Writing personal statements: a tip
So here's something I thought some of you might be able to use!
I just had a very nice and productive session helping my sister write her personal statement for an honors program she wants to get into. Now if any of you have ever written a statement then you quite possibly had the same problem as her, and as I have in my various statements over the years: it's really really hard to make them sound 1. sincere and 2. unique. You inevitably find yourself writing horrid cliches about how you're passionate about your subject, and banging your head against the wall trying to figure out how to explain why you want to study a subject beyond the simple "it's really really cool". I still have many many frustrated blog entries from when I was trying to explain why I want to study popular media, because "I love it" is just not going to cut it.
(If you have never had these problems with your statements, carry on. I will be by to carve your magical secret from your beating heart with my spork-saw later.)
The thing is, everyone who try to get into a special program or even your run of the mill Masters or PhD love what they do. They all find it interesting. They wouldn't be trying to do more of it otherwise! So you have to stand out somehow, and the trick that my sister and I just figured out is this little exercise in which I told her to explain why she wants to study her field without using the word interesting. Or any synonym.
This worked spectacularly.
Exorcise the words interested, fascinated, passionate, love the field from your dictionary. They are tell words. Instead, what my sister had to do once she could not use them was instead use show words: she had to actually describe the experiences that made her want to study her subject. She had to say "this happened and prompted me to think about this want want to do this". Rather than I found it interesting, she began using it touched my life or I had a formative experience. And while everyone are interested and passionate, your formative experiences are yours alone. They are distinct and specific, and you will most likely be able to describe them in more sincere terms than the generic this field fascinates me that I, at least, gag every time I find myself writing. It was a very simple exercise, but it transformed her statement from platitudes to poetry.
(And I would know, because not only have I written a bunch of those in my days and know what works - I tend to succeed in my applications - but because I've also read and judged a few, too. I am a serious, professional academic! No, really!)
Now, my sister is super talented, I gotta confess. But I thought this might come in handy to try for other people in her position. I damn well wish I'd thought of it for myself back when I was slaving over my latest application. So here it is so you don't have to.
(Fingers crossed for my sister!)