What Makes a Personal Statement Actually Great?
What Makes a Personal Statement Actually Great?
A great personal statement shouldn’t just list your skills, accomplishments, and goals. It should be a piece of academic writing that helps the decision-makers get to know the real you. So, what’s the secret to writing a statement that makes anyone want you to be a part of their team? Here’s how to write a good personal statement to impress even the pickiest admissions officers:
Element Tips
🚀 The Opening The first sentence should be unique and personal, rather than a generic statement. Instead of “I’ve always loved science,” try something more vivid, like “The first time I dissected a frog, I nearly passed out, but I was hooked!”
🎤 Your Actual Voice While this is an academic context, you don’t need to sound overly formal. If it’s not something you’d say aloud, you probably shouldn’t write it.
🔗 A Clear Thread Present your statement like a story, not just a list of accomplishments. Show how your background ties into where you’re headed next.
🎯 Specific, Not Vague Avoid broad claims about your abilities. Illustrate them with a concrete example, like rescuing a failing project, to highlight real skills.
💪 Be Confident Showcase your strengths and determination. Emphasize the traits that set you apart, and don’t shy away from highlighting key successes.
🏁 A Strong Finish Wrap up with a memorable conclusion that unifies your points and gives readers something to remember you by.
The best statements should feel personal and real. Check out our personal statement examples to get a better idea of how your paper should look.
Personal Statement Examples
Professional tips can save you a lot of time and effort in the writing process, but there’s nothing quite like reading an actual sample of a personal statement:
College Personal Statement
University Personal Statement
University Personal Statement
Here’s our sample statement of purpose while you’re at it. Review this article as well and learn the ins and outs of writing a one-of-a-kind college application.
Wrapping Things Up
The pressure to sum up your entire life’s work under a word count of a few hundred words can stress anyone out. But once you understand that all you have to do is break the writing process down and approach it with a plan, everything becomes completely doable.
Let’s go over the details once again. A strong personal statement should:
Hook the reader from the start
Let your personality shine
Connect your past to your future
Demonstrate growth
Have a clear, logical flow
End with something memorable
Be polished and error-free
Does your task still feel like an uphill battle? Don’t worry, EssayPro has got your back. Writing about yourself isn’t always easy, but with the help of our professional writers, it doesn’t have to be a struggle.
