5 Tips to Craft a Stand-Out Personal Statement

5 Tips to Craft a Stand-Out Personal Statement

by | Sep 3, 2019 | Admissions

The question that keeps many high school seniors up at night: how to sum up your whole life in a 650-word essay? The personal statement allows application readers to understand applicants in a fuller context, but it can feel nerve-racking to present your perspective to someone you’ll probably never meet. With all of the different requirements involved in a college application, the personal statement is one that never changes. So how do you write a personal statement that makes you seem intelligent but not arrogant, well written but not manufactured? Read on for five tips that I found helpful.

#1: Look up sample essays to see what you want to write about

With all of Common App’s options for personal statement questions, it can be a bit overwhelming to know which one you want to answer. That’s where Google and a simple search for essay samples comes in handy. Before starting your essay or if you ever find that you’re stuck, read some sample essays. They can serve as inspiration, and colleges release them for this specific reason. I would first search to see if the school you’re applying to has any essay samples. If not, no worries. All of the example essays online are pretty amazing, so I’m sure you’ll find one that will inspire you.

After I read through sample personal statements, I found that there were essay types that appeared frequently: the anecdote, the thought experiment, and the thought journey. These are the categories I created for myself to make sense of what I was reading.

The anecdotal essay, like any typical anecdote, shares a story. For example, an essay about a summer on a horse ranch would be an anecdotal essay. The take away from this essay is normally a valuable piece of knowledge gained or a show of an issue overcome. This essay type tends to be very popular. However, it can be tricky to give the reader a lot of information about yourself through one moment or experience. When writing an anecdotal essay, choose an experience that was impactful to multiple areas of your life, not just the one that contributed to your love of veterinary science, to keep with the horse ranch example.

The thought experiment is an interesting essay type. You don’t see it very often, but it can be very powerful.

I feel like I’m describing a rare Pokémon. My little brother just started watching the show, because apparently third graders still trade Pokémon cards? Who knew.

As an example, say you write an essay about what it would be like if the world completely stopped using plastic. What would have to change? How would that affect you, society, the environment? The topic of your thought experiment should usually connect back to your interest (the “point” that I talk about in my next tip!). This essay type shows that you’ve already put deep thought into something you’re interested in and that you could potentially study in college. You’ll want to make sure you’re not just spitting out a bunch of facts on the topic; the topic should be personal and connect back to your life in some way.

My personal favorite of the three is the thought journey. The thought journey takes an experience you’ve had, say walking home from the bus stop every afternoon, and discusses your thoughts and observations about the experience. The take away from this should be how the experience has shaped you as a person. You could include imagery from the walk( how the sun would hit your skin and drench you in sweat), or you could include what you thought about on your walk home, and how that time spent thinking influenced how you saw the world.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of essay types and many students chose to mix and match between types. However, I think these three types are a great jump start to get you thinking about essay topics! The personal statement questions also allow for a lot of freedom (especially the write whatever you want option!), so don’t feel bound to any one question, either.

#2: Give your application a “point” and mention it in your personal statement

In order to make a compelling application, there should be a common theme throughout that unites all of the different components. For example, if you’re trying to get into a film program, a good majority of the content represented in your application should be about your passion for film. Of course, you don’t want to come across as single-minded, but schools like to see that you have a clear main direction in what you want to study, even while having multiple other interests.

You’ll want to be like that *beautiful* illustration I made for you below. In your application, you should appear well rounded but with a very pointed interest that will be your reason for wanting to go to school. I would say about 60% – 70% of your application should represent that interest (if you’re looking for a more quantitative goal to hit). I’ll call this portion of your application the “point”.

Is it a fallen ice cream cone? The basic outline of a unicorn? You decide!

Your personal statement doesn’t have to include the majority of the point if you feel the rest of your application represents it. This would be for the people that have a bunch of clubs and accomplishments in the point area. If that’s you, feel free to let your personal statement represent some other aspect of you. However, if you see your application lacking in a point, use your personal statement to sharpen up one. I’m not saying to start your personal statement with ‘this is why I want to be the greatest filmmaker of all time’. But whatever experience or topic you chose to write about should be alluding to this reason. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but I think it’s a good guideline to keep in mind.

#3: Vocabulary, grammar, and structure matters

Good vocabulary and grammar polish off an essay perfectly. When you find yourself using “really” or “very” a lot, try being more specific with your adjectives. Use interesting words in your essay that will grab readers intention, like “ignite” or “passion”. There is even research on the vocab content of Stanford vs. Harvard essays (link here!). Most importantly, write in a way that is authentic to yourself. Just make sure you’re not sounding like a sixth-grader still learning to write a five-paragraph essay.

Speaking of essay structure, try to stay away from being limited by the five-paragraph structure. Group your paragraphs by ideas rather than feeling like you need to reach a certain paragraph limit. The shortest paragraph in my personal statement was three sentences, and my longest was seven sentences for a total of seven paragraphs in my 634-word essay. Adding variety to your paragraph structure can keep your writing fresh for a reader.

I recommend having multiple people you trust read your personal statement over as well. Ask them to think about vocabulary, grammar, and structure while reading your essay. Also, download Grammarly! It’s a browser extension that catches grammar and spelling mistakes. It can be helpful while writing your personal statement and to catch mistakes while you’re filling out the Common App.

#4: Feel stuck? Write something anyways

I remember just staring at a blank Word document plenty of times when I began a college essay and having absolutely no clue what to write. When you find yourself in this situation, you’re most likely just scared that what you write will be bad or not perfect. However, the best way to figure out what to write is just to write! Literally, write anything that comes to your head and brain dump it all into an ideas page.

There are also plenty of free websites online that will force you to write when you’re feeling stuck. My personal favorite is Write or Die. The website is designed to keep you writing, and if you stop for more than a few seconds, the screen will turn red. There are plenty of different consequences for stopping, with the scariest being everything you wrote in the current session will be deleted. If that won’t get you writing, I don’t know what will.

If you find that you still feel stuck even after taking a break, try writing out your thoughts on a piece of paper rather than typing it out. Sometimes the change in method can help to unblock your ideas.

#5: Let your perspective shine through

I touched on this a bit in my How To Submit a BOMB College Application post (link here!), but I’ll say it here again: the personal statement is your chance to be reflective. I think this point is best illustrated by this essay my English teacher made my whole class read senior year. This senior literally wrote about Costco, but she wrote about in such a profound way that showcased her interests and her unique perspective on the world. When I first read the essay and other example essays that I looked up online (which I definitely recommend you search up as well!), I was intimidated because they are all sooo good. But have faith in yourself because your perspective is just as interesting as any other person’s! The Costco essay shows you don’t have to have some kind of life-changing experience to write a good college essay. I based my essay on washing my hair if that gives you any comfort!

Realize, you already have all the tools you need to write a banging personal statement, from your family background to the crazy, interesting thought that ran through your mind yesterday. You just have to consider what perspective you want to bring to the table.

Sincerely,

Lindsey

Have a question on writing a personal statement? Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll get back to you!

Hi! I’m Lindsey, a computer science student at Princeton University.  Welcome to my blog! I wanted a space to capture my thoughts online about school, fashion, and anything else that might interest me in life. I hope you learn a little something while you’re here. Enjoy!

How To Submit a BOMB College Application

How To Submit a BOMB College Application

by | Aug 1, 2019 | Admissions

It’s that time of year again: high school seniors are on the rush to finish their college applications before the early and regular decision deadlines. It’s a stressful time, an exhilarating time. It feels like your best life at the perfect college is just around the corner if you just do all of the “right” things.

First off, if you’re reading this as a current hs senior or junior, I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS! Because you’ve made it through the all-nighters, projects, exams, and finals that the first half of hs threw at you, and you’re now an upperclassman. So I’m serious, before you continue reading, queue up Congratulations by Post Malone and throw yourself a little dance party. You deserve it!

Another thing I would definitely recommend you do before you start stressing about the whole application process (or if you’re already in the thick of stressing about it, and you need a little boost of morale) is to read Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be by Frank Bruni. The gist of the book is, well, the title. We all spend so much time stressing about getting into the perfect college. So repeat after me and ingrain this in your mind: I am an amazing person with an amazing mind, and I will do amazing things in this world no matter what college I get into. If you don’t yet believe this statement, work towards believing it! How can you write about how qualified you are to go to college without first having confidence in yourself?

Pep talk aside, now for what you really came for: how to submit the best college application you possibly can. I like to break the application process into 4 major components: the SAT, the personal statement, individual college essays, and the extracurricular list.

Get Organized + Fill Out Basic Application Information

Ok, this is the crucial first step for success before you begin everything: get out your planner, Google Calendar, or whatever you use and record all the important dates and deadlines. Have a special color for college-related stuff. I also recommend having a spreadsheet of all the important college information you keep googling, like app requirements, average SAT scores, and tuition cost for each college. Giving yourself deadlines by which you need to complete certain essays and other portions of the application is also a great way to keep more organized and less stressed.

I would fill out the background information on the Common App ASAP. It’s something simple you can do to jump-start the process and make you feel like you’re getting things done. Feeling lazy, and don’t want to work on anything else? Check this task done, and your cluttered brain will thank you.

SAT + SAT Subject Tests

Arguably the least enjoyable part of the whole application process, at least it was for me. That’s why it should be dealt with ASAP. Studying takes up a lot of brainpower, so if you can get it done during the summer, I definitely recommend it.

The SAT is like any other test which means you have to practice A LOT before you can get the score you want. The key to studying is being consistent and setting goals for yourself. For me, studying 3-4 times a week for 2-3 hours each session worked the best. I also took a practice test every other weekend, if not every week (3 hours to take the test + 1 hour of grading and reviewing mistakes). With such a big-time commitment, that’s why SAT prep is best done in the summer without the pressures of other school work. I’ll make a separate post about studying for the SAT, so watch out for that in the future.

Many selective schools and scholarship programs require students to take two SAT subject tests. Your chosen major will determine which ones you should take. For example, since I was applying to get into engineering schools, I took the Math II and Biology subject tests. The best time to take a subject test is after taking the corresponding AP class, like AP Biology for the Biology test. If you understood the material in a class setting, I’ve heard the subject tests are a breeze. Haven’t taken the AP class that corresponds to the subject test you need to take? I found myself in that exact situation my senior year, so don’t sweat it: pick up a prep book and study the material yourself. Try not to stress too much about subject tests, especially if you haven’t taken a class for the subject material. Application committees will recognize that and take it into consideration.

The Personal Statement

I’ve heard about this essay since I was a little kid. This seemingly huge, daunting task where you feel like you’re asked to sum up the whole of your life experience into about 600 words. That’s how I felt when I started thinking about this essay, which is obviously not the best headspace to be in. The better way to tackle the personal statement is to write about certain aspects of yourself. You’re not trying to encompass your entire being into the essay, but you definitely want to highlight the best facets of yourself.

I started thinking about what I would write during the summer, which is definitely the best tactic for writing a well fleshed out essay. The more time you think about the prompt and your ideas, the better the essay will be. You can find inspiration for a personal statement almost anywhere. Did a particular ray of sunlight hit your eye on your walk to the bus and remind you of that one impactful summer spent at the beach that contributed to your interest in environmental science? But for real, this was the state of mind I was in while trying to come up with my personal statement topic. Every chance encounter or observation made me think, “wow, you could write a great college essay about that”. Of course, don’t go throughout life looking for an essay angle, but this step of the process was built for you to be reflective.

This is your chance to unlock your inner writer because we all have one within us that can draw from our unique collection of memories, ideas, and experiences. Your experience might not be unique, but your perspective on it can be! I plan on writing a whole separate post about personal statements, so stay tuned for that as well!

Individual College Essays

Each college or university has its own essay questions for students to respond to. The more selective schools will normally have another 600-word one along with a 250 -word. Some schools will just have a series (around 3-5) of 300-word short answers. These questions are designed specifically to let the admissions committee know why you are a great candidate for their particular school.

To do your best on these questions, you must thoroughly research the school and show your interest in particular programs, faculty, notable alumni, spots on campus, etc. You are applying to the school for a reason, and this is your chance to show the reader of your application the reason why you want to come to their school, and why they want YOU to come to their school. How will you contribute to their unique school environment? Are you interested in a particular campus organization that is similar to the one you’ve done in hs or that wasn’t offered at your hs? The more specific you are with your intentions, the better!

Extracurricular List

This may seem like a small section hidden away within the Common App, but treat it seriously! It is basically your resume of the ten most notable activities and achievements in hs. You can even create an actual resume to attach to your application under additional information if you would like to include anything extra (Google Docs has a great resume template, and there are plenty of others online to look at specifically for students).

When trying to choose which activities to include, focus on the ones where you’ve had a significant time commitment and that you actually enjoy. So, being on the golf team that one time in sophomore year because you thought it would be cool to have on your resume (*cough, cough me*), probably shouldn’t make the list.

As for the actual writing of the descriptions of each activity, you should follow a good resume protocol. As the word count for each description is limited, they should be concise, so you don’t have to write full sentences. A good habit is to start with an action word (lead, organized, completed) or your organization title. You should also make sure to include any activity you did specifically within the organization. For example, “Student council representative for four years, where I organized pep rallies and student campaigns” instead of just “I served on my student council for four years” . Of course, be more specific on what “campaign” you helped organize, but you get my point.

And there you have it, folks! Those are the main components of completing a college application. Hope this was helpful. Remember, don’t stress and don’t procrastinate! I definitely did too much of both my senior year, and it’s really just not worth it. Enjoy your senior year and make memories! Realize you have to complete all these tasks, but if you stay organized, you’ll come out of this season of life feeling like the champ you are.

Sincerely,

Lindsey

Did I miss any information you think would be helpful? Comment down below and let me and other readers know your best advice and tips!

Hey! I’m Lindsey,

a computer science student at Princeton University.  Welcome to my blog! I wanted a space to capture my thoughts online about school, fashion, and anything else that might interest me in life. I hope you learn a little something while you’re here. Enjoy!