So to begin with, before I started my personal essay for commonapp, I researched. I found out that the most important part of the essay is what it says about you, and of course, somehow answer the prompt if any. However, recently I was talking someone about my essay looking for improvement. He was talking about a “message” that I have to deliver to the readers which I was somehow lacking. I wrote my essay primarily to show them who I am. Is this “message” important? What should I keep in mind while writing these essays? Also, how can I show my personality, or who I am? Is humor a good way?
Try and incorporate how any of your experiences have changed you, or something like that. For example, instead of just saying “I volunteer at xxx” or “I am part of XXX Club”, talk about your favorite aspect of the activity, what you gain from it: Do you feel humbled, satisfied, challenged…
My DS chose the lose track of time essay for common app. He wrote a narrative about his experience including what he did, how he felt, etc. I don’t’ know if it’s right or wrong, but his was unique in my opinion. It was also a relatively quick write because it was about his passion. I think you just need to be you and go with your gut. You want it to be something that if someone who knew you read it, they’d say “that’s XX” who wrote that. There’s a document floating around here with advice that’s very good. the site is hackthecollegeessay. It’s written by John Dewis, 35 pages, quick read.