sample personal statement essay

Unigo is a website where students can come together to learn about various aspects of college life. With a large collection of articles, videos, photos, documents, and student reviews, Unigo certainly has what it takes to be a top-notch website for college students. You can find articles on financial aid, college admissions, internships and jobs, international studies, and various topics of college life, such as a Back to School College Guide.

Unigo goodies

Unigo has a lot to offer. In fact, its biggest advantage over other blogs is probably its wide variety of topics and media. With all of the numerous and varied interests of college students, it will take a diverse website like Unigo to keep visitors coming back for more. For example, the student reviews, video sharing, and picture sharing features of Unigo make the site feel like more of a community rather than a simple student help blog. Also, Unigo does a great job at presentation. In web design and layout, presentation is everything. If your website isn’t well-designed, you can expect people to find it boring and difficult to navigate. Unigo, however, does a good job at web layout, presenting its varied content in an organized manner that doesn’t force the reader to search around the entire page for links that should be easy to spot.

Improvements Unigo can make

I think that the best way to improve Unigo is to keep creating content to give visitors more reasons to come back and continue reading the blog entries. The most successful blogs out there are able to pump out new and relevant articles daily, which helps to increase traffic. In turn, an increase in traffic translates to more activity on the site, leading to a stronger sense of community, which is essential for a blog’s success.

The Prereq is a website where you can find information on just about anything that has to do with colleges and college life. Geared toward college students, the blog is edited by the talented crew behind Unigo.com, a comprehensive site about everything college-related. Among the many topics that you will find on The Prereq are blog entries on The Stress of Moving Into a College Dorm, suggestions for books, health care, and more.

What’s good about The Prereq

One of the positive aspects of The Prereq blog is that the content is relevant. Students these days deal with a lot of subjects, issues, concerns, and problems. With the recession and health care problems adding to the everyday stresses of a college student, it can be very difficult for students to get by. Fortunately, blogs like The Prereq tackle these issues and the many other concerns of students, offering a place where students can come to learn, unwind, or just find a good book to read.

What needs improvement

My main problem with The Prereq blog is its layout and design. Even though the blog entries are categorized, the website doesn’t have a list of categories to make article browsing easier and more convenient. The only way to find more articles under a category is to find a blog entry under a specific category, then click on the link to that particular category. Other than manually searching for the blog categories, there is no way to tell what the other categories on the website are. Likewise, there’s no information about popular blog posts. In fact, the only navigation links on the page are “Home,” “About Us,” and the numerous links to other Unigo sites. Considering that the site has some good content, they could have done a much better job at making it more user-friendly.

Study Hall Notes features a wide variety of information to help students, alumni, and teachers with various aspects of college life. When you visit Study Hall Notes, you will be able to find topics on useful software, teacher advice, jobs and internships for students, school-related issues, professor ratings, and recent issues that affect college life. For example, you can find articles that aim at helping graduating high school and college seniors.

Study Hall Notes’ A+ features

What makes Study Hall Notes good is that the site seeks to reach out to a wide and diverse audience, while still staying within a relatively focused scope. Many of the “student help” sites out there are aimed at students. Study Hall Notes, however, seeks to provide a platform wherein students can communicate with teachers and alumni. What’s great about this perspective is that students can get advice and information from experienced individuals, while alumni and teachers can stay informed about pressing issues, concerns, and questions of the youth.

Study Hall Notes’ mediocrity

Although Study Hall Notes has the good concept of creating a community among teachers, students, and alumni, it does a mediocre job of promoting that community. In fact, when I first visited the site, I wasn’t very impressed. From the look of the site alone, you can tell that it was all created with a template. While automated and turnkey web design is very helpful, it doesn’t do much to make the site unique and distinct. I think Student Hall Notes needs a complete makeover, from head to toe. The site looks tacky, is hard to navigate, and is simply disorganized. On top of that, there isn’t much content, and there are no extra features that will entice visitors to return to the site.

The Sam Jackson College Experience is a blog created by Sam Jackson, who studied at Yale and will be attending Peking University in Beijing. Basically, this is a rather straightforward blog that discusses issues related to higher education marketing, college admissions, college application processes, and the author’s experiences as a Yale student. As such, you can find articles about the crime rates in the area around Yale, Yale admissions information, and general blogging information.

What’s good about Sam Jackson’s blog

What you’ll love about The Sam Jackson College Experience is that it is a no-frills blog site, where visitors can enjoy what the author has to say on various topics. The site is well-organized and very simple, making it easy to navigate to the various blog entries and sections on the site. Sam Jackson also has the advantage of having a rather unique voice and concept. A Yale student blogging about school life and marketing trends isn’t something that you find in every blog that you come across, which is why The Sam Jackson College Experience is distinct from some of the other blogs out there.

What’s not-so-good about Sam Jackson’s blog

On the other side of the scale, Sam Jackson’s blog does have a few faults. First of all, visitors have little to look forward to with the site. The author himself claims that The sad reality is that I now tweet more than I blog! It’s bad enough that the content on the site is rather limited, but having the author commit himself more to Twitter means that his blog readers can expect even fewer content on the blog. The blog entries could also use some pictures to help improve the look of the site.

Intern Queen Inc. is a website and company founded by a woman named Lauren Berger, who graduated from the University of Central Florida. The main idea of the website is to provide students with helpful information about internships. Although the website is geared primarily toward students, it has information that can be helpful for parents, professors, and employers as well. You can find blog posts on international business education stats, where to look for internships, how to get accepted for internships, and how to improve your internship experience.

What makes Intern Queen great

What makes Intern Queen great is the fact that it does practically everything well. The site has a specific theme, a specific target audience, and a specific purpose. Furthermore, the site provides information and services that help students with a very relevant aspect of student life: internships. The website has an intuitive design that is far from the generic, template style designs that you find on many other blog sites. The site also does a good job at providing up-to-date information, such as the latest internships, that entice visitors to return to the site. Finally, the blog doesn’t try to tackle too many topics at once. The scope of the site ensures that the target audience will get what they are looking for without having to wade through tons of other content beforehand.

Intern Queen improvements

Although Intern Queen is a great website overall, the Inter Queen blog itself can use some fixing up. Personally, I wish that they carried over the design on the main website to the blog site. Doing so would increase the integrity of the site and would greatly improve the web design and layout of the blog site, which is currently rather drab and uninteresting if not for the good content.

The application process in different schools is more or less the same. There are exams to take and essays to make. However, there are usually two categories of admission essay questions that you should know and be prepared for.

Direct (the essay question or prompt is given)

When specific questions are already given or specific information is asked for, then all you have to do is find a way to relate it with your experiences. Make sure to read the instructions and take note of the required number of word count, if any. When everyone is given the same topic to work with, it would need much thought and originality in style and content in order to stand out.

Indirect (the applicant is asked to choose a topic)

When you, as an applicant, are given the liberty of choosing your own topic, you have the advantage of being able to select and write down what is truly important to you. Sometimes though, this poses the disadvantage of having to rack your brain for a topic or theme that would be different from the rest. You have to make a list of your strengths and find a topic that would reflect this in a dynamic way.

Tips to tackle admission essay questions

In order to do well in answering admission essay questions, whether direct or indirect, you have to remain focused. Make sure you know what you really want to write about. Do not put in information that may be too broad or general. Especially for direct essay questions, you have to stick to your point and keep it relevant. Add just enough details to enhance what you are trying to say. In both categories, it is important to be creative, clear, and concise. You also have to make sure that the whole package you are trying to present is organized and error-free. To do this, you have to go back and look through it a couple of times. Make sure it’s impressive, but that it gets to reflect who you really are.

Related links:

Essay tips – About the importance of a good application essay
College essay – Tips for college application essays
Thesis statement – Tips on writing college admission essays
Achievements in essay – Writing down notable achievements in your essay
College essays – Guide to writing effective essays

Preparation is an important part in any endeavor. This is something that you can’t do without when writing your application essay. One of the most important preparations that you have do is to look back at what has happened in your life and introspect.

Assessing yourself as preparation before writing your essay

The essay that you are going to write is about the totality of you. You are supposed to sum up your life’s achievements and experiences, re-evaluate your goals, and tie it up with your chosen field of study and those of the schools you are applying to. Thus, it is very important for you to have a clear picture of everything. Think about the situations that made you who you are and who you want to be.

What to ask yourself when writing your essay

Before asking yourself any questions, make sure that you first do your research on the school and the course that you are applying for. After you have done so, the most important question that you have to ask yourself is “Do my interests, experiences, and values coincide with those of the college I’m applying to as well as with my chosen field of expertise?” Next, ask yourself what makes you special. Recall specific instances or
personal incidences when you have felt that you were totally you, when you felt you were doing what you know you would most likely want to keep doing for the rest of your life. Remember, what the admissions panel would like to see is the genuine you.

Organizing your answers into an outline

After you have listed down your answers to the questions above, the next thing you have to do is to organize the information. You can it list it down like a student resume at first. Next, look for patterns and similarities. Then, make it more specific. Highlight an activity or two that you’ve joined and which made the most impact on you, and then write your part in it. Indicate the key points you’ve learned. Focus on a single point in each paragraph and expound on it. Make sure that all the important points are included and that you are comfortable with the tone. Do not forget to edit and re-write. No one gets it perfect the first time.

Related links:

College admission essay – Tips on writing college admission essays
Thesis statement – Tips on writing college admission essays
University admission essay – Putting together an attractive admission essay
Achievements in essay – Writing down notable achievements in your essay
College essays – Tips on writing college essays

You want your essay to come out strong so that the evaluators will get to take notice of it among the hundreds or thousands that they have to read. In order to do so, you have to find out the approach that’s best for you.

Use an angle that highlights your personality

Some people who write essays give strength to their work by showing some humor through carefully placed remarks or witty anecdotes. Some may use their flawless logic and organization. Others show it through their philosophical and reflective style. Their approaches may differ, but their essays would still be noteworthy as long as these reflect and highlight who they are. So first, you have to discover your style by delving into your strengths. Next, brainstorm on your experiences that led to who you are. Lastly, combine these ideas in a manner that would best allow you to reach out to others.

Use an angle that will hook your readers

Ultimately, the essay is about impressing your readers. It’s not just a venue for narcissistic self-expression. Thus, you also have to consider what would grab your readers? attention. It is a good thing that what usually makes others feel more connected to essays is its emotional content. This happens when what you write makes others feel and see your character come alive with the uniqueness of identity and purpose. Draw them in with reflections, stories, and experiences that are relevant to your objective. Then, organize and bring these all together in a dynamic way.

Other tips when finding an angle for your essay

Knowing yourself is one way to find a good angle for your essay. Another way is also by doing some research and checking out some sample essays that you can find on the Internet or in your library. By looking at these, you would be able to see different
writing styles and perspectives. You can then choose and see what works for you and tailor it according to your unique attributes and general writing technique.

Related links:

Achievements in essay – Writing down notable achievements in your essay
Successful essays – Tips for writing effective essays
College admission essay – Tips on writing college application essays
Thesis statement – Tips on writing college admission essays
Writing application essays – Tips on writing college essays

In writing a college application essay, it is important to be able to share relevant information as well as good insight in order to make it appealing and interesting. If you put too much information, you run the risk of making it tiresome for your readers. On the other hand, well-thought of essays are always remarkable reads.

Characteristics of an essay with depth

Depth requires a certain level of intensity that would only come from being able to share what is actually important and meaningful to you. It is honest, astute, and very much alive with your passion and commitment to the things that interest you.

Why depth is more important than breadth

While you may have won many outstanding awards or been a part of numerous activities, simply listing these down doesn?t really tell anyone who you are or what you?ve learned. It may tell people that you?re talented and smart, but other applicants may be so as well. If so, your list wouldn?t really give you any edge. On the other hand, mentioning your awards and experiences in passing and just focusing on a few that actually made an impact on you helps to show who you really are and what you value. This, in turn, would help whoever reads your essay feel more connected and get a better understanding of you as a person and not just as another applicant. Thus, the quality of your statement has more bearing than its scope.

More tips on writing an essay with depth

If want your essay to have depth, make sure to focus on some important aspects. First, find out the thing about you that you would like to impart and one that shows you are most suitable to the school you are applying to and your chosen field of specialization. Second, forego cliches. There is more profundity in originality. Third, write with clarity and conviction. Do not clutter your essay with non-essentials and make sure that you maintain a smooth flow of thought. Lastly, though your mind is an important tool in the writing process, do not forget to pour out your heart and display
some emotion. You get to share what it is that makes you unique in the process.

Related links:

Admission essay – How to put together attractive essays
University requirements – About what top universities are looking for
Great admission essays – All about writing college admission essays
Sample personal statement – How a sample personal statement essay can be useful
Organizing pezing your essay

Competition exists in many aspects of life whether you like it or not. In order to win, you have to make sure that you stand out. What does it take to stand out when writing an application essay?

Why a personal touch is important

What is the purpose of this essay? This is the question you ultimately have to answer. Colleges often use the essays that you make to judge your fluency, intellectual maturity, and readiness to enter in your chosen field of specialization. Remember, an application essay is not a resume. If you merely write your qualifications, then you may easily be bested by others who have more experience than you. Plus, you can hardly paint an accurate picture of yourself that would convince the admissions panel that you are fit to be part of the college by using general information that everyone would most likely have already included.

DOs when putting a personal touch in your essay

In order to make others see a clearer picture of what makes you different from the rest, you have to be able to convey what you really want and what makes you deserving to get into the program. One way to do this is by knowing what to include. Your short-term and long-term goals, relevant community and academic experiences in your chosen field, and the possible contributions you can offer to the department, as well as your reasons for choosing the particular college that you?re applying to are all part of the necessary framework.

Aside from the content, though, the way it?s written is also most important. Make it concise and interesting. Rather than telling about your experience in general, it is important to be unique. Tell a story, and offer your insights. Put into it some creativity and thought and make sure that your honesty and integrity, or whatever value you deem important, shows. You may also use a sample personal statement essay to help you find a writing technique that best suits you.

DON’Ts when putting a personal touch in your essay

As important as knowing what to put in your essay is also knowing what should be excluded. It is a definite no-no to just place things that half of the applicants would also probably write. Making your essay too creative or using unnecessary jargon may also distance you from the readers. Also, it is good to write down your achievements, but do keep it balanced so that you won?t sound too pompous.

Related links:

Essay tips – About the importance of a good application essay
College essay – Tips for college application essays
Sample personal statement – How a sample personal statement essay can be useful
Application essay writing – Tips on writing college essays
University requirements – About what top universities are looking for