Writing the Personal Essay

Remember your purpose!
Those colleges that base admissions decisions on a holistic assessment will more than likely require one, two, or even three personal essays or statements.  Many students approach this task as probably the single most dreaded aspect in the college admissions process.  It often evokes wails of, “Oh, no!  Another arduous, yet meaningless, hoop that I have to jump through just to get into college.”  However, switch your point of reference for just a moment.  Without the personal essay, many college admission decisions are based on numbers, grades and the views of others.  Where are you in this picture? 

The personal essay is an opportunity.  It is the single most accurate way to make a colorful, vivid, heartfelt, interesting, direct, prepared statement about you.  Aside from the personal interview, it is the best means of speaking honestly and accurately about the unique individual behind the resume, the transcript, the portfolio, etc. 

Furthermore, the personal essay demonstrates your ability to communicate.  This communication skill goes far beyond the grammar, syntax and organization in your writing (although these factors are extremely important!).  It enables a glimpse into the clarity and depth of your thinking.  A well-written essay can give a snapshot of your hopes, aspirations, personality and passions.  It can show how you approach the myriad aspects of life: with creativity, humor, impassioned indignation, etc. 

Writing is one mode of communication.  As such, all basic communication skills apply.  As with any message to be sent, you must consider these: 

• To whom are you communicating?
• What specific message (both content and process) do you want to send to them? 
• What is the most effective means of sending that message?

Remember your audience!
Your English teachers have probably instilled this as the cardinal rule of writing.  This adage especially pertains to the college essay.  While writing remember that poor, tired, overworked and underpaid admissions counselor.  He or she has hundreds of applications to review.  They are reviewing all these applicants individually, often over long weekends and late at night.  That means that he or she is reading hundreds of essays in a short period of time.  They are often on the same general topic.  After long hours of reading, the essays all start sounding alike.  Therefore, you want to make your essay different enough so that it will leap out of the pile of mediocre approaches to the same essay topic.  Naturally, take Polonius' words to heart:  "Brevity is the soul of wit, so I will be brief."  Do not make his mistake by then proceeding to ramble aimlessly.  The counselor will fall asleep.

What will make yours stand out?  Something that is real, thoughtful, humorous, or touching.  Something that is unique and refreshing.  Your essay need not sound like a dry academic journal article.  Offbeat is fine, especially when it is balanced by a more serious essay or insight. Show don't tell.  Give examples when possible.  Make your essay important; let it say something substantial.

Choosing the Topic
This is usually not your concern.  Topics are most often pre-selected by the admissions office.  They are purposefully broad and general in nature.  Topics are not mandates, but rather focused suggestions.  (In fact, some colleges do not even list topics at all.)  Some common essay topics include:

• Tell about a significant poem, novel, play, or work of art that you recently read or experienced.  How did it influence your life?
• Describe a significant person or event and how this impacted you.
• If you could describe yourself in 10 years, what would your life be like?
• Write a statement about your personal and educational goals.
• Describe an event or a person who has been a major influence in your life.
• Tell one story about yourself that would best provide us, either directly or indirectly with an insight into the kind of person you are.

For the purpose of this essay, first person is not only acceptable, but also preferred.  The topic you know the most about is you.  However, make sure that what you reveal is a thoughtful, honest, insightful and revealing portrait. 

Yet let’s face it: “yourself” is often the most awkward, uncomfortable subject to commit to paper.  A word of caution: This is no time for false modesty or reticence.  However, it is also not the time for braggadocio and grandstanding.  When writing about yourself use these as gentle suggestions:  

• It is not only interesting to list the facts and events, but also how you reacted or responded to the events. 
• Show, don’t tell.  Give vivid descriptions of actual events or incidents.
• Education involves change, so admissions officers value human growth.  Include any revelation and growth made by you. 

Preparing to Write
Step One: Narrow your topic.  In doing this you can focus your message in order to be as specific and descriptive as possible. 

Step Two: Brainstorm content, approaches, and tone.  Deciding on the appropriate tone is extremely important.  A word of caution on a humorous tone: Spoken and written humors are two very different matters.  Much of what we hear and consider funny involves non-verbal, such as time, undercutting and topping in pitch, vocal paradox, etc.  These are not available when you write.  If you think what you have written is funny, run it by an objective adult before you send it in.  It may well be perceived as rude or smart-alecky.

Step Three: Organize your thoughts.  This is critical.  Without this important step you risk sounding last minute, scattered, vague, wacky, etc.  It is important that no matter how you approach the subject, you do so in a logical, smooth and consistent manner.  One idea should flow naturally into the next. 

Step Four: Take a crack at the first draft.  When you are done, put it aside for a couple of days and come back to it with fresh eyes.

Step Five: Re-Write! And when you are finished with this, then re-write, and re-write again.  Ask yourself what main ideas are you trying to express. Ask yourself how you illustrate those ideas. Sharpen your focus.

Step Six: Get Feedback.  Run your work past peers, parents and teachers.  Take their response without becoming defensive.  Remember that they may be reading it in the same way as the admissions officer.
Consider these ways of evaluating your work:

• Would more detail be more helpful?
• Are there repetitive phrases or words you can delete?
• Can you combine sentences for a smoother flow of ideas?
• Does a sentence sound too wordy? Is it confusing?
• How can this idea be best expressed?
• Does the writing sound genuine and believable?

Step Seven: Work on the final draft.  This is where you incorporate all the feedback.  Then you triple-check the spelling, sentence structure, paragraph development and basic grammar.  There is nothing more irritating, in this day and age of spelling and grammar checks built into work processing programs, than to read an essay loaded with errors.  Be compulsive and thorough.

Some Do’s and Don’ts
John C. Conkright, Dean of Admission at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, has written some succinct guidelines from the admissions officer’s perspective. 

Do’s

• Do think small and write about something that you know about.
• Do reveal yourself in your writing. Application readers are more interested in your interpretation of an event then the event itself.
• Do show rather than tell.  By giving examples and illustrating your topic, you help to bring it to life.
• Do write in your own “voice” and style.
• Do keep your essay within the general guidelines stated. (Usually no more than two pages single-spaced)

Don’ts

• Avoid common themes and over-used generalizations
• Don’t write what you think others want to read.
• Don’t exaggerate or write to impress.
• Don’t use a flowery, inflated, cliché or pretentious style.
• Don’t neglect the technical part of your essay (grammar, spelling, and sentence structure).
• Don’t ramble — say what you have to say and conclude.