Writing a personal statement is a compulsory assignment that’s difficult to circumvent, because it’s essential to applying to college or a job position. People dread writing the personal statement, and the first thought that comes to mind is usually, What do I say? and then I don’t want to write this comes after. Then you Google personal statement examples and try to model yours after them without plagiarizing, and you’re too embarrassed to let others proofread your work because it’s corny and it doesn’t sound like you at all.
It’s too bad that the personal statement is pretty important. The university or employer doesn’t know anything about you, and you can’t really get to know someone through a transcript or resume. These documents can tell you about a person’s grades or accomplishments, but they can’t tell you what that person is like. You can generally assume that the person is ambitious or hard-working, but two different applicants who share both of those characteristics can still be very different people. So the personal statement is what these organizations thought of as a way to get a brief glimpse into your personality. Admittedly, cramming all of who you are into one essay can be a challenge.
The problem behind writing a personal statement is this – how do you write what you really feel without making it not what they want to hear? And then how do you say what they want to hear without sucking up? The fact is that you do have to lay it on a bit, but your personal statement doesn’t have to be complete sap.
Writing a personal statement is easiest when you actually care. You might not care too much for the personal statement, but hopefully you care about the institution you’re trying to get into, and getting into it. In this case, be honest with yourself and think about why you’re doing this. Write down your thoughts to get them out of your head and see them in front of you. Once you have that down, you can begin to polish it so that it appeals to the reader.
When writing a personal statement, the sucking up part is not in what you say, but how you say it. I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I took my first breath? is sucking up in what you say. I want to be a doctor and help people? is what you’re thinking, and then you can modify it to sound better: I want to study at (insert institution) to develop the skills necessary to practice medicine effectively. A good personal statement presents personal content that’s been translated into appealing language. You’re not making up words; you’re taking your own words and polishing them up.
It’s a good idea to have other people read your draft, even if it makes you self-conscious. You should feel less self-conscious if you were honest and didn’t make your personal statement sound cheesy. In this way, you can see if other people understand the translation of your thoughts. Pick people who will give you good criticism this isn’t the right time to seek an ego boost. Discerning readers are the ones who will really help. With a combination of authenticity, attractiveness and good editing, your personal statement will be the best it can be.
