the personal statement writing help

the personal statement writing help

Personal Statement Writing: Crafting an Impressive Narrative

1. Introduction: The Power of a Personal Statement

Also, remember that writing a personal statement is a learning process. It can often take numerous rewrites before the final product is anywhere near perfect. Application deadlines are often very far in the future, so there is no harm in starting early and writing many drafts. A rushed personal statement often will not stand out and will be more unpleasant to read. So invest time in your personal statement, and it will most certainly pay off.

This can be an attractive option for some parents. However, it is not wise. Parents can be a good starting point for some initial help for brainstorming and organizing your thoughts. But it is crucial that you write the personal statement yourself. Admission officers can usually tell if the statement has been written by a parent.

Over the years, entrance to universities and graduate schools has become increasingly more difficult. With so many qualified candidates applying, this small document is the only place where you will have the opportunity to speak directly to the admissions officer and show them who you really are. This is your chance to make a pitch for yourself.

Compelling personal statements often start with a specific scene, anecdote or experience. The key is to engage the reader and make them feel like they know you. Your personal statement is where you can distinguish yourself from these other candidates. A well-written personal statement can give you a significant edge.

Remember that good writing does not always equal good talking. Also be sure to write your personal statement in your own style. Do not be too influenced by anyone else’s work. Keep in mind that plagiarism can get you in much trouble. Your goal is to gain admission, and you do not want to jeopardize that chance. Your personal statement should be written with confidence.

Admission officers often have to read many personal statements from hopeful candidates. Your personal statement must be able to show the admission officers that you have the knowledge and skills needed for a particular course of study. It should also make it clear that you are a good candidate with what it takes to succeed in the program to which you are applying. Admission officers are often able to tell if the applicant wrote the personal statement or not. Do not be tempted to have someone else write your personal statement for you. This can lead to the denial of your application or withdrawal of admission.

A personal statement is a common requirement for entry to courses in the UK. It is basically an essay written by a candidate applying for an opportunity to gain entry into a high school, college, or university. It should focus on the special skills and knowledge in the candidate’s area of study that will be useful in his academic pursuits. The candidate should also use the personal statement as an opportunity to impress the admission officers. He should prove that he is a worthy candidate to gain entry into the school.

The application process for entry into a college or university can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are attempting to gain entry into a school that has high academic standards. You may not be certain what to include in your application and may be asking yourself, “What on earth is a personal statement and how do I write one?” This article attempts to help you through the process of writing a personal statement.

2. Understanding the Prompt: Unveiling the Key Elements

Understanding the prompt is an essential part of the process. It is there to make sure you keep your thinking and writing within certain boundaries. It is all too easy to go off at a tangent when writing about a subject and, having read the first draft, you answer the question ‘What was I trying to say?’ with ‘I’m not quite sure’! If a draft of your statement is finished before you have received feedback from a teacher or a Careers Adviser, it is quite likely they will have this criticism to make. An ambiguous, poorly worded statement may be interpreted in several ways. This means that you must consider exactly what the question is asking. What are its key words? What sort of answer is it expecting? What are your personal qualities and where is the evidence of these? You should write down the question and have a think about what you are being asked to do. Then write down how you think you will be able to answer the question. This will help in the selection of what aspect of your life to talk about and how to talk about it. Now write bullet points answering the following 4 questions so that you can refer to them as you write the essay.

3. Structuring Your Narrative: From Opening Hook to Closing Impact

Many people believe that secondly, you are in effect telling a story, only this story is about yourself and perhaps an event or series of events that have led to the decision to apply for the particular course. All good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and this is a structure that can be applied to your account of the events. Bear in mind that any specific detail about the course or university to which you are applying should still be saved for later on, so this story should probably run parallel to your decision-making process with the course in mind. The event or events that you have chosen to write about will need to be illustrated in some length, however, you should still keep to the word limit and ensure that it is not at the expense of the other criteria. This is where you need to be reflective and show what you have learned from these events and how they have influenced your decision. This could be critical in separating your statement from others, so give ample evidence of the link between the events and the course and how they have impacted on your personal development. All stories need an ending, and in this case, it should be a strong recommendation of your suitability for the course.

Any well-crafted narrative will have a plan or a structure to guide the reader right through to the end. In the personal statement, this is a chance to grab the admissions tutor’s attention and make them want to read on. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate to them that you are an organised individual who can present information in a clear and professional way. The first step here is to generate some ideas, however as with any writing task it is important to keep a clear idea of the question, topic, word limit and personal qualities that you need to portray in mind. If you already have a clear plan of the qualities that you want to show in your personal statement, these will become an ideal reference point when generating ideas for your opening gambit. A mindmap is a useful tool for generating ideas as it encourages thoughts to radiate out from a central focus or keyword. In this case, this can be particular phrases from the person specification or notes from experiences that you feel demonstrate these qualities. With the mindmap complete (or simply a list or notes), it is a good idea to share these ideas with a family member, friend or even a careers adviser before choosing the best one.

4. Showcasing Your Unique Qualities: Highlighting Your Strengths

Your personal statement should showcase your unique qualities and strengths. Try to present a clear, well-organized, critical essay that is interesting to read. Discuss your intellectual development and the educational experience that motivates you to apply. You may also like to address how these experiences have prepared you for the graduate program. Remember to have a professor or colleague proofread your statement. You probably already have plenty of goals and ideals when it comes to going to grad school or college. State what these are to give a sense of direction for your application. It may also be helpful to identify what you hope to gain from your program. When telling about oneself, your achievements and interests will surely come up. In addition, you will want to highlight your strengths and uniqueness. Discuss why you are interested in your field of study; what sparked your interest? Surely there is a specific event or time that you became interested in the field. If it applies, state what you know about the program you are applying to and what led you to it. What sets you apart from other applicants? This may be the most important thing to get across!

5. Editing and Polishing: Perfecting Your Personal Statement

Waffling is a surefire way of your personal statement ending up in the rejection pile. Sentence structures like “not only this, but also that” are classic examples of waffle. Go straight to the point. If you have an achievement or attribute worth bragging about, then mention it. If you think your personal statement is becoming slightly anecdotal or if you have talked about random skills without writing how they are relevant, then it is time to reformulate and keep everything relative to your interest in the subject. Keep the most significant evidence of your relevancy in the opening of paragraphs, as well as at the start and end of the statement. By doing this, the examiner is more likely to remember your best attributes.

Make sure all the sentences are working towards a unified goal. Often, students write superfluous sentences as a lead-in that can be quite easily cut. Try to only craft sentences with the intention of displaying specific and fundamental evidence of your eligibility for the course. Clarity is key when it comes to writing your personal statement. The examiner will want to read something that is concise, easy to follow, and flows. If you come across a sentence you are struggling to understand or have forgotten its intended purpose, it is probably best to delete it.

Frequent use of the dictionary and the thesaurus is a must. You should know the meaning of every word you use and be comfortable with its application. Using a dictionary isn’t a sign of poor vocabulary. In fact, it is a demonstration of sincere commitment to language. Make sure your sentences make sense. This may sound quite facetious, but there are often sentences in personal statements that are neither grammatically incorrect nor eloquent. The best way to test this is to read your work out loud.