What should I communicate to admissions officers in my personal statement?

Question

What needs to be included in a personal statement?

What is the right tone for my essay?

Answer 1

In your personal statement, your primary goal is to communicate who you are as an individual and what makes you unique. Admissions officers are looking for insight into your personality, values, passions, and aspirations. To effectively convey this information, consider including the following elements in your personal statement:

1. A compelling narrative or theme: Choose a central theme or narrative that reflects your personality and interests. This theme should be engaging and provide a coherent framework for your essay.
2. Personal anecdotes and experiences: Share specific stories or experiences that have shaped your character, values, or goals. These anecdotes should be relevant to the central theme and demonstrate your growth and self-reflection.
3. Your passions and interests: Discuss your interests, hobbies, or extracurricular activities that have contributed to your personal development. Explain how these pursuits have influenced your perspective and shaped your goals for the future.
4. Academic and intellectual curiosity: Highlight your intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills, and commitment to learning. Explain how your academic interests align with the program or institution to which you are applying.
5. Your goals and aspirations: Describe your short-term and long-term goals, both academically and personally. Explain how the institution or program you are applying to will help you achieve these goals and why it is the right fit for you.
6. Demonstrated qualities and strengths: Emphasize your personal qualities, such as resilience, empathy, creativity, or leadership, that make you a strong candidate for admission. Provide examples of how you have demonstrated these qualities in your life.

As for the tone of your essay, it should be:

1. Authentic: Write in your own voice and be genuine in expressing your thoughts and feelings. Avoid trying to impress admissions officers with complex vocabulary or ideas that do not reflect your true self.
2. Engaging: Use a conversational tone and vivid language to capture the reader's attention. Be sure to maintain a balance between being engaging and maintaining a level of formality appropriate for a college application.
3. Reflective: Demonstrate self-awareness and introspection by reflecting on your experiences and the lessons you have learned from them. This reflection should show growth and maturity.
4. Positive and forward-looking: Focus on the positive aspects of your experiences and discuss how they have prepared you for future challenges and opportunities. Avoid dwelling on negative events or adopting a pessimistic tone.
5. Concise and clear: Ensure that your writing is clear and concise, avoiding unnecessary details or repetition. Adhere to the word limit and make every word count!

Remember that your personal statement is an opportunity for admissions officers to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. By including the elements listed above and adopting the right tone, you can create a compelling essay that effectively showcases your unique qualities and potential as a student.

Answer 2

How can you show you are a good fit for a school? How do you best showcase your unique personality? 

The admissions reader wants to know, What makes you a “good catch” for the school(s) you are applying to?

And, What about your life has prepared you to lead and flourish in a rigorous academic environment?

These are deeply personal insights, and this is a personal statement!

Schools want dedicated and successful innovators, creators, academicians, athletes, performers, and volunteers. Decide which one you are and drive the point home. Do not make the reader draw this conclusion, show exactly what you will do and how it adds value.

Any essay should at least tangentially show how a personal experience, passion, core value, trait, talent, or skill will add value to the school community and/or the greater community. Make sure it is crystal clear how you fit into to the school's ethos. (For the common app essay, think broadly about qualities all schools value; for a supplemental essay, research each school and laser focus on school specific values.)

After reading your personal statement, the admissions reader should know you better and feel connected to you. You do this by speaking in your natural voice and being relatable. Do not try to jam pack the essay with million dollar words. Clear, concise, and conversational wins the day! Humor, quirkiness, and originality adds value because it entertains the reader.

Good luck. When you only have 650 words, every word counts.