Personal Statement for College: 5 Things to Include

Not to put any added pressure on you, but your personal statement is like the most significant writing assignment you’ll ever hand in. As we said, no pressure, just getting you prepared to put your writing and storytelling skills to the test. You can outsource many assignments to a professional essay writing service, but you should think twice about your personal statement, though you can also get help with it. This is about you and should include your language and bits and pieces of your personality. Because it highlights your aspirations and motivations, it should be easy, but you need to include a few key things. Wondering what else is a must? Below, we have outlined 5 things that your personal statement should include, helping you create an impactful story that’s perfect for you.

What’s a Personal Statement

First of all, what is a personal statement, anyway? Your personal statement for college is an essay that showcases your personality and talks about your motivations and goals. Universities often require a personal statement to get to know their applicants and get a feel for who they are apart from their academic background. They want to know if you’re a good fit for the program you’re applying for and whether you have a good chance of making it through. For this reason, the document should be personal, reflective, and let the readers know that you’ve got what it takes to make your dreams come true.

1. A Personal Story

When you set out to write your personal statement, you need to be your true authentic self. What better way to do that than to tell a story of something compelling in your lift? Choose something that impacted your thinking and your choice to head toward the career you’re after. It can be a positive or negative story, anything that comes from your perspective. The idea is to tie it into your career choice, letting those who read it know that you have a passion for the career you’re hoping to pursue.

2. Your Values

The staff that reads your ideas wants to discover more about you. One important thing that you should emphasize throughout your tale is your values. Just the same as building a business, you’re building the foundations of a career to join the field of your dreams. They want to know if you are up for the challenges that come your way and if you will be a good fit for the program. Mostly every program, no matter how tough the curriculum, is looking for hard-working, courageous, and deep-thinking individuals that can lead the way to the next big things.

3. What Motivates You?

With any university program or career, you’ll need motivation. Things in life are not always peachy, but you need to have the motivation to stick with it, even when the going gets tough. How do you demonstrate that in your personal statement? Well, you tell them about all the things that motivate you. Try and tie pieces of your personal story into what motivates you to make them sound authentic and genuine. The idea is to get down to the critical question of “why” you chose this path. Steer clear of very vague ideas or material motivations; go for those you truly feel on the inside. What is it that gets you up and excited in the morning? Why? Answer that, and you’ll be on the right track.

4. What Your Career Path Means for You

Of course, one of the crucial details you must include is your reason why. The idea is to add your reason and what the program would mean for you. You are not the only one applying for this program, and, more than likely, you’ll have to compete with hundreds or thousands of applicants. The fewer spots there are, the more you want to hone in on the program’s importance, letting them know that you’re motivated and ready to take on the tasks. Admissions look for students who will excel and choose those who will benefit the most from the program they’re running.

5. Your Aspirations

Besides your reasons for choosing the program, you’ll also want to add your aspirations. If you have product ideas that you’re trying to turn into a reality and a Bachelor’s degree will help, tell them. If you aspire to travel the world and you’re looking to land a remote career in a specific field, tell them. University admissions like to see that students have a goal that they’re motivated to reach, not letting anything stand in the way. If you’re not sure about particular aspirations within the career you’re aiming for, add in your aspirations, giving them a dose of you and your dreams.

A Few Key Things to Take Away

A personal statement is a type of essay and, just like all writing, needs to be read over before you hand it in. It might help to ask mentors or friends to read it over, getting their feedback on your personal statement. You can also take advantage of proofreading tools to make sure that your essay is:

–          Error-free

–          Grammatically correct

–          Readable and entertaining

–          Motivating

–          Answering the prompt as it is asked

You’re writing about yourself, which should be a piece of cake. While we’re not saying that you should relax and wing it, we’re saying you can chill and really get in touch with your inner-self. It might help to do a bit of soul searching first, looking for your reasons for wanting the career you’re applying for. What is it that makes you, you? What motivates you? Why are you studying in the first place? 

All of these questions are a good start to help you compose a definitive statement. Don’t forget that the stakes are too high, and the personal statement you come up with should both reveal your inner personality and connect you to the establishment. So, invest extra time into studying the educational program or college to which you apply to impress the committee and reserve a spot for yourself in it.