Written by Your personal statement – whether it’s writing about yourself, or something else – is more than just your story; it is you in words, trying to come across in the best light possible to admissions committees, employment boards, or scholarships committees. And it is sometimes the only, or most important, way that you may get a say in these processes. A single personal statement can make a difference in your life that can be, in many ways, true, right, just and good.
Understanding the Personal Statement
A personal statement is a short essay that outlines your experiences and achievements and describes your goals and motivations. It’s required for college applications, job applications and scholarships. Here’s how to write one. The purpose is to be distinctive, to demonstrate strengths and to show how you’d be a good fit for the opportunity.
Importance of a Personal Statement
First Impression Matters
It might be the only information the evaluators ever get to read about you – so put some serious thought into your personal statement and make sure it impresses. Writing a great personal statement, or personal history, can give you a real edge, helping you stand out from the crowd.
Showcasing Your Unique Qualities
It offers the chance to emphasise your distinctive background, talents and characteristics that would make you an attractive hire.
Demonstrating Your Commitment
A personal statement can be one of the few times during an application that you can demonstrate your inherent motivation to be in the field or programme you are applying to, and that you are not ‘just another applicant’ with no true investment.
Key Elements of a Personal Statement
Introduction
The hook that opens the essay needs to be interesting and engaging, and it should give a taste of what makes you different. Use a strong story or anecdote, quote or short background overview.
Academic and Professional Achievements
Describe your most compelling academic credentials and relevant job experience and freelance work. Be specific. What did you do? What did you create?
Personal Experiences and Skills
Describe an event or experience that was important in your life and character, telling how it has affected you. It might be something that prompted personal growth or helped you learn an important lesson. Topic Sentence: During my elementary school years, almost every student bullied me. Initially, as a child, I cannot explain what affected me when these school bullies made me cry. Among all the syllables, I can only remember the sharp sound of the word ‘crybaby’. Whenever someone called me a crybaby, tears streamed down my face. Every morning, unfailingly, before I actively decided to do so, I would ruminate about getting rid of these bullies. For many years, I acted on those impulses and even changed my approach in response to their nastiness. Eventually, I sought my own form of relief. The body is an internal guide, just like music. However, these memories seemed to be accompanied by other sensations.
Goals and Aspirations
Be expressive about your short and long-term goals. Explain how the opportunity, which you are applying for, is relevant to your career objectives.
Conclusion
Restate your main points and your enthusiasm for the opportunity, before ending with a killer closing line.
Tips for Writing an Effective Personal Statement
Be Genuine and Authentic
Be authentic. Put it out there, real, honest, open. Was there a selfish motive behind your reasons, and do applicants realise that? If not, a good admissions officer will detect it.
Keep It Relevant and Concise
Be selective; only include the most pertinent experiences. Avoid irrelevant details. Be concise; adhere to the word count and don’t include superfluous ‘padding’. Include a succinct explanatory phrase where appropriate.
Show, Don’t Just Tell
Give examples. If you say you’re a good leader, tell them about what you did to show that.
Use a Clear and Engaging Writing Style
Paraphrase the input into human-sounding text while retaining quotes and citations. Be concise and avoid overly complex or confusing sentences. Make your statement interesting and easy to read.
Proofread and Edit
A great personal statement does not necessarily require years of academic experience and advanced vocabulary, but it should be free of grammatical mistakes and misspellings. Do check and double-check your essay, and if possible, ask someone else to read it as well.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Being Too Vague
Don’t use statements that apply to everyone; tell me about something that happened to you or makes you special.
Focusing Too Much on Others
For sure, if you have mentor figures or important people, it’s good to mention them, but this should always happen within the context of your story, about you and your experiences.
Overusing Clichés
Avoid clichés and overly used phrases. Be original in your expression.
Ignoring the Prompt
Make sure you cover any prompts or questions given by the application. Personalise your personal statement to them.
The Impact of a Strong Personal Statement
A strong personal statement can help set your application apart. It can make you stand out to your selection committee, demonstrate your writing abilities, and communicate your passion and enthusiasm.
In College Admissions
The best set of personal statements would tip the scales in favour of difficult-to-get-into colleges.
In Job Applications
If you’re applying for jobs, a good personal statement can help you stand out from a large group of applicants, impressing your potential employer with the reasons why you are the ideal candidate for the role.
For Scholarships
Your personal statement might assist you in an application for scholarship by showcasing your need as well as your deserving for a financial support, your achievements and goals.
Crafting a Personal Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Brainstorm Ideas
Think about your experiences, past achievements, and future goals. Consider your special qualities and motivations for applying.
Step 2: Create an Outline
Think of the structure of your essay and arrange your ideas into clear paragraphs that will support your personal statement.
Step 3: Write the First Draft
Begin drafting your personal statement from your outline. Don’t worry about perfection at this stage; just get your thoughts down.
Step 4: Revise and Refine
Read over your draft to clean it up. Does it all sound natural? Is it free of distractions? Is it saying exactly what you want to say? Get rid of any parts that don’t add to the point you’re trying to make.
Step 5: Seek Feedback
Get someone else to read the personal statement. Not only can they give good feedback, they might also spot those pesky typos.
Step 6: Finalize Your Statement
With that in mind, rework the text so that it reads more naturally, and check back to adjust fully. Your personal statement is now ready to go!
Conclusion
Crafting a standout personal statement takes time, reflection and attention to detail. When you focus on your own experience and goals, and present those in an organised and engaging way, you have a personal statement that shines. Whether for college admissions, a job application or a scholarship contest, your statement is your chance.
FAQs
1. How long should a personal statement be?
Every application asks for something different, but personal statements are almost always between 500 and 1000 words. Make sure you stick to the length they ask for.
2. Can I use the same personal statement for different applications?
It is advisable to customise your personal statement to every application you write by responding to prompts and featuring relevant experiences.
3. How do I start a personal statement?
Grab the reader with a great opening paragraph — a story, a quote or a sketch of who you are.
4. What should I avoid in a personal statement?
Don’t be vague. Don’t rely on clichés. Don’t emphasise other people. And don’t ignore the prompt.
5. How can I make my personal statement stand out?
Continue to be genuine, specific and engaging; continue to use clear examples to support your arguments; and continue to structure your personal statement in a coherent and error-reduced manner.
Written by 
Written by