The Secret to Writing a Great Personal Statement

Navigating the intricacies of crafting the perfect personal statement as a high school senior involves the art of skillfully constructing a narrative that authentically reflects one's individuality, maturity, and readiness for the next educational level. Although it’s much easier said than done! Join us as we delve deeper into the world of personal statement essays! In this episode, Cathy and Meredith explore key strategies for unlocking the secrets to crafting an outstanding personal statement including the challenges it presents, its underlying purpose, setting strong goals, and the significance of understanding what defines you as a student. They discuss some of the most commonly made mistakes, offer pragmatic tips, and debunk the myth about reaching a grand conclusion. They also explore common mistakes well-intentioned parents often make and the no-nos of advice from “people who really don’t know what they are talking about!” For all this and more, start listening now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:00:53] The topic for this week’s episode: the personal statement.
• [0:02:00] What makes the personal statement so challenging.
• [0:02:30] We talk about the purpose of the essay.
• [0:05:00] The time an admissions counselor spends reading the essay.
• [0:06:20] Compelling information and red flag scans (and what not to include!)
• [0:08:08] An impactful essay and why some kids can’t get there.
• [0:09:03] One big takeaway we want listeners to walk away with.
• [0:09:48] General, but strong, goals to set for your child when writing their essay.
• [0:10:45] What Cathy tells students who pick ‘cliché’ topics.
• [0:11:47] Traveling and service essays and what makes Meredith cringe.
• [0:12:30] What makes you fundamentally you and why that’s a great place to start.
• [0:13:35] What we are not saying.
• [0:14:42] College admissions officers are looking for maturity and readiness.
• [0:16:00] The admission process is highly subjective, don’t forget it!
• [0:16:52] Pragmatic things a great essay needs to have.
• [0:17:20] Side thoughts on a ‘grabby’ opening to the essay.
• [0:17:50] What we mean by a ‘grabby’ opening.
• [0:18:07] We talk about grammar, structure, and readability.
• [0:19:40] The myth of reaching a grand conclusion.
• [0:20:15] Knowing your audience; who is the admissions officer at the target school?
• [0:21:10] We talk further about common mistakes students make.
• [0:23:00] Taboo topics when it comes to the essay.
• [0:27:03] Common mistakes well-intentioned parents make when it comes to the essay.
• [0:29:45] A quick tangent on the non-meritocracy of highly selective private colleges.
• [0:30:10] Advice from people who don’t know what they are doing.
• [0:31:58] We discuss the importance of drafting and editing.
• [0:34:00] When to ‘let it go’.
• [0:34:35] If you have a question, please let us know!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Johns Hopkins Essays That Worked

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You on Instagram