Friday, November 19, 2010
Week of 11/13 - 11/20
Lately I have been working on my personal statements for colleges and over the thanksgiving break I have around ten essays or so to write. While working on these essays I have been wondering what makes a good personal statement? Obviously, it has to be personal and show something about you, but what is the best way to show you personality in an essay and make the reader connect with you and want to know more about you? I don't know the answer to this question, otherwise I'd have all my essays done by now. But I think that one way to help the reader connect with you is to include little traits about yourself that are common to all people, thus making yourself more relate-able, such as like a little nervous tick you have or something along those lines. I feel that details like this, though small and seemingly insignificant, are in some ways more real and common amongst people.
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I have also decided to sacrifice Thanksgiving break for the sake of college essays. Concerning what makes a good essay, I presume it would need to contain proper grammar and spelling along with a riveting tale of hardship, determination, envy, and arrogance.
ReplyDeleteI have mine nearly all done. I spent my four day weekend a little while back working hard so I would not have to during Thanksgiving. I agree with Stefan that arrogance is a big part of personal statements. We like to wrap it up with bows and put personal traits into it, but when it comes down to it, personal statements are all about bragging. colleges was to see someone ambitious, hardworking, and who will put their teachings to the best use. One can be subtle about how they brag, wrap their writing in niceties, and put other meaningless jargon in there so that people have to read between the lines, but in the end personal statements are just big pages full of gloating...
ReplyDeleteI feel like, especially for myself personally, honesty is the best way to make a personal statement its best - especially when you're honest about how awesome of a person you are. Obviously, stating that you're occasionally arrogant isn't a great thing to say, but you can say that you're confident in your views on things, ya dig? I also think that a little humor can go a long way in an essay, something I know you can muster up, haha.
ReplyDeleteIf I may add my two cents,
ReplyDeleteIs Mason having a hard time bragging? Oh this is unbelievable! haha im jk
What drew to me to responding to your post is this, you state that your telling "little traits about yourself" if you essay. Now I think that's great and all, but you have to be careful with how much you almost tell them. You don't want them to start thinking you have these little tics that will eventually lead you to blowing up the school or something you know?
just my two cents.
- Michael Cullen
I agree. In order for someone to connect to you or get to know you you should add in your personality. Like they say, it's the little details that count. I'm sure your personal statement will be good, mason.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! It's always good to try to relate to the reader, they will be more likely to feel positively about your writing if they agree with you. And, Stefan is right, a riveting tale of hardship is necessary if you want to succeed in life.
ReplyDeleteI think that the more honest you are, the better your paper will be. If you try and make yourself something you are not, they will see right through it. My one suggestion is to make it punchy, using humor, and strong statements (but not offensive). No one wants to read a boring essay.
ReplyDelete