Hello, I am an American applying for masters programs at the University of Leiden and the University of Tilburg. Both applications require a personal statement. I want advice on how to approach writing the statement. For an American uni, I would include personal things about myself like my background, how and why I am passionate about this field of study, etc. I have heard that Dutch Universities prefer less sentimental and more academic personal statements. Therefore personal statements should be more like a sample of your academic writing. Is this true? Could someone with experience in the Dutch university system enlighten me? Thanks!