When you hear about writing a statement of purpose, the first thing that probably comes to yor mind is “big” and “great” ideas. However, there are seemingly great ideas that can be the cause of your essay’s downfall. CEO shares some of them.
Revealing too personal information
We all know how desperate you can feel. But addressing the admissions officer like he’s your bro can give you more headaches than easy ins. Try not to tell the awesome party story, try not to mention the police, try not to begin paragraphs with the single-word sentence, “Look.” I know you dress to impress, but let’s maintain some semblance of formality here. The person reading your essay is likely wearing a tie.
Although you have to reveal yourself through your essay, you have to be careful not to reveal too much. The admissions committee doesn’t want to pry on personal details that are not related to your application. Another thing that you have to do is to limit the level of informality of your essay. You always have to remember that your readers hold high positions in the academe.
Writing all about your accomplishments
An essay about how awesome you are. My including this may seem like a trick. Even, perchance, a snarky bit of round-a-bout. All essays are implicitly about how awesome you are. Of course. But if you say things like “I don’t want to sound arrogant,” you are. You really, really are. Find a way to slip in how incredibly awesome you are by describing what you do rather than how you are.
Your personal statement should focus on you, your qualifications and strengths. But please, don’t patronize yourself too much. You will sound boastful and arrogant. If you want to include your accomplishments and talents, there are creative ways to prevent you from sounding like a braggart.
Here are some helpful tips on how to deliver your message.
don’t be subtle or cute. Write in a clear and logical manner. If you have to be creative, that is fine, but do so in a straightforward way. These people are really interested in your vocation. They don’t want to read something that is in the form of one act plays nor do they want to read three adjectives per noun. They want you to be direct and straightforward.
Your statement of purpose should be balanced. It is alright if you incorporate great ideas, but make sure that you do it in a way that would not affect the quality of your essay.
