Your Helpful College Personal Statement Samples
Did you know that there are 20.4 million students enrolled in college right now, with expected growth of 23 million by 2020? The average school now accepts about 5.5% fewer students than in 2001. And it’ll likely only get worse. You need an amazing personal statement to make you stand out from the crowd and draw attention to you.
Steps to Writing a Great Personal Statement
The first step to writing a great personal statement is to get writing! But that’s easier said than done, so here’s a five-step process to get you on your way.
- Brainstorm: Think about your journey, and how you’ve ended up where you are. A little research into your schools of choice doesn’t hurt either.
- Make notes: Jot down the points from your brainstorming session that seem most important.
- Write an outline: Boring? Maybe. But it’ll make the process so much easier, trust us.
- Fill it in: While filling in, make sure you write like yourself.
- Proofread: Go over it, then get someone else to go over it, then go over it again. Typos are really embarrassing.
Keep or Not: College Statement Edition
What should you keep and what shouldn’t you when writing your personal statement? Here’s a couple of lists.
Keep these:
- Long term goals
- Transferable skills you’ve picked up (show the relevance)
- What you’ve done outside the classroom (again, relevance)
- Why you want to study where/what you do
- Why you’re a great candidate
Not these:
- Sweeping statements
- Unproven claims
- Reading that everyone does – admissions people get tired of hearing about it
- Forced jokes – if you’re not sure if it’s funny, cut it
- Lists – don’t talk about everything you’ve done, talk about a few things with great detail.
College Personal Statement Buzzwords & Trends
Looking for the top college buzzwords and trends? Here’s a quick rundown.
- Highlighting specific accomplishments clearly
- Cutting out irrelevant stuff, keeping only things which you can relate cleanly and clearly to your suitability
- Keeping your own voice, not someone else’s stiff and stuffy words
Buzzwords these days tend to be action words, things that show rather than telling. Examples: questioned, responded, reviewed, oversaw, earned, created. These are all words that tell you a little something about what the person did, rather than just giving a vague impression of action.
Personal Statement Samples for College
Still struggling with finding college or medical personal statement samples? Here’s a quick outline for you to follow that’s a surefire winner.
- Paragraph one: Intro. Discuss how you became interested in this subject. If you don’t know your major yet, as many don’t, say why you want to go to college.
- Paragraph two: Explain why you’re a great candidate for university.
- Paragraph three: Talk about your plans for the future – what do you want to do when you’re out of college?
- Paragraph four: Conclusion. Quickly summarize your points without repeating anything. Add a sentence or two as to why you’d be good for this particular school. And you’re done!
Personal Statement Samples for College Admission
Your personal statement should always sound like you, no matter what. It’s a difficult feat, but we hope that by these personal statement examples, we’ve given you some help. Education is the foundation of our society. We know that you can succeed and go on to help the world – so get to it!