This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College
Now that you know what the personal statement is and what you can write on, it’s time to start planning your essay. Easier said than done, right?
Follow these steps to get started:
1. Pick your prompt: If you’re responding to the Common Application prompts, you’ll need to choose which topic to write on. (If you are using an independent school application or writing a supplemental essay, you may not have a choice.) Give yourself time to decide. You may want to narrow it down to two or three prompts and create an outline for each to see which topic you think will make for the best essay. Go with the one that will yield the most original story that tells the most about your personality. Rewrite your chosen prompt in your own words before beginning.
2. Outline your essay: Once you know what prompt you will write on, it’s time to plan your response. Before you write your first draft, you’ll need to think about:
• Tone: What kind of tone will you establish in your essay? Will it be humorous? Nostalgic? Hopeful?
• Personality: What aspects of your personality do you want your essay to highlight? Does your essay show your ability to persevere through tough times? How you have matured over time? Your passion for a certain hobby?
• Scene: What scene will you write about? Although college essays can be about a long-term theme or event in your life (for example growing up in foster homes), your reflection on this topic should be anchored in one or two particular scenes (for example your first night in your foster home). This makes the content of your essay more easily accessible to your readers. Make sure you think of sensory details to add to your scene. What do you want readers to be able to feel? Hear? See? Smell?
• Main Idea: Personal statements don’t necessarily include thesis statements, but they do have some overarching main idea they convey. For instance, if you are writing about your move to America, your main idea might be that integrating into a new culture can be very hard.
• Conclusion: Remember that your essay should show some kind of thinking process, so that the main idea you begin with should grow and change with your essay. Often, the conclusion takes the form of a lesson learned or a realization made. For instance, using the example above, your conclusion might be about how although fitting into a new culture is hard, it makes you a stronger and more well-rounded person.
3. Draft your essay: Once you have a strong outline, it’s time to draft your essay. Remember to start with a “hook” to grab your readers’ attention. Don’t spend a lot of time worrying about making everything perfect. Just get your thoughts organized on paper for now.
4. Get feedback and rewrite: Once you have a first draft, share your essay with peers, family, teachers, or mentors—whoever you feel comfortable with. Ask them for their ideas for improvement. Once you have their feedback, write your second draft. Repeat this process until you are happy with your essay.
5. Proofread: Now go through your essay with a fine-toothed comb. Look for grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, etc. Have a mentor or teacher proofread with you. Don’t submit until you are satisfied that you have done your best and your essay is error-free.
Timeline
You should start planning your personal statements the summer before your senior year. (Wait until the upcoming year’s application is released—otherwise you might end up writing on the wrong prompt.) Give yourself at least a month before the essay is due to move through drafting, rewriting, and proofreading process. So if you are applying for a November 1st deadline, start drafting by October 1st.