The college personal statement is an opportunity for a student to sell himself or herself in the application process. This purpose of this essay is to show the admissions office who you really are. What about you is different from other applicants? What does your perspective make you unique? What experiences have you had that will shape your college career? This essay should provide additional evidence of your intellectual and creative achievement.
As this is such an important part of the application, it’s important to do your research before you begin writing. Below is a list of valuable websites and resources to help you approach your personal statement:
- College Board is a mission-driven, not-for-profit website that aims to connect students to college success and academic opportunities. Each year, it helps millions of applicants prepare for a successful transition to college through various programs and services. For tips on personal statements and essays, check out Big Future by the College Board.
- College Confidential is a website designed to guide students and parents about the many aspects of the college admissions process and help them understand each stage of the process. The website has assembled an editorial team responsible in creating content and gathering helpful information about college admissions from the web.
- College Essay Organizer is a website that gathers past and present essay questions from different colleges and universities in the US and shares them to aspiring college students to help them write impressive personal essays and statements. The website has been helping tens of thousands of students get into the colleges of their dreams for decades through the service it provides.
- InGenius Prep is a website run by former admissions officers from the most competitive schools in the United States. It provides helpful advice, tips, and information about college application, passing standardized tests, interview preparations, and admissions requirement handling. Every year, InGenius Prep helps millions of applicants get into their dream colleges through application consultancy and candidacy building.
- U.S. News & World Report is a big, multi-platform, publisher of news and information about education, career, and employment. It is known for the rankings it presents for Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, Best Law Schools, Best Medical Schools, and specific programs within those more general categories. Aside from these, the website features blogs, interview texts, and other useful information about college application and admissions that can help aspiring college students get into the school they prefer the most.
While there are no strict guidelines in writing a personal statement and certainly no one-size-fits-all approach, you should consider the best practices as advised by members of the admissions committee and what they look for in a candidate’s essay to maximize the output of your personal statement.
This article was written by a college admissions expert at InGenius Prep.