Essays and Personal Statements
…for Non-Writers
It may seem unfair that schools will require that you submit an essay (or multiple essays) and then will judge your candidacy by it to some degree—even if you’re looking to study physics. Doesn’t that unfairly favor those who are “right-brain-dominant”, or toward those who lean Liberal Arts rather than STEM?
Perhaps a little, but only in the sense that writers are not afraid of essay assignments. Knowing how to put together sentences and structure a basic essay is enough to remove the dread that non-writers feel as they approach an essay assignment. But sometimes confidence in their own writing skills will make students feel that their personal statement or other admissions essay is their opportunity to show off their writing “chops” (look that one up if you don’t know it).
It isn’t. You may be more of a writer than the person reading the essay. But unless you’re applying to a writing program, these skills are not really being scrutinized.
No one is reading these essays hoping to find the next Ernest Hemingway. While BASIC writing skills are expected of high school graduates, those who are going to evaluate your essays are looking for something else entirely.
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?
Here’s a Truth or Myth question:
Do colleges really “want to get to know [me] as a person”, as they often say when requiring a personal statement?
Actually, this one is true. It’s not that good writing skills aren’t important; they are extremely important. But every admissions counselor knows that every admissions essay is edited and proofread by several adults before they get to see it.
What's more important is that you are personally mature enough to succeed in college. And asking you to tell them about yourself, or about some challenge you overcame, or some period of self-discovery is an opportunity to do so in a way that gives them a sense of you as a person, not as a set of numbers.
And if you do what they are asking—i.e., you straightforwardly describe something that you think or feel or have experienced—your essay will jump off the page and bring your entire admissions package to life.
Find out how to write essays that represent you in a way that makes you feel a sense of pride when presenting them.