Top 10 Personal Statement Blunders

Picture this—you just received a perfect score of 800 on your GMATs, youve worked for one of the top five consulting firms in the U.S. for three years, and your undergraduate grade point average was 3.95. (Blast that "B" in Astrophysics.) Youre a lock for your first-choice business school, right? Well, maybe, unless you botch up your personal statement. Sparkling resumes are helpful for graduate school admissions, but if one admissions counselor is bored with—or worse, offended by—your personal statement, you could be history. According to Mark Alan Stewart, author of Perfect Personal Statements, you should avoid the following ten pitfalls:

1. Submitting an Expository Resume. Avoid merely repeating information that is already provided in your application.
   
   
2. Complaining About the System or Your Life. No one wants to hear you whine. Theyd rather hear how you overcame certain obstacles.
   
   
3. Preaching. Expressing your values and opinions is fine, but avoid coming across as a fanatic or extremist.
   
   
4. Discussing Money. Dont talk about money as a motivating factor in your plans for the future.
   
   
5. Discussing Minority Status or Disadvantaged Background. This only helps if you have a compelling and unique story that relates to your background.
   
   
6. Reminding the School of Its Ranking. The school could be offended and already knows how its viewed.
   
   
7. Using Hackneyed Introductions or Conclusions. Theres nothing worse than reading a personal statement that begins with, "I was born in Chicago in 1971," and ends with "And that is why I think you should accept my application for admission into your program." Be witty, eloquent, and innovative.
   
   
8. Using a Gimmicky Style or Format. Although being original certainly helps, dont go overboard. Tactics such as using colored paper, poetry (unless youre applying for a creative writing degree), or fancy fonts will only distract your reader.
   
   
9. Submitting Supplemental Materials. Dont bulk up your application package with items that the school didn't ask for.
   
   
10. Getting the Name of the School Wrong. Its nice to be able to reuse an essay from application to application—and sometimes you can—but make sure you change the specifics from essay to essay. Telling the University of Denver why the University of Arizona is your first choice wont likely go over well with the admissions staff.
    
    

Writing a personal statement for graduate school admission is a challenge. However, outstanding resources exist to help you. Read more about personal statements, in-person interviews, and letters of recommendation in Stewarts book, Perfect Personal Statements.

"Top 10 Personal Statement Pitfalls" adapted from Perfect Personal Statements, by Mark Alan Stewart, Petersons, Thomson Learning, 2001.