Many of my seniors who are applying to state universities will complete a personal statement for their application, rather than respond to an essay prompt. The types of prompts on the Common Application are typical for college admissions essays. Although the personal statement is also used to determine college admissions, it is quite different.
Think of the personal statement as a brief bio, about 1 to 1-1/2 pages. It should be just as interesting and creative as an essay. When I say “bio”, the first response from you may be to start with “I was born . . . “ That’s BORING and too far back. Here are 3 tips I share with my seniors so that they write a compelling personal statement to get admitted:
1. Brainstorm about 3-4 highlights of your life story.
You can start by listing experiences, activities or people that are important to you. Taking this first step will help you think more broadly about who you are and what matters to you.
The Ohio State University is a top research university that has world renown.
2. Focus on an important experience that you think speaks to who you are.
Nothing is more boring to read than a laundry list of your accomplishments. Focusing on one experience will be more interesting to your reader because it will a) have more depth b) grab the reader’s attention, and c) keep you from rambling. Yes, it will take more time for you to write but will have more impact.
3. Use your own writings but not the writing of others.
Your personal voice is critical in the personal statement. Reviewing personal statements that others have written to get into college will get in the way of telling your own story. If you need more inspiration, you can incorporate what you’ve written in your other college admissions essays.
Remember that the personal statement, like the college admissions essay, is written from the heart (not the head). In short, that means it should not be treated as something you write for school, i.e. no 5 paragraph essay allowed.
Which colleges are you applying to that require a personal statement?