Graduate Admissions References and Personal Statements

References are an important supplement to your academic background, so make sure to manage them carefully. Salem State accepts professional (supervisors, etc.) or academic (professors, etc.) references; family/friends are not appropriate sources of references.

Depending on the program, 1 to 3 references are required. Please check the program-specific requirements for the exact number required.

Managing your references

Give your references adequate time to complete the reference, especially if your program has a firm deadline or you are applying within a few weeks of a semester beginning.
As soon as you have confirmed that someone can serve as a reference, enter their name and correct email address into the online application. This immediately triggers the request email to the reference, who receives instructions on how to submit the reference online.
Enter the reference information into your online application first so they can work on it while you fill out the other sections.
You can submit your application even if your references have not yet been submitted.
If time lapses and your reference has not completed the online reference, send a reminder email by logging into your online application and clicking the "reminder" button next to the name.
Given the firewalls at educational institutions, school-related email addresses, especially K-12, should not be used for reference communication.
If your reference does not receive the request email, have them check their spam folder as it may have landed there. If it did, they will need to mark the email as "not spam" and move it into their main inbox.
If your reference is having issues with submitting their form, they can contact us directly at gradadmissions@salemstate.edu.

Your personal statement is an important component of your graduate application. Pay attention to content, grammar and style, as your personal statement can serve as a writing sample to reviewers. You must upload your personal statement into the online application.

General Guidelines

Appropriate length is about 500- to 1,000 words or two to three pages, double-spaced.
Address what factors in your personal and professional history have influenced you in the past and now lead you to seek admission to this program at Salem State.
Write about long-term professional goals, and how this program will help you meet them.
Discuss any other information you think would help the admissions committee evaluate your application.

Program Specific Content

Some programs require you to address specific content in your personal statement and others may ask you to submit additional writing samples. Please visit the program-specific page to ensure you meet the requirements for the personal statement.