Personal Statement Examples for College - All-in-One Guide (2023)

Personal statement is one of the key prerequisites for entering a university. It is your motivation letter that makes an admissions committee decide on whether to admit, reject, or waitlist your application. The question of personal statement writing is critical for most entrants who apply to the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. It can help them succeed in their professional career. Personal statement writing requires a lot of time and in-depth preparation from a student to make it sound effective, persuasive, and unique. A lot of students also find it challenging and look forcollege admission essay help.Personal statement examples for college can be of great service to you.

The way you write a motivation letter college will decide on your education, career, or even future life. Reading personal statement examples, the admissions committee makes up the idea of you. And your mission is to look successful, educated, experienced, and self-confident in every word you write. In this post, we will cover all the aspects of personal statement writing and will help you stand out from the crowd of other applicants!

Personal Statement Writing – Questions to Answer.

Writing any kind of text requires preparation. When it comes to working on personal statement examples, things become even tougher. We do not recommend putting this task away for later. It is impossible to write a stunning application essay overnight. You will need several days to come up with the ideas on paper contents; at least one week will be necessary for you to shape all your ideas into the text and proofread it. The earlier you will start working on your college motivation letter – the better. You will have plenty of time for edits.

Before drafting college personal statement, consider the content you are going to cover in it. Prepare a list of questions to be answered in the text:

• Who are you? What are the merits of yours; what biggest results/ achievements have you reached during your studies or other activities - get all these answered. When claiming anything in the text, confirm it with specific examples. Instead of writing that you are smart and hardworking, tell your reader how you managed to solve a complex problem. Stating that you are single-minded is no better than describing the goal that you have set and achieved.
• Why did you choose this faculty; what attracts you to it; why do you want to dedicate your life to this profession - an admissions committee should be aware of what motivates you? Strong and well-thought-out argumentation matters here. Writing that Chemistry is your favorite subject will never convince a committee to admit you. It is a way better to tell a reader a story: what impression the first experiments made on you or how you were carried away by a specific idea or phenomenon.
• Why did you choose this university? Equip yourself with the maximum information about the educational establishment (program) you are applying to - learn everything about the university. Determine what exactly makes this university special in the world. Avoid writing clichés – specify exact academic strengths you are attracted to, for examples, name the professor who is doing research in the field of your interest.
• What are your professional goals? It is recommended to be the maximum concrete here. Instead of saying that your goal is to get a degree from the university, demonstrate how the education you want to receive corresponds to the logic of your personal and professional development. Years you are going to spend in the university will be a continuation of what you have already started and will help achieve your goals.

It is impossible to fully cover the above questions in a few hours. You will need several days to build your argumentation strategy, or you will fail.

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Personal Statement Writing – Start with Drafting a Structure

Following a clear and easy-to-perceive structure is important in personal statement writing process. It helps you build a strong argumentation strategy. The more logically your motivation letter examples are built, the easier it will be for you to persuade a reader, convincing him step-by-step.

Start by writing down your answers to the above questions and organize your ideas in a logical sequence. Write an outline.

Paragraph #1: Introduction

Attract the reader's attention with something exciting - formulate the main idea you are going to prove at the beginning of the college motivation letter.

Paragraphs #2, 3, 4: Body

Give evidence in support of your main idea. Provide specific examples from your life, study, or work. Here, you can write about your family, country, or someone you admire; the body part of your personal statement examples is critically important. Use it to win over the reader.

Paragraph #5: Conclusion

The last paragraph of your college personal statement is a good place for you to repeat and strengthen your main idea. It would be a great idea to link the conclusion with the intro of your motivation letter examples. By duplicating the thesis in the concluding part of your writing, you increase the chance that it will be remembered by the reader.

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What’s Important in Personal Statement Writing?

Structuring examples in a logical sequence is one aspect of personal statement writing; sharpening skills of choosing the right tone and vocabulary are of no less importance here. When writing motivation letter examples, pay attention to the following:

• Find a convincing, sincere tone of writing, not formal or conversational – try to find the balance. Remember that your style reflects your personality.
• Strive for concreteness. Avoid choosing general facts, give preference to private arguments. Instead of saying that you love philosophy, name the philosopher who had a great influence on you.
• Avoid common words and false emotions. Remember that personal statement is not a tool to talk to your friends; it is intended to be read by people who decide your future life. Do your maximum to appear in the best light.

A comprehensive guide for writing common application Essay prompts will help you prepare a winning essay.

Do Not Be Lazy to Proofread

The presence of grammatical mistakes, run-on sentences, and contextual errors will make any paper sound unprofessional. It is important to proofread your piece with a critical eye before submitting it. Pay special attention to the following aspects when re-reading your college personal statement:

• Structure – is there a logical connection between the paragraphs?
• Sincerity of the tone – does the text reflect your personality?
• Unity of the style – does the text sound professional; is it colloquial?
• Word count – is the piece long/ short? Avoid unnecessary words and expressions, unless they are a part of your writing “strategy.”
• Interestingness - is it interesting to read? Check personal statement examples for college to get inspired.
• Uniqueness - do your motivation letter examples sound unique and catchy; will it make you stand out from the crowd of other students?

Improve/ rewrite your examples as many times as necessary to attain perfection.

8 Tips to Write Personal Statement like a Pro

There no general do’s and don’ts in motivation letter writing; personal statement essays may be different – all aimed at catching a reader’s attention and persuading him. If you want to prepare a high-quality piece, consider following the below tips.

1. Official style. Personal statement is an official document, and it must be designed with that in mind - jokes and spoken language are inappropriate. The motivation letter examples should be done in an official writing style.
2. Finish all your thoughts. Paragraphs should not be terminated, and all the theses should be justified. If you write that you have studied well in school, indicate what it says about your diligence and ambition.
3. Write individually. College personal statement examples should be unique; it must be compiled individually for each institution or organization. Universal personal statements are recognized and “blacklisted”. The admissions committee should understand that the letter is written for them.
4. The length of the motivation letter should not exceed one page. If you have a solid professional experience that does not fit within one sheet, you can slightly exceed the limit.
5. Write on the case. Do not write about your hobbies and interests if they do not concern your goal (even if this is very important to you personally).
6. Do not overcomplicate the text - avoid complex and long words and phrases; simple presentation often looks more attractive and professional. Reread your text to divide long sentences into shorter ones.
7. Do not use banal and famous quotes. It is better to pick something interesting and unknown to the general public.
8. Write truth only. It is not a good tone to lie and exaggerate in your personal statement writing. People in admission commissions have long learned how to recognize lies.

Personal statement is a kind of recommendation to oneself; it must be restrained and concrete, containing no general phrases and clichés. Instead of writing that you have a great organizational experience, provide real and specific proof. Your writing should serve you as an advertisement! Promote yourself, interest the reader - create the impression of an educated person with great potential a college cannot miss. Only in this case, your applications will be considered and accepted.