The personal statement is an important element of your return process. We ask that students reflect on slightly different questions depending on whether they have been on voluntary leave, medical leave, or academic dismissal. Please carefully review the questions and respond to each one individually in your personal statement.

To submit your personal statement, email your completed personal statement in Microsoft Word or PDF format to: studentcare@amherst.edu.


VOLUNTARY LEAVE: Personal Statement Prompts

  1. Please provide a summary of the factors that led to your voluntary leave and how you occupied yourself during that time.
  2. Please provide a summary of the factors that have led to your decision to return. If helpful, you may also discuss college communities and/or resources you wish to engage with upon your return to campus. 
  3. Please discuss your academic goals upon returning to campus (e.g. progress toward major, intent to study abroad, intent to write thesis, etc). What assistance is necessary from your Class Dean, Academic Advisor, and other academic support resources to accomplish these goals? 

MEDICAL LEAVE: Personal Statement Prompts

  1. Please provide a summary of the factors that led to your medical leave. What on-campus and/or off-campus resources did you access prior to your leave in order to attempt to address the challenges you faced? What was most helpful during that time? 
  2. Please describe what support steps you've engaged in during your time away to address the medical challenges that led to your leave. Include relevant information on medical treatment you have engaged in. 
  3. Students returning from medical leave report that it is helpful to create a plan about how they will respond to medical challenges that could arise upon return. By making a specific plan, students increase their ability to act during a time of difficulty. It is also useful for friends, family, and/or campus resources to be aware of the plan so they can offer support in carrying it out. 
    1. With that said, please imagine you are back on campus and that you are experiencing a challenge similar to that which led to your medical leave. 
      1. What cues would tell you that you needed support?
      2. What steps would you take to care for yourself?
      3. What person(s) or resource(s) would you reach out to?
      4. What would help you follow through with these steps, even if they felt difficult? 
  4. Please discuss your academic goals upon resuming your studies (e.g. progress toward major, intent to study abroad, intent to write thesis, etc). What assistance is necessary from your Class Dean, Academic Advisor, and other academic support resources to accomplish these goals? 
  5. Overall, what is your self-assessment of your current academic, social, and personal functioning?

ACADEMIC DISMISSAL: Personal Statement Prompts

  1. Please provide a summary of the factors that led to your academic dismissal. What on-campus and/or off-campus resources did you access prior to your leave in order to attempt to address the challenges you faced? What was most helpful during that time? 
  2. Please provide a summary of how you occupied yourself during your time away, including any academic courses you took for credit. 
  3. Students returning from academic dismissal report that it is helpful to create a plan about how they will respond to challenges that may arise upon return. By making a specific plan, students increase their ability to act during a time of difficulty. It is also useful for friends, family, and/or campus resources to be aware of the plan so they can offer support in carrying it out. With this said, please imagine you are back on campus and that you are experiencing challenges similar to that which led to your academic dismissal. 
    1. What cues would tell you that you needed support?
    2. What steps would you take to address the challenge(s)?
    3. What person(s) or resource(s) would you reach out to?
    4. What would help you follow through with these steps, even if they felt difficult? 
  4. Discuss your academic goals upon resuming your studies (e.g. progress toward major, intent to study abroad, intent to write thesis, etc). What assistance is necessary from your Class Dean, Academic Advisor, and other academic support resources to accomplish these goals? 
  5. Overall, what is your self-assessment of your current academic, social, and personal functioning? 

RETURNING FROM TRANSFER: Personal Statement Questions

  1. Please provide a summary of the factors that led to your transfer and your experience at the alternate educational institution.
  2. Please provide a summary of the factors that have led to your decision to return. If helpful, you may also discuss college communities and/or resources you wish to engage with upon your return to campus. 
  3. Discuss your academic goals upon returning to campus (e.g. progress toward major, intent to study abroad, intent to write thesis, etc). What assistance is necessary from your Class Dean, Academic Advisor, and other academic support resources to accomplish these goals?