Personal statements offer the best opportunity to humanize yourself to the admissions officers, so it’s vital to take advantage of them. Readers already know your statistics and have seen your list of extracurricular activities, so the essay is not a chance to brag about something you’ve done or accomplished; it is a chance to give colleges a glimpse of who you really are—not as a student, but as a person.
This may feel daunting, s here are some tips to help you tackle the personal statement:
Choosing the Right Topic
If you’re not sure what to write about, ask yourself: “what does my application need?” Take stock of your entire application—including transcripts, extracurriculars, and recommendations. What is missing? What do you want admissions officers to know that they don’t already know about you?
If you have an important experience that has not been touched upon in the rest of your application, this is the perfect place to share it. Writing about your personal experiences can provide additional context to the person reading your application.
To brainstorm, look through the Common App essay prompt and think of two to three ideas for each. Write outlines—each with at least 10 bullet points—for every topic, so you can show them to your counselor(s), family, and/or friends. They can give you honest feedback about which outline has the most potential.
Rule of thumb: If anyone else has done it or thought it, don’t write it. You may have helped build schools in underserved communities, helped a younger sibling cope with the death of a grandparent, or overcome a debilitating sports injury, but how many similar essays do you think the admissions officers have read? Write about something that is entirely, completely, and uniquely you.
Remember that everyone starts at 0:
As you start writing, don’t be intimidated! Oftentimes, students read exemplary personal statements published by top universities, and they expect themselves to write first drafts of the same caliber. Some students feel so much pressure that they can’t start writing because no sentence is good enough.
Just remember that every excellent personal statement was once a straggly, not-sure-where-this-is-going first draft. That first draft will turn into a better second draft, then into an even better third draft, and so on. So just get something on the paper and go from there.
Use a catchy introduction:
Have you ever started a TV show and, in the first five minutes, decided to turn it off? The first five minutes of a TV show will determine if you want to continue watching the rest. Similarly, the first five sentences of your personal statement will determine whether your reader wants to continue reading it. Of course, your reader HAS to continue reading it, but if they’re hooked from the very beginning, they will enjoy your personal statement a lot more.
Provide Tangible and Measurable Examples
It’s easy to accidentally write an essay that has a whole lot of words but doesn’t say much of anything. To avoid this mistake, remember to always delve deeper into your topic and share examples that feel tangible and, if possible, measurable.
One way to do this is to “show, don’t tell.” This is a popular creative writing phrase, but what exactly does “showing” entail? You can “show” through unique details, precise actions, complex emotions, vivid visuals, etc. By writing your sentences with attention to detail, you will captivate your admissions reader to want to read more. Don’t just tell me you’re a leader – walk me though a specific example of your leadership.
Demonstrate your growth and maturity by the end
Another popular creative writing phrase is “character arc,” which is the character’s transformation or inner journey throughout the story. Even though your personal statement is only 650 words long, you should still incorporate your character arc, no matter how big or small. For example, how did starting your nonprofit transform you? Or, what did you learn from your years of fly fishing? Or how did cracking your tooth on your birthday cake change the way you react to crises?
Self-reflection is key in essays because you can showcase your true personality beyond numbers and statistics alone. Also, remember that uncommon reflections can elevate common topics. Your ability to reflect in a mature and self-aware fashion will set you apart from other applicants writing about similar topics. If you do feel the need to write on a common topic, what is your unique understanding of your life experiences? How did these experiences impact you and why did you respond to them in the way you did?
If you show self-growth (and self-awareness) in your essay, your admissions reader will regard you as thoughtful, reflective, and mature. Universities definitely want more thoughtful, reflective, and mature students on their campuses
Be Clear and Concise
The personal statement has a strict 650 word-limit. This might sound like a lot at first, but soon you’ll find that it is actually quite limiting. Within these constraints, each sentence in your essay is valuable. Eliminate any redundancies or ineffective details.
Additionally, avoid fluffy language and sweeping metaphors. While it is great to paint a picture to breathe life into your essay, this picture should be concise. Remember: you are writing an application essay, not a novella.
Here are three examples that tell the same story, but in strikingly different word counts.
Example 1: “Sweat beaded into my eyes as the sun glared down on me. I took in a shaky breath and ground the dirt beneath my feet. This was it. The moment that would determine if nine months of work had been for nothing. The pitcher cast the ball and I swung with precision. As the ball flew through the air, I held my breath for what felt like an eternity. Then a booming voice called out over the loudspeaker: ‘Home Run’! I had done it. I had made the game-winning play. The roaring of the crowd beat into my ears, deafening me as my teammates ran onto the field. We were officially state champions.”
Example 2: “Nine months of conditioning, training, and late-night practices culminated into one moment, one swing on the field. When the announcer called out that I’d made a Home Run, I knew my team and I had done what no other Varsity Baseball team had done in the history of my school: achieve the title of state champions.”
Example 3: “Nine months of conditioning, training, and late-night practices showed their worth when I made the game-winning swing. My team and I achieved the first-ever title of Varsity Baseball State Champions at our school.”
The first example, told with a whopping 113 words, overemphasizes tiny details that don’t add much to the essay. By contrast, the second example, told in half the words (57) shares specific examples of the work the protagonist put into this accomplishment, as well as relevant context about why this moment was so important to the student and their school. The third example is not as compelling, but it effectively relays the same information in only 34 words.
Write in Your Voice
Colleges want to get to know YOU, not the person you think they want. A common misconception is that you need to sound very academic in an application essay. In fact, the opposite is true. Admissions Readers are well-seasoned to pick up on inauthenticity, and they will realize right away if you are trying too hard to sound smart.
It can be a delicate balancing act to avoid sounding either too formal or too informal. You don’t want to sound overly colloquial, but you also don’t want to come across stiff and academic. Colleges know you’re a teenager, and that is the voice they’re expecting to read.
So, write as yourself. How would you realistically speak? What words are naturally a part of your vocabulary? These are the words you should gravitate towards.
Have fun with it!
Writing your personal statement should be an enjoyable and perhaps even enlightening experience. It is creative and personal, intended to show your admissions readers a more honest and human side of you. So have fun with it! Embrace who you are. If you’re funny, show that. If you’re witty, show that. If you’re passionate, show that. If you’re emotionally adept, show that.
If you enjoy writing your personal statement, chances are your admissions reader will enjoy reading it, too.
And if you need some help, we are here to assist with every step, from coming up with the perfect essay topics to catching that last punctuation error on your list of extracurriculars. Our job is to ensure that your application not only stands out from the rest in the pile, but also that there are no oversights that could negatively impact your chances, nor any missed opportunities to positively impact them.
