hey guys. So I have a lot riding on my personal statement. I’m only making the bare minimum UC gpa requirement with a 3.0 and a decent act score. So, I have some questions about my personal statement. I have decided that I really want to try using a poem and the personal statement but I do not know how to transition from writing to the poem I will use the poem and the first part of the personal statement answering the prompt of my family and background I have written the poem I just do not know how to incorporate it into the second part of the statement about my family and home. Any thoughts about using a poem too?
The usual practice is to quote the part of the poem that is most relevant to you, and use it as a jumping off point for your essay. But there are other ways to do it.
Why not try writing the essay and ask your English teacher, or another teacher you respect, to read it? He or she can tell you if it’s working or not and may have suggestions.
Keep in mind that personal statements are generally not the difference between getting in and not getting in somewhere. A really bad personal statement - in which you appear illiterate or offensive - can keep you out of a school. But generally the level of boost to your application between a competent personal statement and a great one just isn’t that much. It’s going to be about your grades and test scores, the rigor of your academic transcript and what you teachers say about you. At the most competitive and selective schools where everyone has 4.0s and high test scores, glowing recs and ECs that make the resume gods weep, a great essay might give you the tip. But at most schools, it’s about your academics.
@ZirrGrizz not sure if you’ve submitted your app yet, but I read somewhere to NOT use a poem for your personal statement…