College applicants have a lot on their plate, and one of the most daunting tasks is writing a college essay. Also called a personal statement, application essay, personal essay, or personal narrative, writing your college essay usually involves answering a question in an essay form. Most colleges require this document, as it shows how an applicant is able to express critical thinking skills. What’s more, college admissions committees can see whether an applicant has his or her career goals on track with the program he or she is interested in. Regardless of whether you are applying for an undergraduate program, or vying for a slot in a graduate program, your goal in this essay is to represent your full potential and outline your background, talents, and goals – in short, what makes you a desirable fit for a particular college.
Guidelines in How to Write a College Essay
Because it is an important essay, you should not rush when crafting your personal statement. You have to put a lot of thought and effort into analyzing how you answer the prompt and be able to share your personal motivations and aspirations with it. To make the whole writing process feel less intimidating, here are some key guidelines to remember:
Read (and re-read) the prompt
Be sure about the requirements (length specifications, formatting, etc.) before you start thinking about how you want to frame your answer. If no prompt is provided, stick to a central idea or experience in your life relevant to your application.
Create a draft
Create a draft without focusing on the word count and other formatting conventions. Just write what pours out of your mind. In case your creative juices run out after a few sentences, let it be. You don’t have to complete your essay in an hour or in a day.
Write fluently
Once you get a rough draft going and you feel satisfied about the essay’s flow of thought, then proceed to editing. You can showcase your writing skills on your personal statement, so write fluently. Try not to repeat the same words over and over. But don’t feel you have to use fancy words either. And be keen about your grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Don’t compare to others
Try not to compare your personal statement to someone else’s piece. That will just be counterproductive in showcasing your individuality. Remember, you have different experiences and personal insight, so highlight those in your essay.
Proofread
Proofread and edit until you feel fully satisfied with your essay.
Personal Statement Examples
While colleges vary in terms of what type of personal statement prompts they require applicants, one thing is clear: this is your chance to show why you are a good candidate for admission to a specific program, be it medical school, law, business, communications, and others. Here are a few examples of personal statements to guide you in writing your very own piece.
Personal Statement 1
This essay relates to a prompt about overcoming a challenge, which is a common prompt that colleges use when requiring personal statements from applicants. What makes this particular essay successful is how the student turned one mundane issue into one that has deeper meaning, and what she has learned from the whole experience. If string theory is true, that the entire world is made up of strings, then I may just be one of the few who cannot even tie a single one. I’ve realized this when last summer, I applied for my first part-time job at a café in my neighborhood. I was expecting to handle the cash register, take orders, and be a busybody for most of the vacation period. Indeed, I imagined that demanding customers would be the hardest part of the job. Little did I know that my biggest struggle would be the most seemingly mundane task of all: tying a ribbon on a pastry box! During my first day at the cafe, one of my co-workers hastily showed me how to do it. And it seemed simple enough: wrap the ribbon around your hand, then wrap it three times around the box both ways, and finish with a knot. It was terribly frustrating on my part when I compared my speed with others. Anyone tying the box could complete it in mere seconds, but I was struggling and would need a few minutes just to make it look presentable. As I rushed to bring half-tied cake boxes into bags, I could not help thinking what was wrong with me. I have mastered organic chemistry, learned how to play the piano at a young age, and created countless origami’s – only to be left in a bind by a ribbon and pastry box. As I spent more time in the café, I’ve regularly practiced tying the ribbon. Some co-workers helped me, and slowly but surely, I began to improve. Of course, there are still days when I’d just rather stay at the counter and stash the ribbons away. But I kept at it. It really humbled me, this very act of tying a ribbon perfectly. What looks so trivial for many made me realize that every person has a different pace, and equal parts determination and understanding for oneself are what can catapult us to improving our skills. I now understand that I should not assume that I would learn everything right away. Nor should I be ashamed if it takes me longer to learn. As long as I persist in tying those pastry boxes, starting over when I feel like I need to, then I am confident that I will be able to tie these strings, and they will hopefully hold up strong.
Personal Statement 2
This essay relates to the question, “What matters to you and why?” which is another common prompt that colleges require. What makes this effective is how the student clearly shared her statement of interest. By explaining what immersion means to her, she genuinely lets you in on what drives her to apply for an international program. The conclusion is also done well with a callback to the introduction, tying the whole point nicely. A few hundred years ago, it wasn’t unusual for a person to live and die in a single stretch of land. There’s just too much risk traveling someplace else to set up shelter anew. Nowadays, there are still quite a few individuals who practice the same lifestyle. For instance, two-thirds of Americans don’t even have a passport, which signifies that there is no immediate desire to go beyond their borders. In a real sense, the saying, “Think outside the box” rings true in life. Breaking free of old ways and the usual life is not only a good thing, but also a necessary one for growth. In my case, I could have stayed in my home country to study, but I chose instead to apply internationally. I wanted to place myself as far from my comfort zone as possible. Think outside the box wasn’t enough; I wanted to exist outside it. I feel that this is a vital perspective in an increasingly global world. In relation to my passion for travel, I chose to study language, in part because I think it is a key window into other cultures. Immersion in culture inevitably leads you to immerse in language. I was fortunate enough to be born into a culture with more than one language, and I have since made an effort to learn more. To continue the metaphor, thinking outside the box means immersing oneself in different cultures and experiences. That is a reward in itself, and this is what matters to me, as I get an opportunity to foster a new way of thinking, doing, and saying. All the great food, music, and art I will come across wouldn’t hurt either! I want to educate myself beyond my roots. I want to know the world, and let the world know me. For me, there is no box.
Personal Statement 3 (Medical School)
This example is for a medical school application. What makes this essay successful is that it gives a vivid picture of what the applicant’s experience is, from the temporary discomforts to the deeper perspective gained. The sharing ties powerfully with the main point of why she is applying for a medical program. The summer of 2014 was the usual hot and humid for New Orleans. For someone like me who’s resided all her life in New Jersey, waking up to 90-degree days felt too much to bear during those days. But upon recognizing my discomfort, I immediately reflected on the fact that my temporary conundrum is quite immaterial compared to the destruction and horror experienced by the New Orleans residents during and after Hurricane Katrina. The pictures and stories of the aftermath were enough to compel me to volunteer in the rehabilitation project, and it was at this time that I had a first brush with what it’s like to be in the medical profession. It was in the little things, like holding mother, Samantha’s hand during the unveiling of her rebuilt home, that taught me how caring for people was as much about lifting spirits as it is about making physical comforts and shelter established again. But it was not always so straightforward. I was sometimes frustrated caring for patients, because many of them recovered slowly, and sometimes, not at all. I seriously wondered if these feelings would change my direction and keep from pursuing medicine altogether. To my surprise, I found that the opposite happened. The physicians’ staunch dedication and service to patients showed me that medicine was, indeed, the path I should pursue in order to have the opportunity to make even the tiniest impact on people’s lives. The consistent theme throughout my extracurricular experiences is that even though I started with the goal of learning, what really stuck with me is the profound compassion and gratitude I develop for the people and the work involved. Furthermore, I have realized that there is a multitude of ways to serve beyond treating physical ailments. A simple offer of an empathetic hand for anxious family members, or volunteering for a community project for the underserved, these all matter for our peers. These realizations, along with my lifelong fascination with human body’s processes, leave no doubt that medicine is the path for me. I hope Samantha knows how her reaction seeing her rebuilt home has energized me to devote my career into helping others feel the same.
Personal Statement 4 (Law School)
This law school personal statement example talks about a career change. The applicant genuinely shares his or her experience going from a pharmaceutical sales rep to transitioning into medical law. A simple and clear story gives breadth about the writer’s motivations. Ten grumpy doctors stare across a shiny oak conference table at me. It’s seven in the morning, and most of the group members are still donning their wrinkled scrubs. It must have been a busy night for them. Right away I know that none of the doctors are ready, or willing, to absorb all the technical information contained in the eight studies stacked in front of them. My job is to present each study, illustrate all the economic data, and answer any questions. The goal is for all the doctors to conclude that the new drug I am offering is better than the one they are currently prescribing patients. One of the physicians taps his shoes impatiently, as if a signal that I had better start my presentation. My two years experience as a representative for a pharmaceutical company placed me in this awkward position numerous times. To overcome the often dismissive or negative attitudes my audience bring, I learn to clearly state my position and support it with persuasive scientific evidence. I also found that asking probing questions and being unfazed with sarcasm and negativity greatly helped. All the hard work enabled me to be named Rookie of the Year, which felt satisfying. A few years later, with a closer network with physicians, I found that what used to challenge me has become more of a routine. Now that I have become one of the top representatives, I am looking for a new facet in my career. My goal is to pursue medical law. Given my rich work experience and rigorous scientific research, I feel that all of these will allow me to debate with the best attorneys. I am looking forward to this arena of law practice, as I know that medical technology is developing at a rapid pace. This ensures that the work will constantly bring me new exciting challenges ahead. Although I do miss having to convince a group of grumpy doctors, I look forward more to a time when I will stare at my distinguished law professor across a crowded lecture hall.
Get Started on Your Personal Statement
Now that you’ve read our tips and examples, hopefully you understand the process of how to start a personal statement. Whatever type of prompt your college application requires, you have to come across as someone who has the potential to make the most out of the opportunity of earning a degree. Based on the samples here, it’s evident that you don’t need to dive right in and enumerate extracurricular experiences. Admissions committees won’t really be impressed if you take that approach. Instead, consider what kind of impression about your personality and background you want to leave them with. Once you’ve set which values or qualities you want to define in your essay, the task of communicating why you are an ideal applicant for a program becomes much clearer. Use engaging and authentic stories, and you can leave no doubt in readers’ minds that you are the right person for the field.