Personal statements seem easy on the surface, but oftentimes can prove to be difficult. How does one come across as authentic, and how to tell what admissions are looking for in them? Crafting a compelling personal statement is essential for college admissions, and we're here with some tips to help you create one admissions will remember.
What is a Personal Statement?
A personal statement is an essential part of the application process. It's an essay in which applicants have the opportunity to showcase their personality, experiences, accomplishments, goals, and motivations. The primary purpose of a personal statement is to provide admissions officers with insight into who you are beyond your grades and test scores.
What are the Components of a Personal Statement?
A personal statement is written like any other essay, with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However it is written much different than a typical essay is. There are the same three components, but the style is focused on oneself rather than a different subject. What can make it so difficult is that rather than academically focused, it's an intrinsically focused paper. Meaning rather than scholarly sources and references used, it's written from the students personal experience.
The first part of the essay is the introduction. This should be all about your personality. This is the opening, the hook that makes admissions keep reading. This could look like the start of a story that made you who you are, an opinion you believe in, or an interesting fact that you found out and how it relates to you. Regardless, this introduction is what compels admissions to continue with your essay, so make sure your starting paragraph is intriguing.
The body of your statement should be expanding on your introduction. If the introduction was who you are, then the body is what makes you who you are. Expanding on the story you started on, defend your opinion on a matter, or go deeper about your chosen fact. The body of the statement should be providing background to your introduction.
The final paragraph, or the conclusion is your chance to leave a memorable impact on admissions. This is the last piece they will be reading, and thus the last thing about you they'll remember. This could look like summarizing your previous paragraphs, link back to your introduction, or a different way altogether. But making a memorable end is essential.
What Else Makes a Good Personal Statement?
This is the question on everyone's mind. The answer is YOU! Personal statements are meant to be personal. A good rule of thumb is your personal statement should be written so that if your name was taken out and another's was put in, it wouldn’t make sense. Be specific in your writing, admissions wants to hear about what makes you who you are.
Did this help you in writing your personal statement? We have consultants that have been in your shoes, and are waiting to help you in constructing the personal statement that can help accelerate you into competitive colleges. Click below to set up an appointment! We have packages for juniors and seniors!
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