The hardest part about writing a personal statement essay is determining how you are going to portray yourself. It is best to find out the ideal approach to take in introducing yourself to your readers, the admission committee officers.  Based on our experience, there are certain best practices to writing an effective statement of purpose essay.

Identify your Target Audience

What other way is there to know what path to take, but to first identify your target audience. Always remember that when writing a personal statement essay, you must cater your writing to the liking of your reader. The admission officers are reading your essay simply not to get to know you but to find out if you are worthy and fit to be part of their college.  Know the school and its history, the departments it has, the courses it offers, the professors who work there and the values the institution upholds.  If you were the reader, what would you like to find out?  Stand in their shoes and ask yourself , “do we want this student on this course and department?” and “do we want this student at this university?” With all that in mind, you can now infer the details you must consider including in your essay.

Be Specific

Now that you have established your reader’s point of view, you can now proceed to the specifics: write about yourself as a student. Explain your behavior, personality and values as an individual and incorporate it into your student life and chosen course.  Make sure that you depict yourself as someone who is hardworking and unlikely to drop out so that the admission committee will see how you are able to cope with the demands and stress included in the course you desire. Also, write about how much you can and will try to adapt to the new environment and system. Be honest with your thoughts and feelings and let them relate to you.

Cite Specific Events 

Don’t forget to cite specific events which made an impact to your life. Whenever you are explaining a point or idea, refer to your past experiences to make it sound believable. Do not be afraid to reveal failures/shortcomings.  The more important thing is how you tell the admissions officer that you learned from this failure or mistake.  This is your only way to connect with your reader so write it in such a way that is clear and concise enough for him or her to understand and comprehend.

These are the things you must keep in mind when writing your statement of purpose essay. Question yourself about what you have written and make sure you are able to answer the queries these admission officers might have about you and your essay. Keep all this in mind and you’ll be on your way to an effective statement of purpose essay.