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The plea for authenticity in application essays and personal statements is one you've probably heard before, but because of its importance, it's one that merits frequent reminders. So here I am again, reminding you to BE YOURSELF.
If you ask an admissions committee member what the most common mistake applicants make is, they will most probably respond, "When applicants lack authenticity and only write what they think we want to hear."
We all know that we need to write in a way that makes us stand out. "Write something extraordinary," is what we often advise applicants. But even with that advice, applicants tend to drift towards adcom-pleasing and away from writing about their distinctive experiences, motivations, and lessons learned, which are extraordinary.
For example, if you're a South Asian engineer, then it seems pretty obvious that you're going to need to find something interesting to say to stand out. But even the rambutan farmer in Malaysia won't be able to rely on her profile alone if she wants to truly portray her inner essence to the admissions committee.
So the question remains—how do you write an application essay or personal statement that a) shows that you are an extraordinary person, b) expresses something that is important to YOU, and c) still appeals to the adcom?
Easy—write about the experiences that are important to you and distinctive about you. When you've completed your essays and are reading through them for a final edit, you should see a portrait of you and what you care about. Not what you think someone else wants to read.
For more personal statement and application tips, check out 5 Fatal Flaws, Accepted's popular 5-day email course.
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