There are some things to avoid in a personal statement. Paraphrasing the prompt, using gimmicks, and creating a laundry list of academic and extracurricular achievements are all examples of avoiding things. Here are three tips to help you create a personal statement that will make a great impression on college admissions officers. Read through these guidelines before writing your comment. These guidelines are also posted on the personal statement writing service. They will help you avoid some common mistakes and make it stand out from the rest.
Avoiding gimmicks:
A common mistake in personal statement writing is using flashy techniques to attract attention. While it may seem tempting to do so, the truth is that your statement should be straightforward and honest. It must explain your qualifications. Read the advice in books like Stelzer’s How to Write a Winning Personal Statement and Steward’s Perfect Personal Statement. Here are some examples:
Avoiding paraphrasing the prompt:
Students may be tempted to avoid paraphrasing the prompt in a law school personal statement for fear of plagiarizing. Even if paraphrasing is acceptable, a poorly done paraphrase will make you appear unprofessional and fraudulent. However, it is important to understand that paraphrasing is a sophisticated skill. If you are unsure how to paraphrase a piece, consider using an example.
If you’re unsure how to paraphrase a prompt, start by thinking about the best way to rephrase the original. Paraphrasing can involve swapping out words and substituting synonyms. For example, you may not want to paraphrase “global warming” or “climate change.” Instead, try replacing phrases such as “inhabiting the area of” with “climate change.”
Avoiding a laundry list of extracurricular activities:
There is a fine line between a laundry list and extracurricular activities. While some of these activities are associated with school, others are completely separate. Extracurricular activities include volunteer work, jobs, internships, and other interests. Avoid including a laundry list of these in your statement writing. Instead, focus on one or two of them. A laundry list of extracurricular activities is a recipe for disaster.
Avoiding a laundry list of academic accomplishments:
When writing a personal statement, you don’t want to complain about your life. The reader’s attention span is short, and they don’t have time to read a laundry list of your academic accomplishments. It’s also important to avoid philosophical statements or impersonal quotes. Your statement should reflect your own experiences and achievements, not a compilation of the work of others. In addition, quote sentences do not belong in a personal statement because they represent someone else’s idea and do not help your readers understand your point.
Avoiding too long sentences:
One of the most important rules for a personal statement is to avoid using too long sentences. Too long sentences are hard to read and don’t convey any information. Use short sentences that are easy to understand and avoid using long, passive sentences that are merely a waste of space. This rule also applies to the way you write. If you’re not sure how to write a personal statement, check out these tips to avoid using long sentences:
Guidelines:
While you don’t have to follow strict word limits, you should still try to make your statement as engaging as possible. Try thinking about interesting experiences and achievements and choose the most exciting ones. Check the instructions for word count and format before beginning your writing. Usually, personal statements are only two or three pages double-spaced. In any case, you need to make sure you utilise all the space you have efficiently.