College Essays How to Write a Personal Statement: Your Ultimate Reading List Written by Abigail Andersonon March 3rd, 2016 I joined College Coach after working in independent school and college admissions. At the collegiate level, I evaluated thousands of applications and managed more than 20 student workers and 200 alumni interview volunteers. I recruited in, and read applications for, multiple domestic and international recruitment territories, including all of New England and the Mid-Atlantic, Europe, and the Americas. I also worked with and evaluated transfer applicants. Committed to increasing college access and demystifying the college application process, I collaborated with colleagues across institutions to develop free, accessible programming for high school juniors wanting to jumpstart the application process and improve their essay skills. My passion has always aligned with working directly with high school students; I started my career in admissions at a highly-selective all-girls’ boarding school. While there, I recruited students throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and California. I oversaw multicultural and first-generation student recruitment, participated in both admission and financial aid committees, and assisted in residence hall management. Learn More About Abigail how to write a personal statement, writing college essays, When I worked at Reed, my colleagues and I had a saying that we loved to share with applicants summing up the best personal statements: “Neither analytical nor creative, the personal essay is a combination of both that reveals who the student is.” As stated by Fitzpatrick and Constantini, the personal essay can’t be entirely creative, but it also can’t rely on the DBQ-style that earns you a five on the AP US History exam, either. Further, the writer has to set aside the immense pressure they’re putting on themselves to write the “perfect” essay, which they imagine is going to win over the hearts and minds of their application reader. There’s truly no “one” thing that admissions officers are looking for; in fact, the more expected, formal, or trite a topic is, the likelier the essay is to fail. How to Write a Personal Statement Let’s be honest. Writing about yourself is hard. And the particular type of narrative writing the college application calls for can be extremely difficult to master. So, I recommend that students recognize that this is simply a style of writing that very few people (let alone high school students) are ever asked to generate. So what can an applicant do to prepare? Read. That’s right, read. The more an applicant exposes herself to the narrative style of writing, the more she will recognize what works and what doesn’t. “Hearing” the voices of others’ will help her develop her own. Experiencing the power of a less-formal, first-person-forward essay may also help an applicant be more comfortable with this uniquely creative and analytical style of writing. So, this spring and summer, before you ever even open up the application prompts, begin by reading more narrative pieces of writing. Here are a few suggestions to get you started: The New Yorker Magazine Joan Didion’s essays Tina Fey’s memoir, BossyPants When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalinithi The historical travel writing of Sarah Vowell A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Into Thin Air or Into the Wild by John Krakauer Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich (Reed alumna!) Relevant Episodes of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation: Why This College? What Do I Say in That Essay?? Getting Started on College Essays: 2015-2016 Common App Essay Prompts, Part 1 Successful College Applications: The Importance of Presenting Your Authentic Self Related Resources Read | Posted on November 17th, 2023 Are Optional College Essays Really Optional? Read | Posted on November 6th, 2023 4 Tips for Writing the University of California Essays Read | Posted on September 21st, 2023 Speak Your Truth: Sharing Your Identity in College Essays
