sample personal statement essay

If you are interested in music, why not pursue this field?  There are a lot of advantages if you choose to tread the path in which you really show passion and talent.  It is also easy for you to surpass the obstacles along your way if you love your course.  So, if it is music that you care about, then start writing a personal statement for college that would open the door of this field for you.  Below is a guideline that you can consider when you write your personal statement.

Stating your musical interests

When you read some sample personal statements, you will observe that one of the most common features of these is the introduction of the writers’ interest on their chosen field.  This is why in writing your own, you should emphasize your ardent desire to major in music.  Aside from your interest, you also have to mention the skills and the things that you have learned to make you suitable to pursue a career in music.(1)

Writing how your musical interests have influenced your career decisions

You also have to talk about how your interest in music affected your decisions in choosing a field to pursue.  You have to talk about your intentions on why you are entering a specific field and what are your experiences that prompted you to choose this particular course.(2)

Writing about having a career in music

Showing your interest in the field that you choose is one of the factors that could contribute to your chances of admissions.  To do this, you have to ensure that you leave to the readers the impression that you have future career goals that you want to achieve and that choosing this specific course is a step toward your goals.

The personal statement for college is your chance to let the admissions committee know you passionately love music.(3)  So, you should not have qualms in showing your interest through your essay.  You can read personal statement samples to help you improve your own writing.

(1) http://www.unm.edu/~pre/law/archuleta.htm
(2) http://www.dickinson.edu/career/student/persstmt.html
(3) http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/PerStmt.htm

If you decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree, there are various decisions you have to make, decisions that would really have a great impact on your future.  One of these is your choice of major.

Why choosing a major is important

Choosing a major is very important because this will determine the discipline you will spend a lot of time and energy studying or mastering.(1)  Aside from this, your major will have a significant effect in the job opportunities that would be coming your way in the future.  If you still want to pursue a graduate degree, your major in college can also determine if you can easily enroll in the graduate school that you want.

The do’s of choosing a major

It is important that you find sufficient information to help you decide for the major that you would take. You should also determine what field you are really interested in. You should consider your passions and your skills in choosing the major that you would be concentrating in.  It is also helpful if you visualize yourself several years from now as a professional in your chosen field.

The don’ts of choosing a major

In choosing a major, it is really important that you look for sufficient information to help you decide for the field that you have to pursue.  However, you have to ensure that you are not overwhelmed by the information you find.(2)  Although it is an advantage if you ask your friends or parents to help you decide what major to choose, it is still your own preference what you should prioritize in the end.

One of the important requirements that you have to submit is the personal statement for college.  You have to include your reasons why you chose a specific major in your personal statement for college.  To help you in writing one, you can read sample personal statements. You can look for these personal statement samples at online sources.(3)

(1)  http://www.stanford.edu/~susanz/Majors.html
(2) http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/careercenter/students/workshops/documents/ChoosingaMajorpacket.pdf
(3)  http://www.blinn.edu/advising/success_strategies.htm

Having a degree from a graduate school will open various career opportunities for you in the future.  This is because companies and firms know that anyone who is a graduate degree holder is equipped with knowledge and skills that are very useful in specific fields.  However, a degree from a grad school does not come cheap.  Like all the best things in life, this may also cost you a great deal, especially today that the country is experiencing an economic crisis.  This is why if it is really your ardent dream to attend a grad school, you have to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing further education.(1)

Pros of going into graduate school

There are lots of reasons why many dream of getting a graduate degree.  For one, a grad school can give you prestige.  This can also open various doors of opportunities for you in the future.

Cons of going into graduate school

As mentioned earlier, attending a grad school is not as easy as others may think it is.  You must really have a strong passion to do so.  This is because grad school requires a lot of hard work.  This also means you should be willing to sacrifice a lot of things if you enter graduate school.  Another thing is that this endeavour can be quite expensive.

Some graduate school essay writing tips

After you have made your choice and have decided to pursue further studies, you have to decide which school you want to apply to.(2)  You should then prepare the requirements that you will need.  These include your resume and personal statement.  You can get ideas on how to write an attention-grabbing essay by reading a sample personal statement essay online.  You can also get a copy of a sample personal statement from your friends who have attended or are attending the same school.(3)  You should analyze the structure of the sample personal statement essay in order to write an excellent one for yourself.  Make sure that you choose a quality personal statement sample as a guide.

(1)  http://www.spsu.edu/cccenter/counseling/career/Gradschool.htm
(2)  http://www.providence.edu/Philosophy/Graduate+School+Advising/
(3)  http://www.inta.gatech.edu/student-resources/gradschool/

Today, blogging is one of the favorite hobbies of many students.  If you are one of those who take interest in writing blog entries, you can use this hobby as a topic for your personal statement for college.  This could really be a very interesting topic.  For one, blogging is trendy yet many applicants for college think that this topic is not as “deep” or as “profound” as other themes such as tragic events that happened in their lives.  So choosing this topic would really make your essay one-of-a-kind.  Below are some points about blogging that you should explore on your essay.

Explaining why you started a blog

One of the points you should talk about is the reason why you started a blog.  Did some friends convince you? Or, you just thought of this yourself?  Writing blog entries has also lots of benefits.(1)  You can mention these things as you go on with your essay.

Discussing what your blog is about

Your essay, more than anything else, should introduce you to the admissions panel.(2)  This is why you have to talk about your topics of interest.  You also have to give reasons why you are fond of these topics.  In this way, the admissions committee would have an idea about your personality.

Stating how blogging has influenced you

You should then discuss in your personal statement for college how blogging influenced your beliefs, ideas, and goals.  It is best that you write about the impact of your hobby on your decision to pursue a certain course or to study in a particular university.  Aside from this, you can also explore the effect of blogging on your academic goals.

So that you can write an essay that would ensure your success in your college application, you have to read many free sample personal statement essays.  These sample personal statements can be your model.  You can also consult your teachers and counselors for more tips.(3)

(1)  https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/avee/web/blog_benefits.html
(2)  http://www.dartmouth.edu/~csrc/students/gradschool/artsci/statement.html
(3)  http://www.admissions.uci.edu/admissions_info/freshmen_admission/personal_statement.html

Having not-so-good high school records is out of your control.  You can’t do anything about it.  Although this requirement for admissions is very influential in the result of your college application, it is not the only thing that could make or break your admissions.  Another factor that plays a very important role in the admission process is the personal statement for college.  This adds depth and meaning to the information found in other parts of your application.(1)  This also allows you to state your case about some problems with your other application requirements, such as your grades for example.  Because of the importance of your personal essay, it is necessary that you choose a topic that would grab the attention of those who will read it.  Below are some of the topics that might catch the interest of the readers.

Topic #1: your sexual orientation

An interesting topic would be your sexual orientation.  You can explore your essay using your sexual orientation as a thread that would bind your sentences and ideas together.  If you are planning to pursue courses such as sociology or social work, talking about your sexual orientation and how it influenced your career goals sounds appealing.(2)  You can read various personal statement samples before you write your own and use them as guides.

Topic #2: a unique hobby

One of the things that could set you apart from other applicants is your unique hobby or interest.(3)  So if you have one, you should write about it.  Just make sure that this interest of yours is still related to why you want to pursue a study in a certain field.  You can also use a sample personal statement to help you in writing your own.

Topic #3: a very tragic event

Telling about a tragic event that happened in your life can also call the readers’ attention to your essay.  You can read other personal statement samples and take note on how to tell a tragic event without appearing to be soliciting the sympathy of the admissions committee.

(1) http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(2) http://www.aurora.edu/academics/programs-majors/graduate/social-work/personal-statement.html
(3) http://www.lsa.umich.edu/advising/advisor/prelaw/statement

If you want to study in a prestigious university, yet you don’t have excellent school records, you don’t have to worry too much.  You can make up for your not-so-impressive grades by writing a personal statement for college that would grab the attention of the admissions committee.  Reading lots of personal statement samples would give you idea on how to write your own.  As a matter of fact, there are several resources you can go to for sample essays.

Resource #1: from friends who’ve written their own personal statements

Your friends who applied to the school where you want to study can give you a copy of their personal statement for college.   You can ask them for tips on how you should select your topic and how to make your personal statement for college very interesting.  You can also ask them to help you remember and choose events in your life that had a great impact on your ideals and aspirations.(1)

Resource #2: from teachers and counselors who can show you a sample personal statement essay

Aside from your friends and peers, you can get a copy of a well-written personal statement for college from your teachers and counselors.  More than anyone else, these people have broad knowledge about writing personal statements.  They can teach you the ways on how to make your essay appealing.

Resource #3: from websites that offer free sample personal statement essay

You can also find various personal statement samples from online sites.  These websites can provide you with numerous excellent samples that you can use as models of your own personal statement.   All you have to do is to key-in the keyword “personal statement” and you can surely find various essays.(2)

How to use these sample personal statements

You have to observe how these essays are structured.  It is important that you watch out for the writer’s technique in writing essays.  Try to find out how the statements and ideas were woven together to create a unified whole.  After you have made the first draft, ask your friends, teachers, counselors, or relatives if what you portray in your essay is the same as how they see you.(3)

(1)  students.berkeley.edu/files/Admissions/12626_4.statement.pdf
(2)  http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Writing%20Resources/Handouts/personal_statements.htm
(3)  http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html

Proving your worth to the admissions committee is the first step to be able to attend the university of your dream.  To do this, you have to impress the admissions personnel.  You can do this by preparing a personal statement for college and a resume.  These two are very important because they provide details about you that are vital in your college application.  These admissions requirements have similarities and differences.

The details included in the resume and the personal statement

In your resume, you have to include your contact information such as your address and contact numbers.(1)  You also have to include the schools you attended in the past.  Aside from these, you should include in your resume the trainings, education, and work experiences you have undergone.  Skills are also among the necessary details you should not forget.(2)  The personal statement sample for college, on the other hand,  contains information such as skills, experiences, and goals.  There is no need to write your contact details on your essay.

Similarities of the personal statement and your resume

Both your resume and personal statement should contain information that would introduce you to the admissions officers.  Both should contain your skills, work experiences, and education records.  Your resume and essay should also have to be very informative and engaging in order for you to capture the interest of the admissions committee.

Differences of the sample personal statement from your resume

Although there are a lot of similarities between the resume and personal statement for college, these two are very different from each other.  The former lists the necessary information about you.  The latter, on the other hand, tells more about your personality through the choices and actions you have made in the past and the goals you are planning to achieve.  The goal of the essay is to tell who you you really are behind your academic achievements and awards.(3)

(1)  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/565/01/
(2)  http://www.career.vt.edu/jobsearc/resumes/formats.htm
(3)  http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html

If your dream is to be able to study at your dream university, one step to making this come true is to write a very interesting personal statement for college.  To make your admission essay more enthralling and convincing, you can use the personal SWOT analysis and take hints from well-written personal statement samples.

What is a SWOT analysis?

SWOT analysis is a basic model that serves as the basis in developing a market plan.  This method evaluates the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization, project venture, or business.(1)  This involves determining the internal and external factors that would be favorable or unfavorable to a certain organization or plan.(2)  This model, however, can also be used as a guide for self-assessment.  This helps students get to know more about themselves and determine the best strategy on how they can get admitted to college.

How do you interpret the results of your SWOT analysis and use them to write your college essay?

Using the personal SWOT analysis is easy.  All you have to do is to determine your strength, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities not only as a student but also as an individual.    Through this method, you also get to pinpoint your advantages over other applicants as well as identify your weak points.(3)  This will help you assess your chances for college admission and let you focus on what you can improve on.  You can use the results of your personal SWOT analysis for setting achievable goals that ill give you better direction throughout your college life.

How do you use the SWOT analysis to determine academic pursuits?

Using this planning method will give an impression that you are a strategic planner.  Better self-assessment will also let you win some points with the admissions committee who will be going over your application.  But best of all, this will help you choose fields or college courses that are aligned with your goals, skills, and interests, allowing you to succeed with your chosen career.

(1)  http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/swot.htm
(2)  http://www.das.psu.edu/dairy/teams/planning
(3)  http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm

One of the most important steps in getting admitted to graduate school is writing a scholarship essay that will stand out.  Unlike your resume, your scholarship essay will provide a more in-depth description of who you are, perhaps through anecdotes and tales that will highlight your values and experiences.  To write a winning personal statementm you may want to find a good personal statement sample that will serve as a guide.

Where can you find a free sample personal statement essay?

When stuck on what to write for your admission essay,  you can use a personal statement sample to help you in writing your own.  You don’t have to go anywhere else just to find a sample personal statement.  The Internet is a good source, and you don’t even have to spend a penny for a sample article.  You can get tips from these samples, and see how your own essay compares to their creativity, flow, and content.

What should you look out for when choosing free samples?

When you go over the samples, you should observe how these essays were structured.  You should try to analyze the questions that the essays are trying to answer.(1)  You should note the technique the writers used in order to make their personal statements for graduate school seem more engaging.   It is also neccessary to observe how the essays develop a theme and unify several main ideas and sub-topics.  It pays to know how authors do transitions from one idea to another to make the sentences run smoothly.(2)

How can you use these free samples as references?

You should use the free samples only as a guide.  Remember that you have your own experiences and qualities to tell.  Note what makes articles stand out, and see if you can use this technique to your own writing.(3)  After you have written your own, try to read it aloud to see how well it sounds and if the admissions officers would be delighted to hear about your application.

(1)  http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(2)  http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml
(3)  http://www.ilc.cuhk.edu.hk/english/resource/Personal%20Statements/index.html

Your personal statement is your ticket to the college you want to study at and course that you want to pursue.  Through your personal statement for college, you can introduce yourself to the admissions committee.  This is your chance to tell them that you have what it takes to study in a specific university.  This is also your chance to explain and clarify things about you that you think need explaining.(1)  A mediocre essay can hurt your chances of getting admitted to your dream school.(2)  This is  why it is really very important that you make your essay very appealing just like those personal statement samples you see online.  Read the characteristics of a mediocre essay below so that you’ll know what to avoid when writing a quality personal statement for college.

Characteristic #1: stating the same information as the ones in your transcript of records

Your personal statement is not your resume.  The latter provides information about your accomplishments.  The former, on the other hand, gives in-depth information about yourself.  The essay is your means of telling the admissions committe who you really are.  This may include writing about your foibles and shortcomings.  The tendency of a mediocre sample personal statement is that it only restates the information on your resume.

Characteristic #2: having no main thesis or focus (same as talking around in circles)

A good personal statement should have a thesis or a focus.  The thesis is actually the thread that ties together the sentences and paragraphs in your essay.  Your focus is your direction in writing.(3)  So if you want to have an essay that is well-structured, make sure that you have a main focus on your essay.

Characteristic #3: being hastily written, resulting in work full of grammatical and typographical errors

The characteristics of a good essay include being free from grammatical and typographical errors.  This is very important because having a hastily written one would give the admissions committee the idea that you are a careless person.

(1)  www.unm.edu/~pre/law/archuleta.htm
(2)  www.alma.edu/academics/departments/pre-professional/law/personal_statement
(3)  depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/Developing%20Your%20Thesis.pdf