pages.A. The concept of “cultural pluralism,” which plays an important role in social work, emphasizes
respect for diversity of values, heritages, customs, and lifestyles.
1. What experiences and/or background characteristics (past and present) would contribute to your
ability to work effectively with people from diverse populations (e.g., race and ethnicity, disability
status, socioeconomic status, consumers of social/mental health services, the LGBTQ community
and specific groups with social service needs, such as Latino and African American men, etc.)?
2. What difficulties, if any, do you think you might have in working with any of the populations listed
above?
3. What experience have you had in dealing with ageism, homophobia, racism, sexism, or other forms
of oppression?
B. The profession of social work is committed to social justice.
1. What do you understand the concept “social justice” to mean?
2. How do you plan to promote social justice with your MSW?
3. What experiences or factors shaped your interest in advancing social justice?
4. What career pathway do you plan to take with your MSW?
