Aug 26, 2014
Pro-tip: Personal Statement
Two helpful tips that I have learned from observation in writing the personal statement are:
Think of the essay as a cohesive free-flowing speech, that when read, is easy to follow. Pretend you're delivering your essay to an audience (admissions officers); this helps you approach the essay in the correct approach.
In reading stories, the most successful novels exhibit character development. How did Character A change throughout the story? It is more interesting to hear how Character A changed and developed to who he/she is now, rather than explicity being told: "Character A is helpful, nice, and proactive." Doing this sets the stage for showing, and not telling.