Miss Merrill's Page for All-Things-College!

The personal statement (ie, the Common Application essay, the required essay, the short-answer, etc.) is your student's opportunity to express themselves on-paper, and to more fully detail their personality and character to the respective admissions committees of the schools to which they are applying. Truly, high schoolers start to blend together--ACT scores, transcripts, resumes, part-time jobs. But the personal statement is your child's opportunity to really stand out, to put a face (artistically speaking!) to a name, and to really convey to the readers of the application exactly what they hope to gain in higher education, and WHO they are, beyond just SAT numbers, Honors classes, etc.

The same holds true for scholarship personal statements! The written portion is your student's opportunity to SHINE. Treat this assigment as a gift, not a burden! See below for links to some amazing sample personal statements.