04/07/2004, 06:10 PM
Out of all the personal statements i have seen, i have never seen bullet point style used, or subheadings. If you've had an essay style critiqued, that may be understandable because you have to keep in mind that the space you have to write your statement is severly limited, and full on essay style is preferred for long, more in depth discussions. You don't have time to write in depth, you need to get your points across clearly and quickly. But bullet pointing is just the other end of the scale; it's too short and snappy, and i would advise against it, because it makes you look like you are incapable of writing in a flowing manner.
So, you need to get your points across quickly and clearly, yet you need it to flow! Always easier said than done. The tactic here is PARAGRAPHS. You need to divide your statement into at least 3 paragraphs. If you are applying by paper application, leave a small space between each paragraph. If you are applying via the website (which i strongly recommend, it makes life so much easier), you don't want to leave a line between paragraphs, because it wastes space - instead use an indent (just hit the space bar 3 times, that will do).
Now the advantage of paragraphing is that you can make each one sort of lie under it's own subheading, without actually writing the subheading at all. For example, the first paragraph should be "Why i like my subject". You dont start with "I like my subject because...", you talk about something interesting within your subject (see the various guides on this website). Your second paragraph can then be something like "why i am keen to continue studying" - once again, you only subconciously suggest that by talking about all the extra books you've read and extra stuff you've done involved with your subject. The next paragraph might be "My other interests". You see, you're getting the idea. A final paragraph should only be 2 or 3 lines and should be subconciously titled "why you should pick me" - sum it up in only a few words.
formal is good, but not too formal, it just gets heavy. It needs to give off a relaxed tone, almost as if you were talking to them directly.
hope that helps a little!
So, you need to get your points across quickly and clearly, yet you need it to flow! Always easier said than done. The tactic here is PARAGRAPHS. You need to divide your statement into at least 3 paragraphs. If you are applying by paper application, leave a small space between each paragraph. If you are applying via the website (which i strongly recommend, it makes life so much easier), you don't want to leave a line between paragraphs, because it wastes space - instead use an indent (just hit the space bar 3 times, that will do).
Now the advantage of paragraphing is that you can make each one sort of lie under it's own subheading, without actually writing the subheading at all. For example, the first paragraph should be "Why i like my subject". You dont start with "I like my subject because...", you talk about something interesting within your subject (see the various guides on this website). Your second paragraph can then be something like "why i am keen to continue studying" - once again, you only subconciously suggest that by talking about all the extra books you've read and extra stuff you've done involved with your subject. The next paragraph might be "My other interests". You see, you're getting the idea. A final paragraph should only be 2 or 3 lines and should be subconciously titled "why you should pick me" - sum it up in only a few words.
formal is good, but not too formal, it just gets heavy. It needs to give off a relaxed tone, almost as if you were talking to them directly.
hope that helps a little!