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Personal Statements: What not to do.
May. 18th, 2005 08:37 pmAh. Power. I love it so.
I'm reviewing the applications for the Student Council, scoring them on Activities and Community Experience, Leadership, Qualities, Training, Diversity, and (for the lion's share of the score) the Personal Statement.
I'm telling you, I'm learning how not to write a Personal Statement.
1 - Do not allow your personal neurosis to intrude.
For example, this means do not mention the "poor leadership of others" or "crimes committed" against you when you were "forced from [your] home." Yeesh. Try to sound sane. Even if it's hard for you.
2 - Do not be vague.
I just marked down a perfectly good, experienced candidate who's currently on the student council because she rambled about her general principles of leadership and leadership development experience without telling me exactly what she did. Just because it's elsewhere on the application doesn't mean you can skip specifics.
3 - Do not frame your personal statement as a letter.
This is unprofessional and makes you look inept.
4 - Answer the question.
If you don't answer the question, you come across as someone who doesn't listen. The question here was "what is your past leadership experience"? Amazingly, 20% of the candidates went on about their leadership philosophies instead.
5 - Do not handwrite your personal statement.
It makes it look like an afterthought, like you didn't care. Handwritten with cross-outs? Double no.
6 - Do not tell me you're "a natural born leader" or on a "special mission to change the world."
First, I don't care. All I want to know about is your skills and attitudes. Second -- can we say "ego"?
7 - Mentioning leadership within religious organizations is fine. Mentioning your faith-inspired leadership skills is a mistake.
Nothing shouts "I will shove my religion down everyone's throats" like "I'm applying because Jesus entered my life." (Okay, I'm paraphrasing here, but.. man.)
8 - Spelling and grammar is a must.
Yes, even if you are from another country, you need to know the basics. If you are from a poor inner city school, try paragraphs. Really.
9 - Fill out applications neatly and completely.
I almost kissed the Asian girl with the tidy near-typeset printing. I cannot over-emphasize how well-disposed I was towards her: I was ready to give her the job and was very disappointed she didn't have all the qualifications. As for leaving things blank... why apply at all?
10 - Do try to sound like you care about the organization.
Rambling on about yourself is part of the game, but try not to sound like Gilderoy Lockhart, "me, me, beautiful me!" After all, we're looking to see how you'll be useful to us.
The point of the personal statement is to make a good impression, to connect your personality and life experience to that dry list of "stuff" you've done.
I want to hear about how you've grown (not how you were born to be great), what you've learned (not what you believe), where and how you've learned it (not just vague concepts). This should all lead up to why you're interested in being here, since that is, after all, the goal of the application. I've only one application that did all of this.
I'm reviewing the applications for the Student Council, scoring them on Activities and Community Experience, Leadership, Qualities, Training, Diversity, and (for the lion's share of the score) the Personal Statement.
I'm telling you, I'm learning how not to write a Personal Statement.
1 - Do not allow your personal neurosis to intrude.
For example, this means do not mention the "poor leadership of others" or "crimes committed" against you when you were "forced from [your] home." Yeesh. Try to sound sane. Even if it's hard for you.
2 - Do not be vague.
I just marked down a perfectly good, experienced candidate who's currently on the student council because she rambled about her general principles of leadership and leadership development experience without telling me exactly what she did. Just because it's elsewhere on the application doesn't mean you can skip specifics.
3 - Do not frame your personal statement as a letter.
This is unprofessional and makes you look inept.
4 - Answer the question.
If you don't answer the question, you come across as someone who doesn't listen. The question here was "what is your past leadership experience"? Amazingly, 20% of the candidates went on about their leadership philosophies instead.
5 - Do not handwrite your personal statement.
It makes it look like an afterthought, like you didn't care. Handwritten with cross-outs? Double no.
6 - Do not tell me you're "a natural born leader" or on a "special mission to change the world."
First, I don't care. All I want to know about is your skills and attitudes. Second -- can we say "ego"?
7 - Mentioning leadership within religious organizations is fine. Mentioning your faith-inspired leadership skills is a mistake.
Nothing shouts "I will shove my religion down everyone's throats" like "I'm applying because Jesus entered my life." (Okay, I'm paraphrasing here, but.. man.)
8 - Spelling and grammar is a must.
Yes, even if you are from another country, you need to know the basics. If you are from a poor inner city school, try paragraphs. Really.
9 - Fill out applications neatly and completely.
I almost kissed the Asian girl with the tidy near-typeset printing. I cannot over-emphasize how well-disposed I was towards her: I was ready to give her the job and was very disappointed she didn't have all the qualifications. As for leaving things blank... why apply at all?
10 - Do try to sound like you care about the organization.
Rambling on about yourself is part of the game, but try not to sound like Gilderoy Lockhart, "me, me, beautiful me!" After all, we're looking to see how you'll be useful to us.
The point of the personal statement is to make a good impression, to connect your personality and life experience to that dry list of "stuff" you've done.
I want to hear about how you've grown (not how you were born to be great), what you've learned (not what you believe), where and how you've learned it (not just vague concepts). This should all lead up to why you're interested in being here, since that is, after all, the goal of the application. I've only one application that did all of this.
