The Personal Statement

Personal Statement Overview

• Survival tips

• How much do personal

statements count?

• Personal Statement Idea

Generator

• Storyboarding

• Free Write

• Asking for feedback

Survival Tips

• YOU must write your

essays

• Let your interests and

passions shine through

• If the steps here are

followed, it will be nearly

impossible to plagiarize,

even inadvertently

• There can be NO

procrastination

How Much Do Personal Statements Count?

• Depends on the schoolo Some schools put a heavy

emphasis on personal

statements

o Some schools focus more on

academic record

• Your personal statement

rarely has a huge effect on

your chances of admission,

but write the best one you

can

What Not to Do

• What not to doo 4 common characteristics of abysmal statements:

• Being predictable – Great Gatsby

• Sucking up– “Your college is so great…”

• Overly sentimental – Sob story

• Self-aggrandizing– List of achievements

The Easiest Way to Get Started

• Create a timeline of your lifeo Begin with a brainstorming

activity

o Create a timeline of your life

from birth to present

o Tape a couple of 8.5” x 11”

pieces of paper together

o Draw a line on the far left side

and write down the day and

year you were born

o Draw a line on the far right

side and write today’s date

The Easiest Way to Get Started, con’t

• Try to think of 25 different

significant or interesting

events from your pasto Special trip or travel

experience

o When you received a

meaningful object

o A memorable book or film

o A fun event

o A challenge that you

encountered

o A proud accomplishment

The Easiest Way to Get Started, con’t

• Develop a list of “hooks”

for essayso Grab the reader’s interest

while also revealing

something interesting

about your character

• Which memories are most

interesting?

• Highlight what you think are

the 5 or 6 most interesting

events from your life

Personal Statement Idea Generator

• Brainstorm ideas for

your personal statement

• Write the ideas in one

place

• Focus on events you

consider most

memorable or important

• Begin by reviewing your

timeline

Personal Statement Idea Generator

• Five types of events or

activitieso Trips

o Challenges

o Fun Events

o Important Objects

o Accomplishments

• What experiences can you

remember based upon the

above 5 areas?

• Use your timeline for help

Event / Activity Answers What You Remember Most

Accomplishments that make you proud

fun events

Objects that are important to you

Trips that you have taken

Challenges you have faced

Personal Statement Idea Generator

Most Common Prompts

o Evaluate a significant

experience, achievement, risk

you have taken, or ethical

dilemma you have faced and

tis impact on you.

o Discuss some issue of

personal, local, national, or

international concern and its

importance to you.

o Indicate a person who has had

a significant influence on you,

and describe that influence.

Most Common Prompts, con’t

o Describe the world you come

from – for example, your family,

community or school and tell us

how your world has shaped

your dreams and aspirations.

o Tell us about a personal quality,

talent, accomplishment,

contribution or experience that

is important to you. What about

this quality or accomplishment

makes you proud and how does

it relate to the person you are?

Time to Write

• It is better to think of the personal

statement as a story rather than

an essay

• Why do we find the Harry Potter

stories fascinating?• They focus on a main

character• The setting is fascinating• The books focus on a

central conflict• There are many suspenseful

moments• There is resolution at the

end

Time to Write, con’t

• Your goal as you write the

first draft of your personal

statement is to answer the

prompts while also

highlighting the 5 features

of a good story

– character

– setting

– conflict

– suspense

– resolution

Storyboarding

• Write down everything you can

think of for character, setting,

conflict, suspense, and resolution

• You are the character

• The conflict is the center of the

whole story

• Describe setting, suspense, and

resolution

Storyboarding, con’t

• Be as descriptive as possible

• Describe physical characteristics

and thoughts of people in the

story

• Take time to reflect on resolution

of the incident

• Repeat this activity for all the

prompts you have to answer

Prompt

Character

Setting

Conflict

Suspense

Resolution

Storyboard

Free Write

o Free writing is when you write continuously

for a period of time

o Now that the story board is created, use it

to free write

o Hints:• Easiest way to begin a free write is to

start telling your story in a chronological way

• Make sure to write in the first person, “I”

• Avoid fancy pants words• Be relaxed and keep writing, don’t stop

to fix typos

First Round Edits

• First round edits focus on the big

picture

• Perform 2 self-editing activities to

clean up your personal statemento Use a worksheet to assess how well

your essay tells your story, then make

changes based on the worksheet

entries

o Review the grammar and mechanics

• Do not get discouraged – you

have a plan!

Asking for Feedback

• The second drafts are now completed and it is time to ask

for feedback

• Who should you ask for help?o English teachers (but don’t ask when they are swamped with

grading)

o Parent or friends (make sure to tell them exactly what you

need)

• When you ask someone to review your essay, use the

following checklist. This way they will know what you want

them to look for.

Asking For Feedback WorksheetDear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to review my personal statement. I really appreciate it. I have included questions to help you provide me with feedback on my essay and I will use your responses to help guide me through revisions.

1. What are the strengths of the personal statement?

2. What is the central conflict? Describe it in 3 - 4 words.

3. Does the first sentence pull the reader in? If not, how might it be revised?

4. Are any sections irrelevant?

5. Are any sections repetitive?

6. Does the end of the essay (resolution) link back to the initial conflict? If not, what might strengthen that connection?

7. Are there any missing transitions? If so, please specify.

8. Can the structure of the essay be stronger? If so, please specify.

9. Can the central conflict be better described? If so, how?

10. What did you find most intriguing about this personal statement?

Asking for Feedback

• Revise your essay in accordance with the feedback

suggestions

• A trusted ally can tell you objectively if you are losing the

reader at some point

• At least listen to their advice, even if you choose not to

take it

Final Revisions

• Micro Editingo Carefully review each sentence for weak

verbs, common misspellings, problematic

pronouns, and style.