A good personal statement leaves an impression with the reader because it gives a sense of your personal qualities. Telling a story about yourself is a good way to show the essence of who you are.
A good statement must be easy to read. Spending time ordering your thoughts and connecting ideas is vital to the overall impact of the essay. Above all else, don't wait until the last minute to write the statement.
A winning personal statement makes the reader feel he has met you and answers, "Who am I?" According to Mary Hale Tolar, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Truman Scholars Foundation, don't write what you think others want to hear. She also recommends that a personal statement not be simply a resume of accomplishments. In Tolar's words, a personal statement can, in fact, be "liberating."