Common mistakes and errors when writing a personal statement

Posted by adairsawyer on June 30th, 2013

Writing a strong personal statement involves not only knowing just what to write to make yourself stand out, but also knowing what not to write to avoid making yourself stand out for all of the wrong reasons.  There are several common mistakes to avoid when writing your personal statement to make sure that what you submit is a strong personal statement, rather than one which makes you appear like a bad candidate who should not be offered an admission spot.

Some common mistakes when writing a personal statement is using poor grammar or bad spelling.  Even though your personal statement is meant to be a reflection of who you are and is not as formal as a piece of academic writing, you are stilling being judged for your ability to write well and communicate effectively.  When your grammar is messy or your spelling atrocious, you do not have a strong personal statement—instead, you are left with a personal statement which gives the reader the impression that you do not care much about how you come across and may not have the necessary skills to be a good student.

Another common mistake when writing a personal statement is focusing too much on telling the reader what you do or who you are instead of showing them.  Anyone can write that they are funny and intelligent, but it is far more convincing if you write the kind of strong personal statement that showcases these qualities rather than just lists them.  When you are writing your personal statement, it is important to use every single word and sentence available to make it clear to the reader that you are able to evidence the skills that you say you have. 

It is also important that you remember to show off your own personality, rather than just write a regular template personal statement.  If you want to submit a strong personal statement, rather than a generic one, it is important that who you are comes shining through.  It is a common mistake to think that the only thing that matters to the personal statement is to simply get it done.  Instead, it is very important that if you want a strong personal statement that you ensure that yours is one that stands out from the crowd.  You want to focus on showing the reader who you are and that who you are is someone who can write well, communicate effectively, and will be the sort of candidate who can not only write a strong personal statement, but also support the claims made with real evidence of skills.

Some students want to throw together a personal statement as quickly as possible and get it done with.  But if you want to ensure that you have a strong personal statement, one which will impress the reader and make sure that you stand out, you must avoid these common mistakes.

Expert personal statement writers are on hand to help you avoid the common mistakes that could cost you a place at a prestigious university. Personal-Statement.com believes a strong personal statement is the first stepping stone to a successful academic career, so take advantage of their range of services today!