We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.
The personal statement is your opportunity to communicate directly to the selection committee. It serves as the heart of your fellowship application, is often the biggest determining factor in getting you to the interview stage, and can be a basis for questions asked during the interview.
The personal statement should be a clear, logically-developed set of points with supporting evidence. However, as this is a personal statement, the language does not have to be very formal or academic. Think of the statement as a way for you to tell a story or paint a portrait of yourself.