Your personal statement for college applications is key in the overall scheme of things. It is the piece that should set you apart from other applicants. The greatest amount of time should be given to this part of the application process, showing the admissions officers that you are the right choice for their school.
There are many ways to go about writing your personal statement. Here are some tips you can follow to help you get a great start.
Show Passion: While you write about why you want to enter a certain course of study, describe in as much detail as possible your passion behind your decision. You can also talk about something you have done that centers around your interests and what you learned from that experience. And how did you take what you learned and used it. Enthusiasm should come across loud and clear within your writing.
Get your Reader Interested from the Get Go: Have a strong opening line. Catch your reader’s attention with a pithy opening sentence. This will call attention to your application from the start. Anything that can set you apart from other applicants will only act to your favor.
Relate Outside Interests to your Studies: Take an interest or interests you may have and relate it to your choice in studies. An example may be that you are on a club soccer team outside of school. This shows that you have the ability to manage your time effectively between practice and your schoolwork.
Get the Basics Right: Make sure that your spelling and grammar are correct before submitting your application. Check it over and have your parents, teacher and/or friend look it over for corrections or more ideas. Remember, you are being assessed on your ability to write an essay to college standards. So, think about your paragraph and sentence structure and use that spell check.
Be Yourself: If you do not normally use “fancy” vocabulary, you may not want to start now. Use language that you are comfortable with so you do not lose focus. Be original too. If you are using sample personal statements for help, do not just reword it. You are your own person with very unique outlooks. Plus, colleges check personal statements against a library of those previously submitted. If a personal statement shows a level of similarity of ten percent or more, it can be dismissed and your chances of getting into that college will diminish.
Do Not Wait Until the Last Minute: Most deadlines are in mid-January. It may seem like a long time away, but it will sneak up on you. Start it early, so you have time to make any changes and corrections that it may need.
Get a Second Opinion: Have someone that knows you well read it over. Your mom or dad, teacher or friends will be able to give you feedback on how they see you and give you other words to describe you and/or other ideas for you to write about.
