You might be finished your personal statement by now (congrats!), but if you haven’t this one is for you.
A bit about how I approach the process. I send out sample essays to the students I work with so they get a sense of “what works”. There is no one size fits all approach, but I’d like to think the sample essays I share all have a few things in common.
- Showed a side of the student not reflected in other parts of their app
- Explained something that was not going to be/could not be explained in another part of their app
- Highlighted a special interest/talent/experience
- Well-written
An awesome personal statement needs to hit a few if not all of the above (well-written is non-negotiable), and those that do not might represent a missed opportunity. We go through an extensive brainstorming process with students, which results in a topic that doesn’t miss the mark. If you’d like to learn more about how we help guide students on the essay writing process and make best use of what I believe is one of the only parts of the app you have total creative control over, shoot me an email.
Anyway, I initially started writing this post because I wanted to share a New York Times article that includes four personal statements that are quite good. Give it a read, and happy writing!
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