personal statement vs. statement of purpose

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I am applying to grad schools, and one of the school is asking me to submit a personal statement IN ADDITION to the statement of purpose. This is really confusing, because I've always thought that they were the same thing. I have no idea how to "break up" my statement of purpose into 2 essays. Does anyone have any suggestions? Could someone explain to me what's the underlying difference between the two? Thanks!

I thought they were the same thing.

I believe a personal statement is about you, although you should present it in the light of your chosen career. A statement of purpose could be a more explicit statement of why you want this career and/or to be in this particular school.

If I were you, I would search their website and see if they gave any instructions. That way you can tell them what they want to know and you won't have to tell them things you don't care to tell them.

You could also talk to the program coordinator or chair of the grad program. I'm a second year grad student and both of these people are actually pretty nice people.

You could ask the school what they want for each essay. There should be contact info on the application or the website for someone who answers questions about applications.

In general, I think that a personal statement discusses who you are, while a statement of purpose describes what you want to do (why do you want to enroll in their program?).

I agree with all of the previous replies. I just want to add one more point, I think Personal Statement is usually asked of candidates for undergrad school, while SOP (Statement of Purpose) is a prerequisite for grad ones. So, as you are applying for grad schools, SOP should be more emphasized. Good luck with your application.