{"id":20784,"date":"2013-09-23T14:42:34","date_gmt":"2013-09-23T21:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=20784"},"modified":"2013-09-23T14:43:58","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T21:43:58","slug":"personal-statement-tip-story-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/personal-statement-tip-story-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal Statement Tip: Story Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"story<\/a>The moment I found the lump, I suspected my life was about to change\u2014in a big way.<\/em><\/p>\n

Good enough for an opening line? Want to read more? I hope it\u2019s yes on both counts. Because I\u2019m going to tell you a story. A short one. A true one. Not so much for the sake of this particular story, but to get you to think about your own life\u2014your achievements, dreams, and challenges<\/a>\u2014in stories. It\u2019s busy season, yours and ours, for applications, and one of the best ways to set yourself apart is to tell a good story, in individual essays and with your overall application.<\/p>\n

So how do you tell a good story? It\u2019s not about lifting plots from Harry Potter<\/em> or hoping you suddenly gain magic storytelling powers. It\u2019s about making sure to tie together several key elements. As a reader, filmgoer, and enjoyer of gossip (admit it), you already know them. But you probably haven\u2019t thought of them formally as story elements and likely haven\u2019t used them much since grade school.<\/p>\n

The first element, as suggested above, is a killer opening<\/em><\/a>. To get them to keep reading, start with something that grabs their attention. Usually it\u2019s something in the middle of the action. If I\u2019d started with One day I decided to watch TV<\/em> (that\u2019s what I was doing when I found the lump), you probably wouldn\u2019t really care what happened next (um, I turned on the TV). Hopefully my actual opening makes you curious about the lump. But first we have to set context:<\/p>\n

It was mid-May 2001. I was a busy consultant in McKinsey\u2019s Chicago office, the proud father of a boy about to turn one, and a generally happy guy in his early 30s.<\/em><\/p>\n

This part covers two key elements: it immediately places the killer opening in context<\/em> and, in this case, introduces the stakes<\/em>. Context (person, place, time) is important because readers want to understand the story\u2019s circumstances; it helps them relate to the story, even if they\u2019ve never been in that situation. Stakes are important because it\u2019s hard to relate to a story if there\u2019s little for the main character to lose. Luke Skywalker had to destroy the Death Star to prevent Darth Vader from taking over the universe, which would have meant a lot of suffering for everyone. If Dorothy couldn\u2019t navigate Oz\u2019s Yellow Brick Road past the Wicked Witch, she never would have gotten back home to Kansas. If I didn\u2019t figure out the source of the lump and get it treated (if needed), I couldn\u2019t have continued being a busy consultant, proud father, and generally happy guy. And remember, the universe (or even one\u2019s life) needn\u2019t be at stake to tell a story people relate to. But effective stakes are something most of us would fight for\u2014health, a job, our community\u2019s welfare, and the like.<\/p>\n

It was tempting to wish the lump would just go away, and for a few days that was my strategy. I didn\u2019t even tell my wife. But soon I recognized that knowledge is power, and made an appointment with my doctor. Within a week I had a diagnosis: cancer. <\/em><\/p>\n

This keeps the reader interested because it brings in two new elements: an obstacle<\/em> (cancer) and character <\/em>(my personality traits). You know by now that I\u2019m the main character, a consultant, father, etc. But the text above shows you what kind of<\/em> character I am: one who\u2019s human (tempted to wish something bad away) but also one who takes action in adverse circumstances (going to the doctor). Character isn\u2019t only about positive traits though. Many essay questions ask you to discuss a time you failed<\/a> or made a mistake. For those, you often highlight negative traits (e.g., Luke Skywalker\u2019s lack of faith in himself and the Force) upfront, but in the context of how you gained insights and ultimately more positive attributes from dealing with their consequences.<\/p>\n

Hopefully that gives you a good start on thinking about story elements\u2014killer openings, context, stakes, obstacles, and character\u2014and how to use them in your essays.<\/p>\n

The admissions consultants at Accepted.com<\/a> would be happy to help you use story elements to write effective essays.<\/em><\/p>\n


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