Write your way into your dream school

Most American colleges require applicants to submit a personal statement, which is literally an essay about you. This may be the one chance the admissions committee has, to get to know who you are and what you will contribute to their student body. As such, the essay is a very important part of your application.

You are more than the sum total of your test scores, school marks, and other achievements. You have a unique personality, sense of humor, funny little habits that only your best friend knows about… the personal statement is your chance to make an impression, to demonstrate the special qualities that make you you.

So what should you write about? Take a look at the prompts for the Common App essays online. 

You may notice that the prompts are open-ended. Makes sense, right? There can’t be a wrong or right answer to an essay designed to show the admissions committee who you are.

Spend some time with each of the essay prompts – carry each one around in your pocket for a few days. Try each one on for size. You may think, “I’m only 17. I haven’t experienced anything worth writing about. Who would want to read about my boring life?” Do not despair – you have plenty to share!

The essay is not your opportunity to brag about the super impressive, glamorous things you’ve achieved (so don’t worry if you haven’t!). These prompts are asking you to be introspective and discuss an experience that has shaped you, and why. Admissions committees want to see that you are mature enough to write concisely and intelligently about what has made you who you are today. That is the “you” they are going to admit to their school.

Be authentic. Be sincere. Be honest.

These people read hundreds of thousands of applications over the course of their career – they can sniff out a phoney within the first two sentences of an essay.

Excuse the cliché (avoid cliché at all cost in your essay), but when deciding on an essay topic, think outside the box. You will want to catch – and keep! – the admissions officers’ attention, and make them want to learn more about you.

If, for instance, you write about a time you failed, do not describe an exam or other academic exercise on which you scored poorly. This is boring and happens to everyone (and a lot of less savvy applicants will be writing this essay). The failure, whatever it is, should serve as the springboard for your reflection on how this experience made you look at life differently. The rule of thumb is that whatever experience you choose to write about, the essay is less about the actual experience and more about its impact on you.

Ask lots of people to read and help revise your essay.

Ask your English teacher, a friend who’s a strong writer, or a trusted family member to give you feedback on what you’ve written. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in our own writing, that we don’t notice when we’re getting a little carried away (or, conversely, when we’re not giving enough of ourselves). **Side note: Do not ask your mom to be a reader. Moms tend to think their kids are pretty darn special. Look for someone who’s just slightly less biased…**

Give yourself time!

From choosing your prompt, brainstorming, and drafting to workshopping, revising, and polishing, it should take you about 2-3 months (months!) to complete your personal statement. The essay may “only” be 650 words, but it is usually much harder to communicate a lot in a concise way, than to churn out pages of meandering thought.