Introduction

Writing a personal statement is the most important step in applying to college. It’s your chance to show admissions officers who you are and what you want out of life. You don’t have time to waste on a bad essay or essay that doesn’t speak directly to them–so don’t! If you want to get into a good school, it’s critical that your essay make an impact with readers so they remember you when making their decision about whether or not they’ll admit you. That being said, writing a strong personal statement can be tricky if you don’t know where to start–and there are many common mistakes people make when trying their hand at this task for the first time. This post will walk through everything from choosing an appropriate topic for your essay (which should be something that reflects who you are as an individual) through basic formatting rules for writing an effective personal statement!

What to include in your personal statement

• What do you want?
• Why do you want it?
• How will your goals be met by attending this school, and how will they be achieved if not at that school?

Write a personal statement in the first person.

One of the most common mistakes made by college applicants is to write their personal statements in the third person. This can be done by simply using pronouns like I and me, or it can be done with more powerful words such as myself or my own.

The reason why this is a mistake is because it makes it seem like you’re writing about something other than yourself, which isn’t what you want your admissions essay to do. Instead of talking about how great your community service project was, for example (which would probably go over well if you were applying to an organization that does community service), try saying something along the lines of “As a child growing up I had always been interested in helping others” instead so as not get lost in all those details!

Keep it short and simple

When you’re writing your personal statement, don’t try to be witty or clever. Don’t try to be funny. Don’t try to be dramatic. And don’t make your essay overly philosophical or overly personal—this will only make it harder for the admissions committee to get a sense of who you are as an applicant and whether they want you on their campus in the first place!

Avoid flowery language, clichés, and other common mistakes.

Avoid flowery language, clichés and other common mistakes.

• Avoid the word “I” in your personal statement. It’s a redundant way of saying things that already exist in the sentence. For example: “I am a friendly student who enjoys helping others.” You can also use “I” as part of an academic quote instead of saying it directly; for example: “I believe that knowledge is power.”
• Avoid using the word “my” too often throughout your essay because it sounds self-centered and egotistical at times (but don’t totally avoid using it). Instead try using phrases like “my friends or family members,” or even better yet just say nothing at all! The less said about yourself when writing about yourself means less chance for readers to misunderstand what you’re trying to get across about yourself!

Don’t go overboard with details about your past accomplishments.

You shouldn’t go into too much detail about your past accomplishments. It’s important to focus on the qualities that make you unique, and that will help set you apart from other applicants. If you’re applying for a school in the same city as your current job, it won’t be necessary to include information about how many times per week/month/year you commute there; this might seem like bragging, but it’s actually an important part of how colleges identify their students’ strengths and interests.

If possible, try not to make it sound like something impressive just because it happened (unless they ask specifically). For example: “I was awarded a scholarship by my high school science club because my research project showed promising results!” Instead of saying something like this: “My favorite hobby is traveling with my family.”

Be honest with yourself about what you’re trying to accomplish with your application.

Be honest with yourself about what you’re trying to accomplish with your application.

You should know exactly what you want and why, so that when it comes time to write, you can focus on achieving those goals rather than worrying about how others might interpret them. If a piece of writing isn’t helping you achieve those goals, then it’s not strong enough—and if it’s helping but doesn’t align with the rest of your application, then it could be confusing or distracting from what matters most. For example:

• If I want my personal statement to show off my interests and passions (and thus help me stand out from other applicants), then I’ll need something interesting or unique about myself that hasn’t been done before in this situation (e.g., an unusual background). This might include things like having grown up abroad or spent some time abroad after college graduation (or even still living there).
• On the other hand, if I’m trying hard not to stick out too much while also trying not oversell myself too much as someone who will go far someday because they’re destined for greatness despite their humble beginnings…then maybe they won’t notice all those details anyway!

Avoid heavy topics or essays that are too focused on your learning style or approach to learning.

• Avoid topics that are too focused on your learning style or approach to learning.
• Don’t talk about how you learn best if you don’t believe in it.

Don’t use this section as an opportunity to say, “I’m not good at math,” or “I can’t do well in group projects.” If that’s true and it’s relevant to the school, then let them know! But don’t make yourself look like an idiot by saying something like “I’m just not a team player” in order to avoid working with others.

You can write a strong personal statement if you know how to get started!

There’s no doubt that the college application process is stressful. It can feel like there are so many things to do and so many essays to write, but if you’re confident in your abilities and focus on what makes up a good personal statement, then it should be fairly simple.

A strong personal statement tells an admissions officer why they should admit you; it explains who you are as a person and how those traits apply to their school’s mission statement. You want to keep this section short (less than 500 words), but still convey all of your skills, experiences and interests—and without sounding too general or dull!

Here are some tips for writing strong peer-reviewed academic material:

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to approach writing a personal statement. You don’t need to stick with one style or even one type of content. Instead, explore different approaches and use your knowledge of yourself and your future goals to determine what will work best for you. If you still aren’t sure how to write a strong personal statement—or if any other aspect of college admissions—it might be time for some help!