Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

Extra Personal Statement Examples
The following examples are intended to provide a range of exceptional to mediocre personal statements .
These statements are not organized in any particular order .
Extra Personal Statement #1
I looked across the field as my brother lit the fuse to our first homemade firecracker. He came running
towards me as I saw the small plume of smoke from the burning fuse. Out of breath, our hearts
pounding, we waited…and waited. Nothing. When we finally gathered the courage to go examine the
remains of our project; we found a huge hole had burned in the side of the cardboard tubing we had
used. It was back to the drawing board, back to our “tree‐house” fully equipped with test‐tubes,
chemistry set, battery‐powered hot plate and of course, safety equipment. This was my humble
beginning in science.
Despite my involvement in experimental chemistry as a young child, I soon realized that this was not my
passion; however, the trial‐and‐error methods and problem solving skills required for successful results
did help me decide that I wanted to be a scientist. My sophomore year in college, I was named a HHMI‐
Undergraduate Research Scholar, and I began researching antibiotic resistance mechanisms in
Staphylococcus aureus. One of my specific projects involved examining the association between the use
of household disinfectants and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms; we have
identified several genes previously linked to antibiotic resistance that exhibit altered capabilities in
mutants expressing reduced susceptibility to household cleansers.
Although my research often encourages me to reexamine my use of common cleansing agents and
antibiotics, I worry that the link between laboratory research and public knowledge is too weak,
allowing many solved problems to continue to plague the community. For instance, the scientific
population generally understands that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics can lead to highly resistant
populations of microorganisms; however, living near the border, I overwhelmingly observe people
traveling to Texas to obtain antibiotics that would require prescriptions in the United States. Not only
are these people taking inaccurate doses of the drugs, but they also take medicines that have no efficacy
in treating their specific illnesses. They do not understand that the antibiotics they are using are not
treating their illness and that by using these drugs, they are contributing to a much greater problem.
This inability to communicate scientific findings to the public has motivated my future research and
career goals. Firstly, no matter where my scientific career takes me, I want to directly share my
knowledge with those removed from the research process so that they may benefit from my findings.
Secondly, I am interested in researching host‐pathogen interactions and/or drug design for major clinical
pathogens. More specifically, I would like to examine the mechanisms of viral oncogenesis or immune
responses to bacterial infections and the possible ways to inhibit these processes. These areas of
investigation will allow me to more closely understand questions of major concern to the general public
which will further support my ultimate goal of converting laboratory research into public knowledge.
From curious young chemist to developing research microbiologist, I believe my background and work
ethic would benefit the scientific community. Despite my average GRE scores, I have been successful in
my previous endeavors both within and outside of research, and I hope to contribute significantly to
science in the future. Graduate school is the natural path to achieve my dreams, and I believe that
Stanford’s outstanding program in microbiology would give me the education and preparation I need for
a career in research.
A few years after my brother’s and my initial attempts to simulate the deafening firecrackers from the
store, I sat kneeling behind our protective wall. When the countdown reached “0,” I felt my ears ringing
and saw the large ring of dust rising into the air. My dad turned to us and I saw him mouth, “That is
enough.” About five years after abandoning my introduction to the scientific method through
experimental chemical explosives, I decided I was going to be a microbiologist.
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