CaliforniaColleges.edu identifies one way to accomplish a solid personal statement essay: Reflect on a facet your family, school or community and demonstrate how it shaped your intellectual life. This type of essay reveals how your educational goals developed from one or more of these influences. Describe the issue thoroughly and communicate how you handled it, why you handled it the way you did and how the outcome has made you a better person.
Many people have overcome one or more serious obstacles that could have derailed them. If you can think of an obstacle you have surmounted, this is perfect fodder for a strong personal statement essay. In an essay like this, you explain the difficult nature of the choices you made and explicate what was at stake for you while you were handling the matter.
According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, a strong personal statement essay can explain gaps or discrepancies in your academic record. When looking at an application and evaluating a person by GPA or numbers alone, an admissions counselor can miss out on students who had a good reason for poor performance at certain times during their academic career. If this is the case for you, take time in your personal statement essay to show where you have been successful and explain why forces beyond your control caused your performance to decline. Then, explain how you have rebounded from those events to get back on track.
Admissions counselors always want to know why you have chosen the academic path you are proposing. In a personal statement essay, it can be wise to show how you arrived at your career goal and discuss what you want to accomplish in the field. An essay explains why you are passionate about the specific subject area and offer specific, personal details that led you to this particular goal.