It is college application season! For seniors in high school, the entire application process might be daunting; however, there is one looming task in particular that students seem to push off: the personal statement essay.

What Is the Personal Statement?

The personal statement is the heart of a college application. It is a 650-word essay that shows the admissions officers your personality and story. With this essay being so important, many students are left wondering what a personal statement should even contain. This article will provide the only checklist you will ever need to make sure your statement is not only ready to be sent to colleges but is one that breathes life into your application!

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1. Purpose

The most important thing on your checklist is to determine that your essay has a clear “purpose” or goal it wants to achieve.

Any essay can be well written, but what makes a personal statement stand out is the effect it has on the readers (the admissions officers) and what it shows about you! Your college essay must have some sort of purpose.

This purpose can vary and be practically anything, but here are some examples that can make an essay stand out:

• You could share a meaningful experience with the “purpose” of understanding how you have grown because of it
• You can talk about a creative project you worked on with the “purpose” of demonstrating your intellectual vitality.

The most important thing to remember when crafting the purpose of your personal statement is that its entire objective is to show the admissions officers who you are and why you would be a good fit for their college. Make sure the essay highlights you and doesn't just fixate on your topic too much. Whatever the subject you focus on in your essay, it should be there to show your “purpose.”

2. Complexity

A purpose is important. However, it needs to be twisted in complex ways to impress an admissions officer. For example, if your purpose is to demonstrate that you are involved in your community, you could try to prove this by listing extracurriculars you have done in your community.

This would not serve as an excellent personal statement, because an admissions officer will already see these things on your resume. However, if we add complexity to this essay, we can achieve our purpose in a way that leaves a lasting impression on admissions officers.

An outstanding personal statement doesn't need sophisticated words or niche historical references to accomplish its purpose. To achieve complexity, explore multiple dimensions of the topic you’ve chosen. If you’re writing about a challenge, discuss not only the obstacles you've faced, but also the emotions, internal conflicts, and decisions involved.

Similarly, if your essay focuses on an accomplishment, discuss both the high and low points, the unexpected lessons learned, or the impacts it had on your perspective. By incorporating complexity, you ensure that your essay shows an authentic picture of who you are through attributes like authenticity, storytelling, and voice.

3. Values

Every essay should contain at least a few great values.

The first value that many essays use is intellectual vitality. Admissions officers love students who are curious and passionate about projects they work on, this is intellectual vitality in a nutshell. It shows that you are intelligent and that you would thrive in a college environment.

Some examples of intellectual vitality could be talking about a science fair project you loved and going into extremely niche detail about parts of it that intrigued you. It could be telling the story of a not-well-known historical figure and relating it to yourself in some way.

Another value that is important is emotion/vulnerability. Essays that focus on this quality are usually personal stories that explore lessons learned and do a good job of providing a full image of who you are!

Some examples of this could be talking about a difficult family situation and how it affected you or what a certain memory means to you.

The last value that an essay should contain is passion. Admission officers love to see you as a person, and if an essay focuses on your personality and passion, there is a good chance that the essay could stick in their minds and potentially bring your application to life.

The personal statement is the only place (aside from supplemental essays) where you get to talk and share whatever you want with these admission officers; it is the one place where you are more than simply numbers on a page. Therefore, by focusing on your personality and passion in your essay, you are showing them you are much more than just your statistics.

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4. Writing Factors/Tools

Writing skills are a necessity when it comes to all writing, and the Common App essay is no exception.

The first thing that you should do is check your spelling. Rereading your essay and making sure that nothing is blatantly wrong is something every student should do. A tip that has helped me is reading essays out loud.

It can help you examine your essay's sentence and idea flow, and also allow you to catch mistakes. Another good idea is to have peers and teachers read your essays; it always helps to have an extra pair of eyes.

Now that we have the boring stuff over, you should be looking at your first paragraph and wondering if it draws the reader in. In simpler terms, do you have a hook? A hook is almost always in the first sentence and it is what grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading.

It could start by asking the audience a question, making an (appropriately) absurd statement, or making a strong declaration. An admissions officer reads hundreds of essays, so it isn't hard to imagine that they get bored. By implementing a hook, you give them a reason to be invested in your entire essay instead of just glossing over it and not really absorbing anything they are reading.

Next is your conclusion – your conclusion shouldn’t just end abruptly. It should tie all of the previously mentioned ideas together and give the reader something to remember. This could be a lesson, a clever phrase, or some impactful statement that relates to your entire essay. Make it impactful, just as your hook should be.

5. Appropriateness

When you are reading over your essay, make sure that it is appropriate for the admissions officer. Keep in mind that these are admissions officers you are writing to. You need to keep your essay professional.

I have read rough drafts where the author is extremely vulnerable, which is oftentimes a really good thing, but instead of using that vulnerability to tie it into a strong purpose, the essay just ended. This essay was someone only talking about the negative sides of themself with no upside, this is not an appropriate essay.

Similarly, if you are using your essay as a way to try and get the admission officer to feel bad for you, then that is also not an appropriate essay. Your essay should try and paint a positive picture of you and should serve to complete your application by showing who you are.

6. Finalization

Once you've polished your essay and made sure all the elements are in place, it's time for the final touches. This stage is about perfecting every detail, from grammar to flow, to ensure that your personal statement is as strong as it can be. Read your essay one last time with fresh eyes, or better yet, take a break for a day or two before coming back to it.

This will help you catch any small mistakes or awkward phrasing you may have missed. Pay close attention to transitions between paragraphs, making sure your ideas connect smoothly. Ensure that your essay ends on a high note, leaving the admissions officer with a lasting impression. Finally, double-check the 650-word count and formatting to meet application requirements. This final review can make the difference between a good essay and a great one.

By completing this checklist, you will ensure to have not only a well-written essay but one that will show admissions officers who you truly are.