Hey guys, I'm starting to work on my personal statement for my college applications and I'm feeling a little lost. What are some tips for writing a strong and compelling personal statement? Are there any topics that I should avoid discussing? Thanks in advance!
Hello! It's great that you're starting to work on your personal statement. Here are a few tips to help you write a strong and compelling essay:
1. Be authentic: Write about something that genuinely interests you or holds significance in your life. Admissions officers can tell when an essay is genuine or just trying to impress. Let your true self shine through.
2. Show, don't tell: Use vivid imagery, anecdotes, or examples to illustrate your points instead of just stating them. Show the reader how your experiences have shaped you or reveal your personality through the events and interactions in your story.
3. Focus on one central theme or idea: A personal statement should revolve around a defining moment, unique characteristic, or pivotal event in your life. Avoid trying to cover too many topics, as a scattered essay will be less engaging.
4. Think about structure: Organize your essay in a logical manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Your story will be more digestible to your reader if they are clearly guided through it.
5. Edit and revise: Writing a strong personal statement takes time. Don't expect perfection in your first draft. Be prepared to revise your essay multiple times and seek feedback from teachers, friends, or family members to ensure the final version is polished and error-free. Or, if you want to get a more objective set of eyes on your writing, from someone who doesn't already know you, remember that CollegeVine offers both a free peer essay review service and paid reviews by expert college admissions advisors.
As for topics to avoid, it's important to steer clear of cliches and overused subjects, such as:
- Sports injuries or victories
- Moving schools
- Immigrant’s story (unless you can present a unique and personal angle)
- Working hard in a challenging class
These topics can still be written about if you find a way to make them unique or incredibly personal. Remember, through, your goal is for your personal statement to stand out among thousands of other essays, so your angle needs to be truly specific to you and your experiences. For tips on how to find that angle, as well as other topics you want to be careful with, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/cliche-college-essay-topics
Finally, CollegeVine's blog also contains a thorough breakdown of how to tackle personal statements in general, and examples of some especially strong ones, to give you a more concrete sense of what your final draft should look like: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-common-application-essays/
Best of luck with your personal statement! Remember to be genuine, focus on one theme, and take your time to revise and refine your essay. You've got this!
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