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Your personal statement is your chance to convince the school you want to go to that you would do well in their program and make a big difference in the success of the course they offer. Here is your chance to talk about your best qualities and what makes you a unique addition to the classroom and your chosen college. Here are 10 tips that will help!
Your chance to persuade the school you wish to attend that you would succeed in their program and significantly contribute to the success of the course they provide is through your personal statement.
Here is your chance to talk about your best qualities and what makes you a unique addition to the classroom and your chosen college.
Still, it's not always easy to know where to start or how to talk about your qualifications in a way that doesn't sound like bragging and makes you stand out. Without further ado, here are 10 ways to set yourself apart in your personal statement!
As the old saying goes, "failing to plan is planning to fail," so even though you are impatient to get started on your writing, take a step back and organize your thoughts first. Make sure you are answering the “what”, “why”, and “how” questions before you begin writing your personal statement.
One effective strategy is to identify several of your key skills that you possess and that you believe will be relevant to studying your chosen subject, and then provide examples of when you used these skills.
Read more about what matters most on a college application.
Your personal statement will look much more polished if you take the time to format it properly. Use paragraphs to organize your work, and do not forget to start and end with introductory and concluding sentences. Your personal statement will read more smoothly if each paragraph focuses on a different subject. For example:
Each paragraph should easily transition into the next. Make sure that everything stands out clearly to the admissions committee.
Read more about Essay Formatting: Detailed Writing Tips & Examples
Hook the reader right away by highlighting your most marketable skills and explaining why you are interested in this specific course. Being direct and to the point is a must. Do not spend too much time coming up with a clever opening line. Writing the introduction and conclusion last is a common strategy used by many writers. The flow of your personal statement can be improved by creating a connection between the introduction and the conclusion.
Read more about making your essay flow from the pros
Some information should be included in your personal statement, while other details should be left out. Make a list of your accomplishments. The admissions counselor cares about your track record, not just your perfect GCSE score. The fact that you have good marks is great, but so do a number of other people who have applied for this position. What sets you apart, and demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in the field in which you are seeking? Consider carefully your wealth of knowledge in the field. This could provide you with actual work experience if you are lucky! In what ways could the knowledge and experience you have gained in other contexts (such as through your hobbies) complement the subject matter you plan to study?
Keep in mind that you need evidence of your interest in the subject area in order to get into the program of your choice.
It's great if you've done a lot of different things outside of school, but make sure they're relevant to the course requirements before you list them. Start by talking about what you learned and how you changed because of this experience. You may have learned how important it is to have a team that works well together, which will help you in any group project, etc. It's tempting to want to list everything you've ever done, but you'll do better if you pick a few.
Read more on how to correctly use examples in your essay
The key to a successful personal statement is making sure your application does not come across as insincere or unoriginal. Why should people choose you? Attempt some radical new approaches without panicking. Every year, admissions officers examine hundreds of personal statements, so it is important to stand out from the crowd by expressing something unique. Admissions officers are interested in hearing your own words.
Okay, this may seem like a no-brainer, but I'll say it anyway: in your personal statement, you should show how interested you are in the topic. Talk briefly about the book or books that got you interested in the topic, what you learned from them, and why the topic was so interesting to you. Reading up on the subject shows that you want to learn more about it and are serious about it.
Keep in mind, though, that you shouldn't talk about every book you've ever read. It's important to show that you understand the course material and have started researching and reading about the topic, but you don't have to talk about every book you've ever read. You shouldn't waste your 4000 characters by rambling on and on. Short, sweet, and useful.
Volunteering is a great way to take charge and quickly learn useful skills like mentoring, event planning, project management, working in a team, and many more. When you start looking, you'll find a huge number of places where you can volunteer, such as schools, hospitals, churches, sporting events, and other community gatherings.
Read more: Best Places for High Schoolers to Do Community Service
You should leave a lasting impression on the admissions tutor with your closing remarks. Make use of it to recap what you have already said and to dig deeper into any topics you have touched on, expanding on them for a broader audience. Determine the overarching theme of your personal statement and restate it in the final paragraph. Linking your conclusion to your introductory paragraph is a nice touch, as was mentioned before. Bring up something you mentioned in the opening paragraph and explain how you have continued to prove that point throughout the rest of your personal statement.
Read more on how to write a conclusion for an essay
Make sure to verify your personal statement and then have a trusted friend or family member look it over. It is crucial to have a second pair of eyes review your work before submitting it because it is quite easy to overlook problems while reviewing your own work.
Misspelled words are the worst thing to have in your personal statement. Do not only rely on spell check; this is what the reader will remember long after they have finished your personal statement.
Here are some excellent proofreading tips!
There you have it! You now have the groundwork for your personal statement laid. That was really excellent work!
A great tip: Move on to something else, then return to the manuscript with new eyes. When you read your work aloud, you can see it in a fresh light and revise it more effectively.
This is my GOAL: To help you look at all of the funding and payment options that are available to you. I want you to make the best choices so that you can pay for college with confidence and without unexpected costs.
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