It’s that time of year again where rising high school seniors are preparing to apply to college. The application process is a daunting task, and it can seem incredibly overwhelming. The key is to take it one step at a time. While each of you visits schools over the summer, preparing the final list of schools to apply to, the Common Application has already released the personal statement essay prompts for 2016-2017.
When senior year starts, not only will you have to resume your regular busy schedule, but you must also add the pressure of meeting the application deadlines. From gathering recommendations to visiting more schools to writing supplemental essays for schools, the anxiety will catch up with you.
If you ask anyone who has already been through the process, they will tell you to start early! The Common Application has already released their prompts, so you can get started on your personal statement and hopefully will only have to perfect it in the fall.
Here, I have compiled for you a master list of how to successfully write your personal statement.
1. The topic you choose should be what you want to write about, not what you think the admissions counselor wants to read about.
You have had 17 years of experiences that are unique. You may not have cured cancer or started a non-profit organization (kudos to you if you have), but you do have something to show for yourself. If you haven’t done something incredible, then don’t try to make something ordinary into something incredible. Tell your story that has shaped you, and own that that is your unique experience. An ordinary story that has had a significant impact on you can speak volumes. Being you is what they want to see.
2. Brainstorm ideas with your parents.
Your parents are some of the only people who have been there from the beginning. If you don’t know what to write about, chances are, your parents know all your major life experiences and interests and can help you out. Getting someone else’s perspective can be helpful. If not your parents, anyone who knows you well can also provide insight.
3. Show them that you’re passionate without actually using the word "passion."
"Passion" is one of those words that is hard to quantify. College admissions counselors want to understand the person behind the test scores and the GPA. They want to understand why you would choose the extracurriculars that you participated in. Your personal statement is where you can show them. Don’t explicitly use the word "passion," but instead, make them come to the conclusion that you are passionate about whatever it is you chose to write about.
4. Don’t just tell a story.
Although you need to explain the situation, the most important part of your essay is how it impacted you. How did you feel in the moment? How do you feel now, thinking back to the moment? How did it impact you? How has it changed the way you see certain situations now? Why did you grow from the experience? Think about all these things when writing the essay. You need to be reflecting throughout the essay to add your personal touch to the work.
5. Don’t just list your activities.
They already know everything you’re involved in. Going on about the 20 things you did in high school isn’t going to add anything to your application. Zero in on one experience or maybe even a single moment within that experience.
6. No one else should be able to use your essay as their own.
Making your essay unique is an obvious tip, but you’d be surprised by how many applicants write about how a mission trip changed their lives, or how they got injured in a sport and came back better than ever, or how they, as an engineering applicant, played with Legos as a kid. After 17 years, your biggest moment in life should not be something that someone else can say was an experience they had as well. Leave a lasting impression.
7. Don’t have people over-edit your ideas.
Of course you will have people edit your essays, but make sure it is still true to what you wanted to write. An admissions counselor will know if a 40-year-old lawyer wrote your essay. Even if they don’t know, they may admit you on false pretenses, and you could end up at the wrong place for four years.
8. Write multiple essays -- don’t worry about word count.
Answer multiple prompts and write about different topics so that you have many different options to choose from. When first writing an essay, just write the whole essay and do not worry about how long it is. Get all your ideas down, and you can later edit out the unnecessary parts to fit the required word count. This ensures your greatest ideas will be included.
9. The essay should foreshadow your future role on their campus.
The essay is the most personal part of your application. It is also the only part of your application that you can change at this point. College admissions counselors (especially at highly selective schools) are looking for what unique qualities you would bring to their university. Maybe, through your essay, they will gather that you might be on the newspaper staff, involved with biomedical research, or an advocate for women’s rights on their campus. You want to paint that picture for them to set you apart from the other applicants with stellar grades and every extracurricular under the sun.
10. Don’t write about dating, depression or death.
I have talked about what to write about, but there are also a few things you should stay away from. You want to show the reader your personality and let them see the real you. With that being said, some topics to stay away from are dating, depression and death. Who you are dating or why you are dating them has no relevance to why you should be admitted to a University. Death and depression are topics where you may have become stronger because of them, but it is incredibly difficult to show an admissions counselor, who does not know you personally, why those hardships have molded you to the ideal college student. There are other topics similar to these that should be avoided; just use common sense, and you should be fine!
