The Process of Writing a Personal Statement
Writing a personal statement can be daunting. This is because you have to grab the attention of the admissions committee and introduce yourself in a very limited number of words. TCSTCXH discusses the process of writing a personal statement.
Check for the requirements
It is important that before you write, you inquire about the school’s requirements.
You should check on the essay requirements even before you plan to write. Some schools may require 500 words while others may want a different length. Some facilities may want a double-spaced essay with 1-inch margins while others may not be as concerned with detail.
Aside from the format requirements, some schools designate specific points of discussion. After knowing the requirements, it’s time to come up with a theme for your essay.
When you’ve found what is required, it’s time to start writing. Don’t feel pressured as most essays, like all other forms of writing, will be completed in drafts. This allows you the optimum flexibility and opportunity to change any detail or sentence you don’t like.
Starting with the essay is a challenging task. However, the earlier you start with yours, the more time you have for revisions.
Free writing
Jot down the ideas that cross your mind.
The personal essay doesn’t differ from other high school writing in that there are still three steps for the easiest result. First, pre-write. This is where you get your words flowing. You are free to skip, jump paragraphs, and just write whatever you want. You shouldn’t be concerned with anything during this phase of the essay process.
Don’t concern yourself with technical details. Just write freely. You can just organize the ideas later on.
Writing an essay draft
After this, you can start with an outline and a draft. This is the stage where you should organize the ideas.
The second stage is drafting. This is where you hone and refine your work. You take all the pieces, from your prewriting and reformat your essay. It works just like a puzzle. You move your sentences and paragraphs around to find more suitable and logical placement.
After the process of drafting, you will have written the essay. It should be solid, straightforward, and should have a sense of flow. Your paragraphs should be organized and shouldn’t jump, to other sections of the essay without reason.
Edit and proofread your personal statement
The last but one of the most important stages is the editing and proofreading of your work.
Lastly, you will edit your essay. This is where you will need to watch your grammar and structure. Every sentence is a support for the paragraph. Every paragraph should support your overall essay.
You have to read and edit your essay several times to make sure that there’s no single flaw left. This blog shares some tips on editing and proofreading.
Edit and proofread. Re-read over the essay, the next day if possible, and revise and edit. Check for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Make sure you re-read after you’ve done your editing, to check the essay still makes sense and still answers the question.
Writing an essay can be a tedious task. However, it is worth it because your personal statement is one of the most important tickets to your dream school.