by Christine Cao, staff writer
With the season of college applications here and coming to a close, Baron News offers some helpful tips on getting started and finishing up your personal statements for your college applications.
The Purpose:
Whether filling out applications for a college nearby or a college out of state, senior students must make decisive and significant choices in their application process and personal statements. A majority of colleges include a personal statement as a part of their application to students for one sole purpose, to get to know the applicant. There is no correct way to write a personal statement because each statement is an individualized piece; however, there are a few common ideas that colleges wish to see.
The Context:
Admissions officers want to know who a student is not only as a student, but as a person, family member, and part of their surrounding community. They want to know the level of influence placed on the student or the student’s community. Some personal statements ask what the applicant aspires to become while others ask the students to describe where they come from. The prompts are essentially alike, they aim to seek more background and personality aspects of the student.
The Feedback:
Most teachers recommend getting another perspective on your piece and having someone else read your essay. Have a few questions in mind for your reader, such as “What is your impression of me as a person in a few words?”, “Which parts seem unclear?”, “Where do I sway from the topic of the personal essay?” Since personal statements have word limits, it’s best to be clear and concise with the messages and points you wish to communicate to the readers.
