I have to submit a personal statement during my application for the NUS Master of Computing in Information Systems, Hence, for the benefit of readers who are also applying for graduate studies in NUS, here is a short summary of what we could possibly include in our personal statement. 

In short, personal statement is aka "application essays" or "statements of purpose"; it is simply an essay to response to questions on a graduate or professional school application form. In fact, it provides you an opportunity to sell yourself. There are two types of personal statement:

1. General personal statement
Allows for maximum freedom in terms of what to write.

2. Response to very specific questions
Often  business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

1. You can write an essay that is more autobiographically focused or more professionally focused.

2. Personal statements are very important when applying to an extremely competitive program.

3. Consider this audience reading your personal statement and what the audience might be looking for in a student.

1. Analyze the question(s) asked.

2. Research the school and/or program that you are applying.

3. Take a personal inventory*.

3. Prepare a 2-3 sentence response to each question.

4. Write, revise and proof-read prior submission.

*Personal Inventory Questions

What makes you different from other applicant? What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the audience better understand you?

Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships in your life?

What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

If this person were reading your application essay, what would leave a lasting impression?

What attracts you to your chosen career?
What do you expect to get out of it?
When did you initially become interested in this career? What are your intellectual influences?
How has your undergraduate academic experience prepared you for graduate/professional school?
What are two or three of the academic accomplishments which have most prepared you?
What did you learn from it? 
Do you have specific career plans? 
What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess? 
Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants? 

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Checklist

1. Have you articulated your goals?
2. Did you explain why you have selected this school and/or program?
3. Did you demonstrate knowledge of this school or program?
4. Did you include interesting details about yourself?


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Opening paragraph is generally the most important
To grab the reader's attention or lose it!
The opening paragraph sets the tone and the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell the audience what you know
The middle section should detail your interest and experience as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field, use the similar terminology in conveying this information. Do some research if a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than the another.

Be specific!
Give evidence and give specific details.