6 Tips for Writing the Best Personal Statement

First and foremost, what is the purpose of a personal statement? Your personal statement should reveal information about yourself that your CV or transcript do not.

In the case of colleges:

The college should create a picture of who we are and what we have to offer. That is why it is usually preferable to narrate a story or provide examples rather than just listing accomplishments.

Your application’s other components should be augmented. Take into account your entire university application. Your personal statement, clear responses to queries, and supporting proof should tell the story of who you are. This also suggests that your own comments and brief compositions are not overly repetitive.

writing the finest personal statement

For applications for scholarships:

It should demonstrate why you are deserving of the bursary. This typically indicates that your essay is relevant to the bursar’s goal.

It should highlight your strengths. This does not imply that it cannot notice flaws, but it must not focus on negative features!

Students’ personal statements in draft form

What topics should I write about?

It may be difficult to know where to begin. First, consider your options. Some colleges may have quite strict university essay requirements.

Some students have such a significant background, identity, passion, or talent that their application would be incomplete without them. If this sounds like you, please share your story.

Adversity may teach us vital lessons that will help us thrive in the future. Tell me about a moment when you experienced a difficulty, a setback, or a failure. How did it affect you, and what have you learned from the experience?

Consider a period when you questioned or questioned a belief or philosophy. What prompted your thoughts? What was the outcome?

Describe a problem you’ve solved or one you’d want to tackle. It may be an intellectual difficulty, a research topic, or an ethical dilemma—all of which are personally significant, regardless of the extent. Explain your significance and what efforts you have done or will do to find a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or achievement that has resulted in a period of personal growth and improved understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept that causes you to lose track of time. What is it about it that fascinates you? What or person would you like to learn more about?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. You may write it, or you may develop one that responds to a new issue.

How do I decide what to emphasize in my college essay?

Here’s a 3-step solution:

  1. STEP 1 Your personal life brainstorm.

Devote 5 to 10 minutes to brainstorming for each of these four sets of questions. You can do this alone (writing your ideas down) or with a friend or family member, speaking loudly and taking notes as you go. If you “think vocally” better than you do on paper, it might be a good method to collaborate with someone else

(a) What events in your life characterized you?

How have you converted these life experiences, what have you learnt, and how have you shaped your future plans? Some examples of topics include:

  • Accident or injury
  • You made a good friend (or lost)
  • A pivotal conversation with a peer
  • For the first time, you attempted something new.
  • Display your sex or gender identification to friends or family.
  • Find out whatever you can about your family (see the tale of Jesus, for example)
  • Visiting a new town
  • Traveling or learning about a different culture (for example, see Gabby’s story)
  • Your first pet (new responsibilities as a mom or dad)

(b) How did you decide to spend your time?

Consider not only what, but also why—what is your motivation? What were your emotions like? What were your emotions like? What did you discover? What did you discover? Some examples of topics might be:

If you join the band, color guard, or football team.

Have you ever battled with that activity, such as running for soccer captain? Or perhaps you were injured and had to sit on the bench?

Perhaps you were actually in love with this hobby for a brief period of time – e.g. Perhaps your first assignment was to write an article for the school newspaper, and journalism was your calling?

(c) Who or what inspired you to do so?

How did you come upon that person or thing? What inspires you? What inspires you? Have you been motivated by anything (for example, joining a club, participating in an activity, or doing an internship in the subject)? Some examples of topics might be:

Technology-Perhaps a certain app inspired you to learn to code?

Someone in your life-Have you ever been moved by meeting someone (or knowing someone in your family)?

A show, film, book, or podcast causes you to reconsider your life.

A dance or song that first piqued your interest in the arts.

(d) What is your source of pride?

Make a list of everything you are proud of. These might be milestones, passions, characteristics, or eccentricities that define you. The following topics may be considered:

You saved the day with your incredible left-handed catch in the field.

Personal traits – Perhaps you’re extraordinarily funny or amazingly calm under pressure. What are some examples of when these characteristics have been demonstrated?

Random life skills you excel in — Bake a medium chocolate brownie. Count the number of balls in a jar. Tell us about a moment when this great present came in handy!

Don’t be concerned if you find yourself repeating yourself across sections. This is just a way to start your thoughts flowing!

College student writing.

STEP 2.  Make a brief list of your thoughts.

Choose your best ideas from the bunch. This should likely be a small number (2-4).

STEP 3: Brainstorm prospective essay subjects.

We agree with Find the Right College – once you’ve generated some ideas and picked 2-4 winners, simply start writing freely! Begin by writing a few paragraphs or sentences about any of the topics listed above, and then let the words flow. Write for about 15 minutes on each of the selected topics. Don’t worry about order or structure—this is merely a practice exercise to get you used to putting your thoughts on paper.

Be the quickest to write (those 15 minutes are up!)

Learn at least one interesting story.

It appears to reveal an important aspect of your personality.

Do not allow yourself to get easily captivated by other components of your software.

Personal statement evaluation template for students

Okay, I’ve decided on a topic for my personal statement. But I need to write it right now. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?

So, let’s get started. Let’s start with what’s pleasant, or even wonderful, about a personal statement.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing a personal statement.

  1. Make it personal.

Remember to include the word “personal” in your personal statement. We are all about a story, and we all have a different route that has led us to where we are now.

  1. Speak in your own voice.

Write a personal statement that describes who you are in a true tone. There is no such thing as a good or bad tone—just make sure your tone is YOU. This means, in particular, that huge words are employed for more than just demonstration.

  1. Consider your target audience.

Who will you write your personal statement for? Which message do you wish to send? If it’s to the admissions committee, how can you demonstrate that you fit in well with the school’s culture? How can you show your support for their mission if it is for a bursar?

  1. Hit the big three: story, significance, and college/major connection.

Most good university essays accomplish at least three goals:

  1. Strike the length.

Make sure you don’t go over your allotted time. Normally, if you aim for 500 words, you’ll be ok. Some university or scholarship applications allow you to write up to 600 or 650 words.

  1. Please revise/edit  your work.

Simply step away from it once you’ve completed your personal statement. We used to use pencil and paper to record all of our ideas and facts (including first-draft college essays). Because we rely so much on screens, our eyes become tired and we miss typos and grammatical problems.

Save this document in an easy-to-find folder on your computer. Then you step away from your computer and take a break, allowing your mind and body to relax and concentrate before returning to review the work.

We cannot stress this enough: do not submit your personal statements without first double-checking your orthography, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and so forth. Everything grammatical! Your personal statement reflects who you are, from the subject you choose to the manner you write it, so wow institutions with excellent structure and wonderful grammar.https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html

  1. Then, have someone else modify it as well.

We recommend that you have a friend, adviser, or parent read your personal statement before submitting it. Another pair of eyes can help you acquire a second opinion on the tone, writing quality, and overall portrayal of who you are.

  1. Push the “submit” button on your personal statement with courage!

Finally, after you’re finished, click submit! Don’t be shy!

  1. Remember that your personal statements for college applications may also be used as academic essays.

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