Pinpoint the honors, awards and accomplishments you want to include in the statement. This will make creating an outline easier and ensure you don't miss important information. Refer to your resume for hints.
Outline your personal essay in order to fit a maximum of two-pages and a one-page minimum. Start with a personal anecdote of why you've chosen a particular college or career field. It will help your application stand out from the many others and draw an emotional connection.
Give a more formal introduction of why you're interested in pursuing a degree and participating in the particular program in your second paragraph. Use this time to give any relevance to the short anecdote mentioned in the first paragraph and elaborate on less important reasons for enrollment. Utilize a thesaurus for action words.
Use the next paragraph to explain any experience you have in the area. Similar to an undergraduate application in this sense, be sure to show yourself as well-rounded and very knowledgeable in the field. Include clarification on any part of your record, such as a low undergraduate grade point average that can be defended easily with experience or other attributes.
Take an additional paragraph to mention any civic or community activities or other unrelated honors that can add to the value of your application and personal statement.
Start to close your letter by reiterating your interest in the program and college as well as your wealth of experience. Additionally, be sure to mention any exceptions that you might have arranged with an admissions counselor or program director, such as a GRE waiver and any materials submitted in lieu of an original requirement.