{"id":62323,"date":"2024-04-15T07:45:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T14:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=62323"},"modified":"2024-04-15T07:45:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T14:45:50","slug":"how-to-weave-stories-into-your-personal-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/how-to-weave-stories-into-your-personal-statement\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Weave Stories Into Your Personal Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"
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People LOVE stories. Use this to supercharge your personal statement!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In nearly 20 years of helping people get into their dream schools<\/a>, I\u2019ve made a point of working with clients to create essays that are both engaging and substantive. This balance is the key to a great essay for graduate or professional school. But, somewhere along the line, people got it in their heads that the only<\/em> <\/strong>purpose of a personal statement was to let the reader get to know them. This is a mistake.<\/p>\n

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Over and over, I will read a personal statement for medical school or law school in which the author will tell a story that is highly personal to them, but in which they fail to link that story to their application\u2019s core strengths and themes. When I try to explain that they need to focus on things germane to their application, they will tell me that they want to let the reader know who they are, as if this is a sufficient explanation for a medical school essay that focuses almost exclusively on their love of triathlons or a law school essay that does not ever use the word \u201claw.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Why does this happen?\u00a0 Essentially, it happens because people get so fixated on writing an *interesting* essay that makes the applicant sound *unique.*\u00a0 I hear these words \u2013interesting and unique- all the time, and while they are important goals, and they will help an essay if used properly, they are a means to an end and not the end itself.\u00a0 The end, the purpose, and your primary motivation in a personal statement are simple: convince the reader that you are prepared and qualified for admission.<\/p>\n

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Given this, as you write your personal statement, you should keep in mind a simple and well-worn maxim that every salesman has heard a million times: Always Be Closing (ABC).\u00a0 In other words, at every point in the essay, you need to keep in mind whether or not what you are saying is moving the reader closer to believing that you have the requisite knowledge, experience, and understanding of the field you hope to enter.<\/p>\n

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For every story, for every paragraph, and for every sentence, you do need to ask yourself, \u201cWhat does this say about the strength of my candidacy?\u201d\u00a0 If the best that you can come up with that it says something interesting or unique about you, it doesn\u2019t pass the ABC test.\u00a0 On the other hand, if it shows that you have an important and germane skill or perspective, then it passes the ABC test.<\/p>\n

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Now, what I am NOT<\/strong> saying is to be boring or rote, or to provide a straightforward rendering of your CV in essay form. If there is some aspect of your personality that is meaningful to you, then take the extra time to think about how it aligns with your application. For instance, if you\u2019re a triathlete applying to medical school, can you create an overarching frame or metaphor and use the three phases of a triathlon to discuss the three pillars of your preparation for medical school? Or perhaps you\u2019ve learned things from preparation and training that are germane? Did the discipline you found in the pool, track, and open road give you a framework for thinking about challenges? In other words, a great story is wonderful\u2026 so long as you connect it to what you\u2019re doing and who you aspire to become.<\/p>\n

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The story is your way in, but it\u2019s not the sale. Make them interested, then make the sale. Always be closing.<\/p>\n

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For more tips on how to build a story that moves the reader AND improves your application, check out these two videos we did:<\/p>\n