Keep it Simple
by Sarah M.
The stakes are high when you sit down to write your personal statement for the Common App (or any college essay, for that matter), so it can be easy to get a little carried away. Writers sometimes get too caught up in big ideas, and end up writing grandiose essays inspired by the most pressing issues of our time.
While behemoths like climate change or world peace are obviously important, they don’t usually make for the most compelling essays. Why? Because they’re not personal to you.
Great essays need to be specific, and even more importantly, they need to be specific to you. What makes you different from the thousands of other applicants writing this same essay? The only way to answer that question is to dive deep into your own life and experience. Start small, and include plenty of vivid detail and imagery.
Do not feel that you need to solve any world-historical problems in your essay – it is far more convincing to show change and development in your own life or way of thinking.
Here are two ways to introduce the same idea in an essay:
1. I vowed I would dedicate my life to ending poverty.
2. I felt overwhelmed by the intractable issue of poverty, but I knew I could use my speech and debate skills to do something. I decided to start small: I spent my time raising awareness of some of the basic but overlooked needs that homeless people have, like an address to use when applying for jobs.
As you can see, the first is vague and generic. But the second uses personal details and insights into the applicant’s thoughts and emotions. As you brainstorm and write your essays, always aim for #2. Stick to what you know is your own, and make sure your writing is clear and to-the-point.
In other words, keep it simple!