If you are reading this blog post, I suspect you are thinking about how to begin the daunting process of writing a personal admissions statement. The best gift you can give yourself with these statements is time. This draft ideally will go through several iterations. Sometimes, you write a full draft just to realize that your story actually starts at the last paragraph—and then you start over. This is all normal!
Still, here are some quick tips that you can use to get started or use as filters improve your personal statement!
At a bird’s eye view, admissions officers are looking for students who are earnest, critical thinkers, reflective, and strong writers. Your personal statement is one of the few times they get a glimpse into who you are and hear words come from your mouth—we want those words to stick! Here’s how.
1. Write sentences only you can write.
Aim for every sentence to have specificity, such that nobody else could write this sentence because it is so personal to you and your experience.
For example, you could say, “Every day, my mom made us eat dinner together.” Or, you could say something more specific like, “When I think of a typical day in my childhood, I think of racing my brother to see who could set the dining room table the fastest and my dad hiding the salt under the sink because he swears my mom would over-salt ice cream.” The second sentence is surely not one that anyone could copy into their essay.
Even nice sentences like, “She is the best person I know,” should be evaluated with scrutiny. That sentiment may be true, but that is probably true for a lot of people. Imagine a sentence like, “She showed up for me the day my grandmother died, when I failed my algebra test—every time I call, she answers on the second ring.” Admissions officers are reading thousands of applications, so try to make every sentence unique to you and it will linger in the admissions officer’s mind.
2. Authenticity is key.
A common misconception students hold when brainstorming their statement is that their story or accomplishment needs to be larger than life. What you tell doesn’t need to be big and bold (and it probably shouldn’t be, if it’s not true!).
Sometimes, the most tender or thought-provoking statements are those that describe a single small moment in time. Have you had a nice conversation with a family member, an athletics game you won or lost, a project at school where you had to conquer a fear?
Admissions is building a class of people and need students with different strengths and different interests. Don’t feel pressured to make yourself sound like someone else. You want to be somewhere you will be a good fit!
3. Show, don’t tell.
Aim for two to three stories to guide your reader through the statement. A story doesn't have to be very long (some stories can be one or two sentences to help keep the reader’s interest).
Admissions officers are smart! You don’t need to hold their hands through the statement. It is common to feel like you need to over-explain your point—for example, students will tell a story about failure or facing a challenge and then follow it with, “This experience helped me learn resilience.” But a reflection like that will rarely be the best way to showcase the skills you gained or lessons you learned.
If you have written the story clearly and with enough specificity, the takeaway will be clear. If you feel like you need a little more space to reflect on an experience you shared, consider tying it up in a bow at the end of your essay with the larger takeaways.
4. Read your statement out loud!
This tip sounds silly, but is the most effective exercise you can do for your statement. It will afford you two opportunities:
1) evaluate the flow of the writing, and
2) catch typos.
Your statement should feel good to read out loud!
Some writing tips for the road:
Follow demonstrative pronouns with a noun.
Do: “This experience shaped me.”
Don’t: “This shaped me.”
Write in active voice.
Do: “I learned how to be a friend.” or “ My mom taught me how to be a friend.”
Don’t: “I was taught how to be a friend.”
Avoid splitting infinitives.
Do: “It is hard to keep kids quiet successfully.”
Don’t: “It is hard to successfully keep kids quiet.”
Be concise and use the simplest word that conveys your point.
Let's eliminate the myth that long-winded, complicated sentences are more sophisticated or “better.” It is actually harder (and thus more impressive) to write short, clear sentences.
Limit adjectives.
You probably can’t avoid adjectives altogether, but adjectives generally hurt more than they help, especially if they aren’t implemented thoughtfully. Try to find a stronger verb, which may help with the “show, don’t tell” tip from above.
Do: “My knees trembled as my breath stopped.”
Don’t: “I was scared.”
However, rules are meant to be broken—break intentionally and at your own risk!
Comments