Personal statements are meant to be personal…but it’s harder to seem authentic when you’re thinking is biased towards pleasing a top choice institution or maybe a second best. Personal statements are a way to advertise yourself, really. Maybe thinking of an ad you’ve seen somewhere (TV, commercial, billboard, etc.) then inserting yourself into it could help center the “writing vibes” and bring out the positivity in highlighting your strengths. It’s easier to approach writing about an accomplishment or goal but what can set you apart of a massive pool of similar easy topics is a genuine conversation about what you learned from an experience. Sometimes lessons are learned during trying times for everyone and different struggles can best describe your personality and perspective that you have to offer. Basically, the main goal is to set your personal statement a part from others and give yourself a more memorable presence but that’s always the advice. Stand out, be brave, highlight your goals, profit… but is that an accurate representation of yourself? Jumble it up, maybe the accomplishments came up after failed attempts and other times the failure even came after the accomplishment. Opening up to a stranger is very intimidating, it might not even a super personal revelation, yet the hesitation is there. Seeking peer review for it is even more intimidating. Definitely partner up with close friends and ask them for help. Sometimes the best changes for our writing can’t be noticed by us. Then seek a trusted faculty member, even if they’re not necessarily a grammatical master, they can help you figure out the authenticity in your writing and whether your traits come through to them. Be confident in your words, know that there isn’t another person like you when starting your statement, and expand the editing circle to make sure your statement is representative of you and your personality.
