Personal statement essay

Personal statement essay

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories: 1. The general, comprehensive personal statement: This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms. 2 Jul 03,  · A personal statement is an autobiographical essay that many colleges, universities, and professional schools require as part of the admissions process. Also called a statement of purpose, admissions essay, application essay, graduate school essay, letter of intent, and goals statement. The personal statement is generally used to determine a student's ability to overcome obstacles, achieve Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins May 24,  · Personal Statement/ College Application Essay Examples by OvernightEssay. May 24, 3 min. So, the moment has come! You are now very close to writing your own personal statement example – the paper that has pretty good chances to be framed on a wall. We will write a custom essay specifically for you for only $ $/page

Personal Statement/ College Application Essay Examples

Your essay can be the difference between an acceptance and rejection — it allows you to stand out from the rest of applicants with similar profiles. Your personal statement is any essay that you must write for your main application, such as the Common App EssayUniversity of California Essaysor Coalition Application Essay. This type of essay focuses on your unique experiences, ideas, or beliefs that may not be discussed throughout the rest of your application.

This essay should be an opportunity for the admissions officers to get to know you better and give them a glimpse into who you really are. These personal statement essay examples were all written by real students. For each example, we provide a first draft, what the writer can improve, and the revised version. View the complete list of personal statement examples towards the bottom of the post. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

When I was very young my parents pressured me to succeed academically, play sports, make hobbies, etc. like many parents do. For a large part of my younger years I was missing the independence and sense of self I would develop later in life, because I was always under pressure to succeed in the form of success my parents had defined.

As a child I was set up to follow my parents idea of the path to success, personal statement essay. However, when I was ten years old, this path was interrupted. My parents divorced when I was about three years old, and when I was ten years old my dad moved away from my home in Illinois, personal statement essay. Most people who hear this think It was hard for me, or sad… but in reality I see it as a blessing.

To say it was without consequences and hardship would be false, but ultimately the place my family is in now has ultimately benefited from this physical separation. Once my dad moved away I was no longer pressured by him. The influence my parents had on me while they were raising me together imbedded a drive in me that I will always be thankful for.

Personal statement essay, their separation allowed me personal statement essay grow independent and develop the relationship I currently have with myself.

As I grew up in a single parent household, my mom had less time and ability to parent me as strictly and closely as she had once done when my father was living in Illinois as well, personal statement essay. This odd form of freedom forced me to become independent. As soon as middle school I was riding the light rail train by myself, personal statement essay, reading personal statement essay to get myself home, applying to special school programs with no pressure to do so.

I rapidly developed a sense of independence, personal statement essay. My father of course had a limited understanding of my lifestyle and who I was becoming, and my mom only wished she could be more attentive. Because of this my parents both had a limited understanding of how independent and self motivated I had become, personal statement essay.

The event that brought my independence and self motivation, and the idea that I had reached adulthood to light, was my exchange trip to Morocco in the summer of I kept looking, and eventually found the SNYI-L program, a program with a full paying scholarship opportunity, personal statement essay.

The application in personal statement essay was a huge process, one I had to do on my own. Applying for a passport, organizing how my parents would both sign for my passport while living in separate states, keeping track of countless forms, finding my immunization records, etc.

were all small acts of independence that went unnoticed until I was notified of my position as a semi-finalist. At this point my parents finally somewhat recognized how self motivated and independent I had become. Being accepted as a finalist was icing on the cake, personal statement essay.

The idea that Personal statement essay could live in a foreign country, with a family I had never met, for two months, and the effort that it took for me to reach that point, drove home the idea that I was independent, I truly was an personal statement essay. The author has drafted a thoughtful coming-of-age story by exploring their relationship with their parents and personal statement essay it influenced their own ability to independently make decisions about their interests and goals.

As they imply in their essay, self-determination is a process which all children must undergo at some point—they must find who they are, what they like and believe, and what they hope to accomplish free from the influence of the pillars in their life who have largely determined that for them up until the point personal statement essay realization.

Did they feel that they could only truly accept themselves as independent once their parents accepted it? They should also spend more time reflecting on their own realization about their adulthood and how they came to personal statement essay the reigns of their own future. What did this feel like?

Was there a particular moment when they realized that the work would no longer be done for them? How did they grapple with this sudden burden of responsibility? The essay needs to focus on their own realization here, and less so on the process of proving their maturity to their parents. Secondly, the author should take a step back and think about what true independence and adulthood means to them, personal statement essay.

Though the essay focuses on this coming-of-age period in their life, they never talk specifically about what this peak achievement would mean for them personally. Was it that they could get on a plane and go to Morocco and be alright without their parents, or personal statement essay it that they had the ability to decide that they were interested in an immersive experience and that they took the necessary steps to achieve this interest?

Adulthood and independence mean different things to different people and look a little bit different to each of us depending on our different situations. Lastly, the essay could benefit from a deeper exploration of their relationship with their parents. The author talks in very broad terms about how they were raised and how their separation led to personal statement essay. Early in the essay, personal statement essay, they mention a battle between their wishes and those of their parents.

What did these conversations, either internal or external, look like? They should show this in their writing, rather than telling it. Remember that the success of the essay depends on the ability to deeply personalize it and explore the relevant emotions and reflections associated with each step in the journey to adulthood.

While their journey to adulthood may include their parents, this essay should center around the author and their own recognition of their personal milestones and accomplishments, personal statement essay.

The twisting roads, ornate mosaics, and fragrant scent of freshly ground spices had been so foreign at first. Now in my fifth week of the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco, personal statement essay, I felt more comfortable in the city. It was hard to believe that only a few years earlier my mom was worried about letting me travel around my home city on my own, let alone a place that I had only lived in for a few weeks.

While I had been on a journey towards self-sufficiency and independence for a few years now, it was Morocco that pushed me to become the confident, self-reflective person that I am today. As a child, my parents pressured me to achieve perfect grades, master my swim strokes, and discover interesting hobbies like playing the oboe and learning to pick locks.

I felt compelled to live my life according to their wishes. Of course, this pressure was not a wholly negative factor in my life —— you might even call it support.

Despite all these achievements, I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success. I had always been expected to succeed on the path they had defined. As early as middle school, I personal statement essay riding the light rail train by myself, reading maps to get myself home, personal statement essay, and applying to special academic programs without urging from my parents.

Even as I took more initiatives on my own, my parents both continued to see me as somewhat immature. All of that changed three years ago, when I applied and was accepted to the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco. I would be studying Arabic and learning my way around the city of Marrakesh.

Although I think my parents were a little surprised when I told them my news, the addition of a fully-funded scholarship convinced them to let me go. I lived with a host family in Marrakesh and learned that they, too, had high expectations for me. If I messed up, they patiently corrected me but refused to let me fall into the easy pattern of speaking English just as I did at home. Just as I had when I was younger, I felt pressured and stressed about meeting their expectations.

However, one day, as I strolled through the bustling market square after successfully bargaining with one of the street vendors, I realized my mistake. I had applied for this trip, and I had committed to the intensive language study. Similarly, the pressure my parents had put on me as a child had come out of love and their hopes for me, not out of a desire to crush my individuality.

As my bus drove through the still-bustling market square and past the medieval Ben-Youssef madrasa, I realized that becoming independent was a process, not an event.

Now, although I am even more self-sufficient than I was three years ago, I try to approach every experience with the expectation that it will change me, personal statement essay.

View more personal statement essay examples by signing up for a free CollegeVine account. Why is this? Most students applying to top schools will have stellar academics and extracurriculars. Your essays are your chance to stand out and humanize your application.

Before submitting your application, you should have someone else review your essays. We highly recommend giving this tool a try! Essay Guides for Each School. How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay. Does your Common App essay actually stand out? Submit or Review an Essay — for free! Personal Statement Prompt Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Personal Statement Essay Example, First Draft. Is Your Personal Statement Strong Enough?

What is the Personal Statement?

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How to Write a Personal Essay: Step-by-Step guide at KingEssays©

Start your personal essay with a brief introduction to the topic. Explain the main goal of your story, express your outlook on the subject and describe what results the reader will get at the end of the essay. Close this paragraph with a catchy thesis statement Jul 01,  · Your personal statement is any essay that you must write for your main application, such as the Common App Essay, University of California Essays, or Coalition Application Essay. This type of essay focuses on your unique experiences, ideas, or beliefs that may not be discussed throughout the rest of your blogger.comted Reading Time: 9 mins Personal statement is a piece of individual writing a person usually encloses to his or her university application. It's never too late to study, universities accept not only young and enthusiastic people but representatives of all ages. Anyway, we think it's vital to know how to write a personal statement