The Personal Statement How To Make It Personal

Your Information on your transcripts will tell the colleges if you meet the minimum requirements for acceptance. However, it is the personal statement that is your one chance to let them know who you are as an individual and to explain things that are not seen by your transcripts. Therefore, there is a need to WOW them if you are to be in the running of a competitive university.

Steps to an Awesome Admissions Essay Find your own style and tone 1. Strive to write in a style that reads like a conversation with a friend, (w/o all the “uhms” & “like’s”). 2. Don’t try too hard to be funny. It’s ok to be lighthearted and show some subtle humor, but don’t specifically write a humorous essay. – No Puns! Be forceful and opinionated, but don’t offend. Avoid whining, complaining or appearing bitter, sarcastic, angry or aggressive. Avoid coming across as overly humble. Do show some confidence.

The All-Important Opening Sentence Remember 1 st impressions are important. 1. Don’t introduce yourself, “Hello, my name is..” 2. Don’t ask the reader’s permission to tell him or her about yourself, “ Please permit me to discuss my…” 3. Stay away from term-paper style introductory paragraphs. Don’t reiterate the topic or question. 4. Don’t itemize the points in a list. 5. In other words, break all the rules you learned in English class for writing term papers.

Ending Your Essay (not conclusion) Do provide closure- full-circle approach Do use the final sentences to end any suspense end any suspense and answer all questions Do use short, forceful sentences to end your essay. Don’t address the admissions committee or ask them to admit you. Don’t use words like; “finally”, “in sum”, in “conclusion”. Don’t repeat or sum up in any way- it should stand alone. Don’t end your essay with a quotation.

Stylistic Do’s: Do use analogies (metaphors & similies) to convey your message, just don’t overdo it. Do incorporate dialogue, but think twice about using a screenplay approach. Do use more short sentences than long ones. Don’t take it to an extreme though. Mix things up a bit. It should flow when read aloud. Do use logical paragraph breaks. No one sentence paragraphs. Do use the active voice instead of the passive voice. (active) The applicant wrote an outstanding essay. (passive) A less-than-outstanding essay was written by the applicant.

Stylistic Don’ts Don’t tell the reader explicitly, “I am a unique, interesting person.” Let it show from your essay. Don’t mimic or parody a well-known writer or literary work. Don’t be a dummy and dabble in dumb alliterations. Don’t start too many sentences with “I”. Don’t use the phrase “a lot of” a lot of applicants use “ a lot of” a lot of the time.