When it comes to writing an admission essay, it can be difficult to think of a topic to write about and how to develop that topic.  One useful tip is to use your resume as guide.  Although your resume may just be full of bullet points, it holds a lot of information about who you are and what you have been through. Read on to learn more about how to use your resume to write a compelling admission essay.

Examples of personal statement: Create an outline of information you want to include

Before you get to writing, you may want to create an outline.  The good thing is, because your resume is probably in a timeline format, you already have a basic outline to work from.  Go over a few personal statement examples, and see how writers have probably used their resumes to reflect on their achievements and experiences.  Based on this, make an outline based on some of the most interesting points in your life or career, such as a challenging time in your life.  Remember not to choose too many things to write about, or you may not be able to go into depth about such topics.(1)

Personal statement examples: Discuss your skills and experiences from your resume in detail

Now that you have chosen some of the instances that you want to write about, you should try to focus on how you have developed as a result of these occurrences.  Talk about the experiences that you encountered, the skills that you honed, or the character traits that you have developed along the way.  Remember that you want to expound on your resume instead of merely re-enumerating your achievements.(2)

Examples of personal statements: Make substantial conclusions on how your skills and experiences make you a strong candidate

Finally, make a conclusion that brings together everything you have written about in your essay.  You have already written about certain experiences and discussed how your personality has developed throughout the years.  Now, your goal is to explain why you make a good candidate for the school you are applying to.  Avoid bragging and instead go with the flow by mentioning how your skills and experiences have prepared you to deal with the challenges of college and your life after college.(3)

(1)  http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/template.html
(2)  http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(3) http://www.infoplease.com/edu/fastweb/10tipsforwritingadmissionsessay.html