These simple do’s and don’ts for writing a personal statement or statement of purpose are small but effective ways to improve your writing.
Over the years of working with applicants who need to be concise, specific, and yet interesting in their writing, I’ve given the same advice time and time again. All of these tips and tricks work well to streamline your writing. These tips work for other types of writing, too, including cover letters, blog posts, press releases, or any document where you need to get a point across in a clear and compact way.
Writing Do’s (Or Is it Dos?)
Do follow the rules of basic grammar! Even if you’re not applying to the type of program where writing is important, good grammar is your best first impression. If you’re not sure about your writing skills, consult an editor or writing coach!
Do follow the essay prompts! Just yesterday a client discovered that last year’s prompts were not quite the same as this year’s, so read closely.
Do proofread your work, at least after you’re close to a final draft. One of the best ways to proofread—after you’ve read your own work so many times you can’t stand it anymore—is to read it out loud, or ask the computer to read it out loud. Sometimes hearing something can point out a writing error in ways your eyes might miss.
Do check to make sure that names of schools, companies, or people are correct for the recipients of the document!
Do use the active voice! “Working as a [job tittle] interests me for several reasons” is much more direct than “I have been interested in a career as a [job title] for many years.” Active voice makes your writing stronger and even better, often uses fewer words!
Along those lines, do tell a story. Especially if you’re writing a personal statement instead of a statement of purpose. The active voice works well for this because it’s all about who’s doing something. Telling a story or a vignette about why you’re interested in a topic can be more memorable than simply reciting facts about your interest.
Do avoid repeating the same words too often in your essay. Often writers get trapped in a term or phrase. “I’m fascinated by” .. your school, your program, this topic… a word can easily start to dominate a paragraph or the essay. Look for synonyms and similar words to get your ideas across in more than one way. (And no, it’s not cheating if you use a thesaurus or right-click on a word in your document.) In the second paragraph above, I have the phrase “clear and compact” in the last line. Well, in my first draft of this post I wrote “clear and concise” … and then I went back and took my own advice about not repeating words.
Do write as if you’re already at the school. Be positive! Try to avoid things like, “If accepted into your program, I will… ” and instead, write as if you’re already there. “When I am a student at your program, I will…” sounds a lot more confident to an admissions reader than something more hesitant.
Writing Don’ts
Many of these “don’ts” are actually just as important as the “do’s,” and they can really help you streamline your writing if you’re working with a tight word count.
Don’t go over the word or character limits, and double check to make sure you know what those limits are. Contact the school if there’s any unclarity.
Don’t start sentences with “I think that… this program is the perfect fit,” because they add extra words that you don’t need. Your writing presents your thoughts, so starting sentences with “This program is the perfect fit because…” will get the same point across.
On that note, you can feel free to avoid words like “perhaps” and “maybe,” along with other indicators of apprehension. Even if you’re not 100% sure of something, you want to come across as positive and confident.
Don’t repeat your resume. You can (and should!) reference your background, but you don’t need to go into the same detail in your statement as you do in your resume. There are a lot of good ways to mention your background without having to go into extensive detail.
The don’ts are as important as the do’s! I particularly like how this blog reminds readers “no whining,” and this one points out the problems of lying, exaggeration, and being too negative—none of which are a good idea in any circumstance!
Keep these basic rules and suggestions of civility and sense in mind, though, and you’re well on your way to writing a great personal statement!
