Avoid personal statement essay mediocrity with these tips

There are no-no’s which are considered as prevalent, and before you go to more subtle mistakes (like fallacies in logic), you need to consider and recognize them. Blog.internationalstudent.com gives us a substantial article, and here are the key points:

From our point of view, here are the 5 most common admissions essay mistakes:

1. Tonal and Narrative Balance – We have mentioned this before, but the key to effective admissions writing is finding a balance between humanity and authenticity, while targeting the prompt and preserving language sophistication. This balance is shifted depending on the level of the applicant (MBA essays will feel more ‘buttoned up’ than a college level essay). However, every admissions essay should target a specific prompt and also convey a deeper sense of who you are.
2. Admit me! Admit me! Overselling Yourself – Applicants frequently push too hard to demonstrate fit with an institution. Their writing loses all sense of authenticity and focus. They resort to stilted language such as, ‘If admitted to XXX, I will bring my enthusiasm…’ In doing so, they impede the natural momentum of their writing and lose reader’s interest.

There is one tip that number 2 fails to give you- and that it is just human to be eager to sell oneself. Since it is too hard to be objective on this, let a close friend or a family member read your personal statement examples or samples, and let them give comments. Speaking of feedbacks from others, you don’t need to rely on them regarding step-by-step instructions on the writing process. Just check out the hundreds of articles online, like this one.

3. Underdeveloped Ideas and Cliches – “I want to be a doctor because I thrive on patient interaction.” “A legal career will help me to drive change in underserved communities.” “You can never judge a book by its cover.” “I want to make the world a better place.” Vague, underdeveloped ideas and cliches seem to go hand in hand.Stay specific and concrete–flesh out the path even if you are uncertain. Employ language that is your own. Whether you are writing a college essay, MBA admissions essay, med school or law school personal statement, clearly define your story and your purpose.

I cannot agree more. For every cliche that an Admissions officer reads, he/she needs a cup of coffee- that is why (in my humble opinion) all of them are insomniacs, what with all the gallons of caffeine they consume. Naturally, if your dad is a major stockholder of Starbucks, putting hundreds of cliches on your paper will make him happy. (However, his happiness will reverse once you’ve been notified that you have been rejected).

4. Missing the Prompt – Make sure that you reread the prompt. Did you catch every facet of the prompt–such as the ‘why’ component? Consider the admissions committee point of view. Did you provide the level of self-reflection they are looking for?The Man in the Mirror – All admissions essays should show a degree of perspective and self-reflection. Ultimately, this implies maturity, and a willingness to enter a community that can shape you (and vice versa).

It may seem like an absurd kind of mistake, but it happens, and it will happen again and again- for there are so many students who are careless and complacent- don’t join their ranks.

Exceptional personal statement examples not only avoid the typical mistakes, they are imaginative, concise and concretely answers the prompt. Imbibing these lessons is the first step to having a good essay. Hey, you have to come up with good first, before the “exceptional”, right?

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