How to Craft a Perfect Personal Statement for Scholarships, College, and Beyond
In general, writing about yourself can be a bit difficult. Trying to persuade your audience into believing you’re the best candidate for a position might seem especially daunting. Keeping just a few pointers in mind, learn how you can breeze through your personal statement to convince any reader why you’re the right candidate for the scholarship, job, or admission of your preference!
Choosing a Topic
Like any writing task, the most common part during which people find themselves stuck is simply when deciding on what to write about. To make it easier, some great topics to write about include: Career interests, Overcoming challenges, Community Service, Leadership, and Perseverance.
Use these to inspire how you decide to tell your story. Honesty is compelling. Before choosing a topic, ask yourself the question, “why do I deserve this,” and be sincere in your response. It’s all about how you present yourself.
Questions to Answer While Writing Your Essay
The reader of your essay wants to know why you want to pursue your studies in the major, career, or field of your choice. Questions to answer include: What have been your life’s biggest inspirations and influences thus far? How do these affect the way you see the world? When did you learn about your passion, and what experience do you have with it, if any? What personal qualities about you will improve your chances of success in your anticipated career, field, or major? For any example, always try to offer proof, and apply how your experience relates not only to the outside world, but towards your academic interests as well. Admissions counselors want to make sure that you really want to go to their school.
Telling Your Story
Here are some general guidelines to follow as a framework for your essay:
- Explain what this opportunity means to you.
- Express your interest and motivation overtly.
- Describe how you spend your free time, your hobbies, and your achievements.
- Identify your long-term goals (personal, educational, career).
- Predict how your education will align with your future goals in great detail.
- Make sure your career goals align with the industry you want to work in.
Proofreading
Have a few sets of eyes read over your essay, and make sure that it is coherent, cohesive, and free of any grammatical errors.
Representing yourself through your writing is one of the most important skills that a person can utilize and leverage to make the most of their opportunities. Following these four steps, you can elevate your personal statement to the next level! These strategies will help you ensure that your value never goes overlooked!
Adapted from United Negro College Fund
For additional resources, please visit: www.uncf.org/scholarships