Tips on Writing the Personal Essay
Independent Colleges and Universities - Personal Essay
A major portion of the admission evaluation process is the applicant's personal essay.
The personal essay serves as a gauge of a prospective student's writing ability, and it also gives the student the opportunity to distinguish him/herself from others in the applicant pool.
As the Admission Committee reviews every aspect of a student's application and supplement, the personal essay enables a prospective student to elaborate on other aspects of his or her application, or to provide new information that has not been previously mentioned.
Most "prompts" for the personal essay are general enough that a prospective student may write about virtually any subject. The personal essay is a chance to add character to one's application. An average application to an independent college or university will range from twenty to thirty pages of information (including recommendations, transcripts, test score reports, etc.), and the personal statement is that rare occasion in the application for the Admission Committee to directly experience the prospective student as a unique individual. Therefore, prospective students should put a significant amount of time and effort into the personal essay.
Tips for Writing the Personal Essay
Brainstorming: Be original. Do not rehash a class assignment or unoriginal work. Try to avoid clichés. The personal essay is the student's opportunity to inform the Admission Committee about aspects of the prospective student that may not be come across from other parts of the application.
Write Early, Proof Often: Prospective students should put time and thought into their personal essays. They should not wait until the deadline for the application to write something. Writing multiple drafts and careful proofreading will assure a higher quality essay.
Be yourself: Most Admission Committees read thousands of personal essays each year. Prospective students are encouraged to be unique, to be themselves. As the name indicates, the personal essay is designed to be personal. To the maximum extent possible, prospective students are encouraged to let their character shine through in the essay.
