Defining the Personal Statement

Because a personal statement is unlike most documents students write in college, many students struggle with understanding the fundamentals of its definition. One of the best extended definitions I've seen is offered on the Fellowships website of Bryn Mawr. A condensed version adapted from that website is as follows:

A personal statement is:

A picture. Provide a snapshot of who you are as a person
An invitation. Your job is to “bridge the assumed distance to strangers.” Invite your reader to know you.
An indication of your priorities and judgment. Your selection of material reveals your priorities and ability to discern effectively.
A story, or more precisely, your story. The personal statement allows room for creative, meaningful self-reflection.

A personal statement is not:

An academic paper with you as the subject. The objective distance academic writing disengages the reader from you in a personal statement.
A resume in narrative form. Other parts of your application, which might even include a resume, already tell readers about your accomplishments. A personal statement must reveal and interpret something further about you.
A journal entry. A common mistake is allowing your personal statement to read like a diary. Share only relevant material selectively, in a voice that remains both individual and professional.
A plea or justification. Don't beg or defend the assertion that you are more worthy than other candidates-it only backfires

Of course, nuances to this definition may be added based on the circumstance. For instance, at times an application might require three different essays with highly specific parameters. Always look to the application itself to determine the degree to which the definitions above apply, and you know that when there is a series of questions one of them is usually designed to elicit a personal essay from you.

Issues of Length and Form

Normally, the length of a personal essay will be dictated b the application-500 words are typical limits, as are one-page of two-page limits. If you're given, say, a count of 1,500 words, you need not write to the maximum length, but to compose only one-half of the word count might be an opportunity missed. In any case, what matters most is that the material you present conforms to these word or space restrictions-parts of your application might literally not be read if you violate the rules. It is important that your written presentation is aesthetically pleasing and easy to read. To achieve these goals, the following is recommended:

If your personal statement is a stand-alone document within your application, open it with a simple heading such as “Personal Statement for Janet Lerner.” Thus, if your documents would get separated somehow, they could more easily be reassembled.
If you have more than one page to your essay, number them, and include your name on those pages as well.
Choose a publishing font that is highly readable, such as Times of Bookman or Times Roman. Some fonts allot for more tightness to the text, which is fine as long as the essay remains readable. Ideally, use no more than a 12-point size and not smaller than a 10-point size.
Allow for ample margins that the reader isn't distracted by cramped-looking text. Margins of at least one inch standard.
Single space your text, skipping a line between paragraphs. You can indent paragraph beginnings or not, as long as you're consistent.

At times, especially when you fill out an application electronically or have to cut and paste, word limits will be defined by physical space. In such cases, keep enough white space between your text and the application text that the material isn't crowded, and choose a font different from that used in the application.

The Harry S. Truman Foundation - "Tips for preparing an effective personal statement"

"The Rhodes Scholarship: Notes for Truman Scholars and Other College Students"

Finally, it is important that you not relay solely on the University Fellowships Office as your source of advice and feedback on your scholarship and fellowship essay(s). Given the small size of the office and the fact that we are not experts in all fields of study, you will want to see out the your faculty advisors and others familiar with your field (even your peers) and ask that they review and provide constructive feedback. If you are a member of the Schreyer Honors College (SHC), seek out, for example, the assistance of Ms. Clare Cowen, SHC career coordinator, who is very willing to assist and provide feedback. The University Writing Center is another excellent, university-wide resource available to all enrolled students. Additionally, experienced professionals in other fields of study can also provide you with invaluable feedback. Any feedback and comments you receive can be most helpful to you in not only helping you “fine tuning” your essays but also in preparation for your pending scholarship/fellowship interviews.