10 Fundamental Rules For Creating A Personal Statement Essay

You might be stalling on this one. Your personal statement essay. This is probably the most difficult essay you have ever attempted to write so far but no worries, here are ten fundamental rules you can follow for creating a great piece.

1. This is a personal statement. Meaning it is about you, and why you should be admitted. Focus on depth rather than trying to make it as long as you can. Remember, a longer paper does not necessarily mean a better one.
2. Here is where you want to stand out. You will want to say something that perhaps the reader of your paper has never heard from any other applicant. But be yourself. Your unique self. The reader should be able to understand what your motivations and drives are. What pulls you to do what you want to do? Let them see your passion on the page, and why they should admit you.
3. Speak plainly and from the heart. Using longer and uncommon synonyms for simple words will not win you any points with the reader. You want to be easily understood here.
4. When writing about your passions, do not forget to include how the school’s distinctive features that you are applying to coincide with your interests.
5. Check for spelling errors and grammar, mistakes in these areas can be the bane of your paper because no matter how excellently worded and deep your writing may be, if you misspell something like the school’s name or have a myriad of run-on sentences, it will not make a difference. Keep in mind that when writing a personal statement, in the reader’s mind the bad outweighs the good. This may be an exaggeration but keeping this in mind will help you be in the habit of checking for mistakes.
6. Make sure to use a standard readable font, with standard margins. If you are mailing it through snail mail, avoid colored papers.
7. Please, do not use the kind of introduction you may have used in middle school. Do not address or reword the essay question directly at the beginning of your statement as this will only degrade your writing. Do not introduce yourself at the beginning of the essay. “Hello, my name is…” should only belong on the nametags of party-goers. Do not thank the admissions committee at the beginning of your paper. This is not the Oscars.
8. When writing statements, make sure you are being specific to each school you apply to and not just writing a blanket paper that you will send to all schools. This is obvious to the reader and will show that perhaps you are not too interested in the school you are applying to.
9. Write several drafts. You will be surprised by all the different ways you can address the same topic.
10. Have several people read your statement before sending it in. This way you can have fresh eyes looking at it making sure you did not miss any mistakes and that it is readable.

It’s a daunting thing to write a personal statement; any college grad can remember the fear and anxiety that went along with it, but it’s important to remember that although this is a very important paper, it is only a fragment of your entire application.