1. Personal Statements

    a. Personal Statement Instructions and Topics
 
            i. The personal statement is a critical part of most college applications, scholarships and
                even some jobs. 
            ii. It tells a committee “who you are”.
            iii. When you write a Personal Statement, tell about those aspects of your life that are not
                  apparent from information provided in the rest of an application form.
            iv. Tell about the experiences that don’t show up on your transcript: a character-defining
                 moment, a personal challenge faced, a hardship overcome, the cultural awareness
                 you’ve developed, special goals or objectives, or a significant high school experience
                 that will help you in a future career. 
            v. Your Personal Statement is the best means an admission or scholarship committee has
                of getting to know you.
 
    b. See Personal Statements Tips and Samples and the ZHS Personal Statement Requirements.
 
 
    c. When you write the Personal Statement you must choose two topics from the lists below.
 
    d. Topics to Cover
 
1.   First Writing Topic: Write and explain one of these topics:
 
a.    Describe an experience in your life that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
 
b.   In the admission application you've told us a great deal about yourself. Now share with us some additional information about what motivates you to achieve academic success
 
c.    Describe how your life experiences and achievements distinguish you from others and prepared you to enrich our post secondary community.
d.   Describe the personal characteristics you possess that would enhance your prospects for success your chosen field or profession.
e.    Describe what is special, unique, distinctive, or impressive about you or your life story to the admissions committee.
 
2.   Second Writing Topic: Write and explain one of these topics:
 
a.    Describe any personal hardships or barriers you’ve had to overcome and explain how they have affected your education.
 
b.   In the context of your life experience, describe your understanding of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it has affected you.
 
c.    Describe the most significant experience in your high school years and explain how it will help you in a future career.
 
d.   Describe the most compelling reasons for the admissions committee to offer you enrollment in our institution.
 
e.    If work experiences have consumed significant periods of time during your high school years, describe how has the work contributed to your personal growth.
 
          f.  Format for Writing
 
            i. Type your responses to each topic. 
            ii. Each topic should be double spaced, no more than two pages each (500-750 words), 1” margins, 12 pt font 
               format.
 
 
    f. Tips for Writing Your Personal Statement
 
1.   Remember that you can define “experience” broadly. It could be a meeting with an influential person, a news article that spurred you to action, something insignificant to everyone else that had particular significance for you. Committees do not think that any one thing shaped your character, and they don’t expect to read about something earth shattering in every personal statement.
 
2.   Keep in mind there’s a separate area on most applications to discuss extracurricular activities and awards, so don’t replicate that list in your statement. Such narrative lists don’t make for inspired writing or reading.
 
3.   Be aware that many applicants write about similar topics such as an athletic victory, a mission trip to Mexico, so consider how to make your statement stand out.
 
4.   You may choose to write about an encounter specific to your ethnic group or race, or about something you read, experienced, or observed firsthand. World travel is only one of many ways to develop cultural awareness. We readers would like to know what has affected your perspective and what awareness you would bring to your future. They are interested in the depth of your perceptions rather than the miles you’ve traveled.
 
5.   Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are considered.  Proofread before giving to your advisor, make needed corrections and return for the final approval
 
    f. Personal Statements: brainstorming exercises. You will take this link to open up a
        worksheet to being the brainstorming process.

g. How Personal Statements are Organized

 
            i. Remember, you only have two pages to get your point across for each topic.  That
                seems like a lot, but it really isn’t when you START TELLING YOUR STORY. 
            ii. All of the topics can be answered by you telling about something that happened to
                you and that has affected who you are today.    
            iii. Once you get started, telling a story really isn’t that hard because….you just have
                  to start at the beginning and work your way to the end!
 
    
h. All essays follow this same pattern:
        i. Introduction:  First, it gets the reader “into” the paper.  Then, it gives them a clue
            as to what you are writing about.

 

                  --Note: In the samples, notice how the writers do a great job of describing        
                               themselves in a situation right at the beginning?  You can see them
                               there. That is a great way to get attention from anybody—especially the
                               person who reads your application!   Remember that when you get to
                               your ESSAY!
        ii. Body:  The middle of the paper. It is divided up into paragraphs. You simply
            explain your story or reasons why your introduction is true.  You can’t just write
            two sentences and be done though!  You have to give us the COMPLETE
            MENTAL PICTURE—THE WHOLE STORY so that we can see what you have
            gone through like we were there, too.

                  --Note:  Notice that both examples write descriptively, but don’t make it a   
                                novel.  You only have so much space.  So…give us the parts in detail
                                that best prove your introduction is true.  Be sure to let us know how
                                old you were when various events happened so that we can see you in
                                our minds clearly.
        iii. Conclusion:  This short paragraph simply restates how this experience proved
              your introduction (or answer to the question) was true.  
     
                  --Note: The “Migrant Girl” essay does this very well!  And it ends with a
                                memorable sentence, too.  That will impress a college rep!

 

    i. Here is what the Personal Statement looks like in a diagram:

Introduction:
            --Start a story to grab our attention
            --Give a short answer to the topic question (your THESIS)
Body:  What was the experience you had? When did it occur?
Follow that by writing with lots of description to EXPLAIN or TELL YOUR STORY.  Be sure to say how old you were somewhere.
HOW did that experience affect you or change you?
 Explain that by telling more story about who you are now.
Why is this experience important in making you who you are, now and in the future? How will it help you in college?
Explain in detail.
Conclusion:
            --Summarize what you just said in the essay (thesis) 
            --End it with a good closing sentence that ties back into the story you    grabbed our attention with at the beginning

 

j. See how this outline applies to the “Migrant Girl” sample essay. See the sample at Personal Statements Tips and Samples

Introduction:  She starts off with a story about working with her dad and talking about the importance of education.  The last sentence is her thesis.  She basically learned the importance of education from working with her parents in the fields.

HOW did working affect you or help you learn?  She describes having to get up early and how hard it was.  We need that to understand her story and to understand why NOT having to do that by getting an education was desirable.

She concludes this section with its point:  She was still a part of a happy family and was a happy child.

Why is this important?   She explains that she has witnessed and experienced how hard such work is.  She says she understands how hard such work is.

She goes on to explain that she watched her parents do it.

How will this help her succeed academically?  She simply starts off by saying that “I have been witness to the value of education.”

Then, she goes on to explain how her parents example has helped her brothers and sisters get an education and thus, get on the way to a better life.

Conclusion:      

The first sentence sums it all up: She knows the value of education from working with and watching her family, as well as being taught the value of education.

The last part explains that she wants to help others by becoming a lawyer, and that education is REALLY important to her.

 

k. Now it is your turn! You will now write your outline using this Personal Statement Outline Worksheet!