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Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement for College Applications

A personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your individuality and motivations as you apply for college. This essay can be tailored to a general theme or in response to specific prompts provided by schools. Focus on key experiences and insights that shape who you are. Highlight features that attract you to a particular institution, and keep your tone positive and engaging. Avoid common pitfalls like clichés and excessive detail about hardships. Proofreading is essential to present a polished final piece.

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Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement for College Applications

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  1. personal statements It’s Time to Boast!

  2. I AM BEOWULF!

  3. DEFINITION • AN ESSAY THAT ACCOMPANIES YOUR APPLICATION TO COLLEGE • OPPORTUNITY TO SELL YOURSELF • TYPES • GENERAL • ALLOWS MAXIMUM FREEDOM IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WRITE • RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS • MOST SCHOOLS AS YOU TO RESPOND TO A SPECIFIC PROMPT

  4. RULES • NARROW FOCUS TO ONE OR TWO KEY THEMES, IDEAS, EXPERIENCES (MOST HAVE WORD LIMITS) • PROVIDE READER WITH INSIGHT TO WHAT DRIVES YOU • BE YOURSELF • ADDRESS SCHOOL’S UNIQUE FEATURES THAT INTEREST YOU • FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE

  5. RULES • EVALUATE RATHER THAN DESCRIBE • PROOFREAD CAREFULLY FOR GRAMMAR, SYNTAX, PUNCTUATION, WORD USAGE, STYLE, SPELLING • USE READABLE FONTS AND CONVENTIONAL SPACING/MARGINS

  6. DON’TS • SUBMIT AN EXPOSITORY RESUME • COMPLAIN OR WHINE ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR LIFE • PREACH TO THE READER • TALK ABOUT MONEY AS A MOTIVATOR • USE BORING, CLICHED INTROS OR CONCLUSIONS • “ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF” • “IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT YOU WILL GRANT ME TO OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND YOUR FINE SCHOOL”

  7. DON’TS • USE UNCONVENTIONAL AND GIMMICKY FORMATS/PACKAGES • SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS UNLESS REQUESTED • GET THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL WRONG • INCORPORATE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE OR UNCOMMON WORDS

  8. ASSIGNMENT • Go to a website for a college that you may want to apply to (this must be a 4 year school) • Look under admissions requirements to find your personal statement assignment. • Print out requirements and write the personal statement • Your statement is due at the end of class Tuesday, 9/3

  9. Universities in Illinois • ISU--www.ilstu.edu • Western--www.wiu.edu • Eastern—www.eiu.edu • Northern—www.niu.edu • U of I Champaign—www.uiuc.edu • Southern Carbondale—www.siu.edu • SIUE—www.siue.edu • Millikin—www.millikin.edu • Eureka—www.eureka.edu • Bradley—www.bradley.edu

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