How a solid personal statement should look like

A personal essay is an essay about oneself. It is different from other types of essays where the writer maintains a safe distance and remains impersonal. In the personal essay, it tells the reader about yourself, your life and your experiences. Personal essays are normally used in college applications. One would think that since it is writing about oneself it should be the easiest of them all. This is far from the truth, because it seems like one of the hardest types of essays to write. The structure is basic, just like any other piece of writing, an introduction, body and conclusion. It is the content that becomes tricky, especially for international student who want to join college.

To look smart and stand out from the rest, one should ask themselves the following questions.

Are you looking for the perfect title?

This is one of the surest ways to sound superficial in a personal essay. No one is perfect, and looking for the perfect thing to write about is a sure way of embracing failure. If the personal essay is for admission purposes, then one should ask themselves whether admission officers will be looking for the perfect essay. They most of the time have read numerous such essays, and are looking for a breath of fresh air. They look for an original expression of an honest background and believable stories. Adding depth to simple ideas can go a longer way than looking for spectacular details to write about. Students should always strive to remain honest and simplistic.

Are you imitating someone else?

Some people do not think their life experiences are enough to attract the attention of the people reading. They might, therefore, resort to writing about other people or borrowing from other essays they have read before. While it is helpful to borrow from samples in other forms of writing, in personal essays, the trick is to be as original as possible. Self reflection and putting them into words is not always easy. The students who find ways to do that write the best personal essays.

Are you postponing?

Rushing through a personal essay never produces the desired results. The best personal essays require a lot of time, for reflection and condensing the information into words. If you procrastinate, chances are that at the end you will regret it, wishing you had more time to think, write and proofread. A personal essay that has been rushed through will show.


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