Unlike the other materials required in a university entrance application, the personal statement is particularly daunting because of the flexibility it gives the applicant. The following advice is more geared towards students who are applying for study abroad programs, though much of the general guidelines can be applied towards personal statements at large. The following is some of the advice that I’ve found the most helpful during the personal statement drafting process:
Make sure your personality shines through and avoid clichés. The personal statement is one of the few chances in the application process where you can show that you’re more than just an applicant number or a combination of test scores and GPA, so take advantage of this opportunity to convey aspects of yourself that make you unique as both a student and an individual. The person reading your application essay has probably read hundreds of essays, so avoid the typical personal statement clichés and show how you are a unique applicant.
Make sure you strategically answer the prompt questions. You want to make sure that you provide as much compelling information as possible about why you’re a strong applicant. If the application essay questions ask you about why you want to study a particular subject, don’t answer the same question in your personal statement, as you want to avoid redundancy in your application as a whole.
Don’t just restate everything that’s on your resume or CV. Many study abroad programs will allow you to submit your resume or CV for review alongside your application, so use the personal statement as a chance to talk about something that makes you unique and isn’t just a laundry list of your academic and professional achievements. Some of the personality traits that an application committee is looking for are often difficult to convey through a strictly academic essay or on a list of accomplishments, so take full advantage of the creative aspects of a personal statement to demonstrate your uniqueness as an applicant.
Start early and don’t forget to proofread. Creative pieces are usually projects that require a concerted effort over a long period of time— not something that you can write in an afternoon or the night before it’s due. Starting early, even if that just means writing down a list of tentative topics as you brainstorm can definitely help with the creative process and avoid frantically writing something in a hurry due to a lack of time. Starting early will also give you more time to edit and fine-tune your work, where you can catch typos and careless errors that you might overlook if faced with a rapidly impending deadline. There’s nothing worse than pouring your heart into a piece of writing and having your hard work be undercut by a simple spelling mistake or grammatical error. Starting early will also give you enough time to take breaks from your writing, where you can return to your draft with a clear head and a fresh perspective. Don’t be afraid of a second opinion; ask someone who you know will be honest with you to look at what you’ve written, whether that’s a friend or professor.
Tailor your essay to each school. Most application readers know that applicants are probably applying to multiple schools and programs. Making your essay unique to what each school offers and how that institution, in particular, will contribute to your academic and personal development will definitely make you seem like a more compelling applicant, rather than speaking in vague terms. This can be achieved by doing research on each university, what makes it unique, and what about it stands out to you. Talk about specific aspects of the school’s academic program or culture that speak to you. Look into what classes you’d like to take, specific professors whose research or teaching interests align with yours, or whether the university has a department or course of study that you might not have at your home institution.
Making your essay unique to what each school offers and how that institution, in particular, will contribute to your academic and personal development will definitely make you seem like a more compelling applicant
Don’t compare yourself to others. While following someone else’s advice on writing a personal statement isn’t a bad thing in itself, it’s easy to get distracted by googling “best personal statement essay” and spending hours and hours looking at what other people have written. The great thing about a personal statement is that it’s supposed to be personal, and what worked for one applicant won’t always work for another.
Keep it simple and don’t overthink it. At the end of the day, both applicants and application readers are human beings with dynamic personalities and flaws. Just do your best and don’t stress too much!
