PB1A-Personal Statement

When applying to colleges, one of the things most students struggle with is writing their personal statement. The personal statement is an extremely broad genre and gives students the opportunity to let the admission counselors into their lives. Students are able to write about anything they want, but regardless of the chosen topic, there is still a trend in the different conventions that make up a personal statement.   

The purpose of a personal statement is to grab the attention of the admission counselors and to explain the person you are behind the good grades and SAT scores. Your only audience is the admission counselors, therefore, it is vital to have a respectful tone. Some students choose to show their humorous side to help win the hearts of the counselors, but still must maintain a professional tone. It is important to keep it professional, but also demonstrate a natural, personal tone to show who you really are. Personal statements cannot exceed 1000 words and must answer the two prompts given. Since the purpose of it is to help one get accepted into college, it must have fully developed paragraphs and well written sentences.

There are many conventions that make up the personal statement genre. Usually, students give a background on their life such as where they grew up and how it helped shape the person that they are, how their family (or a family member) has influenced them or what they like to do for fun. Another convention is story telling. Students will often reminisce on a life-changing event and explain how it has affected them. Also, one’s culture can also be the base of a personal statement. Involvement in school activities such as participating in a sports team, club or organization are also examples of conventions. It is recommended to keep your personal statement light-hearted and not portray a sense of pity. Bragging, complex vocabulary words, talking mainly about yourself and using the word “I” all make up a personal statement. A major convention of a personal statement is its uniqueness. It is crucial to be original, creative, and concise since the admission officers read thousands of essays. They love it when it’s personable and get the feeling that they connected with you through your writing.

Personal statements are easy to identify because students are mainly telling a story or anecdote about their life and relating it to their dreams and aspirations. Students often state what their expected major is going to be and their motives for studying/choosing it. A personal statement also consists of students sharing their interests in life, or maybe even in the particular school that they are applying to. It is important to prove why you would be a good fit for the particular school. Originality is what makes up a personal statement. Portraying yourself in a positive light and explaining why you are the person you are, is also what makes up a personal statement. By the end of the essay, the admission counselor should be inspired and proud from your life experiences, and should want you to be a student at their university.