How to Write a College Admissions Essay
or Personal Statement
You only get one shot at a college admissions essay.
Get it right by following ALL of the rules here.
Rule #1:
Do not write a formal, academic paper. Although you are presenting an argument about why you're a good candidate, college admissions officers don't want to see how good of an essay writer you are. Instead, they want to know about your story. That's right, a STORY. Which leads us to the next rule. Rule #2: Write a creative short story about your life. Honestly, Harry Potter can really help us out here. Watch this clip from Harry Potter. In this scene, Harry stumbles upon a magical device called a pensieve. As you saw, it's a fountain of sorts that allows you to relive a memory from someone else. This is what your personal statement should be. It shouldn't be a logical argument. It should be a vivid, play-by-play description of one scene of your life. When the college admissions officer reads your paper, they should feel like they are inside your head reliving a memory. |
Rule #3:
Pick a scene from your life that is symbolic of who you are. You don't have a lot of space, and admissions officers don't want to read an entire novel. So, you have to be picky about that ONE SCENE you decide to show them. It should represent the qualities you want your prospective college to know about you.
Here's how to get started:
Pick a scene from your life that is symbolic of who you are. You don't have a lot of space, and admissions officers don't want to read an entire novel. So, you have to be picky about that ONE SCENE you decide to show them. It should represent the qualities you want your prospective college to know about you.
Here's how to get started:
- Write a list of five qualities that you want to show off to your college (e.g. hard-working, caring, mature, creative, etc.).
- Think of a scene that truly symbolizes or highlights a couple of those qualities. For example, if you want to show that you are "creative", then talk about the time when you had to use your wits to save the school dance. Or, if you want to show that you are "patient", then tell the story of how learning Taekwondo started with painfully slow movements and an exacting dojo master.
- Start writing!
Rule #4:
Show, don't tell. This is a phrase a lot of teachers use that basically means this: "Don't say that you are __________. Describe an example that shows you are ___________." See the examples to the right. Do you notice how there is a clear difference between simply stating that you are a "hard-worker" and proving it with vivid descriptions? Also, notice how the SHOWING example doesn't even mention the words "hard-worker" or "empathetic". The reader simply learns that about you as they experience your story. |
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Rule #5:
Start in the middle of your story with a hook. Don't be confused. Your story should still have a beginning, middle, and ending. But, don't start at the VERY beginning because it's probably a bit boring. Instead, your personal statement should start when the good stuff happens: the action, the drama, the suspense.
Your first sentence should also be a hook. A hook is an attention grabber so that your reader will be drawn in to your story.
Stanford Magazine published this article about the best hooks from the Class of 2012.
Start in the middle of your story with a hook. Don't be confused. Your story should still have a beginning, middle, and ending. But, don't start at the VERY beginning because it's probably a bit boring. Instead, your personal statement should start when the good stuff happens: the action, the drama, the suspense.
Your first sentence should also be a hook. A hook is an attention grabber so that your reader will be drawn in to your story.
Stanford Magazine published this article about the best hooks from the Class of 2012.
Rule #6:
Feature these 3 things in your story.
Feature these 3 things in your story.
- Use college level writing (don't go overboard with fancy language, but make a good impression)
- Highlight why you're a well qualified applicant (but, remember rule #4)
- Demonstrate why you NEED college (but, never use any variation of this sentence: "I want to go to college because...")
Rule #7:
Revise, revise, revise. Get as many people to read over your essay as possible: peers, friends, family members, college students, teachers, random people off the street. Get their feedback and make changes.
You might have to cut whole paragraphs or even pick a new topic (scary!). Just remember your end goal: to convince a college admissions officer that you should be at their school.
Revise, revise, revise. Get as many people to read over your essay as possible: peers, friends, family members, college students, teachers, random people off the street. Get their feedback and make changes.
You might have to cut whole paragraphs or even pick a new topic (scary!). Just remember your end goal: to convince a college admissions officer that you should be at their school.
Rule #8:
Read good examples of successful essays. The more you read, the more you'll understand the guidelines above. Check out these exemplars below.
Read good examples of successful essays. The more you read, the more you'll understand the guidelines above. Check out these exemplars below.
- The Great Lie: This personal statement contains only one true sentence. The rest are lies. It is an excellent example of showing quirky creativity.
- Overcoming Adversity: This student tells the story of how he rose above many challenges. The opening line is the perfect hook. It is an excellent example of showing confidence and resiliency.
- The Eulogy: This student wrote her own eulogy. It's a daring way to talk about yourself. It is an excellent example of showing passion and focus.
- My Act Three: This student connects her high school play with her personal life. It is an excellent example of a break through realization.
- The Patient Artist: This personal statement talks about how mastery of anything starts with the smallest step. It is an excellent example of patience and maturity.
- Finding Passion: This student talks about the long road to finding his passion. It is an excellent example of perseverance.
More Resources:
- Pre-Meeting Assignment (complete this before scheduling an appointment with Devin)
- Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps (probably the best "How To" book on college essays on the market)
- Advice on Whittling Your Admissions Essay (a short, helpful article)