Getting you prepped for theESSAYS
WHAT IS THE PERSONAL STATEMENT?
The Personal Statement is the main college application essay that is designed to get to know the applicant on a more personal level. The personal statement is your first opportunity to show who you are beyond your GPA, transcripts, and scores.
WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
Almost every college is going to ask for some kind of a personal statement or main college essay. The Common Application, Universal Application, and Coalition Application all ask for some kind of personal statement that goes out to every school. Why do all these schools want to see these? They just want to know about you! This is a chance to get to know a more personal side of you. Don’t feel the need to make things up or exaggerate for the sake of a better story — a personal statement needs to reflect you, not some abstractly sad, exciting, or profound theme.
HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING:
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?
- What is special about you?
- What are the top personality traits others think of when someone says your name?
- Is there a story that shows that?
- Quirky, funny, perfectionistic, whimsical, shy, etc. Find a trait that centers you and find a way to frame it positively.
WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
- Do you have a special passion that much of your life has been centered around?
- How do you envision that passion playing into your college life?
- Does this passion play into a goal you have for college or beyond?
- How did this come to be so important to you?
- Do you share this passion with a family member or friend?
- What experiences have you had through this passion?
WHAT HAVE YOU OVERCOME?
- Has there been a significant obstacle that you’ve overcome?
- How has that changed the way you think about the world, yourself, and others?
- Remember, don’t exaggerate or invent for this! If something occurs to you, big or small, run with it! Otherwise, consider focusing on a different question for the personal statement.
GENERAL TIPS
- Once you’ve found some of these ideas you want to focus on, keep in mind:
- The prompts are intentionally vague and adaptable, but make sure you’re answering them appropriately!
- Tell a story! Make sure it’s engaging.
- Take that first paragraph to really grab your reader’s attention Make sure that story keeps the focus on YOU and whatever you’ve chosen to center on — your personality, your perseverance, your interests, etc.
- The prompts are intentionally vague and adaptable, but make sure you’re answering them appropriately!
- Tell a story! Make sure it’s engaging.
- Take that first paragraph to really grab your reader’s attention Make sure that story keeps the focus on YOU and whatever you’ve chosen to center on — your personality, your perseverance, your interests, etc.
A FEW THINGS TO AVOID
- Honesty is good! That doesn’t mean a personal statement should include moral or ethical mistakes
you’ve made. A college application isn’t necessarily the time to tell about that time you lied to get something you wanted.
- Avoid jargon. Especially if you’re focusing on your interests, remember that an admissions
counselor is not a specialist and will not necessarily know what you mean if your language gets too technical.
- Avoid controversial political or religious statements.
you’ve made. A college application isn’t necessarily the time to tell about that time you lied to get something you wanted.
- Avoid jargon. Especially if you’re focusing on your interests, remember that an admissions
counselor is not a specialist and will not necessarily know what you mean if your language gets too technical.
- Avoid controversial political or religious statements.
WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
Almost every college is going to ask for some kind of a personal statement or main college essay. The Common Application, Universal Application, and Coalition Application all ask for some kind of personal statement that goes out to every school. Why do all these schools want to see these? They just want to know about you! This is a chance to get to know a more personal side of you. Don’t feel the need to make things up or exaggerate for the sake of a better story — a personal statement needs to reflect you, not some abstractly sad, exciting, or profound theme.
HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING:
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?
- What is special about you?
- What are the top personality traits others think of when someone says your name?
- Is there a story that shows that?
- Quirky, funny, perfectionistic, whimsical, shy, etc. Find a trait that centers you and find a way to frame it positively.
WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
- Do you have a special passion that much of your life has been centered around?
- How do you envision that passion playing into your college life?
- Does this passion play into a goal you have for college or beyond?
- How did this come to be so important to you?
- Do you share this passion with a family member or friend?
- What experiences have you had through this passion?
WHAT HAVE YOU OVERCOME?
- Has there been a significant obstacle that you’ve overcome?
- How has that changed the way you think about the world, yourself, and others?
- Remember, don’t exaggerate or invent for this! If something occurs to you, big or small, run with it! Otherwise, consider focusing on a different question for the personal statement.
GENERAL TIPS
- Once you’ve found some of these ideas you want to focus on, keep in mind:
- The prompts are intentionally vague and adaptable, but make sure you’re answering them appropriately!
- Tell a story! Make sure it’s engaging.
- Take that first paragraph to really grab your reader’s attention Make sure that story keeps the focus on YOU and whatever you’ve chosen to center on — your personality, your perseverance, your interests, etc.
- The prompts are intentionally vague and adaptable, but make sure you’re answering them appropriately!
- Tell a story! Make sure it’s engaging.
- Take that first paragraph to really grab your reader’s attention Make sure that story keeps the focus on YOU and whatever you’ve chosen to center on — your personality, your perseverance, your interests, etc.
A FEW THINGS TO AVOID
- Honesty is good! That doesn’t mean a personal statement should include moral or ethical mistakes
you’ve made. A college application isn’t necessarily the time to tell about that time you lied to get something you wanted.
- Avoid jargon. Especially if you’re focusing on your interests, remember that an admissions
counselor is not a specialist and will not necessarily know what you mean if your language gets too technical.
- Avoid controversial political or religious statements.
you’ve made. A college application isn’t necessarily the time to tell about that time you lied to get something you wanted.
- Avoid jargon. Especially if you’re focusing on your interests, remember that an admissions
counselor is not a specialist and will not necessarily know what you mean if your language gets too technical.
- Avoid controversial political or religious statements.
Writing the "Why This College" Essay?
Many students who are applying to college will likely be asked: Why do you want to attend this school? Although this question seems simple, it can be a very difficult question to answer if you haven't done your research.
Why "Why"?
Understanding why colleges ask this question is the first step to answering it effectively. Admissions officers want to learn more about why you want to attend and if you’ll be a good fit for their school. Demonstrated interest is the degree to which you show a college that you’re sincerely interested in attending their school. Demonstrated interest is a subtle tool that can increase your chances of being admitted to a particular school. Colleges want to ensure that if you’re admitted, you will accept and enroll instead of denying a spot to someone who really wants it. More importantly, students who express great interest are more valuable because the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend is used to rank schools and as part of publicity campaigns.
Research and Be Specific!
Do research on your area of interest and specific programs on that campus. Look for specific majors, concentrations, programs, and/or research opportunities that really attract you to the school. What makes this program or major different from a similar major at a different school? It’s important to browse each school’s website to understand their community and culture. Understanding a school’s culture can help you determine if you’ll be a good fit for their community. If you can, visit the school. Talking about your experience on campus or your conversations with current students can show the admissions officer that you’re committed to the school. When writing this essay, do not just copy and paste generic responses to each school you’re applying to. It’s important to be specific and discuss each college’s campus, culture, program offerings, and facilities.
Dos and Don'ts!
- Do talk about how you can contribute to a college’s community and how you plan to use the resources offered by the college.
- Do think about how this college or university is/isn’t similar to your high school. Do you want a completely different experience than you had in high school or do you want something familiar to your experience?
- Don’t talk about a school’s prestige or rank. Admissions officers already know the reputation of the school, so this type of essay does not stand out.
- Don’t use clichés! Sentences like “From the moment I stepped on your campus, I felt something and I just knew” will not sway an admissions officer in your favor.
- Don’t mention the college’s founder! They know enough about the school and their history.
- Don’t use quotes! The essay is about why you want to go there, not what someone else thinks about the school.
GENERAL CONCERNS IN WRITING
While correct grammar and punctuation is an prerequisite of good writing, that alone will not ensure that you’ve composed a good essay. Great writing relies on successfully navigating the “big picture” concerns that can sometimes get lost as you work your way through the nitty-gritty of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
FOCUS
The first of these concerns is the focus of your essay. Every piece of quality writing has some central point around which it revolves. In a story, this can simply be the main character, or the resolution of a particular conflict. In other kinds of writing, we refer to this focus as the thesis, and it is typically laid out clearly in a sentence in the first paragraph — called a thesis statement. By the end of your introduction, you should know what your thesis is and have it clearly stated for your reader. The idea is that they will keep this main focus in mind as they progress through what you’ve written. The flip side is also true; you should keep your thesis in mind as you write, and ensure that everything you write is aimed at building to that thesis. This is especially true in papers less than five pages in length, as you don’t have the extra space to spend on tangents and unrelated points.
TONE
As you write you should also be considering your audience and the purpose of your essay. Your writing will be tailored differently if it is a lab report for your chemistry class, a personal statement for college admissions, or a creative piece responding to a scholarship prompt. This can change whether or not you use contractions, use the first person, or write with complex sentences. The term we often use for this is tone. As you write, make sure your tone match the particular circumstances in which you’re writing. This does not always mean your writing has to be formal; oftentimes it is in your benefit to make your writing more relaxed and colloquial.
ORGANIZATION
Making sure that you have a coherent organization is essential to good writing. The easiest way to ensure that your paper is well organized is to read all the topic sentences of your paragraphs. Ideally, these are the first sentence of each paragraph. You can do this both during and after you write. As you move on to the next paragraph, go back and reread each of your earlier topic sentences. Ensure that each one clearly sets a foundation for the next, and that the paragraph you are about to write is a logical progression from what you have already said. This will also ensure that each paragraph only has one idea, as any paragraphs with too many ideas will present logical gaps when you read your topic sentences consecutively.
These three points — focus, tone, and organization—are critical to successful writing. Proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure will show that you have a mechanical mastery over the language, but success with these big-picture concerns will show that you have a holistic mastery over critical thinking and writing. These concepts will keep your writer in-tune with what you are trying to say, and
make sure that you get your point across. Keep them in mind both as you write, and as you go through your revision process.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN REVISING YOUR WRITING:
- What is the central thesis/focus?
- Can you summarize your general thesis in one or two sentences?
- What is the intended goal for this paper? Does it accomplish this goal?
- Can you tell who the intended audience is from reading this paper?
- Does the organization make sense and flow naturally?
- Are the main points illustrated with specific examples?
- Does it make sense when you read it aloud?
- Does the word choice and punctuation make sense?
- Can you summarize your general thesis in one or two sentences?
- What is the intended goal for this paper? Does it accomplish this goal?
- Can you tell who the intended audience is from reading this paper?
- Does the organization make sense and flow naturally?
- Are the main points illustrated with specific examples?
- Does it make sense when you read it aloud?
- Does the word choice and punctuation make sense?