When applying to go to college, you will be required to write a personal statement – a short written statement about yourself and why you are the ideal candidate for the course that you are applying for. Writing a personal statement may seem to be a daunting task, but it does not have to be! Today we will discuss Writing a Personal Statement for College: 5 Top Tips
Writing a Personal Statement for College: 5 Top Tips
Here are 5 top tips for writing a personal statement for college:
1 – Create a Plan
It is vital that before you start to write your personal statement, you come up with a plan for what you want to include. This will guide you when writing and make sure that your ideas stay on track.
Begin by creating a mindmap or spider diagram – include your achievements, any related experiences, and the key skills that you can bring to your chosen course. Some of these achievements, experiences, or skills may not appear to be significant or relevant enough, but as you continue to plan, you may discover links and connections that you missed originally.
These ideas will also help you to form the headings that will structure the rest of your statement. .
Once you have brainstormed, take these ideas and put them into a rough structure with connected ideas properly grouped.
You can order a plan from one of the personal statement writing services.
2 – Make Sure There is a Clear Beginning, Middle, and End
There is no official set structure to guide you in writing your personal statement, so you must build this structure yourself.
One of the best ways to start this structure is to create a beginning, middle, and end of your statement.
At the beginning of your statement, open with a punchy, memorable line that will set you apart.
The person or people who will be reading your statement are looking for someone who is engaged and enthusiastic – so sound it!
Then launch into the middle section of your statement. This is potentially the most important section as it will focus more on your academic studies, your achievements, your work experience, and any relevant extra-curricular activities.
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Then end the statement with a summary of your key points and what you expect to achieve with your chosen course. This is what the reader of your statement will be left with, so make sure it is coherent and to the point.
3 – Keep Your Chosen Subject(s) in Mind
There is no use in having a perfectly structured personal statement if the contents are not relevant to your course. Make sure that you have done enough research into the course to start with.
Think about what it is that you want to achieve on the course you have chosen, and what aspects of the course you find particularly intriguing or exciting.
Use this as inspiration when you are writing! Tailor your experiences to your subject and explain to the person reading the statement how those experiences have shaped the reasons for your study choices and what you will be able to bring to the course.
4 – Set a Writing Schedule to Stay on Track
It is very easy to lose track of your progress when writing a personal statement, potentially resulting in last-minute writing that could cost you a place on your chosen course.
Although the word count for a personal statement is not particularly long, it can take a longer period of time to properly brainstorm, prepare, write, check, and receive feedback.
Make sure you know when you should be planning, writing, and reviewing, and stick to this schedule.
5 – Ask for Feedback
This is one of the most important tips to follow – make sure to get full and detailed feedback on your work. There are often obvious errors that are easy to miss when you are writing, but are picked up easily by someone else reading.
You want to make sure to erase all simple errors such as misuse of punctuation or misspelling that may affect the way you are viewed by the place that you are applying for.
The person proofreading and giving feedback on your personal statement may also have good ideas for new content to improve your statement. Make sure to use any feedback, and ask for it more than once!
Overall, if you plan ahead, keep your subject in mind, and ask for feedback and advice, your personal statement will be able to shine above the rest. Remember to keep your academic achievements, your interests, your experience, and your course at the heart of your statement, and write with passion and enthusiasm!. So this all about Writing a Personal Statement for College: 5 Top Tips
