If you haven’t already, check out the previous post on brainstorming if you need help coming up with an idea to write about!

Video of me going over the contents of this post:

Now that you’ve completed one of the brainstorming activities I laid out in the last post, it’s time to organize all your ideas in a template. Keep in mind this template is a general rule of thumb, if you want to pull off a different layout, get in touch with me and we can talk!

Hard truths: Ok, now that we’re here, it’s time for me to reveal that this will not be something you can write in 1 draft. In fact, in college, nothing you turn in should ever be written in 1 go.

Here’s why: I have been writing everyday for the past decade and still cannot write something that is perfect in 1 draft so, no offense, but that means neither can you :P

I hate it too, trust, but once you acknowledge this process will take at least 2 revisions, the more bearable it will be. In the next post, I’ll go over proof-reading and revising!

Generally speaking, here’s how you want to layout your Person Statement:

First Paragraph: Set up the Scenario + Introduce yourself

Topic Sentence— this is your attention grabber, it should introduce the specific topic you’ll talk about. Usually I write a temporary topic sentence, and when I go back to revise it, I work on making it more creative and intriguing.
Body: Just like a classic 5 paragraph essay, you want to layout all the topics you’ll address in your personal statement. If you are choosing a narrative (story) approach, think of this first paragraph as where you introduce the setting, main character (you), and what event/topic you are discussing.
Last Sentence: This is a transition sentence, think of it as a set up for the second paragraph because you want to link what you introduce in the 1st paragraph to what you are about to write about in your second.

Second Paragraph: The Action

Now that you’ve introduced your topic in the first paragraph, it’s time to get specific with details. Remember: choose one aspect you can focus on to show your main take away, describing details helps the reader understand where you’re coming from AND makes them more interested in what you’re saying.

This is the heart of your personal statement, where you get right to the main event, action, or topic and lay it out for the reader. This is where you analyze what you introduce in the first paragraph and/or describe the event you are discussing.

Remember to have a concluding sentence that prepares the reader for the next paragraph, which is where you bring it back to yourself, what you learned/how you changed from the experiences/activities you write about in the second paragraph.

Third Paragraph: It’s all about you baby

This is where you bring it back to your main point: how you’ve personally grown/ what you’ve learned/ how whatever topic you chose demonstrates you are going to be this kick ass leader in college and contribute to the campus.

Fourth Paragraph: Short but Sweet*

This is your conclusion, and like the classic 5 paragraph essay structure, you want it to “mirror” your introduction. Make sure the last sentence clearly states what you have to offer, in the context of your topic, to colleges— make yourself a thirst trap for college admission officers!

*You may be able to write your personal statement in just 3 paragraphs, but in general, readers like to read shorter paragraphs rather than fewer longer paragraphs— and the goal is to make it as easy as possible for your reader to read it.

And remember, don’t be too precious about it, which is to say, just get the words on the page, you can tweak them later, but the first step it just getting something written!