Writing a Powerful Personal Statement for Your College Application

The personal statement is vital to the application process: it's your chance to distinguish yourself from hundreds of applicants whose credentials look just like yours. So, what do you have to say for yourself?

Pencils Down

Before you start writing, cut yourself some slack. Don't rush. Writing is most easily done in stages, so plan to hack through several drafts. When your first draft is complete, ignore it for a day. You'll distance yourself from your writing enough to do some objective editing when you pick it up again. For later revisions, it's a good idea to have an impartial friend or professor read it.

Choosing a topic

Most schools will ask for a general, comprehensive statement or ask you to respond to specific questions. A general statement is acceptable for many schools' applications.

General statements

Take advantage of the open-endedness of general essay requirements. Instead of guessing what your readers want to hear, think about what you want them to know about yourself. Have you battled an illness or disability? Overcome economic barriers? Are you creative? Intellectually curious?

Don't just list your qualities or achievements; your job is to place them in meaningful context. Consider writing a narrative, and use concrete, detailed examples.

If you are applying to a professional school, discuss your intended field of study. Ask yourself when-and why-you became interested in the field, what you've learned about it, and what skills you already possess. Readers will look for evidence of your commitment, so do some research if you need to.

Specific Questions

If the application asks specific questions, you must answer them clearly, completely, and originally. No matter how brilliant your general statement is, do not cut and paste from it if an essay has detailed requirements. Even a slight difference between essay questions justifies heavy tailoring.

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