The following personal statement is written by an applicant who got accepted to top graduate programs in architecture. Variations of this personal statement got accepted at Cambridge, Cornell, and Yale. Read this essay to understand what a top personal statement in architecture should look like.

Here is the personal statement of the Architecure Student.

I am not particularly fond of tea. However, while working in the Northern regions of XYZ, I realized that sharing a cup of tea was considered a symbol of gratitude by its hospitable populace. This simple gesture transcended the commonplace and made our work for the community all the more personal.

For several weeks I shared many cups of the sugary beverage while volunteering with the Heritage Foundation constructing homes for the people of the XYZ. Their entire dwellings had been destroyed by the floods, and it came to us, a group of young architecture students, to revive this once-thriving community.

The process from etching the lines of chalk for the Women’s Community Centre to seeing it constructed into a beautiful bamboo building to be used for gainful employment is one that affected me deeply. The structures we built stand supported throughout the seasons, representing the enduring strength of the people of the XYZ. By helping to re-establish an entire community affected by an unprecedented natural calamity, I became aware of the power of architectural design to incite social change. Also, the focus on sustainable structures made me realize how designers need to focus on the available resources and capacities of the community they are involved in.

This experience was pivotal in realizing the path I wanted to take as an architect. My fascination with creating and manipulating space, seen from an early age by my experimentation with a Wendy Tent, went to the root of my desire to become an architect. Furthermore, the stories I had heard growing up about my ancestral home in XYZ, a city known for its scorching heat; as well as my childhood divided between XYZ, a country oblivious to any form of energy deficiency, and XYZ, a country struggling with shortages in resources have all served to underscore how design needs to adapt and address the social issues of its environment. This instilled within me a desire to work towards making my homeland self-sustaining.

To channel my proclivity, I applied to the country’s top architecture school, and my joy, I was accepted. During my five years at the XYZ, I studied the fundamental nature of the architectural design. I found its intricacies to be a maze that beckoned alluringly to me. Elected as the Vice President of the Architecture Students’ Association, I was in a position to influence how students would perceive architecture. I led the team representing XYZ and XYZ at the National Architectural Student Convention held in XYZ.

My team was honored with the prestigious Citation Prize for the Rubens Trophy. This victory awarded our design from amongst those submitted from more than a hundred universities. It proved to be a tremendous boost to my belief in achieving the career goals that I had set for myself. It also allowed me to develop a global understanding of architectural design. The following year, I volunteered to go to XYZ, an experience that left an indelible mark on my mind.

I returned with vigor to realize architecture’s power in shaping my community and channeled my motivation into my thesis project. I managed to study the overwhelmingly bustling historic urban center of XYZ and analyzed its context, which resulted in providing macro-level sustainable design solutions. A culmination of my efforts and passion, this project was awarded an ‘honors’ in my thesis.

I followed through with my academic goals by seeking employment at a firm that avidly incorporates sustainability in its design practices. After working at SR Design Works, I was reassured of the practical applications of the theoretical knowledge I attained as part of my undergraduate degree. Furthermore, with a conscious desire to be part of responsible design practices, I became associated with upcoming advocates of green building design. However, at the same time, I also grew aware that to achieve my aims, I would need further education.

While working on individual projects which incorporated the principles of sustainable design, I was exposed to the prospective benefits as well as the limitations of those principles. In light of this nexus, it was apparent that I needed further education to explore all its potential advantages.

Another hurdle I had to overcome in a predominantly patriarchal society like XYZ was to hold my own and work on an equal footing with various people, from clients to retailers; colleagues to contractors. This aspect of my character can be attributed to my mother, who raised my brother and me while working full-time as a real estate agent. She taught me to be independent and not to treat my gender as a disability. I have taken her wisdom to heart and have dared to dream of rising to the zenith in my field.

I realize that many architectural designs in XYZ fail to communicate with their environmental and social context, thus creating more hindrances for its inhabitants rather than presenting solutions. My experience in architecture has made me realize the necessity of greater responsibility and sensibility in building structures in XYZ. I greatly believe in XYZ potential and aim for this country to be a forefront practitioner of sustainable architecture.

I aim to practice sustainable architectural design in its true essence and promote green practices that can help build communities, hopefully sharing many more cups of tea in the process.