How to write your Rhodes personal statement
Writing your Rhodes personal statement is a, well, personal process – especially because you are the only one who can work on this essay. When you submit your application, you’ll have to sign a statement attesting that you’re the only one who has worked on the essay.
Overall, you should treat the Rhodes personal statement as an opportunity for introspection: you’ll have to clarify your stories, beliefs, and ambitions — and articulate them in a compelling way.
I was a finalist for the Rhodes in 2022. The single best piece of advice I can give about the Rhodes personal statement is to be authentic. Having a clear sense of who that is will serve you well when writing the essay. Here are some questions you can ask yourself before you begin:
What are my core values? If the scholarship selection committee gives you the Rhodes, they will be making a massive investment in you and your values. Knowing what you stand for will help you articulate why they should select you.
What is my vision for the world I want to help create? Most of the people who win or become finalists have a sense of the change they want to create in the world and the principles behind it. For example, if you want to change the U.S. prison system, you should know what that change is, and the principles and evidence that provide the grounds for it. One question I was asked explicitly in my interview was “What is your vision for the U.S. prison system in 100 years?”
What things do I still need to learn? The ability to honestly appraise your gaps in knowledge will take you far in this process. Knowing what you still need to learn will also help you make the case for why you should study at Oxford.
Winning essays come in many different forms, but they all give a clear and compelling answer to the above three questions. Ultimately, your answers will make the case for who you are, how you’re going to change the world, and how the Rhodes will help you get there. If you’re curious how I wrote my essay and answered these three questions, you can check out my Rhodes application guide, where I break down the contents of my personal essay, academic statement and resume.
See below for some great resources to help you as you write your personal statement:
Writing the Rhodes Personal Statement by Dr. Debs
https://www.bowdoin.edu/student-fellowships/pdf/rhodes-writing-personal-statement.pdf
A former Rhodes scholar, who has been on scholarship selection committees and judged personal statements, offers some great tips on writing a unique and compelling essay.
UW-Madison’s Personal Statement advice
This may be the best resource out there for writing a personal statement. This document is written above all with a crucial question in mind: how can I make my Rhodes personal statement stand out from the pile of other essays on the application reader’s desk?
The Dutton Institute’s Sample Rhodes Personal Statements
I sometimes caution against reading sample Personal Statements to inspire your own writing process because to be successful, your application needs to come from a place of authenticity and originality. However, if you’re really struggling to get started, it can help to read these sample essays, as long as you take them with a grain of salt. Ultimately, following your own style and structure will lead you to success.
Pathways for Scholars’ Rhodes Scholarship Application Guide
Shameless self-promo: I’ve written a guide for applying to the Rhodes, with an extensive section on how to write your personal statement. When I applied in 2022, I spent hours researching the application processs, and now I’m passing everything I learned on to you. My Rhodes Application Guide is 34 pages packed with information to help you make the most of the process.
The application guide includes:
An explanation of how I structured my own personal statement as a finalist
Tips on nailing the academic statement
The unwritten rules of writing a great resume
Sample emails to help your recommenders write the best possible letter
And more! Check it out now.