College Essay/Personal Statement Assignment
Task: Read over the list of essay topics below. Choose one. Each essay must be no more than 500 words.
WRITE THE WORD COUNT AT THE END OF THE ESSAY.
 If you are currently writing an essay for a college, please show me the prompt and essay you are
working on and feel free to use that prompt for this assignment. This essay must still be turned in to me
for grading.
 If you are not continuing to a 2 year or 4 year college, you may write a PERSONAL STATEMENT essay
tailored for the job market you hope to enter instead. Instructions for a Personal Statement essay are found
on the back of this sheet. You must choose a company and specific job you are trying to get for this type of
essay. Give the company name and job title at the beginning of this personal statement.
 An essay that earns a “6” (85%) must be: 500 words, no more! Typed in MLA format, contain
few or no convention errors, have a “hook” that grabs my attention immediately, answer the
prompt given, and BE MEMORABLE.
This essay is due _________________, typed in MLA format, and submitted to turnitin.com. A printed
hard copy is due at the beginning of class _________________. It is worth ___ points.
Topics:
1. Tell us about a situation where you have not been successful, and what you have learned from that
experience (William and Mary College). (Describe yourself essay)
2. Tell us about the biggest mistake you’ve ever made (University of VA). (Describe yourself Essay)
3. Describe a risk that you have taken and discuss its impact on your life (Kalamazoo College). (Describe
yourself essay)
4. Tell us about the neighborhood that you grew up in and how it helped shape you into the kind of
person you are today (Yale and the University of Chicago). (Describe yourself/Why us? because you
determined goals and tell how the university fits in with these goals)
5. Tell us what you think about a current scientific or social controversy. (William and Mary). (Issue
Essay)
6. What invention would the world be better off without, and why? (Kalamazoo College) (Issue Essay)
7. George Washington said, “Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; it is
better to be alone than in bad company.” About which of your friends do you and your parents
disagree? Why do you feel that the continued company of this friend is a good thing? (Northwestern)
(Describe yourself)
8. What is the best advice you ever received? Why? And did you follow it? What happened? (University of
Pennsylvania) (Describe yourself/Why us? because you determined a path that led you to this university)
9. If you could become another person, real or fictional, for one day, who would you become and why?
(Describe yourself/possibly Why us?)
10. Look through old family photos and pull out a few that remind you of important times or significant
moments. (Remember that the impact of a moment is what makes it significant. A hike through the woods
can sometimes be more significant than a birthday.) Choose one of these “Kodak Moments” to
describe and explain its significance to you. Speak about the photograph and your feelings about
what you see in it. (Describe yourself)
What You Should Include in a Personal Statement
Many jobs ask candidates to write something about themselves that will convince the employers to
take them on. This can be quite daunting: what should you include in your personal statement and, more
importantly, what should you NOT include?
What is a personal statement?
Employers often ask for a personal statement because they want more insight into who you are
and why they should hire you. The job application is standard and asks for objective facts and details that
allow them to evaluate candidates against job requirements. A personal statement gives applicants a
chance to express themselves and highlight anything in their background that distinguishes them from
other applicants.
What not to include
It is very important that you tailor each personal statement for the specific job you are
applying for. Do not simply copy and paste an old personal statement into your new application.
Although it is often called a ‘personal statement,’ this does not require you to give ‘personal’
information about things such as your hobbies. While your interests might make you sound like a rounded
individual (whether you enjoy the theatre, scuba diving or whatever), employers in a competitive job
market do not actually care about such things. They want to know why you are the best person for
the job. So unless specifically asked, don’t reveal details of your life outside the world of work.
Personal statements written by those hoping to get into college are slightly different, so do not be
misled by the large numbers of websites advertising help with writing personal statements. These are
aimed at high school and college students and are less relevant to you as a jobseeker.
How to structure it
It is important not to make a personal statement into a dense, unreadable block of text. You need
to write good prose in full sentences and break it up into small paragraphs. Use headings to help
guide the reader’s eye to the most important information.
Try to write in a style that makes your statement fresh and slightly different to the formal prose of
most of your application materials. You are trying to sell yourself as an attractive personality as well as a
professional employee.
Include such things as:
 Events from your education/career to date that make you especially suited to the job (including
volunteer work/work experience): it is important to be able to write about these events
enthusiastically
 What it is about the job that especially attracts you to it
 The skills/knowledge base you have that is relevant to the job
 What is the unique contribution you can make to the company? Check online for their mission
statement and refer to that when describing how you can contribute
 Refer directly to the job description using the same language and then relate that to your own
experiences
 What are your career aims? You might have to be creative here! Tailor your answer to the job
you’re applying for and make it seem as though you are desperate to pursue a career in that area!
However, try to make your statement as honest as possible; you want to come across as a real
person and not simply parroting what you think the employers want to hear. It is a difficult balance
to achieve
And don’t forget!
As with all parts of your application, make sure as many people as possible proofread your personal
statement. Nothing says ‘unprofessional’ like a personal statement full of typos or grammar mistakes.
Also, while you may think you have expressed yourself very clearly, other readers may be able to
highlight sentences or words that are incorrect, irrelevant or could be more clearly expressed. A good
personal statement passes through many drafts, so make sure you give enough time to the writing and
re-drafting process.