When you get ready to write your personal statement for college, you may get nervous thinking of the perfect thing to write about and the most sophisticated way to say it. With a little planning and consideration, you can come up with a personal statement that you can be proud of.
Give Yourself Enough Time
It may be possible for you to churn out a wonderful statement in a day, but the statement may not be the best you could possibly write. Give yourself at least four days per personal statement. You need enough time to write it and proofread it before turning it in.
Read the Question Carefully
There is not one general question that all colleges use, but many use similar questions. For example, you may have to write about an event that shaped your life, why you want to enter a specified field or what your best experience thus far has been. Make sure you read the question carefully and understand the directions.
Make a List
Whatever the question may be, you should write a list of potential topics. For example, if your question is regarding your personal experiences, write a list of relevant experiences that you can write about.
Decide on a Topic
Review your list and come up with a topic you know you can write about. Make sure you can satisfy the required word count. You should be able to fully express yourself without adding fluff or writing more words than the criteria calls for. It needs to be a topic that is important to you.
Write an Outline, Opening and Closing
Write an outline of the relevant points you want to make in your personal statement. This can help you map out how you want the statement to go and make edits where necessary. Along with the outline, write the opening and closing. They are incredibly important because they intrigue the reader from the beginning and make your final point at the end.
Do Not Lie
It is possible to get caught lying on a personal essay. Lying can be a decision you regret the rest of your life. In addition, when you write a lie, it may not sound as genuine as when you write the truth, which can influence the quality of your personal statement.
Be Yourself
Your personal statement is supposed to be exactly that---personal. It is intended to be about you, not someone that you made up. Those reviewing your essay want to get an idea of who you are as a person and who you will be as a student.
Use Proper Language
You do not have to sound like a genius in order to write a personal statement. However, you do have to write without grammatical or spelling mistakes and without using slang or abbreviations. Use a thesaurus and dictionary often if necessary.
Be Unique, Engaging and Specific
Put your heart into what you write; when you do, you increase the chance of improving the quality of your writing. Those reviewing your essay have to read thousands of them so they are looking for something that is going to intrigue them. Write as if you are pouring your heart out on paper, give specific details and engage your reader.
Review Carefully
Reviewing is an incredibly important aspect of writing your personal statement. Review everything from grammar to spelling and keep doing so until you cannot find a single thing wrong with it. It is also a good idea to have others read it to get additional opinions.
