You admission essay can be the one thing that convinces the admission committee to give you a chance by accepting you into the school.  While your resume and your transcripts may not be perfect, the admission essay can help to smooth over these hiccups by charming the committee with your personality.(1)  Because the admission essay is such an important part of your application package, you may want to know how to put together a winning piece.  Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to admission essay writing, based on some good and bad examples of personal statements:

Don’t include unnecessary information that don’t support your thesis.

One of the biggest mistakes that some writers make in their personal statement examples is including irrelevant information. You have to remember that admission committees usually have thousands of application packages to look through, so don’t waste your time and theirs by including unnecessary details in your essay.  Try to make a solid thesis statement and follow it throughout your essay.(2)  Go over some examples of personal statements online so you can spot common errors and be guided on how to write a good one.

Do include experiences that set you apart from other applicants.

The main goal of the admission essay is to tell the committee why you deserve the slot over the thousands of other people who are applying.  One of the best ways to do this is to focus on what makes you unique from the other applicants.  Each person comes from different backgrounds and, even if two people grow up in the exact same environment, each will experience that environment differently from the other.  Try to expound on certain experience that set you apart, and mention how these experiences have prepared you for success in college and your future career.(3)

Do read your essay aloud, and see how it sounds.

Another great tip is to read your essay aloud.  It can be easy to get detached from what you are writing, especially when you are under pressure and trying to do the best you can to create an excellent personal statement.  Make sure to read your essay aloud so that you can actually hear what you have written.  Chances are, the better it sounds when you read it aloud, the better it will read on paper as well.  This is one of the secrets of well-writen examples of personal statement.

(1)  http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/gradapp.html
(2)  http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(3)  http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/college/academics/curf/resources/applicants/