Personal Statement Essay

Personal statement essays provide a personal touch that numbers and lists cannot convey and provides a holistic view of you as an applicant including:

• Writing Skills
  • Serves as a sample of your writing ability
  • Shows your storytelling and creative ability

• Personal Insight
  • A window to your personality & values not highlighted in a resume or test scores
  • Opportunity to mention passions, interests, aspirations
  • Allows you to share your unique story in your own voice and perspective 

• Determine Fit
  • Do you align with the college’s values/culture/academics?
  • What might you contribute to the campus community?

• Critical Thinking & Reflection
  • Demonstrates ability to reflect on your experiences
  • Articulate thoughts and draw meaningful conclusions
  • Allows you to see your own growth & development

• Stand out
  • If written well, your essay can help you to stand out from your peers
  • Highlight how you overcame challenges/obstacles
  • Demonstrate skills and characteristics like resilience/perseverance 

Be sure to take a look at each institutions website for application requirements and prompts which can usually be found under the Admissions page.

Some colleges may have specific writing prompts or topics but overall, your personal statement should convey who you are beyond your academic achievements, why you’ve chosen to apply to that program or institution and how your continued education will impact your long term career goals.

• Follow instructions
  • Ahere to any specific guidelines
  • This may include word count, spacing & font type/size

• Effective structure
  • Name/Date
  • Title & heading that reflects the content of your essay
  • Intro, body, conclusion
  • Strong opening & closing
  • Overall flow 
  • Indent paragraphs

• Spacing
  • 1-inch margins
  • Double spaced

• Font Type & Size
  • Choose a readable font (Times New Roman, Arial) 
  • Stick with a standard font 
  • 12-point font

When it comes to writing style and voice in your college essay, the goal is to present yourself authentically while engaging the reader.

Admissions officers are interested in your personal growth, self-awareness, thoughtfulness, humility and passions.

• Importance of personal voice
  • Leaves a memorable impression 
  • Your passions engage others

• Be Authentic
  • Write in your own voice
  • Write conversationally 
  • Let your personality shine through!
  • Share genuine insights and reflections

• Tone
  • Maintain a positive/optimistic tone 
  • Be honest about challenges but focus on growth/what you’ve learned
  • Be confident and polished

• Active Voice
  • Use active voice to make your writing direct

• Using descriptive language
  • Show don’t tell!
  • Make your story memorable and engaging
  • Incorporate sensory details (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures)

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Cliches or language that doesn’t add originality or depth
  • Overly formal/academic language that doesn’t sound natural
  • Don’t mimic someone else’s style
  • Don’t use vocabulary that isn’t natural to you

• Negative tone or complaining
  • Exaggerating/bragging
  • Inappropriate humor/tone – know your audience

• Procrastinating, rushing, not proofreading or ignoring guidelines
  • Will reflect poorly on your attention to detail and ability to follow instructions
  • Including info that doesn’t contribute to overall point or repetitive info

• Listing achievements or experiences without reflecting on their significance

The hardest part of an essay is usually choosing a topic and actually getting started…Below we’ve listed some questions and themes to brainstorm.

Overall, you want to choose a topic that is most compelling to you or resonates with you. Something that excites you the most and feels authentic, unique or meaningful to you, because your genuine story and interest will shine through in your writing.

• Who are you?
  • What drives you? What are your strengths, interests & passions?
  • How your experiences have shaped your goals and aspirations 
  • Personal story / anecdote that shares something meaningful about you
  • A moment that had a significant impact on you

• Why are you applying to / interested in this specific college?
  • Discuss specific programs, curriculum, resources, faculty, sports, or other aspects of campus life that align with your goals

• Campus involvement and leadership
  • Discuss athletics and clubs/orgs you have been apart of
  • Highlight your role, achievements, and the impact they had on your personal growth

• Diversity
  • How you may contribute to the diversity of the campus community
  • Discuss your unique identity/background/experiences/perspectives 
  • How will you add to the campus’s cultural richness?

• Overcoming Challenges
  • Describe a significant challenge or obstacle you have faced 
  • How you overcame it, focus on resilience, problem-solving, and personal growth 

• Academic & Career Goals
  • Career aspirations and how the college will help you achieve these goals
  • Degree programs and area of study – why are you choosing this?
  • How do you plan to use this degree? Long term goals

• Community Engagement
  • What impact/involvement do you have in your community?
  • How do you plan to contribute to your college community?

• Overcoming Obstacles: Discuss challenges you’ve faced (health, disability, family, financial) and how you’ve grown.
• Personal Achievements: Highlight a notable accomplishment in academics, sports, or other areas, detailing your perseverance.
• Affinity/Identity: Describe how your identity, cultural background, tradition, or heritage has shaped your worldview and identity.
• Community Service: Volunteer/community service, particularly those that have had a significant impact on your outlook on life.
• Leadership Roles: Reflect on positions of leadership and what your role and responsibility was.
• Travel and Exploration: Recount experiences from traveling to new places (internationally or within your own country), learning a new language, and how these experiences have broadened their perspectives.
• Personal Growth: Moments of realization or growth, developing a new passion, changing a long-held belief, or maturing through life experiences.
• Academic Challenges: A difficult class/subject that requires you to push yourself to develop new skills or resilience and how far you’ve come.
• Creative Pursuits: Experiences in the arts (writing, painting, music, theater) and how these have influenced how you think and express yourself.
• Family Dynamics: Discuss how family responsibilities/dynamics/living arrangements or a family member has influenced you and your aspirations.
• Personal Relationships: Reflect on significant relationships with mentors, friends, or family members that have had a profound impact on their life.
• Identity & Self-Discovery: The journey of discovering their own identity, whether related to gender, sexuality, and journey to self-acceptance.
• Financial Hardships: Navigating financial instability, working multiple jobs to support your family or save for college, or dealing with homelessness.
• Social Challenges: Overcoming bullying, social anxiety, or struggles to fit in or find their place within a social group or community.
• Cultural Adjustment: Adjusting to a new culture/country, language barriers, or prejudice based on race, ethnicity, religion, or aspects of identity.
• Personal Loss: Dealing with the loss of a close friend, mentor, or pet, and how you managed your grief and moved forward.
• Failures and Setbacks: Reflect on personal/academic failures, not making a team, failing a class, and how you moved forward.
• Relocation: Adjust to frequent relocation, moving to a new city or country, and the challenges of starting over in a new environment.
• Personal Projects: Complete a significant personal project, such as writing a book, building a complex model, or creating a website.
• Competitions & Awards: Win a prestigious award, scholarship, or competition, science fairs, debate tournaments, or writing contest.
• Advocacy & Activism: Lead initiatives for social change, advocating for important causes, or playing a key role in movements or campaigns.
• Academic Achievements: Excel in a challenging course, receive a scholarship, win an academic competition, or conducting research.
• Athletic Success: Being a key player on a sports team, setting records, winning championships, or overcoming injury.
• Artistic Pursuits: A noteworthy piece of art, composing music, performing in theater productions, or showcasing work in galleries.
• Community Service: Lead a community service project, significantly impacting a local community.

What is an Anecdote?

An anecdote is a brief, engaging story about a specific event. In the context of a personal statement, an anecdote serves to illustrate a point about yourself in a way that is memorable. 

Quick Tips:

• Show don’t tell! 
• Capture the reader right away
• Be focused on a single event or moment
• Include vivid details and sensory descriptions
• Highlight emotions, thoughts, and personal reflections
• Be concise but meaningful, typically a few sentences

Setting the scene: Describe where you were, what was happening and who was involved.

Sensory Details: What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel? What did you smell?

Connection: Reflect on why this moment was significant and connect it to the main point of your essay.

Work with Writing Tutors in the ARC who specialize in Personal Statement Writing! Have your essay reviewed by your Career Advisor, Professor or anyone else you trust.

Use this checklist to ensure your personal statement is polished & ready for submission!

Introduction:

• Does the introduction grab the reader’s attention?
• Does it clearly introduce the main theme or story?

Body:

• Are your experiences, achievements, and challenges clearly described?
• Do you provide specific examples to illustrate your points?
• Is there a logical flow between paragraphs?
• Are transitions between ideas smooth and clear?

Conclusion:

• Does the conclusion summarize the main points effectively?
• Does it leave a lasting impression on the reader?
• Is there a sense of closure?

Clarity:

• Is the writing clear and concise?
• Are complex ideas explained in an understandable way?
• Do all parts of the essay contribute to the overall theme or story?

Relevance: 

• Does the essay answer the prompt or question asked?
• Does the essay reflect your academic and career goals?
• Does it showcase why you are a good fit for the college?

Personal Insight:

• Does the essay provide a glimpse into your personality and values?
• Have you shown growth or skills gained from the main point?

Uniqueness:

• Does the essay highlight what makes you unique?
• Have you avoided clichés and generic statements?

Grammar and Spelling: 

• Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? 

Style and Tone:

• Is there a consistent tone and voice throughout?
• Does the writing style reflect your personal voice?

Feedback and Revision: 

• Have you asked someone else to review your essay?
• Have you read the essay aloud?

Submission Requirements:

• Does the essay meet the word count requirements? 
• Have you followed all formatting and submission guidelines?
• Is the file named correctly and in the required format (e.g., PDF)?

Sample essays: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/personal-statement-examples