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Writing a Strong Personal Essay
A good personal essay is possibly the most important part of your application. Hopefully that doesn’t sound too intimidating, but since many universities only require one personal essay, this is your chance to truly showcase who you are as an individual and why you would be such a great fit for the university.
As the word limit for the personal essay is very short (for the Common App, it is 250-650 words), it is important that each word counts. The personal essay is a great time to tell the admissions team more about yourself, or to delve into a passion you haven’t had a chance to talk more about. Here are some more helpful tips you can use when writing! Often, students can hear years later that their personal essay was the deciding factor in their admissions decision, so take the time to really think about the impression you want to send while writing. What kind of person would the admissions team think you were when reading this essay? What is the most important thing they should know about you?
If you are allowed to supplement your application with an additional essay, it is highly recommended that you do so – the more positive information the admissions office has about you, the better! Make sure to also start early with writing so you have plenty of time to revise your work. It can also be a good idea to have several other individuals (older students, parents, teachers, mentors etc.) look over your essay to make sure that it flows well, has a good structure and no grammatical errors, uses specific and memorable examples, and sends across the message you are trying to write about.
What are commonly asked personal essay topics?
This is the list of 2019-2020 Common App questions:
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Where can I find examples of strong personal essays?
Check out these personal essay examples below from PA students themselves!
Written by Cora Neudeck, Harvard College ‘19
Personal Essay Example 1
Cora Neudeck, Harvard College ‘19
Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
Close to my home, there is a road on which few drive. It is a bumpy, winding strip completely encompassed by greenery, trees, and flowers. Glittering through the luxuriant shrubbery is sparkling sunlight that tingles the senses and makes one feel truly alive. Crisp breezes blow through the trees and make the leaves dance. It is a road so captivating and wondrous that often it doesn't seem to even be entirely real.
This ethereal place is one that, to me, represents more of what my home truly is than anything else possibly could. It is on this road that I genuinely grew up. Some of my most fond memories were made here with my sisters, my brother, and my parents. I remember stepping on a bicycle for the first time on that road. I was so confident, so assured that I could ride that bike that I hardly had a second to stop and listen to my parents tell me how to do it. I didn't make it far that time, perhaps a few wobbly feet. However, that didn't stop me. Soon I was back up and ready to go again. That bike lasted me many years and took me on many journeys that I will never forget. I fondly remember often just simply racing along, the wind in my hair and the sun in my face, my sisters laughing along beside me. There was nothing in the world that could've truly made me happier than being right there with them.
It was on this road that we would stroll together at dusk and listen to the crickets chirp as the sun faded into oblivion. I would kick pebbles as I walked along. Just strolling down the concrete with no particular destination in mind, casual conversation flowed. My family and I talked about our lives, about our dreams, and about our hopes. By myself, I may have been scared walking along in the dim shadows, but surrounded by all of those that I loved, I never felt more secure.
To me, that road was so much more than just a road. It was not just gravel; it was an idyllic captivation, a little piece of serendipity in my simple life. As a child, I could always count on it to draw me in with its unmistakable promise of adventure. On this road, I could truly be myself and spend time with the people I loved. With them by my side, I felt like I could conquer anything.
Although all of those events took place so long ago, I can still clearly remember each and every one of them as if they just happened yesterday. Now as I wander down that road, I look up in awe to gaze upon the deep maroons, the fiery oranges, and the brilliant yellows of the crisp leaves blowing in the supple breeze. They fall down upon the rocks, rest only for a moment, and then soar up again in magnificent waltzes across the deep gray sky. As I walk with my family, I wish I could do the same and dance along the wind. I believe that it would almost be like riding a bike.
Of all the places that I have ever been, no place holds more value to me than this road, this lone stretch of freedom and adventure representing all the best of my childhood. It was here that I first truly felt what it was to be loved. I tried new things and although I didn't always succeed at first, I learned the value of getting back up and trying again. On this road, I can honestly say that I am perfectly content. With my wonderful parents, sisters, and brother, encompassed on all sides by the subtle grace and beauty of nature, there is no place I that I would prefer to be.