The personal statement. What is the purpose?

College Essays
3

<p>I’m certainly not an admission’s officer (being a student myself), but here are my thoughts on the elements of a functional personal statement:</p>

<p>1) Answer the direct question (and anticipated ones).</p>

<p>The direct prompt might read: “Tell us a little about your most interesting class,” while the extended, un-cut dvd-only release might reveal something else: “Tell us a little about your most interesting class, why you would be a good fit in this school, and why we should admit you.”</p>

<p>2) Be original.</p>

<p>I view the personal statement as a conversation you are having with an admission’s officer. How would you talk to someone in a coffee shop? What about a close friend you confide in? Try to talk in a way that you’d think would be interesting. Tone, diction, and syntax can make a conversation lively. I know that a lack of variety has certainly resulted in me fighting off yawns in lectures that covered material I found fascinating. </p>

<p>Perhaps you could try to picture yourself as an admission’s officer and think of what you would see if you were to read other people’s essays. This is your chance to show that you are a unique individual with distinct interests, as opposed to applicant #2079. You don’t want to sound like 50 other people. How would you be remembered?</p>

<p>3) Share a piece of your own philosophy</p>

<p>Say something about what you believe in, something personal. What motivates you? What captivates you? What happened when a pragmatic world collided with your idealistic aspirations?</p>

<p>4) Be consistent.</p>

<p>I have often wondered just how in the world the person on the other side would know that what I’m saying describes who I really am. How would they know that the essay wasn’t a lie, some concocted bio from a Marvel Superhero comic book insert? If you can’t prove truth, then you can provide consistency. If you speak in a way that is natural and introduce what you are truly passionate about, there will be an aura that glows from the entire paper. Someone who BSs will more likely speak or act in ways that are inconsistent with what they are touting.</p>