A good personal statement is not just a piece of writing, it’s a piece of you. While admissions counselors will have seen your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, they won’t have met you. The personal statement and the topic you choose for it is a creative introduction that presents your most successful self.
While there are many facets of yourself, there can be only one personal statement. It can feel overwhelming trying to determine good personal statement topics—there are so many personal statement topics you could choose—but this article will break down the brainstorming process to ensure a winning personal statement essay.
Choosing Good Personal Statement Topics
The most important feature of your personal statement is its topic. The Common App offers a set of prompts every year to inspire your essay, but we recommend thinking beyond those prompts to craft an essay that is unique to you. Think of the personal statement like a story: A really good story has a topic that is interesting, dramatic, and revealing. Let’s look at some ways you can spark creativity to write a strong personal statement.
1. Start with three compelling adjectives.
This personal statement topic is about you. No matter the topic you choose, it’s important to ensure that you’re always the focus of this essay. The spotlight is yours, seize it! One trick to writing about yourself is to determine your adjectives—words that you feel describe your personality. Are you driven, meticulous, and communicative? Determining your adjectives is the first step to writing a winning personal statement. Let these words guide you as you brainstorm your personal statement. If you’re invoking these adjectives throughout, you’re well on your way to crafting an authentic personal statement that won’t be seen as cliché.
2. Next, think of your passions.
Your passions can be a great place to start as you begin to brainstorm a college personal statement topic. Have you ever asked someone what they’re passionate about and seen them light up as they tell you all about it? Passions are always interesting and can be written about with enthusiasm. A passion can be big or small, but it should be something you can keep building on. If you can only write one paragraph about your passion, it might not be the best personal statement topic.
3. Can’t think of a good personal statement topic? Conjure a memory.
When you started thinking about your passions, perhaps significant moments flashed before your eyes. You remembered summers spent swimming at the lake, or nights spent cramming (and laughing) with your teammates before the Science Olympiad. A memory can be the heart of your personal statement subject—a scenic way to present oneself, showing your passions instead of just telling the admissions counselor about them. Writing about a memory with strong, sensory details can be a great way to set your essay apart from the rest.
4. Finally, reflect on your activities and hobbies.
While the college admissions counselor will be aware of your extracurricular activities already, the personal statement is a great way to show how you’ve exemplified yourself. It’s not enough to simply say what you’re passionate about—a great personal statement has examples to back up its claims. How have you furthered your interests inside and outside the classroom? Talk about your accomplishments, hobbies, and passions with feeling. Emotions are welcome in a good personal statement. You’re trying to show the admissions counselor who you are, not just what you can do.
Not Just A Personal Statement Topic, it’s Your Topic
After all that brainstorming, how do you know if the theme you’ve chosen is the best topic? If you need more help narrowing down a personal statement topic, you can read College Application Essay Topics: Narrowing The List or The Top 5 College Essay Topics to Avoid. The best advice for choosing a topic, however, is choosing a topic that makes you excited to write.
Be Thoughtful, Not Hasty as you Choose your Personal Statement Topic
This is just a brief primer on how you can write a winning college essay that will get you into the college of your dreams. A winning college essay is a well-rounded story that presents your most successful self to the college admissions counselor—crafting this story will take time, effort, and creativity—but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, in fact, you can have a little fun. You may want to schedule a meeting with one of our dedicated, knowledgeable college essay coaches to help you craft your personal statement into perfection.
