Writing a college admission essay shouldn’t be an exercise in futility. It is because your future in a prestigious learning institution depends on how good you are at it. It is why; one of the first steps towards succeeding in a quest is learning how to write a personal statement. The big question is this: how do you come up with the best description of one’s strengths and weaknesses? Well, this post helps you discover more about college essay writing, so keep reading to learn more.
Whichever way you look at it, personal statements should never be the same, albeit, rules for writing college application essays or resumes are often a replica of each other. If, for example, there is an experience in your academic life that fits the bill, and would potentially increase one’s chances of getting hired or admitted, it shouldn’t suffer the cut. Before exploring further, let’s begin by understanding the basics.
What is a personal statement?
Definitively, personal statements refer to short essays usually about 4000 characters (roughly, 47 lines) explaining why you are the best fit for an undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate degree program to which you are applying. Admission boards in universities or colleges, therefore, decide whether you are the best candidate for a particular program after going through such write-ups.
On these premises, it is imperative that students who wish to pursue a degree program craft the best personal statements in the hope that it would win hearts of those sitting admission boards/interviewing panels. You may want to ask, “What type of objectives and goals should fit into a quality essay?” Also, “Is there a format that students who write a personal statement for college should follow?”
Well, we explore these and many more in the next sections to help you get started, and so, to begin with, here are some of the most common topics include the following:
- Share your story taking into account background, interest, passion and identity. Tell us why they make you the most suitable candidate for our study program.
- Explore an accomplishment in your life that marked the beginning of personal growth in your life, how it affected others, and why you feel it is relevant for this course.
- Describe a period in your life when you questioned an idea, why it happened and how your search for answers ended.
- Write about a major obstacle or setback in your life, how it affected you, lessons learned and how it changed your worldview.
The Basic format
Format plays a significant role in crafting admission essays, and when it is time to give a brief personal history; including why you are interested in pursuing a program, it is important to keep your introduction as exciting and catchy as possible. Thus, basic formatting students should follow apart from the hook including the following:
- Introduction-write about why you want to study a given course by giving an inspiration behind such a decision.
- Talk about a subject you would wish to study. It is the centerpiece of your write-up that breathes out your passion and would set apart your application from the park as the most relevant.
- Write down your hobbies, in which case, a quick web search using phrases like who can write my college essay will pull up thousands of services from which to choose the best helper. In this section, mention a few extracurricular activities in which you took part dating back to high school days, and in particular, how they paid off in one way or the other. Which key skills did you gain through such engagements? What about lessons and knowledge? Most importantly, it is imperative to weave relevance of hobbies to match the course which you are applying for.
- When it comes to concluding/ending your personal statement, it should be about leaving a lasting impression in the mind of someone who will have read your essay. Is there something they can remember? For example, how does for future accomplishments align with the subject you’ve chosen to study?
Your choice of words is pivotal
There is an ideal register/tone for different types of essays, and so, when it comes to writing personal, students should make sure to choose befitting expressions. For example, the word ‘accomplish’ is more professional than ‘do’. Avoid running into the temptation of using fancy statements words. You may want to check out synonyms for words you would like to use in your essay, and that’s okay. All the same,Paperial college essay writing service can also help you get it right with your word choice.
Do not dwell on your weaknesses
Personal statements are the backbone of college application essays. And, while it is advisable to be honest when exploring your education background, it is important to emphasize your strengths more than weaknesses. At this point, it is like marketing a new product to unchartered markets. Therefore, a strong selling proposition should be your main focus.
Write down everything you feel is relevant about your experiences, plans for the future (not just in the education realm) and knowledge. If you do it right, a chance is yours for the taking regardless of how watertight is competing for college placement slots.
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, personal statements are always going to be about you. Thus, make your write-up unique by using your own voice and ideas. Even if a topic on which you should write is common, it is important to steer clear of duplicating existing write-ups.
