Getting into college requires good grades, high SAT scores and a persuasive personal statement.
Making your personal statement passionate can mean the difference between getting into the college of your dreams and having to settle for a below-par university experience. A passionate personal statement shows the admissions officer that you are completely engaged with the institution and your prospective college major. You will need to create an essay that highlights your abilities and can make you stand out among the applicants.
Instructions
1. Brainstorm a topic that you want to write about. Most universities provide topics from which to choose. For example, you might write about your proposed major, or about your personality and other personal traits important to you and your career. Once you have thought about and written down a detailed outline, begin to write your personal statement.
2. Compose the personal statement with direction and clarity. The professor or admissions adviser reading your statement has to read hundreds or maybe thousands of such statements. Place your important points at the beginning of the statement because, according to the College to Careers website, the admissions officer will spend less than five minutes reading your statement. Making your statement easier to read can help the admissions officer get through the statement and help you get your passionate point across.
3. Show your interest in the college and the field you want to pursue. An anecdote can work well here, because it can highlight your interest and show that you have related experience. Use anecdotes from your extracurricular activities, challenges you have been through and personal qualities that relate to the field. Motivation, dedication and interest in your prospective major can help the admissions officer know that you really want to go to college.
4. Chat about why you want to go to this college. This will require researching the campus, the professors and their areas of expertise. Write about a specific professor with whom you would like to work, and why. Taking steps to retrieve this information can help the admissions officer see that you are interested and serious about getting into this college.
5. Edit, proofread and make sure that the personal statement is grammatically perfect. If your statement has the slightest mistake, admissions officers will think you are not fully invested. After rereading the essay, have a friend, parent or English teacher read and edit the statement. Having a fresh pair of eyes can help catch lingering errors.
Tags: admissions officer, your statement, help admissions, help admissions officer, personal statement