Why the Personal Statement Matters
Grades and test scores tell admissions committees what a student has done. The personal statement tells them who that student is. For competitive programmes, where many applicants have strong academic profiles, the essay is often the deciding factor.
The Most Common Mistakes
Writing about achievements instead of character: Listing accomplishments belongs on the activities section. The essay is for revealing the person behind the accomplishments — the values, the growth, the perspective.
Being generic: Essays that could have been written by any applicant are the most forgettable kind. The goal is an essay that only you could have written.
Weak openings: Admissions readers review thousands of essays. An opening that immediately creates interest — a specific scene, an unexpected statement, a vivid detail — is worth more than three generic paragraphs.
My Process With Students
We start by talking. Not about what they think admissions committees want to hear — about what they actually care about, what shaped them, what they've learned. Strong essay topics almost always emerge from honest conversation.
From there, we outline, draft, and revise. I focus on the writing itself — structure, voice, clarity — while ensuring the student's authentic perspective stays at the centre. The goal is always an essay that sounds like them at their most articulate, not like a polished version of what they think they should say.