Writing Your College Essay and Personal Statement

A personal statement is generally required when you are applying to a college. Your personal statement highlights your unique qualifications and strengths as an individual and a student, and aims to convince an admissions committee that your personality and achievements make you a great fit for their school.

Considerable weight is attached to the personal statement in the admissions process. It’s an opportunity to explain who you are, your goals and attainments, career path, professional interests and your future plans, and really impress an admissions committee.

It is vital that your personal statement be well-organized and use complete paragraphs, so take your time and plan appropriately.

Begin by introducing yourself with a simple and engaging description. To make a good impression, focus on your enthusiasm for the course, state your strengths,  show your intellectual curiosity, and explain what encouraged you to apply to the college. Your academic interests should be elaborated, to show that you understand the scope of study in their discipline. Mention any essential papers or project theses you have completed, along with any extracurricular achievements.

It is beneficial if you can demonstrate hands-on experience, such as work experience, outreach programs, academic visits or competitions. These kinds of experiences can help to show your ability to work independently and as part of team, as well as your time management, problem-solving, leadership and organizational skills.

Make yourself stand out from the crowd. Try to avoid obvious and common things that majority of other applicants will write about. Indicate what your long term goals are, in an interesting way.

Finally, write a short and sharp conclusion, identifying your key messages and conveying them concisely. Conclude on a positive note with something that adds to your statement. Be specific and dynamic and come alive on paper—and the result will be an amazing college personal statement!

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