College essays and personal statements are difficult things to tackle; they are used by college admissions counselors to see what you are all about. Personal statements, while meant to showcase your academic prowess, are used to give the college a sense about who you are a person. They already know you have a 2.5 GPA, played track for 3 years, and scored a 25 on the ACT. But who are you really? That's what they want to know. Lacy Crawford of The New York Times says "Above all, it’s the freedom that lets a student reveal her voice in a way that admissions offices, in my experience, find wonderfully compelling." In other words, let your true voice shine through. Tell them something they wouldn't know by just looking at your resume and application. Admissions counselors read thousands of these essays every day; do you really want to write that essay about sports as a metaphor for life? Don’t rely on phrases or ideas that people have used many times before. These could include statements like, “There is so much suffering in the world that I feel I have to help people.” Avoid overly formal or business-like language, and don’t use unnecessary words. Secondly, be honest. Admissions counselors can smell dishonesty a mile away. And be humble. This doesn't mean downplaying your accomplishments, but it does mean don't sound stuck-up. Lastly, proofread! Turning in an essay that is full of grammatical errors is unprofessional and does not reflect well on you. You can have me, your English teacher, and/or a parent look it over before you submit it. |
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHi! I'm Ms. Coyne. I'm the college advisor at St. James High School in St. James, Missouri. Archives
January 2015
Categories
All
|