What comes to your mind when you hear the words “personal statement”? Generally, it a piece of writing that is synonymous to admission essay or application essay. Most of the Universities require this formal statement to test an applicant’s proficiency and skills before entering the college level, as well as their motivations and, of course, their personality – hence the name.

“How will I write my admission essay?” Well, this is the common question among the students. The personal statement measures your overall standing as an applicant to verify if you’re ready to study in this particular college. It doesn’t need to summarize your profile information, work experience or academic performance – all this can be found in your admission papers. Personal statement is about reasons why you’re taking up the course and your perspectives in life once you graduate.

To give you some tips, here is what you should consider:

1. Understand the Course that You’re Applying For 

Having basic knowledge about the course is an important stepping stone before you apply. Make a list of at least five courses that you think fit you. In this way, you will be able to narrow the list of all the Universities down to those that have available options. Ask your parents and join forums online to understand the college degree properly.

Have adequate research about the college before you will apply. You can search for its course content, syllabus, and jobs related to the degree. You can also perform surveys or poll the alumni to have some idea which course better suites your goals in life.

You should also research about the admission procedures. In this way, you will know where to go and which steps to take first. Visit community forums or ask someone you know who’s studying at the University. Crowdsourcing is the best option to consider if you want to know more details about the college in question.

The college admission chances depend on your exam scores, GPA, personal statement or an interview. You should build confidence and a positive mindset to pass the admission test.  

 2. Highlight Related Achievements and Experiences

In writing a personal statement, you should emphasize the achievements and experiences that are relevant to the course. This shows your determination and your seriousness about your future – you have already been taking steps in the right direction. Don’t simply recite every extracurricular you’ve had in high school – stick to the relevant ones.

Keep your sentences professional, substantial, and concise. Do not write something that beats around the bush. Explain it clearly and straightforward. Also, make sure you stick to required word count. Give enough information, but don’t write over the established limit. Admission officers have hundreds of essays to go through; they probably don’t have neither time nor desire to read your 5,000-word autobiography.

3. Share Your Reasons behind Taking the Course

The applicants must be able to give a clear answer why they choose the particular college and degree. In this way, the admission officer can assess whether an applicant is interested in the course and invested enough to take the place should it be offered.

Explain the reason why you’re taking the course and what are your motivations. Share your long-term and short-term goals. List down your objectives and show how the college degree will help you to achieve them.

Don’t be afraid to show yourself as passionate and driven – it isn’t all about logic. Dreaming is also commendable, provided you follow your dream and build your way towards it.

4. Demonstrate Your Skills and Critical Thinking

In applying for a college degree, the applicant should exhibit critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Keep your thoughts composed and sequential. Use a positive and encouraging tone as your writing style. You can also cite an example where show a critical thinking mindset in a challenging situation, for example, how you came up with an answer to solve the problem.

You can also use figures of speech and idioms as appropriate in order to make your writing vivid and unique. No need to make it stiff and sterile. Your personal statement is about your personality – not about your official records, so make sure it sounds like you.

 5. Consult a Professional Writer

Usually your personal statement is a brief piece of text. That’s why it is so important to make it impeccable. Revise and proofread for mistakes, clarity, inconsistencies, and superfluous information. If you don’t have enough time to go through several drafts of the admission essay, you can consult a professional writer online.

Either write the draft on your own then ask the writer to review and proofread it, or ask the writer to draft a sample admission essay from scratch. This way you will have a good and eloquent example for inspiration. Yet keep in mind that to make the essay personal, you must provide details about yourself and the things that you want to do in life.

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