How to Approach the College Personal Statement
Calling all college applicants! One of the most important elements of your application is the personal statement. If you’re reading this blog post, you probably already know that the personal statement is the 650-word “primary essay” that will be sent to all schools on the Common Application. Though you’re welcome to answer one of seven essay prompts, many students opt for a topic of their choosing. All that matters is that you use this one- to two-page essay to say something important about yourself, and to convey to the admissions officer what kind of community member you’re going to be on their campus.
While this sounds like an immense undertaking, it’s important to remember that this essay is not meant to capture your entire personality. You don’t have the word count for that! Instead, begin your brainstorming process by creating a list of adjectives and nouns that best describe you. It can be useful to ask your parents and/or close friends for input on these adjectives. Are you adaptable? A problem-solver? A leader? Compassionate? Open-minded? Curious? Dependable? Optimistic? Hilarious? Write these down, and then circle the three traits that feel most essential to who you are.
Once you have those traits in mind, try to think about a story or anecdote that showcases one or more of those traits. For example, did your experience teaching your older neighbor how to use a cellphone teach you about patience and compassion? Did you discover your confidence when your friends peer-pressured you into auditioning for the school play, despite your lifelong case of stage fright? Some of the most successful personal statements describe a person, place, or experience that changed the way the author operates or thinks in the world. Ultimately, your personal statement topic should be something you enjoy thinking about! You don’t have to have launched your own company, discovered the cure for a rare disease, or suffered gravely. Students have written compelling, Ivy League-worthy essays about everything from unibrows to their favorite songs.
The key here is to tell a great story. Admissions officers are reading through hundreds of applications every day—in fact, your entire application will likely be read in under five minutes!—so be sure to grab them right away. You’ll want a catchy first sentence, sensory details, and a strong voice. This isn’t your classic academic paper, so feel free to use contractions, skip phrases like “In this essay, I will…”, and utilize your creativity.
Do your best to stay away from the following topics, which range from cliche to taboo in the world of college admissions:
Scoring the winning goal
Suffering a sports injury and sitting on the sidelines for a season
Your service trip to an under-resourced community
Your parents’ divorce
Death
Mental health struggles, broadly (however, specific, unique anecdotes on this topic are certainly possible, especially if your own experience with depression led you to create a local nonprofit support group that provides teens with accessible mental health care, or something to that effect)
Lastly, there is no right topic. The “right topic” is the one you can write passionately about, and that reveals at least one important facet of your identity.
If you’re looking for one-on-one assistance with your personal statement and supplemental essays, shoot us an email at hi@seconddraftstudio.com.
Happy writing!