Your Story, Your Voice: How to Write a Strong Common App Personal Statement

The student who writes about winning the championship and the student who writes about the one song they blast in their car when everything feels like too much are not the same. The second one will be remembered as part of your college application, while the first will blend in with all the others.

The Common Application personal statement, your main college admissions essay, is one of the most important pieces of writing you'll do in high school, and one of the most misunderstood. It's not a five-paragraph essay or a resume in paragraph form or a list of accomplishments. It's a chance to let colleges hear your voice and get a sense of who you actually are. It can also be very difficult to get started.

Start with reflection, not writing

Before you look at the official prompts and before you open a Google Doc, spend some time thinking. (This is the only time you should start before looking at the prompts!) 

• What moments, experiences, or relationships have genuinely shaped you? 
• What do you care about that makes you who you are? 
• What are you curious about? 

The best personal statements come from students who know themselves well, so take the time to explore before you start drafting. 

A simple way to begin: set a timer for ten minutes and write whatever comes to mind in response to the question "What do I want colleges to know about me that isn't anywhere else in my application?" You don't need a perfect answer; you just need to start the conversation with yourself. 

The student who wrote about blasting that song in their car probably didn't start out knowing that's what their essay would be about. They found it by asking themselves the right questions first.

Think small

Admissions readers read a lot of “the championship essay” and may not remember one from the other. They will remember the one about the song, the shelf of broken things, the family talent show that happens every Thanksgiving without fail. Students often assume they need to write about a dramatic life event or a big achievement to impress admissions readers, but the most memorable college essays are usually built around something specific and everyday, like a Saturday morning ritual, a running joke with a sibling, or a hobby most people have never heard of. A small, well-chosen moment can reveal far more about who you are than a large, obvious topic. Colleges are interested in learning how you have grown as a person over the four years of high school and what experiences have helped shape who you are.

Don't start at the beginning

It's tempting to open your college admissions essay by stating the point of your story right away. Resist that urge. Draw the reader into a scene or moment first, then let the meaning come through naturally. A strong first sentence drops the reader directly into a moment: "Every Sunday, my grandmother hands me a knife, and we argue about the right way to cut an onion." That one sentence creates curiosity, hints at an important relationship, and suggests a story worth reading, all before you've explained a single thing about yourself.

Write a messy first draft

Your first draft doesn't need to be good. It just needs to exist. Get your ideas down without worrying about how it sounds, whether it flows, or if you're hitting the word count. You will edit and revise many times. Many students find that their real college essay is hiding somewhere inside their third or fourth draft, once they've had a chance to figure out what they're actually trying to say. The student who found their essay in the third draft probably threw out a perfectly good paragraph about a trophy to get there.

Give yourself enough time

If you're a high school junior, summer is a great time to make real progress on your Common App essay. If you're a high school senior, don't wait until October. The personal statement gets better the more time you give yourself to step away, come back with fresh eyes, and keep refining. Rushing this part of your college application essay almost always shows, and taking your time almost always pays off.

Take a look at the Common Application Prompts by clicking here.