Personal Statement
The personal essay is the key to the application process. Personal statements provide the opportunity for applicants to speak about themselves.
Examples of ASU student Personal Statements from Prestigious Scholarship Applications
Do not make the statement a list of awards or an attempt to create a new world view. Present yourself by the overarching themes of your life. Why have you made the choices you have made? What are your life goals? How do you plan to achieve your goals? The essay should be a compelling statement about you. This essay is specifically about you and is a statement that can only be written by you. Be specific about your life and your life goals. You should demonstrate that you are able to think logically and express yourself clearly and with economy and elegance.
Carefully consider what two or at most three points you wish to impress upon the selection committee. Committees are comprised of people who are intelligent, well educated, and vastly experienced in reading scholarship applications and personal statements. Don't simply describe yourself with a litany of adjectives, but create a rounded picture of yourself with concrete examples.
Your personal statement should tell a story about you and make the reader want to get to know you. The statement should bear the imprint of your individuality. The organization of your statement should reflect the organization of your thinking. Each paragraph should deal with one major idea and each sentence should lead to the next. Decide which aspects of yourself or your proposed activity you will present and then stick to those points. It is very important that you have your essay reviewed by faculty who have a background in your field.
The Personal Statement should:
• Make sense - logically, grammatically, and thematically.
• Tell a story about you, your life goals, and who you are as a person.
• Interest the readers and make them want to meet you in person.
What it should be about:
• An issue or experience that you feel strongly about, or that has shaped your life.
• A significant accomplishment or contribution you have made to your field or community.
• Why this scholarship is right for you and how it fits in with your future goals.
What you should avoid:
• Melodramatic or self-congratulatory statements
• Vague and/or abstract ideals
• A laundry lists of achievements
• Jargon and specialized vocabulary
• Misspelled words
• Convoluted syntax
How to get started:
• Write down two or three experiences you feel have shaped who you are.
• Write down one or two problems you have faced and how you solved them.
• Look for patterns. What values are a common theme? What interests? What strengths and skills?
• Look at your transcript. How does your coursework express your interests and talents? How has it developed them?
The writing process:
• Try several different approaches until you find one that feels right and then revise, revise, revise!
• Show your essay to people who know you well and ask if it accurately expresses who you are.
