If you have to find advice on writing personal statements, get it from the best source–the readers of admission essays. They can tell you exactly what are agreeable and what are not advisable in admission essays. Read on to discover their top three tips in writing a personal statements.

Don’t just recount your academic achievements

A common mistake of students in writing personal statements is they enumerate their achievements in school. Avoid doing this because it defeats the purpose of your essay. Personal statements are there to state whatever your transcript of records, recommendation letters, and other application requirements cannot say. Personal statements inform your readers of your personality. So, try to leave your academic achievements in a resume list and make your application more interesting through a clever personal essay topic.

Be specific with what you want and why

Characteristics of admission essays that tick off readers are being disorganized and having vague statements. Avoid this in writing your personal statement and avoid making your readers guess what you want to say. It is better to plan the content of your essay than to beat around the bush and state practically nothing in particular. So, select a creative and interesting topic, then make an outline. Make sure to include information that are relevant to the topic and arrange them logically. And if you must, review the steps in writing effective essays.

Don’t be sloppy, make your essay error-free

Having one or too many typographical, grammar, and punctuation errors in your personal essay reflects your clumsiness and laziness. The errors show that you either do not know how to write an essay properly or that you did not prepare enough for the application process. So, once you?ve written your essay, read it again and again. Proofread, edit, and have someone to check it many times.

Related links:

Covering personal flaws – How to downplay your weaknesses when writing a personal statement
Essay writing guide ? How to start writing your personal statement
Personal essay tips ? How to make your essay engaging to admission officers
Writing an essay – Tips on how to write a personal statement
Improving writing skills – Ways to improve writing skills

Isn?t it tiring to read a person?s biography over and over again? You will feel the same way if you were an admissions officer reading students? personal essays that say similar things. Moreover, you could get bored and annoyed with the number of cliche essays all piled up on your desk. In the end, you?d wish someone wrote differently. To avoid boring your readers to death, below are ways you can make your personal statement original.

Don’t stuff your essay with cliches

If you are the one reading hundreds of personal statements and many of them are cliches , you will feel like all of the students just copied each other and are all have the same personality and interests. In addition, you will have a difficult time remembering each student and what they said. To avoid becoming one-of-the-boring students, include information that are unique to you. Be honest and personal in writing your essay to add variety.

Focus on your own personal story

You might think of yourself as uninteresting, but in fact, you?re the opposite. And everyone has a different story to tell, so go ahead and tell what?s yours. Be creative. If your friend wrote about how he struggled to get through school while working and you have a similar experience, you can write about your perspectives in being a working student and the lessons you?ve learned from such an experience. A subtle twist always helps in essay writing.

Share your own thoughts on the topic

While preparing for your essay, you may have read examples of personal statements as a guide. Using examples are advisable, but using the same topics and content is not. So as you talk about yourself in your personal statement, discuss your personal thoughts as well. Fight the urge to say claims made in example essays to avoid sounding like one.

Related links:

Competitiveness as topic – How to write about your competitive personality in an admission essay
Organizing your essay – How to write an organized admission essay
Covering up flaws – Help on how to cover up personal flaws in personal statements
College essay wordcount – Guide to meeting the wordcount requirement without compromising the essay quality
Writing an essay – Tips on how to write a personal statement

One rule in writing an essay is to keep your target readers in mind. The rule becomes even more important whenwriting personal statements. To get into the school of your choice, it is necessary for you to convince your readers that you are a student deserving of a slot in the enrollment list. Below are what you should know about them. Take time to find out more about your readers to come up with an effective admission essay.

The admissions panel doesn?t have much time to make sense out of your essay

Because numerous students file their applications in one school, there are also numerous application forms to read and analyze. Included in the application requirements is a personal statement, one for each student. That leaves the panel member just a few minutes to quickly read through each essay. For that reason, make your personal statement straight to the point and concise. Avoid including riddles, metaphors, and too many topics. That way, you can help the reader make sense of your essay.

They easily get bored

Many personal statements are written without creativity and some are even cliches. These get panel members bored easily. Prevent this from happening by making your personal essay stand out. Start with a catchy introduction and keep the essay interesting but honest until the end. Doing so can help you be remembered for being a notable writer.

They don?t get to the bottom of the page unless it interests them

Sad but true, many readers of personal statements stop reading to the end of essays especially if they are dull. So aside from keeping your readers interested in your essay, make it unique by telling them what they want to know from the start. That way, if they have to quit reading by the middle of the essay, you already have given them what they wanted.

Related links:

Essay topics – What to include in your personal essay
Effective essay tips – Tips to keep personal essay readers interested
Essay writing no-nos – What admissions officers hate in personal essays
Improving writing skills – Ways to improve writing skills
Essay Writing Tips – How to write an effective personal statement

In writing personal statements, it is always necessary to be truthful about the details you will include. Being truthful always makes it easier for you to come up with something to write about. At the same time, you are giving your readers an honest idea of who you are. Since there is a lot you can say about yourself, it is better to include just the most important facts. Below are questions that can guide you in writing a personal statement.

What is unique about me?

Readers of personal statements dislike cliches. For one, the readers usually already have hundreds of essays to read during enrollment season, and the last thing they would like to see is another “ho-hum” essay. Good thing, there is something unique about you that you can talk about in your personal statement. Discover that uniqueness and start writing from there. You may want to talk about your excellent culinary skills and your natural talent in business. Then explain how you wish to use what you?ll learn in business school to start your own restaurant.

What have I learned from my experiences?

Instead of using your skills as the highlight of your personal statement, you can use a personal experience as a topic. When writing about an experience, make sure it is one you?ve learned something good from and that helped you become a better person. For example, you can talk about how you?ve worked your way through school while doing part-time. Then, explain what you?ve learned and how you can use them while dealing with demands in the school of your choice.

Why this school or this course?

You can also focus on your reasons for choosing a school or course when writing your personal statement. Just be sure to offer honest reasons that will convince your readers to give you a slot in the school.

Related links:

Narrative descriptive essay – Ways to write your personal statement
Discussing political beliefs – Example of what you can write about yourself
Tips in writing – More tips in writing a personal statement
Personal statement advice
Admission essay tips – How to write great admission essays