Personal Statement Tips

As I was working on my applications, I definitely stressed out over my personal statement. As a writer, I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. It needed to demonstrate that I would be an ideal student for all the schools I planned on applying to. I know for a fact that I probably stressed myself out a little too much, but I ended up with a personal statement I am proud of.

In order to help you feel more confident when it comes to writing your personal statement, I thought I'd share some tips I found from all over the web to make this a more fun process for you than it was for me.

Get rid of "fluff"

Even though you have much more space in a personal statement than on your resume or even on the application forms themselves, but that doesn't mean you should take up space for the sake of taking up space. You have a story to tell within your personal statement; make the best use of that space to tell it correctly.

Edit, edit, edit

By the time I decided I was ready to turn in my personal statement and move onto the next part of my applications, I had written out three separate drafts of it. Of course, it might have been a little bit too much to have that many drafts, but it's still very important to look over your work. Grammar and how well you write will be an important factor that hangs over your entire application, and you don't want to get dinged over something simple that you would have noticed if you edited.

Make a personalized statement for each school

When I first began working on my personal statements, I spent some time prepping before actually writing anything. I made sure I knew what each school was looking for in the logistics of the personal statement so I wasn't a few words too short or too long.

On top of that, I also spent time researching the perks of the school that I wanted to mention in my personal statement. Letting the schools know you put in time to research them will make a lasting impression. It'll help make it seem like each and every school is your first choice.

What can you do for the school?

Like I mentioned above, it's important to show your interest in what the school can do for you, but don't forget to demonstrate what you offer to the school. What kind of student are you going to be? What will you get involved in? What will your future career do as an alum of the school?

It's not your resume

You're already turning in your resume along with the rest of your application, so it's in your best interest to not repeat everything that's already in your resume. Your personal statement is your place to show off your personality.

xoxo,

Rachel