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How to Write the Clemson University Essays 2020-2021

Academics and activism combine at Clemson, one of South Carolina’s top universities. Founded in 1889, Clemson University is passionate about building a robust student body that’s dedicated to serving the larger community. Students have the opportunity to work with volunteer organizations like the Women’s Leadership Council and the Giving Tree Project. And with 80 undergraduate majors and hundreds of student clubs and organizations, there’s plenty to do both in and out of the classroom. As a bonus, more than 92% of Clemson seniors say they would choose this school all over again. 

Clemson, which is ranked #70 by US News , has a general acceptance rate of 47%. Its Calhoun Honors College accepts just under 10% of applicants. The Honors College offers its students specialized coursework with Clemson’s top professors, opportunities for independent research, exciting study abroad programs, access to the Honors Academic Activities Center, and much more! 

Want to know your chances at Clemson? Calculate your chances for free right now.

Want to learn what Clemson will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering Clemson and the Calhoun Honors College needs to know.

Calhoun Honors College Supplemental Essay Prompts

While the standard application to Clemson University does not have applicants write supplemental essays, the Honors College does. The Honors College application is separate from Common App. Let’s take a look at the essay prompts.

The essays constitute a critical part of your Honors College application. Thoughtfully and originally responding to the following essays will provide the selection committee key insights into your accomplishments, intellectual curiosity, and vision.

Prompt 1: Tell us ─ as best you can at this point ─ about your academic and professional goals. What experiences, talents, accomplishments, and/or personal qualities make you think you’d be happy and successful in the Honors College and in your future career? (500 words or fewer)

Prompt 2: What is something you thought you knew that you turned out to be wrong about? Why was this realization important? (500 words or fewer)

Prompt 3: Please use this space to share any special circumstances affecting your application that warrant consideration by the selection committee. (250 words or fewer)

Honors Applicants, Prompt 1 (required)

Tell us ─ as best you can at this point ─ about your academic and professional goals. what experiences, talents, accomplishments, and/or personal qualities make you think you’d be happy and successful in the honors college and in your future career (500 words or fewer).

This prompt is asking you about your life direction so far and how the Honors College could fit into it. You’ll want to approach the essay as a classic “ Why This Major? ” essay while focusing more heavily on explaining your future career goals. 

For your first paragraph, tell the story of how you came to develop the academic and professional goals you have today while linking the two together. For example, if your academic goal is to study marine biology and your professional one is to break into the aquaculture industry to make it more eco-friendly, you could introduce your essay with a personal anecdote. The start of such an essay could look like this:

“I first became interested in fish while watching tiny fries swim around in a small pond right outside the school playground. It was a ritual for my friends and I to visit the ‘PokéPond,’ observe how the fish were growing, and try feeding them on occasion. That all changed when the school groundskeepers accidentally tipped over a bag of fertilizer into the pond, and the fish were no more. 

After seeing the effects of pollution on the puddle, I became interested in the fish I had nostalgia for in a more scientific way. I read books on ichthyology and asked myself how I could recreate the PokéPond and its fries. I learned that aquaculture was the solution, and eventually came to dream of starting a sustainable and efficient aquafarm as my future career. 

To make my idea a reality, I will need to develop an in-depth understanding of osmosis and fish gills to take care of practical matters such as sanitizing fish tanks. That is where the Calhoun Honors College, with its innovative learning and individualized research opportunities, comes in.”

Start the second paragraph with a sentence that ties your academic and professional goals to the Honors College ─ something akin to the following statement would do the trick: 

“The Calhoun Honors College offers unparalleled resources, such as the EUREKA! 2.0 research program and Educational Enrichment Travel Grants, which would allow me to explore my passion for marine biology in new depth and take my aquaculture career to new heights.”

Continue down this vein to fully explain how the Honors College is the right fit for you. Specific details are crucial ─ take a look at the Honors College website and find programs and opportunities that would enhance your existing talents, accomplishments, personal qualities. Explain how you know that these programs are ideal for you because of your previous life experiences, e.g. studying fish in the puddle with your own microscope taught you the value of experiential learning, a goal which the Calhoun Honors College also holds dear. Avoid making this paragraph a laundry list ─ after you mention any resource at the Honors College, show how it would benefit you personally more than an equivalent resource at another university. 

Remember the wording of the prompt as you write ─ Clemson wants to know how you would be happy and successful at the Honors College and the future career it can open up to you. A good way to wrap up the essay would be to write a third paragraph about what success and happiness mean to you, and how the Honors College could help you achieve both. Start off this part with your definitions, and be sure to define success and happiness as something larger than yourself. For example, success could mean reducing pollution from aquafarms, while happiness could mean satiating your intellectual curiosity in an environment of diverse individuals. Explain how the Honors College, with its shared values of X and unique educational opportunities of Y, would allow you to achieve your version of happiness and success.

Honors Applicants, Prompt 2 (required)

What is something you thought you knew that you turned out to be wrong about why was this realization important (500 words or fewer).

This essay is all about telling a story and taking the admissions readers through your thoughts. A quirky or unique and serious subject that has a philosophical lesson would be ideal ─ for example, the story of how you thought you knew that you could dig to the center of the Earth as a child, but quickly hit rock as you were digging and realized the importance of learning by doing. 

Begin the essay by explaining how you came to know your chosen piece of knowledge. Why were you confident that it was correct? In a new paragraph, explain how you realized that you were wrong and what feelings the realization came with. If you felt embarrassed or defensive, doubling down on your original ideas as you were proven wrong, describe how you finally gained the courage and humility to admit to your mistake. Though other people may have been instrumental in helping you see things in a different way, focus mostly on your internal thoughts and feelings rather than heated debates. 

Conclude with the realization of how being wrong was important not only for yourself, but for humanity. Ask yourself what lesson your story could teach others. For example, a student entrepreneur who started a single wheel skateboard company could write the following essay about learning the value of making bold change:

At that moment, as I walked out of the office, I threw my hands in the air. I had realized that I was wrong ─ not rocking the boat is not the way to live life ─ and I had raised my first round of angel investment for OneBlades as a result. My realization was so much bigger than myself. My example proved not only myself wrong, but all of the doubters in my life and all of the people in my shoes who doubt themselves everyday. I can now say that we must rock the boat, and rock it until it capsizes. Only then can we build something bigger.

Honors Applicants, Prompt 3 (optional)

Please use this space to share any special circumstances affecting your application that warrant consideration by the selection committee. (250 words or fewer).

Unlike for the other essays, we recommend answering this question directly and matter-of-factly rather than with an anecdote. Be sure to explain your circumstance in as much detail as needed, plus the subtle and obvious ways in which it affected you. Unlike other essays, there’s no need to take up the entire word count if not necessary.

This essay is truly optional in that not answering it will not show a lack of motivation on your part ─ the prompt exists for explaining circumstances outside of your control that affected your personal, academic, and professional development. Some of the circumstances that would fall into this category would be the following:

• Since both of your parents had to work, you spent much of your time outside the classroom caring for your younger siblings instead of doing extracurricular activities
• One of your family members had a long battle with cancer, and you spent lots of mental energy worrying about them
• Your mental health suffered after a traumatic experience, and that caused your grades to fall
• You were diagnosed with ADHD at 16
• As a low-income student, preparing for the SAT was a challenge

If you did not have an unavoidable experience that came crashing into your life during your high school career, it would be best to not answer this prompt. You can provide additional details about your academics and extracurricular activities in other sections of the Calhoun Honors College application, as the application gives ample room to describe them. 

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Clemson University

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Clemson University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Academic interest and goals essay.

Tell us about your academic interests and professional goals (to the extent that you have identified them at this point). What inspired these interests and goals? What experiences, talents, accomplishments, identities, and/or personal qualities can you see influencing your college career and beyond?

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Clemson University Supplemental Essays 2022-23

Clemson Essay Prompts 2022-23

Most of the top colleges and universities in the country require applicants to complete additional essays beyond the regular Common Application or Coalition Application essay. Clemson University , located in the Northwest corner of South Carolina, is no exception. The Clemson essay prompts help the admissions committee get to know applicants better. And, of course, they can see their writing ability firsthand. Furthermore, the admissions committee uses the Clemson essays to determine placement for their honors college. This makes those Clemson supplemental essays even more important!

In this guide, we will examine the Clemson supplemental essays, including the Clemson optional essay and the Clemson honors essays. Both essays are required for admission to the Clemson honors college. We’ll go over each of the Clemson essay prompts in detail. And, we’ll show you how to craft the best possible response to each one! In addition, we’ll provide some general tips for writing college essays that will help strengthen any application you submit, not just your Clemson application.

Clemson Essays: Quick Facts

• Clemson Acceptance Rate: 49%— U.S. News rates Clemson as a “more selective” school according to its 2022-2023 rankings.
• Common or Coalition Application Essay (Optional)
• Honors College Supplemental Essays (2 Required, 1 Optional) 
• Clemson University Application: Students can apply to Clemson via the Common Application , Coalition Application , or the Clemson Application . Students should have all materials ready before the application deadline. This includes Clemson supplemental essays and optional SAT/ACT scores.
• Early Action Deadline: October 15th
• Regular Decision Deadline: January 2nd
• Clemson University Essay Tip: The Clemson essay prompts require sustained time and attention. So, it’s important to start working on your Clemson supplemental essays early! Also, starting early will give you time to have your Clemson essays reviewed by your counselors, advisors, or other trusted editors.

Does Clemson require the Coalition essay?

No, it’s not technically required. One of the ways students can apply to Clemson is through the Coalition Application. However, there are no required Clemson supplemental essays when applying through the Coalition Application. 

Students can find the Clemson optional essay prompts on the Coalition Application website. In order to access the essay prompts, students must first create an account, then add Clemson to their college list . Even though the Clemson application does not require any Clemson essays, we recommend that students complete the Clemson optional essay anyway. A Clemson application that includes a well-written essay can stand out from the rest of the pool. In addition, students can use their Coalition essay prompt on their Clemson honors college application as one of their Clemson honors essays.

Does Clemson have supplemental essays?

Yes, Clemson does have supplemental essays. However, they are not required. In fact, the Clemson application does not require any Clemson supplemental essays. That being said, Clemson is a more selective school. Students should take advantage of the Clemson optional essays as part of either their Coalition or Common Application. Although not required, students can gain an advantage over other applicants by completing this Clemson optional essay.

The Clemson honors college application, however, does require students to complete two Clemson supplemental essays. Plus, students have the choice to share any additional details with the admissions committee in a Clemson optional essay. These Clemson supplemental essays help distinguish candidates for the Clemson honors college from other applicants. Even if you are not intending to apply for the Clemson honors college, it still helps to answer the Clemson essay prompts in order to help your application stand out . 

Clemson Honors College Essay Prompts

This next section will cover the specific Clemson essay prompts for the Clemson honors college. The first prompt is unique to Clemson. The second prompt asks students to complete one of the Common Application essay prompts. These questions are designed to help the admissions committee evaluate applicants for the Clemson honors college. So, it’s important to put your best foot forward when writing these Clemson supplemental essays. Let’s take a deeper look at each of the Clemson essay prompts and talk about how to write each one

Clemson Honors College Essay #1

Tell us about your academic interests and professional goals (to the extent that you have identified them at this point). what inspired these interests and goals what experiences, talents, accomplishments, identities, and/or personal qualities can you see influencing your college career and beyond.

The first of the Clemson honors college essays asks students to reflect on their academic interests and personal goals. In addition, the prompt asks students what inspired those goals and how those goals might influence their college experience and future career. Although these Clemson supplemental essays have lengthy prompts, the question often boils down to a very simple premise: What do you want to achieve with your education and why do you think this school is the place to achieve those goals?

In other words, this first prompt wants students to identify their goals and connect those goals to both their past experiences and their desires for their college education. For example, an aspiring engineer might talk about their time in their high school robotics club . Or, an aspiring journalist might describe writing a powerful story in their high school newspaper. 

No matter what your future goals are, articulate them clearly and show how you have already taken steps toward achieving them. Your Clemson honors college application is your opportunity to show the admissions committee what you have achieved and how those achievements will affect your future.

The second part of this Clemson honors college application essay gives students the opportunity to explain how being a part of the Clemson community will help them achieve the dreams they mentioned earlier in the essay. Strong Clemson supplemental essays will show evidence of research into the college. Naming specific majors, programs, study abroad trips, or internships in your Clemson honors essays shows the admissions committee that you have researched the school. This, in turn, illustrates why you would be a good fit for Clemson and why Clemson would be a good fit for you!

Clemson Honors College Essay #2

The second essay is based on your response to one of the common application essay prompts . if you have already written a response to one of these prompts in your common application, that response is considered your second honors application essay. if one is not on file, you are required to submit a response to one of the seven prompts..

The second of the Clemson essay prompts is not unique to the Clemson honors college application. Students have the choice to submit a response to any of the seven essay prompts from the Common Application. Although these are not specific Clemson essay prompts, they do help the admissions committee get to know you better. That means that your response should be well thought out, carefully edited, and full of reasons why you would be a good fit for Clemson. 

If you have used the Common Application to apply to other schools, you may already have an essay written that would fulfill the Clemson honors college requirements. However, it is important that you choose a prompt for the Clemson honors college essay that highlights your best qualities and achievements. You may even need to edit your existing essay to make sure it showcases your qualifications for the Clemson honors college.

Choosing a topic

When selecting a topic for your Clemson supplemental essays, there are many options. Each of the Clemson essay prompts asks about different aspects of a student’s academic or personal life. And, none of the prompts are given any more weight than the others. Therefore, you should choose the topic that you resonate with the most. Before sitting down to actually write this essay, narrow down the list of topics. Do this by identifying the ones that you can tie to your interests and experiences. Then, once you have narrowed down your list, create outlines of a few different Clemson essay prompts. Finally, decide which one you feel best about.

The most important aspect of your Clemson essays, and your overall Clemson application, is that they showcase you as an individual. Your Clemson essays should include specific details about your life and experiences. Avoid vague statements, like “I always strive to do my best in class” or “My work in the community means a lot to me.”  Instead, use more specific sentences that could only have been written by you. There is no single formula for writing perfect Clemson supplemental essays. The best thing that you can do is showcase your individual strengths.

This section of the Clemson essays is so closely related to the Common Application personal essay. Therefore, you may benefit from additional resources related to the Common Application personal statement. Our blog has several example personal statements that can give you inspiration for writing your own. In addition, you can check out our essay guides for more tips on writing any college essay, including the Clemson supplemental essays.

Optional Clemson Essay Prompt

Please use this space to share any special circumstances affecting your application that warrant consideration by the selection committee..

The Clemson honors college application also includes a Clemson optional essay. The prompt for this Clemson optional essay is vaguer than the other two required prompts. It asks students to share any special circumstances or life experiences that have affected you or your Clemson application. There are many possibilities for what to write about relating to this topic. But, it should be used to talk about something new rather than something you have already discussed. 

Not every student will need to complete this Clemson optional essay. But, if you have any extenuating circumstances that might benefit from some context or explanation, this may be the place to give it. For example, you may not have many extracurricular activities because you spend your time after school caring for younger siblings. This would be the place to explain how that responsibility has impacted your life and your application. Or maybe you moved schools in the middle of your junior year and that transition affected your grades in a negative way. This Clemson optional essay can be used to explain that dip in grades. Whatever your circumstances, use this essay to show why you still make a strong applicant.

How hard is it to get into Clemson Honors College?

The Clemson honors college, otherwise known as the Calhoun Honors College, only accepts a select group of applicants each year. A total of 4,588 students enrolled in the first-year class at Clemson this past year. However, Clemson honors college only accepts around 400 students each year. This means that while the regular Clemson acceptance rate is around 49% , the Clemson acceptance rate for the honors college is less than 10% . 

U.S. News does not assign a specific Calhoun Honors College ranking. However, Clemson overall received a top-20 ranking for its co-op and internship opportunities, many of which are exclusive to honors college students. In addition, among public universities with honors colleges , the Calhoun Honors College ranking was third highest. It only ranked behind Purdue’s (#53) and the University of Maryland’s (#58) honors colleges.

Priority admissions deadline

Applications to the Clemson honors college must be submitted by November 1st in order to be considered for priority admission. Additionally, students must submit their regular Clemson application by the Early Action date of October 15th. That’s more than two months ahead of the Regular Decision Clemson application deadline. Along with the two required Clemson supplemental essays and the Clemson optional essay, students must also include two letters of recommendation with their Clemson honors college application.

Although admission to the Clemson honors college is extremely competitive, the benefits are great. Students in the Clemson honors college have access to special courses that other students don’t. In addition, honors students have access to special facilities and research opportunities both inside and outside their major. Students interested in applying to the honors college should start their applications early to complete all required materials by the deadline. See our resources on application deadlines for assistance on how to manage these tight timelines!

5 Tips on How to Write the Clemson Essays

Tops tips on writing the clemson essays, 1. start early and make a plan.

Students who begin their Clemson supplemental essays early have a much easier time completing them than those who start later on in the process. The Common Application opens on August 1st. So, students can get started with the Clemson essay prompts as early as then. Once the application opens, create a calendar so you can set aside time to work on your Clemson supplemental essays. Writing the essay gradually over several weeks helps prevent burnout and gives you a chance to refine your ideas.  Make sure you leave enough time to revise your Clemson essays after you draft them.

2. Brainstorm ideas before you start writing

It’s tempting to start writing the essay as soon as you see the Clemson essay prompts. But, brainstorming can really help improve your Clemson essays in the long run. A good place to start with any of the Clemson essay prompts is to write down a short list of adjectives that you want the Clemson admissions committee to associate with you! After that, you can write down events or accomplishments in your life where you have demonstrated these qualities and look for common themes that align with one or more of the potential essay topics. Then, when you’re ready to sit down and write your Clemson essays, you already have a bank of ideas ready to incorporate into your writing.

3. Make it about you

Many students find it uncomfortable to brag about or even write about their own accomplishments. However, the purpose of the Clemson essay prompts is for the admissions committee to get to know you. They can’t do that if you spend your essay talking about what other people have done. This doesn’t mean you can’t mention others’ names in your Clemson essays or that you should inflate your own accomplishments. Just try to use as many “I” statements as possible and focus the narrative on what you have done or experienced.

4. Use specific examples wherever possible

Good answers to the Clemson essay prompts will be full of specific details that can transport the reader into the writer’s life and mindset. You want your essay to contain information that allows the reader to get to know you personally. Instead of simply describing the events of an important game you played for your basketball team, let the reader know how it felt to score that game-winning basket and receive the MVP award. Instead of just describing yourself as a lover of community service, show the reader your devotion by sharing moments when you volunteered at your local homeless shelter. Your essay should not read like it could have been written by anybody. It should celebrate your unique experiences and passions.

5. Get help from trusted sources

Even though the primary voice of your essay should be your own, you can, and should, still get help with your Clemson application and Clemson essays from others. Trusted family members, teachers, counselors, and friends can help you develop your essay’s central ideas and make sure you are staying on topic. Try to find two or three editors that you trust and share your Clemson supplemental essays with them early on in the writing process to allow for multiple drafts and rewrites. Plus, if you sign up for CollegeAdvisor.com, you’ll get personalized essay suggestions from your advisor and our Essay Editing team to make sure you write as strong of a response to the Clemson essay prompts as you can.

Clemson supplemental essays and the admissions process

Writing the Clemson supplemental essays is just one part of the larger Clemson application process. Clemson reviews applications using a holistic process. This means there are a wide variety of factors the admissions committee looks for when reviewing each application. 

While your academic record, test scores, and grades are important data points in your application, the Clemson admissions committee knows that each applicant is more than just numbers on a page. In fact, the Clemson admissions website states , “We want to hear your story.” The Clemson essay prompts, therefore, give students the chance to provide context for the other parts of their application. Any additional information you provide gives the admissions committee more insight into who you are as a person.

Colleges like Clemson use essays to get to know candidates for admission beyond what they see in other parts of the application. For this reason, you should not use the Clemson essay prompts or the Clemson honors essays to restate your academic accomplishments or extracurricular involvement. Those already have a place in other parts of your Clemson application. 

Tell your story

Instead, use the Clemson essay prompts to tell a story about yourself that the rest of your application can’t tell! This is particularly important if you have potential red flags on your application, like a semester of poor grades in an otherwise good transcript. The Clemson essays give you a chance to tell the story behind the numbers and explain why you should be admitted to the school.

Because these essays are such an important part of any college application, it is important to take the time to do them well. Even with optional essays, like the Clemson supplemental essays, you should plan to work on and revise your essays over the space of several weeks or even months. You also want to tailor your essays to suit each college’s prompts. This will require taking the time to research each school to see what they are looking for in their applicants. 

Clemson Essay Prompts – Final Thoughts

As we have seen, the answer to the question, “Does Clemson have supplemental essays?” is “Yes!” However, unless you’re applying to the Clemson honors college, you do have the option to avoid the Clemson essay prompts. But, if you’re looking to make your application stand out amid the competitive Clemson acceptance rate, you’ll want to write those essays! Thoughtful responses to the Clemson essay prompts make a difference. Well-written essays improve your admissions chances, which is important given the competitive Clemson acceptance rate. Additionally, impressive Clemson essays could open the door to scholarship opportunities.

Therefore, regardless of whether you intend to apply to the Clemson honors college, we recommend that you include the optional Common Application personal statement along with your Clemson application. And if your GPA is high enough and you have a strong slate of extracurricular activities, make sure you complete the Clemson honors college application as well!

Writing top-notch college essays can be intimidating. We get it! If you need a little extra support with writing your Clemson essays, we’re here to help. Sign up for a CollegeAdvisor.com account to access personalized one-on-one advising with our experts. They can help you with your Clemson supplemental essays every step of the way. Plus, gain access to our vast library of webinars, essay guides, and additional resources whenever you want! Register here to get started!

Senior advisor, Alex Baggott-Rowe wrote this article . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Clemson University Undergraduate Admissions Personal Statement

In applying to Clemson through the Coalition app their is a section about a personal statement but nowhere on their website does it say anything about this except for graduate students. Should i write a personal statement for undergraduate admissions and is it a consideration for admissions.

There is a section in Clemson’s online application for a personal statement as well. I think its one opportunity to say something in your own voice. While it isn’t listed as a consideration, it’s not something I would recommend overlooking since they give you the space to share something.

Don’t leave the personals statement blank, even if it is optional. On the other hand, don’t overthink it. S19 applied (accepted, did not attend) with a PS that was pretty meager.

FWIW, my son refused to write anything optional on his Clemson app. He was accepted and worked harder on his application to their Honors College. My personal opinion is that the personal statement will not sway anything if you’re an OOS applicant.

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12 Personal Statement Examples + Analysis 2024

If you’re applying to college, you’ll most likely need to write a personal statement as part of your college application. (And please note that the personal statement examples below are for undergraduate applications—if you’re trying to find grad school statement of purpose examples , please head to that link.)

But before diving into analyzing some great personal statement examples, it helps to get some context on what a personal statement actually is, and what writers should plan to include when writing their own personal statement.

What is a personal statement?

It’s the main essay required by the Common Application as well as most other application systems. They basically require you to answer some version of the question “Who are you, and what do you value?” And in recent years, the main Common Application essay has become more and more important in colleges’ decision making process, especially as many colleges are relying less and less on standardized test scores.

Why read personal statement examples?

In our work with students, we often encourage students to review examples of personal statements to get a sense of what a great essay might look like and to just generally share a wide range of topics, structures, and writing styles so that they can see what’s possible when writing this essay. In this spirit, we’re sharing 12 of our favorite examples from the past few years. We’ve also included analysis for what makes them outstanding to (hopefully) help you uplevel your own essay.

What should a personal statement include?

The personal statement should demonstrate the qualities, skills, and values that you’ve cultivated over your life and how those skills have prepared you for attending college. I (Ethan) have spent the last 15 years answering this question, which you can learn more about in my free 1-hour guide .

In our opinion, a great personal statement example has 4 qualities . After reading the essay, you can identify whether your essay or topic show each of the four qualities by asking yourself the questions below:

Values : Can you name at least 4-5 of the author’s core values? Do you detect a variety of values, or do the values repeat?

Vulnerability : Does the essay sound like it’s mostly analytical or like it’s coming from a deeper, more vulnerable place? Does it sound like the author wrote it using mostly his or her head (intellect) or his or her heart and gut? After reading the essay, do you know more about the author AND feel closer to him or her?

Insight : Can you identify at least 3-5 “so what” moments of insight in the essay? Are these moments kind of predictable, or are they truly illuminating?

Craft : Do the ideas in the essay connect in a way that is logical, but not too obvious (aka boring)? Can you tell that the essay represents a series of carefully considered choices and that the author spent a lot of time revising the essay over the course of several drafts?

Want a more thorough guide on how to write a personal statement? We’ve got you covered.

Let’s read some essays.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Example #1 - The Tally on My Uniform
• Example #2 - Quattro Lingue
• Example #3 - 12
• Example #4 - Flying
• Example #5 - Arab Spring in Bahrain
• Example #6 - Poop, Animals and the Environment
• Example #7 - Entoptic Phenomena
• Example #8 - The Builder & Problem Solver
• Example #10 - The Little Porch and a Dog (With Spanish Translation)
• Example #10 - Life As an Undocumented Student
• Example #11 - Umbra
• Example #12 - Angry brown girl, feminist, singer, meme lover

Personal Statement Example #1 The Tally on My Uniform

Day 19: I am using my school uniform as a slate to tally the days. As the ink slowly seeps through the fabric of my shirt, I begin to understand that being a conscious Arab comes with a cost. Flashback. Day 7: I come across a live stream on social media, 1,200 Palestinian political prisoners are on their seventh day of a hunger strike against the Israeli occupation. It is the first I have heard of its occurrence. I allow myself to follow the news daily through social media while regional mainstream media and our local news channels refrain from reporting any news of the strike. Day 13: I am engulfed by the cry for justice. I feel helplessly overwhelmed, not wanting to confront reality, but I force myself to anyway; actively searching, refreshing my phone to tune into live streams from protests, plugging in “Palestinian hunger strike” on the search engine to stay connected to the cause. Day 18: No one else seems to know anything about what is going on. I am compelled to find a way to embody the struggle. In my first period class, I see a marker beside the whiteboard. I pick it up, not sure what I’m going to do, but then hear myself asking my classmates to each draw a vertical line on my shirt. It seems funny at first--they laugh, confused. But each time the marker touches the fabric it tells a story. It is a story of occupied countries, a story in which resisting apartheid becomes synonymous with criminality, a story we refuse to address because we have grown too apathetic to value life beyond our borders. As my classmates draw the tally, together we tell the story of the hunger strike and mourn the distance human beings have created between each other. Day 20: My uniform has become a subject of question. Each pair of eyes that fix their gaze on the ink, I share the story of our Palestinian compatriots. The initial responses are the same: disbelief, followed by productive conversation on our moral responsibility to educate ourselves on the conflict. Day 28: Each day the strike continues, I have asked my classmates to draw another line on the tally. While it still comes across as unsettling, it seems to no longer represent the reality of the hunger strike. My classmates are no longer interested in what it means. I am supposed to move on already. I am called in to the principal’s office. After being instructed to get a new shirt, I choose to challenge the order. As long as the hunger strike lasts, I will continue to voice the reality of the hundreds of prisoners, in hopes of recreating the sense of responsibility I originally sensed in my peers. Day 41: A compromise deal is offered to the political prisoners and they suspend their hunger strike. I walk out of school with a clean uniform and feel whole again, but unnaturally so. I was left feeling an unspoken kind of weakness where I broke under the realisation that not all sorrows could resonate with people enough for me to expect them to lead movements. I would need to be the one to lead, to recreate the energy that the tally once inspired. I decided to found a political streetwear brand, Silla, where fashion choices transcend superficial aesthetics by spreading a substantial message of equality and donating the profits to NGOs that advocate for social change. Through Silla, I am able to stay in touch with my generation, keeping them engaged with issues because of how they can now spend their money Silla has mobilized people to voice their opinions that align with equity and equality. Because of my adherence to justice, I was elected student government president and I use it as a platform to be vigilant in reminding my peers of their potential, inspiring them to take action and be outspoken about their beliefs. When the ink seeped through the fabric of my uniform it also stained my moral fibres, and will forever remind me that I am an agent of change. — — —

Why This Essay Worked: 

Uncommon topic and uncommon connections. Overall, this is just a stand out piece. The unique story of how the author had lines drawn on her shirt pulls the reader in. But while this story is not something you’d typically find in other people’s applications, don’t feel intimidated. Having an uncommon topic makes writing a strong essay a bit easier, but by itself is not enough for a great essay. What really elevates this piece is the connections and observations that the author makes about her classmates and the school’s collective response to distant but important political conflict. The student does a great job evoking the emotional response of her peers and beautifully articulates her own indignation with the apathy that emerges. When you write your essay, consider how you can use uncommon connections to take your reader to places they may not have expected to go.

Experimental structure. One of the many cool things about this essay is its structure, which demonstrates the quality of craft . The author uses a montage structure that emphasizes numbers and chronology, two ideas that are central to the content of the piece itself. By playing with the idea of time and distance, the applicant emphasizes some of the critical ideas in her essay and shows that she’s unafraid to think outside the box. Remember, admissions officers read tons of personal statements; an uncommon structure can go a long way in setting you apart from the crowd.

Answers the question “so what?” The thing that really brings this essay home is the last paragraph. Although the story of the uniform being marked by lines for each day of the hunger strike is fascinating, we’re not totally sure of its relevance to the life of the author until she gets to that last bit. In it, she tells us about her politically-aware fashion line and her appointment as school president. This answers the question of “so what” because it shows us that she took the lessons she learned during the strike and applied it to her life outlook/practices more broadly. After you’ve written your first draft, go back through it and make sure you’ve clearly shown what you’ve done to act upon your reflections or values .

Personal Statement Example #2 Quattro Lingue

Day 1: “Labbayka Allāhumma Labbayk. Labbayk Lā Sharīka Laka Labbayk,” we chant, sweat dripping onto the wispy sand in brutal Arabian heat, as millions of us prepare to march from the rocky desert hills of Mount Arafat to the cool, flat valleys of Muzdalifa. As we make our way into the Haram, my heart shakes. Tears rolling down my cheeks, we circumvent the Ka’ba one last time before embarking on Hajj, the compulsory pilgrimage of Islam. It became the spiritual, visceral, and linguistic journey of a lifetime. Day 3: “Ureed an Aśhtareę Hijab.” “Al-harir aw al-Qathan?” “Ķhilaahuma.” “Kham ťhamanu-huma?” “Mi’at Riyal.” “La. Khizth sab’een.” “Sa’uethikhá Sab’een.” “Shukran laķ.” “Show me hijabs.” “Silk or cotton?” “Both.” “How much do these cost?” “100 Riyal.” “No. Take 70.” “Fine. Thanks Hajjah.” In Makkah, I quickly learn shopkeepers rip off foreigners, so exchanges like this, where I only have to say a few Arabic words, make me appear local. It also connects me with real locals: the Saudi Arabian pharmacist who sells me cough syrup, the Egyptian grandmother seeking directions to the restroom, the Moroccan family who educates me on the Algerian conflict. As the sounds of Arabic swirl around me like the fluttering sands (Jamal, Naqah, Ibl, Ba’eer…), I’m reconnecting with an old friend: we’d first met when I decided to add a third language to English and Bengali. Day 6: The tents of Mina. Temperature blazing. Humidity high. I sleep next to an old woman who just embarked on her twentieth Hajj. When I discover she’s Pakistani, I speak to her in Urdu. Her ninety-year old energy--grounded, spiritual, and non-materialistic--inspires me. So far, every day has been a new discovery of my courage, spirit, and faith, and I see myself going on this journey many more times in my life. My new friend is curious where I, a Bengali, learned Urdu. I explain that as a Muslim living in America’s divided political climate, I wanted to understand my religion better by reading an ancient account of the life of Prophet Muhammad, but Seerat-un-Nabi is only in Urdu, so I learned to read it. I was delighted to discover the resonances: Qi-yaa-mah in Arabic becomes Qi-ya-mat in Urdu, Dh-a-lim becomes Zaa-lim… Urdu, which I had previously only understood academically, was the key to developing a personal connection with a generation different from mine. Day 8: “Fix your hair. You look silly,” my mom says in Bengali. When my parents want to speak privately, they speak our native tongue. Phrases like, “Can you grab some guava juice?” draw us closer together. My parents taught me to look out for myself from a young age, so Hajj is one of the only times we experienced something formative together. Our “secret” language made me see Bengali, which I’ve spoken all my life, as beautiful. It also made me aware of how important shared traditions are. As I think back to those sweltering, eclectic days, the stories and spiritual connections linger. No matter what languages we spoke, we are all Muslims in a Muslim country, the first time I’d ever experienced that. I came out of my American bubble and discovered I was someone to be looked up to. Having studied Islam my whole life, I knew the ins and outs of Hajj. This, along with my love for language, made me, the youngest, the sage of our group. Whether at the Al-Baik store in our camp or the Jamarat where Satan is stoned, people asked me about standards for wearing hijab or to read the Quran out loud. I left the journey feeling fearless. Throughout my life, I’ll continue to seek opportunities where I’m respected, proud to be Muslim, and strong enough to stand up for others. The next time I go to Hajj, I want to speak two more languages: donc je peux parler à plus de gens and quiero escuchar más historias. — — —

It’s visceral and evocative. Details about the specific resonance of Urdu words and the conversations this author shared with the people they met on their Hajj brings this essay to life. Nearly every line is full of vivid imagery and textured language . Those details make this piece fun to read and truly bring us into the world of the author. Whenever you’re writing, think about how you can engage all five senses to show, not simply tell, how you experienced something. 

It uses images to convey a sense of time, place, and self. Notice how this author’s use of images and details give this personal statement a dream-like quality, hopping between spaces, people, languages, and thoughts. As a result, the author is able to talk about so many different aspects of their culture. The way the details are conveyed also speaks to the aesthetic sensibilities of the author, providing another window into who they are as a person. When you’re writing, think about how you can use imagistic language to show the reader what you care about. 

It uses dialogue effectively. Dialogue isn’t always the best strategy, as it can take up a good chunk of your word count without explicitly saying anything about who you are. In this piece, however, the author does a great job of using their conversations with people they meet along their journey to convey their values and interests. Not only does the dialogue emphasize their fascination with language and cultural exchange, but it breaks up what would have been dense paragraphs into nice manageable chunks that are easier to read.

Personal Statement Example #3 12

12 is the number of my idol, Tom Brady. It’s the sum of all the letters in my name. It’s also how old I was when I started high school. In short, I skipped two grades: first and sixth. Between kindergarten and eighth grade, I attended five schools, including two different styles of homeschooling (three years at a co-op and one in my kitchen). Before skipping, I was perennially bored. But when I began homeschooling, everything changed. Free to move as fast as I wanted, I devoured tomes from Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison to London, Kipling, and Twain. I wrote 10-page papers on subjects from Ancient Sparta and military history to the founding of the United States and the resounding impact of slavery. I discovered more than I ever had, kindling a lifelong joy for learning. While high school offered welcome academic opportunities--studying two languages and taking early science APs chief among them--the social environment was a different beast. Many classmates considered me more a little brother than a true friend, and my age and laser focus on academics initially made me socially inept. I joined sports teams in spring and built better relationships, but my lack of size (5’1”) and strength relegated me to the end of the bench. Oftentimes, I secretly wished I was normal age. That secret desire manifested itself in different ways. While I’ve loved football since I was a little kid, I soon became obsessed with personal success on the gridiron--the key, I figured, to social acceptance and the solution to my age problem. I had grown up obsessively tracking my New England Patriots. Now, instead of armchair quarterbacking, I poured hours into throwing mechanics and studying film after my homework each night. Itching to grow, I adopted Brady’s diet, cutting dairy, white flour, and processed sugar. But in the rush to change, my attitude towards academics shifted; I came to regard learning as more a job than a joy. No matter what talents I possessed, I viewed myself as a failure because I couldn’t play. That view held sway until a conversation with my friend Alex, the fastest receiver on the team. As I told him I wished we could switch places so I could succeed on the gridiron, he stared incredulously. “Dude,” he exclaimed, “I wish I was you!” Hearing my friends voice their confidence in my abilities prompted me to reflect: I quickly realized I was discounting my academic talents to fit a social construct. Instead of pushing myself to be something I wasn’t, I needed to meld my talents and my passions. Instead of playing sports, I recognized, I should coach them. My goal to coach professionally has already helped me embrace the academic side of the game—my side—rather than sidelining it. I have devoured scouting tomes, analyzed NFL game film, spoken with pros like Dante Scarnecchia, and even joined the American Football Coaches Association. Translating that coach’s mentality into practice, I began explaining the concepts behind different plays to my teammates, helping them see the subtleties of strategy (despite Coach Whitcher’s complaints that I was trying to steal his job). And I discovered that my intellectual understanding of the game is far more important in determining my success than my athletic tools: with the discipline, adaptability, and drive I had already developed, I’ve become a better player, student, and friend. Physically and mentally, I’ve changed a lot since freshman year, growing 11 inches and gaining newfound confidence in myself and my abilities. Instead of fighting for social acceptance, I’m free to focus on the things I love. Academically, that change re-inspired me. Able to express my full personality without social pressure, I rededicated myself in the classroom and my community. I still secretly wish to be Tom Brady. But now, I’m happy to settle for Bill Belichick. — — —

There’s a wonderful hook. The first line is great. It’s funny, intriguing, and doesn’t give too much away. In just the first bit we already know that the author is a football enthusiast, detail-oriented, and academically gifted. Not only does it tell us a lot about him, but it allows him to transition into the meat of his story about how his unconventional educational trajectory influenced the person he is today. Think about how you can use the first sentence or two of your personal statement to effectively introduce readers to your narrative voice and rope them into reading more.

It has a great “Aha!” moment. Great personal statements often convey growth. In this example, the author struggles to find a place for himself in high school after skipping two grades and being homeschooled for a significant portion of his life. It isn’t until his friend on the football team affirms his value that he starts to see all of the ways in which his unique skills benefit the people around him. If you think of your essay like a movie reel of your life, this moment is sort of like the climax. It’s when the mindset of the main character changes and allows him to embrace what he’s got. The anticipation and release of this “aha moment” keeps readers engaged in the piece and demonstrates your ability, as the applicant, to be self-reflective and adaptable to change.

It covers a broad time frame, but still fits in tons of nice details. This essay essentially talks about the author’s life from 5th grade to present day. He’s not focusing on one specific moment. This is absolutely something you can do as well if you want to demonstrate how you’ve grown over a longer period of time. However, notice that the author here doesn’t sacrifice depth for breadth. Even though he’s covering a pretty significant chunk of time, he still touches on great details about his favorite classes and authors, football role models, and conversations with friends. These are what make the essay great and specific to his life. If you’re going to talk about more than just one event or moment, don’t forget to highlight important details along the way.

Learn how to write your personal statement here

Personal statement example #4 flying.

As a young child, I was obsessed with flying. I spent hours watching birds fly, noting how the angle of their wings affected the trajectory of their flight. I would then waste tons of fresh printer paper, much to the dismay of my parents, to test out various wing types by constructing paper airplanes. One day, this obsession reached its fever pitch. I decided to fly. I built a plane out of a wooden clothes rack and blankets, with trash bags as precautionary parachutes. As you can imagine, the maiden flight didn’t go so well. After being in the air for a solid second, the world came crashing around me as I slammed onto the bed, sending shards of wood flying everywhere. Yet, even as a five-year-old, my first thoughts weren’t about the bleeding scratches that covered my body. Why didn’t the wings function like a bird’s wings? Why did hitting something soft break my frame? Why hadn’t the parachutes deployed correctly? Above all, why didn’t I fly? As I grew older, my intrinsic drive to discover why stimulated a desire to solve problems, allowing my singular passion of flying to evolve into a deep-seated love of engineering. I began to challenge myself academically, taking the hardest STEM classes offered . Not only did this allow me to complete all possible science and math courses by the end of my junior year, but it also surrounded me with the smartest kids of the grades above me, allowing me access to the advanced research they were working on. As such, I developed an innate understanding of topics such as protein function in the brain and differential equation modeling early in high school, helping me develop a strong science and math foundation to supplement my passion for engineering. I also elected to participate in my school’s engineering pathway . As a team leader, I was able to develop my leadership skills as I identified and utilized each member’s strength to produce the best product. I sought to make design collaborative, not limited to the ideas of one person. In major group projects, such as building a hovercraft, I served as both president and devil’s advocate, constantly questioning if each design decision was the best option, ultimately resulting in a more efficient model that performed significantly better than our initial prototype. Most of all, I sought to solve problems that impact the real world . Inspired by the water crisis in India, I developed a water purification system that combines carbon nanotube filters with shock electrodialysis to both desalinate and purify water more efficiently and cost-effectively than conventional plants. The following year, I ventured into disease detection, designing a piezoresistive microcantilever that detected the concentration of beta-amyloid protein to medically diagnose a patient with Alzheimer’s disease, a use for cantilevers that hadn’t yet been discovered. The project received 1st Honors at the Georgia Science Fair. Working on these two projects, I saw the raw power of engineering – an abstract idea gradually becoming reality . I was spending most of my days understanding the why behind things, while also discovering solutions to prevalent issues. In a world that increasingly prioritizes a singular solution, I am captivated by engineering’s ability to continuously offer better answers to each problem. Thirteen years have passed since that maiden flight, and I have yet to crack physical human flight . My five-year-old self would have seen this as a colossal failure. But the intense curiosity that I found in myself that day is still with me. It has continued to push me, forcing me to challenge myself to tackle ever more complex problems, engrossed by the promise and applicability of engineering. I may never achieve human flight . However, now I see what once seemed like a crash landing as a runway, the platform off of which my love of engineering first took flight. — — —

The author isn’t afraid to ask questions. This writer is clearly a curious and intellectual person. The questions they ask in the first part of the essay (“Why didn’t the wings function like a bird’s wings? Why did hitting something soft break my frame? Why hadn’t the parachutes deployed correctly? Above all, why didn’t I fly?”) highlight that. In your essay, don’t shy away from asking tough questions. In the end, the author still hasn’t achieved human flight, but you can clearly see how his interest in the whys of life has propelled him to take on new engineering problems. Sometimes, you don’t need to answer the questions you pose for them to serve a purpose in your essay.

It returns back to where it started. There’s something satisfying about returning to your intro in your conclusion. In this case, the author comes back to his first flying experience and re-evaluates what the experience means to him now as well as how his thinking has evolved. Think of your essay as a circle (or maybe a blob depending on what you’re writing about). Your end should loop back to where you started after your narrative arc is mostly complete.

Uses specific jargon (but not too much). We might not know what a “piezoresistive microcantilever” is or how it relates to “beta-amyloid proteins,” but that’s not really the point of including it in this essay. By using these terms the author signals to us that he knows what he’s talking about and has a degree of expertise in engineering. On the flip side, you don’t want to use so much jargon that your reader has no idea what you’re saying. Including a little bit of field-specific language can go a long way, so you don’t want to overdo it. If you’re not sure what specific details or language to include, check out our 21 Details Exercise and see if that helps you brainstorm some ideas.

Personal Statement Example #5 Arab Spring in Bahrain

February 2011– My brothers and I were showing off our soccer dribbling skills in my grandfather’s yard when we heard gunshots and screaming in the distance. We paused and listened, confused by sounds we had only ever heard on the news or in movies. My mother rushed out of the house and ordered us inside. The Arab Spring had come to Bahrain. I learned to be alert to the rancid smell of tear gas. Its stench would waft through the air before it invaded my eyes, urging me inside before they started to sting. Newspaper front pages constantly showed images of bloodied clashes, made worse by Molotov cocktails. Martial Law was implemented; roaming tanks became a common sight. On my way to school, I nervously passed burning tires and angry protesters shouting “Yaskut Hamad! “ [“Down with King Hamad!”]. Bahrain, known for its palm trees and pearls, was waking up from a slumber. The only home I had known was now a place where I learned to fear. September 2013– Two and a half years after the uprisings, the events were still not a distant memory. I decided the answer to fear was understanding. I began to analyze the events and actions that led to the upheaval of the Arab Springs. In my country, religious and political tensions were brought to light as Shias, who felt underrepresented and neglected within the government, challenged the Sunnis, who were thought to be favored for positions of power. I wanted equality and social justice; I did not want the violence to escalate any further and for my country to descend into the nightmare that is Libya and Syria. September 2014– Pursuing understanding helped allay my fears, but I also wanted to contribute to Bahrain in a positive way. I participated in student government as a student representative and later as President, became a member of Model United Nations (MUN), and was elected President of the Heritage Club, a charity-focused club supporting refugees and the poor. As an MUN delegate, I saw global problems from perspectives other than my own and used my insight to push for compromise. I debated human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from an Israeli perspective, argued whether Syrian refugees should be allowed entry into neighboring European countries, and then created resolutions for each problem. In the Heritage Club, I raised funds and ran food drives so that my team could provide support for less fortunate Bahrainis. We regularly distributed boxed lunches to migrant workers, bags of rice to refugees and air conditioners to the poor. April 2016 – The Crown Prince International Scholarship Program (CPISP) is an intensive leadership training program where participants are chosen on merit, not political ideologies. Both Shia and Sunni candidates are selected, helping to diversify the future leadership of my country. I was shortlisted to attend the training during that summer. July 2016 – The CPISP reaffirmed for me the importance of cooperation. At first, building chairs out of balloons and skyscrapers out of sticks didn’t seem meaningful. But as I learned to apply different types of leadership styles to real-life situations and honed my communication skills to lead my team, I began to see what my country was missing: harmony based on trust. Bringing people together from different backgrounds and successfully completing goals—any goal—builds trust. And trust is the first step to lasting peace. October 2016 – I have only begun to understand my people and my history, but I no longer live in fear. Instead, I have found purpose. I plan to study political science and economics to find answers for the issues that remain unresolved in my country. Bahrain can be known for something more than pearl diving, palm trees, and the Arab Spring; it can be known for the understanding of its people, including me. — — —

Orients the reader in time. As you’ve seen in several other example essays already, date and time can be used very effectively to structure a piece. This author talks about an intensely political topic, which changed drastically over the course of a specific timeframe. Because of that, the use of timestamps elevates the piece and makes it easier for readers to follow the chronology of the story. If your essay topic is something that has changed significantly over time or has developed in a chronological way, this might be a great blueprint for you. Check out our Feelings and Needs Exercise to brainstorm for this kind of essay where you learn something along a narrative arc from Point A to Point B. 

Gives us the right amount of context. When you’re talking about political or cultural issues or events, don’t assume that your reader has a base level of knowledge. Although you don’t want to spend too much time on the nitty gritty details of policy reform or history, you should offer your reader some sense of when something was taking place and why. The author of this piece does that very succinctly and accessibly in his “September 2013” entry.

Emphasizes the author’s role and contributions. With political topics, it’s easy to get carried away talking about the issue itself. However, remember that this is ultimately a personal statement, not a political statement. You want to make sure you talk about yourself in the essay. So, even though the author is discussing a huge event, he focuses on his participation in Model UN, CRISP, and Heritage Club. When possible, think about how big issues manifest in your day to day life as well as what you specifically are doing to take action.

READY TO START WRITING? How To Start a College Essay: 9 Surefire Techniques

Personal statement example #6 poop, animals and the environment.

I have been pooped on many times. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays. I don’t mind it, either. For that matter, I also don’t mind being pecked at, hissed at, scratched and bitten—and believe me, I have experienced them all. I don’t mind having to skin dead mice, feeding the remaining red embryonic mass to baby owls. (Actually, that I do mind a little.) I don’t mind all this because when I’m working with animals , I know that even though they probably hate me as I patch them up, their health and welfare is completely in my hands. Their chances of going back to the wild, going back to their homes, rely on my attention to their needs and behaviors. My enduring interest in animals and habitat loss led me to intern at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley over the summer , and it was there that I was lucky enough to meet those opossum joeys that defecated on my shoes whenever I picked them up (forcing me to designate my favorite pair of shoes as animal hospital shoes, never to be worn elsewhere again). It was there that a juvenile squirrel decided my finger looked fit to suckle, and that many an angry pigeon tried to peck off my hands. And yet, when the internship ended, I found myself hesitant to leave . That hesitation didn’t simply stem from my inherent love of animals. It was from the sense of responsibility that I developed while working with orphaned and injured wildlife. After all, most of the animals are there because of us—the baby opossums and squirrels are there because we hit their mothers with our cars, raptors and coyotes end up there due to secondary rodenticide poisoning and illegal traps. We are responsible for the damage, so I believe we are responsible for doing what we can to help. And of course, there is empathy—empathy for the animals who lost their mothers, their homes, their sight and smell, their ability to fly or swim. I couldn’t just abandon them. I couldn’t just abandon them the same way I couldn’t let big oil companies completely devastate the Arctic, earth’s air conditioner . The same way I couldn’t ignore the oceans, where destructive fishing practices have been wiping out ocean life. These are not jobs that can be avoided or left half-finished. For some, the Arctic is simply too far away, and the oceans will always teem with life, while for others these problems seem too great to ever conquer. And while I have had these same feelings many times over, I organized letter-writing campaigns, protested, and petitioned the oil companies to withdraw. I campaigned in local parks to educate people on sustaining the seas. I hold on to the hope that persistent efforts will prevent further damage. I sometimes wonder if my preoccupation with social and environmental causes just makes me feel less guilty. Maybe I do it just to ease my own conscience, so I can tell people “At least I did something.” I hope that it’s not just that. I hope it’s because my mother always told me to treat others as I want to be treated, even if I sometimes took this to its logical extreme, moving roadkill to the bushes along the side of the road because “Ma, if I was hit by a car I would want someone to move me off the road, too.” The upshot is that I simply cannot walk away from injustice, however uncomfortable it is to confront it . I choose to act, taking a stand and exposing the truth in the most effective manner that I think is possible. And while I’m sure I will be dumped on many times, both literally and metaphorically, I won’t do the same to others. — — —

Another great hook. Much like the football essay, this one starts off with a bang. After hearing about all the pecking, hissing, pooping, and clawing that the author endured, chances are you want to read more. And notice how the initial pooping hook comes back in the last line of the essay.

The scope gets wider as the piece progresses. The author starts with specific details about an internship opportunity then gradually works her way to broader topics about social justice and environmental activism. Every part of the piece emphasizes her values, but they are more explicitly stated towards the end. This trajectory is nice because it allows the reader to ease themselves into the world of the author and then see how specific opportunities or interests connect to broader goals or ambitions. When you’re revising your essay, take a look at each paragraph and see if each one brings something new to the table or moves the narrative forward in some way.

It’s funny . This author does a great job of using humor as a tool to endear her to readers, but not as a crutch to lean on when she has nothing else to say. Not only is she cracking jokes about poop, but also deeply interrogating her own motivations for being interested in social and environmental activism. The balance of humor and genuine reflection is fun to read while also saying a lot about the author and her values/interests.

Personal Statement Example #7 Entoptic Phenomena

I subscribe to what the New York Times dubs “the most welcomed piece of daily e-mail in cyberspace.” Cat pictures? Kardashian updates? Nope: A Word A Day. Out of the collection of diverse words I received, one word stuck out to me in particular. Entoptic : relating to images that originate within the eye (as opposed to from light entering the eye). Examples of entoptic phenomena: floaters, thread-like fragments that appear to float in front of the eye but are caused by matter within the eye. (for a picture: https://wordsmith.org/words/entoptic.html) As I read through this entry, I was suddenly transported back to the first grade, when I was playing Pokémon Go one day with my friends during recess. Our version was epic: we escaped into virtual reality with our imagination rather than our phone screens, morphing into different Pokémon to do battle. My friend Ryan had just transformed into an invisible ghost-type Pokémon capable of evading my attacks. Flustered, I was attempting to evolve my abilities to learn to see the invisible. Between rubbing my eyes and squinting, I began to make out subtle specks in the air that drifted from place to place. Aha—the traces of the ghost Pokémon! I launched a thunderbolt straight through the air and declared a super-effective knockout. ...Of course, I never was able to explain what I was seeing to my bewildered friends that day in first grade. But after learning about entoptic phenomena, I realized that my entoptic adventure was not a hallucination but, in fact, one of my first intellectual milestones, when I was first able to connect meticulous observation of my environment to my imagination. Nowadays, I don’t just see minuscule entoptic phenomena: I see ghosts, too. Two of their names are Larry and Kailan, and they are the top-ranked players in the Exynos League. Exynos is the name of the elaborate basketball league I have created in my imagination over the last ten years of playing basketball on the neighborhood court in the evenings. As I play, I envision Larry and Kailan right there with me: reaching, stealing, and blocking. Undoubtedly, I might look a little silly when I throw the ball backwards as if Larry blocked my layup attempt—but imagining competitors defending me drives me to be precise in my execution of different moves and maneuvers. More than that, it is a constant motivator for all my endeavors: whether I’m researching for debate or studying for the next math contest, I am inventing and personifying new competitive ghosts that are hard at work every minute I’m off task. But I perceive perhaps the most vivid images through music, as I tell a different story with each piece I play on the violin. When I play Bach’s lively Prelude in E Major, for example, I visualize a mouse dashing up and down hills and through mazes to escape from an evil cat (à la Tom and Jerry). But when I play Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, I describe a relationship plagued by unrequited love. I revel in the intellectual challenge of coming up with a story that is not only consistent with the composer’s annotations but also resonates with my own experiences. Between re-living Tom and Jerry episodes and shooting fadeaway three-pointers against ghosts, then, perhaps entoptic phenomena don’t tell my whole story. So, here’s my attempt—in the form of a word of the day, of course: Pokémon Boom : a legendary form of augmented reality so pure that it is commonly mistaken for hallucination. Denizens of this world are rumored to watch Netflix re-runs without WiFi and catch many a Pikachu via psychokinesis. — — —

It makes tons of uncommon connections. Think about the range of topics covered in this piece: words, Pokémon, basketball, ghosts, debate, math, and music (to name just a few). Yet the author uses the idea of imagination and its relation to vision to weave these disparate topics into a coherent narrative. In fact, his ability to do so emphasizes his ability to think creatively in ways that the average person may not. To find these, consider brainstorming everything you want colleges to know about you and then think of interesting ways in which these might intersect. 

It doesn’t try to be overly intellectual. This essay spends most of its time talking about things that we wouldn’t traditionally consider “academic” or “college-y.” In fact, at least a third of it is devoted solely to Pokémon. The author briefly touches on his interest in math and debate, but otherwise it’s used more as a short example than a key point. The takeaway is: you don’t have to talk about classes or academic interests to write a killer essay. You absolutely can if you want to, but feel free to let your imagination run wild. If something excites or intrigues you, try writing a draft about it and see where it takes you.

It’s specific to the author. The combination of examples and insights you see in this essay truly couldn’t have been written by anyone else. Imagine you’re the admissions officer reading this application. It would absolutely stand out from the other essays in the bunch. Sure, other people play basketball. Sure, other people might like Pokémon or enjoy music. But, the particular way in which the author articulates his interests and connects them makes it memorable.

Personal Statement Example #8 The Builder & Problem Solver

Since childhood, I have been an obsessive builder and problem solver . When I was 6, I spent two months digging a hole in my backyard, ruining the grass lawn, determined to make a giant koi pond after watching a show on HGTV. After watching Castaway when I was 7, I started a fire in my backyard--to my mother's horror--using bark and kindling like Tom Hanks did. I neglected chores and spent nights locked in my room drawing pictures and diagrams or learning rubik's cube algorithms while my mother yelled at me through the door to go to sleep. I've always been compulsive about the things I set my mind to. The satisfaction of solving problems and executing my visions is all-consuming. But my obsessive personality has helped me solve other problems, too. When I was 8, I taught myself how to pick locks . I always dreamed of how cool it must have been inside my brother’s locked bedroom. So I didn't eat at school for two weeks and saved up enough lunch money to buy a lockpicking set from Home Depot. After I wiggled the tension wrench into the keyhole and twisted it counterclockwise, I began manipulating the tumblers in the keyhole with the pick until I heard the satisfying click of the lock and entered the room. Devouring his stash of Lemonheads was awesome, but not as gratifying as finally getting inside his room. As the projects I tackled got bigger, I had to be more resourceful . One day in history class after reading about early American inventions, I decided to learn how to use a Spinning Jenny. When my parents unsurprisingly refused to waste $500 on an 18th century spinning wheel, I got to work visiting DIY websites to construct my own by disassembling my bike and removing the inner tube from the wheel, gathering string and nails, and cutting scrap wood. For weeks, I brushed my two cats everyday until I had gathered enough fur. I washed and soaked it, carded it with paddle brushes to align the fibers, and then spun it into yarn, which I then used to crochet a clutch purse for my grandmother on mother's day. She still uses it to this day. In high school, my obsessive nature found a new outlet in art . Being a perfectionist, I often tore up my work in frustration at the slightest hint of imperfection. As a result, I was slowly falling behind in my art class, so I had to seek out alternate solutions to actualize the ideas I had in my head. Oftentimes that meant using mixed media or experimenting with unconventional materials like newspaper or cardboard. Eventually I went on to win several awards, showcased my art in numerous galleries and magazines, and became President of National Art Honors Society. Taking four years of art hasn't just taught me to be creative, it’s taught me that there are multiple solutions to a problem. After high school I began to work on more difficult projects and I channeled my creativity into a different form of art - programming . I’m currently working on an individual project at the Schepens Institute at Harvard University. I'm writing a program in Matlab that can measure visual acuity and determine what prescription glasses someone would need. I ultimately plan to turn this into a smartphone app to be released to the general public. The fact is that computer coding is in many ways similar to the talents and hobbies I enjoyed as a child—they all require finding creative ways to solve problems . While my motivation to solve these problems might have been a childlike sense of satisfaction in creating new things, I have developed a new and profound sense of purpose and desire to put my problem solving skills to better our world. — — —

It turns a perceived weakness into a critical strength. At the beginning of the essay, the author talks about all of the problems she caused because of her obsession (ironically) with problem-solving. However, as the piece progresses, we begin to see how her childlike curiosity and interest in making things became a clear asset. It becomes a way of emphasizing values like resourcefulness, empathy, and dedication. In several other essay examples, we’ve highlighted this idea of growth. This example is no exception. Highlighting the ways in which you’ve changed or reframed your thinking is a great thing to show off to college admissions officers. If you know you’ve experienced some significant change but you’re not sure how to describe it, use our Feelings and Needs Exercise to get started.

There’s a discussion of what’s next. Many colleges are interested not only in what you’ve done, but also how you’d like to pursue your interests in the future. The author here spends some time at the end talking about her plans for a prescription-measuring smartphone app and her general interest in learning more about computer coding. While the piece has a clear conclusion, these examples highlight the ongoing nature of her educational journey and her openness to further learning. It answers the question of “ so what? ”

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Personal statement example #9 the little porch and a dog.

It was the first Sunday of April. My siblings and I were sitting at the dinner table giggling and spelling out words in our alphabet soup. The phone rang and my mother answered. It was my father; he was calling from prison in Oregon. My father had been stopped by immigration on his way to Yakima, Washington, where he’d gone in search of work. He wanted to fulfill a promise he’d made to my family of owning our own house with a nice little porch and a dog. Fortunately, my father was bailed out of prison by a family friend in Yakima. Unfortunately, though, most of our life savings was spent on his bail. We moved into a rented house, and though we did have a porch, it wasn’t ours. My father went from being a costurero (sewing worker) to being a water-filter salesman, mosaic tile maker, lemon deliverer, and butcher. Money became an issue at home, so I started helping out more. After school I’d rush home to clean up and make dinner. My parents refused to let me have a “real” job, so on Saturday afternoons I’d go to the park with my older brother to collect soda cans. Sundays and summertime were spent cleaning houses with my mother. I worked twice as hard in school. I helped clean my church, joined the choir, and tutored my younger sister in math. As tensions eased at home, I returned to cheerleading, joined a school club called Step Up , and got involved in my school’s urban farm, where I learned the value of healthy eating. Slowly, life improved. Then I received some life-changing news. My father’s case was still pending and, due to a form he’d signed when he was released in Yakima, it was not only him that was now in danger of being deported, it was my entire family. My father’s lawyer informed me that I’d have to testify in court and in fact our stay in the US was now dependent on my testimony. The lawyer had an idea: I had outstanding grades and recommendation letters. If we could show the judge the importance of my family remaining here to support my education, perhaps we had a chance. So I testified. My father won his case and was granted residency. Living in a low-income immigrant household has taught me to appreciate all I’ve been given.  Testifying in court helped me grow as a person, has made me more open-minded and aware of the problems facing my community. And my involvement in the urban farm has led me to consider a career as a nutritionist. Though neither of my parents attended college, they understand that college is a key factor to a bright future and therefore have been very supportive. And though we don't yet have the house with the small porch and the dog, we're still holding out hope. I believe college can help. — — —

Drops us in a moment in time. The beginning of this essay is a bit disorienting because it places us in a scene within the author’s life as they experience it. We don’t know all of the information, so we’re a bit confused, but that confusion makes us want to read more. This is a great tactic when done well because it helps us identify with the author and piques our curiosity.

Shows the agency, independence, and resilience of the applicant. The author here goes through a lot over the course of the essay. They have to face very real fears about incarceration, deportation, and financial instability on a daily basis. Talking about the ways in which they approached these obstacles highlights their ability to think clearly under pressure and make the most of what they have. If you have faced significant hardships , worked through them, learned valuable lessons, and want to share these with colleges, the personal statement can be a good place to do that. If you’d prefer to write about something else in your personal statement, but you’d still like to mention your challenges somewhere in your application, you can instead briefly describe them in your Additional Information section. If you want to write about struggles that are particularly related to COVID-19, check out our guide for specific suggestions.

Spanish Translation:

Era el primer domingo de abril. Mis hermanos y yo estábamos sentados en la mesa del comedor riendonos y deletreando palabras en nuestra sopa de letras. El teléfono sonó y mi madre respondió. Era mi padre. El estaba llamando desde la cárcel en Oregon. Mi padre había sido detenido por inmigración en su camino a Yakima, Washington, donde había ido en busca de trabajo. Quería cumplir una promesa que le había hecho a mi familia de tener nuestra propia casa con un pequeño y agradable porche y un perro. Afortunadamente, mi padre fue rescatado de la cárcel por un amigo de la familia en Yakima. Pero lamentablemente la mayor parte de nuestros ahorros se gastó en su fianza . Nos mudamos a una casa alquilada, y aunque teníamos un porche, no era nuestra. Mi padre pasó de ser un costurero (trabajador de coser) de ser un vendedor de filtros de agua, fabricante de baldosas de mosaicos, libertador de limones, y carnicero. El dinero se convirtió en un problema en casa, así que comencé a ayudar más. Después de la escuela llegaba temprano a mi hogar para limpiar y preparar la cena. Mis padres se negaron a dejarme tener un trabajo "real.” Por lo tanto, los sábados por la tarde me iba al parque con mi hermano mayor para recoger latas de refrescos. En domingos y en el verano limpiaba casas con mi madre. Trabajé dos veces más duro en la escuela. Ayudé a limpiar mi iglesia, me uní al coro, y dí clases particulares a mi hermana menor en las matemáticas. Mientras las tensiones disminuyeron en casa, volví al grupo de porristas, me uní a un club escolar llamado Step Up, y me involucré en la granja urbana de mi escuela, donde aprendí el valor de la alimentación saludable. Poco a poco, la vida mejoraba. Luego recibí una noticia que cambia la vida. El caso de mi padre todavía estaba pendiente, y debido a una forma que había firmado cuando fue liberado en Yakima, no sólo era él que estaba ahora en peligro de ser deportado, era toda mi familia. El abogado de mi padre me informó  que yo tendría que declarar ante los tribunales, y de hecho, nuestra estancia en los EE.UU. ahora dependia de mi testimonio. El abogado tuvo una idea: yo tenía sobresalientes calificaciones y cartas de recomendaciones. Si pudiéramos demostrar a la juez la importancia de que mi familia se quedará aquí para apoyar a mi educación, tal vez tuviéramos una oportunidad. Así que di mi testimonio. Mi padre ganó su caso y se le concedió la residencia. Vivir en un hogar de inmigrantes de bajos ingresos me ha enseñado a apreciar todo lo que se me ha dado . Dar mi testimonio en el tribunal me ha ayudado a crecer como persona y  me ha hecho más consciente de los problemas que se enfrentan en mi comunidad. Y mi implicación en la granja urbana me ha llevado a considerar una carrera como nutricionista . Aunque ninguno de mis padres asistieron a la universidad, ellos entienden que la universidad es un factor clave para un futuro brillante, y por lo tanto, han sido un gran apoyo . Y aunque todavía no tenemos la casa con el pequeño porche y el perro, todavía estamos tendiendo la esperanza. Creo que la universidad puede ayudar. — — —

Personal Statement Example #10 Life As an Undocumented Student

At six years old, I stood locked away in the restroom. I held tightly to a tube of toothpaste because I’d been sent to brush my teeth to distract me from the commotion. Regardless, I knew what was happening: my dad was being put under arrest for domestic abuse. He’d hurt my mom physically and mentally, and my brother Jose and I had shared the mental strain. It’s what had to be done. Living without a father meant money was tight, mom worked two jobs, and my brother and I took care of each other when she worked. For a brief period of time the quality of our lives slowly started to improve as our soon-to-be step-dad became an integral part of our family. He paid attention to the needs of my mom, my brother, and me. But our prosperity was short-lived as my step dad’s chronic alcoholism became more and more recurrent. When I was eight, my younger brother Fernando’s birth complicated things even further. As my step-dad slipped away, my mom continued working, and Fernando’s care was left to Jose and me. I cooked, Jose cleaned, I dressed Fernando, Jose put him to bed. We did what we had to do. As undocumented immigrants and with little to no family around us, we had to rely on each other. Fearing that any disclosure of our status would risk deportation, we kept to ourselves when dealing with any financial and medical issues. I avoided going on certain school trips, and at times I was discouraged to even meet new people. I felt isolated and at times disillusioned; my grades started to slip. Over time, however, I grew determined to improve the quality of life for my family and myself. Without a father figure to teach me the things a father could, I became my own teacher. I learned how to fix a bike, how to swim, and even how to talk to girls. I became resourceful, fixing shoes with strips of duct tape, and I even found a job to help pay bills. I became as independent as I could to lessen the time and money mom had to spend raising me. I also worked to apply myself constructively in other ways. I worked hard and took my grades from Bs and Cs to consecutive straight A’s. I shattered my school’s 1ooM breaststroke record, and learned how to play the clarinet, saxophone, and the oboe. Plus, I not only became the first student in my school to pass the AP Physics 1 exam, I’m currently pioneering my school’s first AP Physics 2 course ever. These changes inspired me to help others. I became president of the California Scholarship Federation, providing students with information to prepare them for college, while creating opportunities for my peers to play a bigger part in our community. I began tutoring kids, teens, and adults on a variety of subjects ranging from basic English to home improvement and even Calculus. As the captain of the water polo and swim team I’ve led practices crafted to individually push my comrades to their limits, and I’ve counseled friends through circumstances similar to mine. I’ve done tons, and I can finally say I’m proud of that. But I’m excited to say that there’s so much I have yet to do. I haven’t danced the tango, solved a Rubix Cube, explored how perpetual motion might fuel space exploration, or seen the World Trade Center. And I have yet to see the person that Fernando will become.   I’ll do as much as I can from now on. Not because I have to. Because I choose to. — — —

Again, the author shows growth. We’ve said it a couple times, but it’s nice to highlight growth when possible. Although the author’s family circumstances and immigrant status meant he had to face significant hardships, he learned how to take care of themselves and use his obstacles as motivation to succeed. We see concrete signs of growth in the way he improved his grades and got more involved in school clubs like the California Scholarship Federation as well as athletic extracurriculars like swimming. Essentially, he shows how he made the best of his situation.

The author’s curiosity is palpable. One of the best things about this essay is the very end. The writer has already shown us how much he has had to overcome and how much he’s thrived in high school despite his circumstances. However, he doesn’t just stop. He tells us about all the other things he hopes to do and conveys a clear excitement at the possibility for learning in the future. There’s something lovely about seeing someone who is excited for what the future might hold. It endears him to readers and demonstrates his natural inclination to continue pushing forward, no matter what life might throw his way. Plus, it’s worth noting that he ends on the quality of autonomy , which was his #1 value when you completed the Values Exercise .

Personal Statement Example #11 Umbra

Umbra: the innermost, darkest part of a shadow The fifth set of chimes rings out and I press my hands against the dusty doors. My nose itches, but scratching would smudge the little black whiskers painted onto my face. I peer through the tiny crack between the cupboard doors, trying to glimpse the audience. The sixth set of chimes, my cue, begins, and I pop onto stage, the brilliant lights flooding my vision. Clara and Drosselmeyer stand to my left, and in front of me lies an endless ocean of audience. I pause a moment, taking it in, then do my best mouse scurry towards the wings. I love performing and dancing to connect with an audience. I dance to inspire others, to share my joy and passion, and because I love the rush of excitement while I’m surrounded by the stage lights .  My hands, covered in grease, hurt terribly as I help another girl with the wire crimper. We force the handles together, and our Anderson connector is finally ready. People scurry around us—several students are riveting metal, assisted by my father (for me, robotics is a family activity), while another pair, including my younger brother, works on assembling the drive train. The next room is filled with shouted Java commands and autonomous code. I’m working on a system that will focus on the reflective tape on our target, allowing the camera to align our shooting mechanism. I love the comradery in robotics, the way teams support each other even amid intense competitions. I love seeing the real world application of knowledge, and take pride in competing in front of hundreds of people. Most of all, I love spending time with my family, connecting with them in our own unique way. Back in the electrical room, I plug in my connector, and the room is filled with bright green light .  I pull on a pair of Nitrile gloves before grabbing my forceps. I carefully extract my latest Western Blot from its gel box, placing it on the imaging system. I’m searching for the presence of PARP1 and PLK1 in dysplasia and tumor cells, especially in reference to DNA damage and apoptosis. I’ve already probed the blot with a fluorescent reagent for imaging. On the screen, I see my bands of protein expression, the bands of red light showing PARP1 and the bands of green showing PLK1. I haven’t been doing research for long, but I’ve already fallen in love with constantly having something new to learn.  Christmas carols play softly as I chase my little brother around the living room, trying to get him to wear a Santa hat. The smell of tamales wafts through the air as my mom and grandmother stand over the pot of mole sauce. The ornament boxes are opened on the floor, each one special to our family, representing our adventures, our love, our history. My dad is winding a mile-long string of lights around the tree, covering the room with a soft glow. My homemade gifts—hats, scarves, blankets I’ve knitted—lie messily wrapped beneath the tree. My family has made tamales on Christmas Eve for generations, and each year it’s a way for us to connect to both each other and our heritage.  Light will usually travel in a perfectly straight line, but if it comes in contact with something it can bounce off it or bend around it, which is why people make shadows. The very innermost part of that shadow, the umbra, is where no light has bent around you—it has completely changed direction, bounced off. People are constantly changing and shaping the light around them, and never notice. But in hindsight, I see it’s the lights that have shaped me. — — —

It demonstrates craft. This author went through 10+ drafts of this essay, and her effort shows in her refined language and structure. She uses images to beautiful effect, drawing us into each experience in her montage, from the moments on stage to robotics to the lab to her family. She also demonstrates craft through the subtlety of her structural thread—we’ve bolded light above, to make it more obvious, but notice how she essentially saves what would traditionally be her introduction for her final paragraph (with some beautiful, refined phrasing therein), and uses “Umbra” and light to thread the paragraphs. This is very hard to pull off well, and is why she went through so many revisions, to walk a fine line between subtlety and clarity.

Show and tell. Rather than just “ Show, don’t tell ,” in a college essay, we think it’s useful to show your reader first, but then use some “telling” language to make sure they walk away with a clear understanding of what’s important to you. For example, this author shows her values through details/actions/experiences—more on values in a sec—then uses the ends of her body paragraphs to more directly tell us about those values and reflect on what they mean to her. And her final paragraph both shows and tells, using language that offers strong symbolism, while also ending with some poetic phrasing that tells us how this all comes together (in case we somehow missed it).

Values and insight/reflection. Because values are core to your essay and application, we’re going to end this post discussing them one more time. Notice how each paragraph demonstrates different values (art/performing, community, engagement, inspiration, joy/passion in the first paragraph alone) and reflects on how or why those values are important to her. We walk away with a strong sense of who this student is and what she would bring to our college campus.

Personal Statement Example #12 Angry brown girl, feminist, singer, meme-lover

My Twitter bio reads: angry brown girl, feminist, singer, meme-lover. You will notice live-tweets of my feminist Pride and Prejudice thoughts, analyses of Hamilton’s power for musical representation, and political memes. Just as my posts bring together seemingly disparate topics, I believe there is a vibrancy that exists at the multidimensional place where my interests intersect.  Growing up as a debater and musician, it was easy to see the two as distinct entities where I had to make unequivocal choices. At the start of my junior year, I decided not to participate in the musical in order to work for Emerge California, an organization that helps Democratic women run for office. There I learned about data science, gender distributions in public office, and how to work with the evil printer. I also halted my voice and piano lessons to focus on building my student-led non-profit, Agents of Change. As someone who has diverted my energy into community activism, I can attest to the power of grassroots movements. It has been so rewarding to measure the impact that my team has had on my community. But even so, I felt that I was losing touch with the music that was such a profound part of me.  I found a new way of being when I started combining my artsy and political sides. I took an intensive class on protest music, where I learned how political movements have been shaped by the music of their time. While in the class, we were asked to compose our own songs. I am not a songwriter, but I am an activist, and I embraced the opportunity to turn music into an outlet for my political beliefs. As a first-generation American, I am dedicated to raising awareness about refugee rights and immigration. My songs about the Syrian Refugee Crisis let me find a way to bring the two sides of me together and gave me a rush that neither music nor politics by themselves would have provided.  This introduction led me to apply to the Telluride Association Protest Poetics program, where I dove deeper into my own identity. I wrote songs about police brutality and the ways that as a non-black person of color I am implicated in instances of subliminal racism. Over the course of the program, as I became more familiar with the visual, literary, and performance art we analyzed, I slowly started to realize that, though I confront colorism, jokes about Indian culture, and intra-community violence in some form every day, my proximity to whiteness still gives me immense amounts of privilege. I have come to know that this means I have a responsibility to both be at the forefront of movements, and conscious of not stepping over the voices of other intersectional identities. I hope that the music I choose to perform and the way I live my life can amplify, not overwrite, any of the struggles that others deal with daily.  Last year, I had another opportunity to use music to pay homage to an issue I care deeply about. In my South Asian community, mental health is an issue that is often papered over. When a member of my school community committed suicide, I was asked to sing “Amazing Grace” for the school to both unify and honor the student. Though I thought that I had really understood the power of music, holding that space for my entire school had a profound resonance that I still don’t fully understand.  My voice is an instrument for change -- whether it be through me raising my hand to contribute to a discussion in a classroom, speaking out against gun violence at a rally, or singing at an event of solidarity. I know that someday my voice, in conjunction with many other unique voices and perspectives, will make a difference. — — —

Get clear on the story you’re telling. Debate? Political organizing? Musical theater? Protest music? This writer probably had a lot more to say about all of those experiences. But we don’t get the whole backstory about her journey toward musical theater. Why? Because she’s clear on what this story is about (she may have even written a logline to get that clarity…). We don’t need a lot of context about her decision “not to participate in the musical” because this essay isn’t about her experiences with musical theater; it’s about her forging a new identity by combining seemingly disparate interests (e.g., music and political advocacy). Telling us every musical she’s ever been in won’t help us “get” what she’s saying in this essay (and she has the activities list to tell us that…). Instead, she shows us only the details relevant to her trying to balance a love of music with her newfound interests: she decides “not to participate in the musical,” and she “halts voice and piano lessons.”

Bridge the gap (between paragraphs). Stronger essays have paragraphs with clear relationships to one another. This writer uses various phrases to achieve that clarity. When she starts paragraph four with “this introduction,” you understand that she’s referring to her “songs about the Syrian Refugee Crisis” from the end of paragraph three. Similarly, she resolves the problem of her “losing touch” with music at the end of paragraph two by beginning paragraph three by stating she found a “new way of being…” She’s using those key moments of transition to tell her readers: hey, I’m going somewhere with all these ideas, you can trust me.

You don’t have to have all the answers . When the writer tells us that she sang “Amazing Grace” to honor someone in her community who died by suicide, she gets vulnerable—she says that she still doesn't “fully understand” the effects of that moment. In admitting that she’s still coming to terms with that experience, she comes off as a mature, reasoned person who thinks deeply about lived experience. No one reading your essay is going to expect you to have fully processed every difficult experience you’ve ever had in your life. That would be outrageous. What they will appreciate seeing, though, is that you’ve reflected deeply on lived experiences. Sometimes reflection yields answers. Sometimes it just yields more questions. Either is okay—just don’t feel like you need to have everything figured out to write about it (or that you need to pretend like you do).

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26 College Essay Examples That Worked 10+ Outstanding Common Application Essay Examples 14 Scholarship Essay Examples 17 UC Essay Examples (AKA Personal Insight Questions)

Clemson University Personal Statement

“CLANG!” The cell door slammed open, snapping me from my dazed state. Two years ago, I was intoxicated to the point that I fell asleep on the basketball courts adjacent to my apartment, was arrested, and in the process of that arrest, ignored the lawful requests of the arresting officers. That night and the following morning I found myself alone in a cell with nothing but thoughts of incredulity, self-disappointment, and regret running through my mind as my future at Clemson University remained in question. In the morning, as I was being processed, one key idea, like a lighthouse’s beacon, flashed through my mind; that I was solely responsible for my decisions and the consequences they wrought. This is a fact of life that we are all taught from birth, but it was one I never fully appreciated until there were real-world consequences. That realization, …show more content…

My roles in Healthy Campus gave me the confidence to go even further a take on leadership positions on campus. Not only was I was elected to an undergraduate student senate positon, but I was also voted in as the top senator for the College of Architecture Arts, and Humanities. I also succeeded in the classroom and achieved a spot on the Dean’s List for the first time in my academic career. Due to my leadership abilities and academic achievements, I was selected for two coveted public speaking roles. The first was at the Clemson Law Enforcement Summit, a gathering of local law enforcement officials to discuss better enforcement strategies for underage drinking and community policing. The second was at the Clemson University Student Affairs banquet, which recognizes outstanding student and administrative

Derek Jeter's Leadership

Throughout my school years, I have always tried to be a positive role model for younger students as well as my peers. This year I decided that the best way to serve my school was to participate in our school’s Student Leadership Council. It has proven to be a fantastic decision for me. I succeeded in getting the most votes out of all of the candidates and have had a great experience taking a leadership role in my school. I feel like I have become a much better leader and role model because of Student Leadership Council. I have been really fortunate to be exposed to the Jeter’s Leaders program, since they come to our school to mentor us as SLC members. It has been an incredible experience, and I would really love to continue with it. As an eighth grader at Saint Augustine, we are required to mentor our younger students. I

My Long Process of Becoming a FCCLA State Officer

I never thought I would someday become a role model to nearly 12,000 Missouri high school students. These students are not any ordinary students; they are members of an organization that is truly the ultimate leadership experience. This organization is known as the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and is a student led organization, based off of family and consumer sciences education. FCCLA has given me unbelievable opportunities! But of all of the opportunities this organization has provided me with, serving as a FCCLA state officer has definitely been the best. However, becoming a state officer wasn’t easy and required a long process.

American Corrections Analysis

Hearing the cell door slam shut the first time, there is a gripping realization, almost spiritual for some, that the consequences of crime are terribly real. Every single memory, all of the past, good and bad returns to haunt.... This sensation of being torn apart from within by conflicting emotions vying for control is the most frighten human experience. Nothing compares to the realization that I am being confined and controlled so totally. “Oh, God, no.” I cry to myself. “Please don’t let this be!” (Clear, 260)

My School National Honor Society

My experience as a Co-President of my school’s National Honor Society has taught me how to serve as a better leader. My school’s chapter of the NHS has 133 members; I strive each day to better our branch of NHS and to become a better leader and servant to these members. In April 2015, I helped manage the annual Tiny Tigers Fun Fair; proceeds went to Special Spaces Chicagoland, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital Cardiac Care Unit, and Little Giraffe Foundation. Honestly, I am honored to be a part of this philanthropic endeavor; however, planning for this philanthropic event has put me in some high-stress situations, where I was able delegate tasks efficiently while keeping our members’ capabilities in mind.

David Frock

David Frock continually strives to make an substantial impact on local, national, and global communities. David Frock has displayed his positive influence through his participation in the development of Clemson’s first OWL ( Organizational Leadership and Wellness) program. The Organizational Leadership and Wellness (OWL) program assists in helping students formulate and effectively accomplish the visions they have for their communities. The program consists of grant writing education, provides knowledgeable community leaders as mentors, and emphasizes the importance of overall wellness. Within the OWL program, David Frock conveyed his ability to ignite the confidence of students concerning the impact they have on their communities inside and outside of their college experience.

Spirit Week Reflection

In my Junior year of High School, I had the opportunity to be a part of my school’s Leadership. There were seven students who were in charge of events, promoting, rallies, and school spirit. This required us to go above and beyond to make our school a better place.

Being Successful In High School

Throughout my high school career, I have learned that being successful in school can lead you to many different opportunities. One opportunity that I was given was that I joined my high school's Beta Club Chapter. It was an honor to be invited to join because how involved the Beta Club is with the my school, community, and state. This past year, I was selected to represent my school as I ran a campaign to become the North Carolina Beta Secretary. Although I was nervous, I opened my mouth, and the words just began to come out. My fears went away, and I addressed my peers on the topics of educational improvements and leadership opportunities, so all students can succeed. To my surprise and delight, the two thousand North Carolina Betas in

CSU Personal Statement

As a young child the only school I ever wanted to attend for college was CSU. And when I was accepted into CSU I was ecstatic to attend, especially since I was the first person in my entire family to go to college. As soon as I had reached CSU I decided to try CS as a possible major due to my love for technology and thought programming would be a great step towards a career I wanted to pursue. But unfortunately my grades and GPA had fallen last year and this semester.The reason for my GPA’s drop below a 2.0 was my financial situation with and in school, choosing too many credits for school and working three jobs to pay for school and my apartment.

A Career As A Student Council (GPA)

Throughout high school, I have always been involved in numerous clubs and organizations; however, I never took the initiative to be a leader in any activity until my senior year. It wasn’t that I lacked the motivation or the drive to be a leader, nor was it that I repulsed obligations or responsibilities. It was simply a matter of chance. Unfortunately, I would run for positions in clubs but I would never get elected- Vice President for the National Honors Society and Vice President for Student Council to be exact- causing me to question myself and my character.

Syracuse University Personal Statement

I’m a sophomore in college, I attend Syracuse University, and this year was the year I became very busy and involved on campus. My first year at Syracuse University was eventful, however now as I right this essay, I can only foresee that there’s going to much more ahead of me as I continue my education and reach for my goals. I consider myself a dreamer, and an ambitious one at that. When I set my mind to something there’s no doubt that it’ll get done or happen. While last year I was on the deans list twice – and plan to be on it again this year, wrote a major article for a campus magazine, and volunteered for a mentor organization, I felt like there was a lot more I could and should be doing.

Gateway Internship Program

In terms of campus involvement, the founder and President of the Sociology Club, a tutor for USC student-athletes, and a squad leader in the Trojan Marching Band. Through these commitments, I think that I have gained significant leadership skills. I am a strong communicator, as is necessary to put plans into action and ensure the success of all members of an organization, whether it is through helping a student athlete with an unfamiliar term, organizing events for club meetings, or directing squad maneuvers on the field. Additionally, I have developed initiative when founding the Sociology Club – a skill beneficial to finding new paths in

Qualities Of A DECA Student

“What do you have in mind for the future, Mr. President?” This is something said to me on a daily basis at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southeast. My deep passion for DECA is one of the reasons my advisor named me as president of our chapter. One of my daily motivators is the idea of leading a group or a team to achieve great things, whether we are recognized for it or not. Being DECA president, I strive to lead my peers and my chapter to success in many different ways. My leadership skills and dedication are some characteristics that I know can add to the overall richness of campus life at Michigan State University.

Burden Of Proof In The Criminal Justice System

This notion of accountability has a big place in our criminal justice system, that we are all accountable for our actions. Now we don’t always like being held accountable, and we don’t always own up to what we have done, but we all must face the consequences of our own actions.

Personal Narrative: Adventures In Citizenship Program In Ottawa

I was selected amongst the nine Winnipeg North high schools to represent Winnipeg North Rotary at the 2015 Adventures in Citizenship Program in Ottawa. The opportunity I had gotten was an unexpected thrill. It is one of my top three achievement because this program has changed my perspective of how I see the world and myself now. I have gone beyond my comfort zone through this program and it had changed me from a shy person to an outgoing and outspoken person. In short, I have become an effective leader of my society by understanding the different viewpoints, building consensus, and merging ideas into a path forward.

Personal Narrative: My Experience With Clemson Degrees

I hope you are doing well. I have been thinking about reaching out to you as I have had great experience with Clemson graduates in my team. We hired couple of PhDs from Clemson and both turned out to be great hires. Currently, I am with Atlanta metro area based company called WestRock (paper and packaging manufacturer) and we have small OR team that we are planning to grow. We have a summer internship program and I am looking for PhD students with a focus on data science. If you have students who are interested in summer internship, please let me know.

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Developing an Attention-Grabbing, Unique Dental School Personal Statement

A unique and engaging dental school personal statement is essential as it sets you apart from other applicants and captures the attention of admissions committees. It helps you stand out in a competitive pool of candidates and leaves a lasting impression. By showcasing your individuality, sharing your personal journey, and presenting your experiences and ideas in an engaging manner, you demonstrate your passion for dentistry and critical thinking skills. An attention-grabbing personal statement increases your chances of being invited for an interview and convinces the admissions committee of your suitability for dental school. A personal statement can make or break your application to dental school.

The ADEA personal statement prompt is capped at at 4,500 characters. In this space,  you have the opportunity to tell your story and show the admissions committee  why  you are an exceptional applicant.

Here are some key tips to help you write an exceptional and engaging dental school personal statement:

Start with a Compelling Opening: Begin your personal statement with a captivating introduction that hooks the reader's attention. Consider using an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement to create intrigue right from the start.

Highlight Your Motivation: Clearly communicate your passion for dentistry and what motivated you to pursue a career in this field. Share personal experiences, such as interactions with patients or shadowing experiences, that inspired and influenced your decision to become a dentist.

Showcase Your Unique Experiences: Stand out by highlighting the experiences that set you apart from other applicants. Discuss your involvement in dental-related research, community service projects, or leadership roles. Emphasize how these experiences have shaped your skills, knowledge, and commitment to the dental profession.

Demonstrate Your Personal Growth: Reflect on challenges you have faced and the lessons you have learned along the way. Discuss how these experiences have contributed to your personal growth, resilience, and adaptability. Admissions committees appreciate candidates who can demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to overcome obstacles.

Connect Your Background to Dentistry: Illustrate how your background, whether cultural, educational, or personal, has influenced your perspective on oral health and patient care. Showcasing the unique insights you bring to the field can make your personal statement more memorable and impactful.

Emphasize Your Skills and Qualities: Highlight the skills, qualities, and values that make you well-suited for a career in dentistry. These may include attention to detail, empathy, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and a strong work ethic. Demonstrate how you have developed and applied these attributes in relevant situations.

Show, Don't Just Tell: Instead of simply listing your achievements and qualities, provide concrete examples that illustrate them. Use storytelling techniques to vividly describe experiences and convey the impact they had on your personal and professional development.

Discuss Your Future Goals: Convey your vision for your future dental career and how you plan to make a positive impact in the field. Explain why you are specifically interested in the dental program you are applying to and how it aligns with your goals.

Seek Feedback and Revise: Share your personal statement draft with trusted mentors, professors, or writing advisors for feedback. Incorporate their suggestions and revise your essay to ensure clarity, coherence, and strong overall structure. Take the time to proofread and edit meticulously for grammar and spelling errors. The Writing Lab staff is particularly trained to provide feedback on personal statements.

Be Authentic and Reflect Your Voice: While it's essential to present your best self, be genuine and let your unique voice shine through. Admissions committees are interested in getting to know the real you, so avoid using clichés or trying to fit into a perceived mold of what a personal statement should sound like.

Writing Your Opening

Tips for crafting a compelling opening.

Start with an engaging anecdote: Begin your personal statement with a captivating story or experience that is relevant to your journey towards dental school. This can help grab the reader's attention and create an emotional connection.

Showcase your passion: Express your genuine enthusiasm for the field of dentistry right from the beginning. Use compelling language and vivid descriptions to convey your dedication and interest.

Start with a captivating statement: Begin with a bold or provocative statement that challenges conventional wisdom or presents a unique viewpoint. This can pique the reader's interest and make them eager to explore your ideas further.

Craft a compelling hook: Create a compelling hook that grabs the reader's attention right from the beginning. It can be a surprising statement, a captivating story, or a thought-provoking observation that entices the reader to continue reading.

Pose a thought-provoking question: Begin with a thought-provoking question that prompts the reader to ponder an important dentistry or care-focused issue. This can stimulate their curiosity and make them eager to delve deeper into your personal statement.

Share a personal experience: Open with a personal anecdote or experience that influenced your decision to pursue dentistry. Be specific and provide details that highlight your growth, resilience, or commitment to your field.

Provide a compelling statistic or fact: Begin with a surprising statistic or compelling fact that underscores the significance of dentistry or a particular issue you are passionate about. This can immediately capture attention and emphasize the importance of your personal statement. Whatever statistic you use, immediately connect it to YOU as an applicant.

Paint a vivid picture: Use descriptive language to create a vivid scene or imagery that transports the reader into a specific moment or event. This can help them visualize your experiences and connect with your narrative on a deeper level. Talk about how the air feels in a treatment room, the grim in our eyes after a long day of shadowing, or how to make a cast. These details set you apart.

Use a unique perspective: Introduce your personal statement with a fresh and unique perspective that showcases your individuality. Avoid clichés and strive to present a fresh take on your experiences or motivations for pursuing law.

Your opening should be engaging, authentic, and reflective of your personal journey and aspirations. It sets the tone for your entire personal statement, so invest time and effort into crafting an impactful introduction.

Things To Avoid When Writing an Opening Paragraph 

Clichés: Avoid using overused phrases or clichés that can make your opening sound generic or uninspired. Aim for originality and authenticity in your writing. Statements such as "Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a dentist..." doesn't grab attention because it is overdone...unless it is core to your intent to study dentistry.

Generic statements: Steer clear of generic statements that could apply to any applicant. Instead, focus on showcasing your unique experiences, perspectives, and motivations. "Treatment of teeth is important to the overall health of a community." This means nothing to a committee.

Excessive quotations: While a well-placed quote can be impactful, avoid relying too heavily on quotes to carry your opening. Your personal statement should primarily reflect your own voice and thoughts. YOU are who they want to hear from!

Negative or overly personal information: While it's important to be authentic, avoid sharing overly personal or negative information in your opening. Maintain a professional tone and focus on the positive aspects of your experiences and aspirations.

Rhetorical questions without purpose: If you choose to use a rhetorical question in your opening, ensure that it serves a purpose and relates directly to your narrative. Avoid using rhetorical questions solely for the sake of grabbing attention. "How important is dentistry?" is vague and meaningless. Show them why you think dentistry is important.

Excessive background information: While some context is necessary, avoid providing excessive background information in your opening. Get to the heart of your story or motivation without delving into unnecessary details. Rather than providing every detail of your research study on mice, cut to the findings. A committee does not need the gory details. They need to know what qualities you are trying to illustrate.

Overly complex or technical language: Keep your opening clear and accessible by avoiding overly complex or technical language. Aim for a balance between sophistication and readability.

Repeating information from your resume: Your personal statement should complement, not repeat, the information already present in your resume. Avoid duplicating information and instead focus on providing unique insights and perspectives.

Inappropriate humor or gimmicks: While a touch of humor can be refreshing, be cautious with jokes or gimmicks in your opening. Ensure that any humor you incorporate aligns with the professional tone expected in a law school personal statement. There's no way to know if your humor matches with the committee's.

Tips to Strengthen Your Authentic Voice

Why does an "authentic voice" matter.

Your medical school personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective, experiences, and voice. Admissions committees are interested in getting to know you as an individual and future colleague, so it's crucial to convey your authentic self in your personal statement.

Be True to Yourself: Write in a manner that reflects your true personality, values, and beliefs. Avoid trying to mimic someone else's writing style or presenting yourself as someone you think the admissions committee wants to see. Authenticity shines through and helps you stand out among the applicant pool.

Pro-tip: Don't read too many example personal statements. Read 2-3 to get a feel for the genre. Then, set those examples aside and start outlining your own. 

Use Natural Language: Write in a way that feels comfortable and natural to you. Avoid using overly formal or complex language if it doesn't reflect your everyday communication style. However, remember to maintain a professional tone appropriate for a medical school application.

Share Personal Insights: Use your personal statement as an opportunity to share personal reflections, insights, and lessons learned from your experiences. Be open and honest about your journey, including any challenges you have faced. Sharing personal insights demonstrates self-awareness and maturity.

Showcase Your Passion: Convey your genuine enthusiasm for dentistry, research, and/or care. Share specific experiences, encounters, or academic interests that have sparked your passion for pursuing a medical career. Let your enthusiasm and dedication shine through in your writing.

Highlight Your Individuality: Embrace what makes you unique. Discuss your diverse background, perspectives, or interests that set you apart from other applicants. Your individuality brings valuable perspectives to the dental profession and can contribute to a diverse and inclusive learning environment.

Fun fact: You can break with convention in dental school personal statements. You can write a poem, write creative fiction, or break with traditional norms in mechanics or grammar. As long as you are intentional and you feel it is illustrating who YOU ARE, then you can submit something non-traditional. 

Use Personal Examples and Stories: Support your statements with personal anecdotes and examples that demonstrate who you are and what you have accomplished. Personal stories help the reader connect with your experiences on a deeper level and make your personal statement more engaging.

Revise and Seek Feedback: After writing your personal statement, revise it with a critical eye, focusing on maintaining your authentic voice. Ensure that the final version accurately represents who you are. It can be helpful to seek feedback from trusted advisors, mentors, or writing professionals to ensure that your authentic voice shines through. The staff at the Writing Lab is prepared to support your authentic voice. 

Being true to yourself in your personal statement allows the admissions committee to gain a genuine understanding of your character, passions, and aspirations. Let your unique voice and perspective be the driving force behind your personal statement, and present yourself as a confident and authentic candidate for dental school.

Tips for Emphasizing Empathy and Advocacy

Connect empathy to understanding clients: Show your understanding of the importance of empathy in medicine, particularly when working with patients and families going through challenging situations. Explain how you will approach patient care with empathy, compassion, and a commitment to their best interests. If you do not think that this figures into the way you are approaching dental study, emphasize your research interests instead. 

Discuss experiences working with marginalized communities: If you have experience working with marginalized communities or advocating for underrepresented groups, highlight these experiences in your personal statement. Demonstrate your understanding of systemic issues and your commitment to promoting justice and equality in dental care.

Describe your future goals: Explain how you plan to use your dental degree to advocate for positive change in society. Discuss specific areas of dentistry that interest you and how you hope to make a difference in those areas. This shows your dedication to using dental care as a tool for empathy and advocacy.

Connect personal stories to medical aspirations: Weave personal stories and experiences throughout your personal statement to humanize your narrative and demonstrate your personal connection to empathy and advocacy. Show how these experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a career in dentistry and how they will inform your approach to care.

Be specific and concrete: Provide specific examples, anecdotes, or experiences that illustrate your commitment to empathy and advocacy. This adds depth and credibility to your statement and helps the admissions committee understand the impact you can make.

Developing Your Storyline

Start with reflection: Take some time to reflect on your experiences, values, and motivations that have led you to pursue dentistry. Consider the key moments, challenges, or turning points in your life that have shaped your journey.

Identify a central theme: Choose a central theme or message that you want to convey in your personal statement. This could be a core value, a significant experience, or a particular aspect of your identity that is relevant to your interest in a dental care career.

Create an outline: Outline the key points and events you want to include in your personal statement. Organize them in a logical sequence to create a coherent narrative that flows smoothly from one idea to the next.

Use transitions effectively: Employ transitional phrases and words to connect different sections of your personal statement and create a smooth transition from one idea to another. This helps to maintain coherence and clarity throughout your narrative. Watch out for your habits in transitions. Don't repeat a transition in your statement. 

Show progression and growth: Demonstrate how your experiences have shaped your growth, maturity, and readiness for dental school. Highlight the lessons learned, challenges overcome, and the development of key skills or qualities relevant to the medical field.

Be selective with details: Choose the most relevant and impactful details to include in your personal statement. Avoid including excessive or unnecessary information that may distract from your central storyline.

Maintain focus and clarity: Stay focused on your central theme and avoid going off on tangents or introducing unrelated ideas. Ensure that every aspect of your personal statement supports your overall storyline.

Use storytelling techniques: Incorporate storytelling techniques such as vivid descriptions, dialogue, and engaging narratives to make your personal statement more compelling and memorable.

Tips For Connecting Your Experiences to Dentistry

Highlight relevant experiences: Identify experiences from your academic, professional, and personal life that have direct or indirect connections to dentistry. These could include clinicals, shadowing, internships, volunteer work, research projects, or leadership roles.

Draw parallels: Find connections between your experiences and the skills, values, or principles that are important in medicine. Showcase how your experiences have developed qualities such as care giving, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, or advocacy. Don't put the work on the committee to make these connections. Do that work as the writer. 

Provide concrete examples: Use specific examples or anecdotes to illustrate how your experiences have influenced your understanding of dentistry and its impact on individuals or communities.

Emphasize your unique perspective: Highlight any experiences or backgrounds that bring a unique perspective to medicine. This could include cultural, socioeconomic, or personal experiences that inform your understanding of justice and equity. 

Connect to your long-term goals: Explain how your experiences align with your long-term goals in dentistry. Articulate how your background and interests make you a strong candidate for pursuing a specific area of dentistry or a particular career path. If you don't know what your long-term goals are, that's okay. Do your best to illustrate your intent to study dentistry and find a specialization that best fits you as you learn more at their institution. 

College & Career Pathways (CCP): College & Career Pathways: Cover Letters & Personal Statements

This event will take place online/virtually.

A cover letter is a one-page business letter that you submit when applying to a job. A personal statement is a brief essay you submit as part of a college application. Learn the ins and outs of putting pen to keyboard and leaving a good impression with your writing!

Grades 10-12 are welcome to attend!

• Audience: Teens/Young Adults (13-18 years), Young Adults/Pre GED (16-24 years)