The Common App personal statement brings life, personality, and character to the college application. It’s also one of the areas students have the most control over. In this blog, we’ll outline what a personal statement is, tips to bring the essay to life, and how admissions officers review them.
Table of Contents:
- What is a Personal Statement?
- Why is the Personal Statement Important?
- 2025-2026 Personal Statement Prompts
- How to Write the Personal Statement
- Common Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Personal Statement
- Additional Resources
Key Takeaways:
- The personal statement is a 650-word essay submitted to all colleges and universities a student applies to through the Common App, Coalition App, or other platforms. Each year students can select 1 of the 7 prompts to answer.
- The personal statement is an essential part of the application because it is one of the few sections a student has full control over. It’s also a chance for admissions readers to understand the student outside an academic setting, determine if they are a personal fit for their college, and evaluate their writing ability.
- Some of the best college essays include 1 or all of the following elements: authenticity and reflection, a plot or narrative arc, and details and descriptions.
What is a Personal Statement?
In addition to academic transcripts, students applying through the Common App will be required to submit at least one college essay. The personal statement is a 650-word essay on a topic of the student’s choosing to learn more about the student’s experiences and character (in their own words). The personal statement tends to cause a lot of anxiety for students due to its open-ended nature. While the purpose is to ask the student “What’s your story?”, the answer can manifest itself in all sorts of ways.
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Why is the Personal Statement Important?
Understanding the Whole Student & Looking Beyond Academics
The first reason colleges ask for this essay is to learn more about the student outside the classroom. Colleges aren’t looking to fill their campus with all the same students. Instead, they’re building a well-rounded group of individuals, full of differing experiences, perspectives, cultures, and ambitions. These efforts ensure their institution offers an enriching experience, both academically and culturally.
Colleges also recognize that a student’s entire high school experience can’t be summarized by their grade point average or test scores. College essays or the “Additional Information” section give admissions readers context that may not be reflected in other sections of the application.
Writing Ability
The personal statement and supplemental essays are becoming increasingly important in the decision-making process for colleges, especially with many schools relying less on standardized test scores.
How a student writes their essay demonstrates their ability to write at the college level. Depending on the topic, it can also communicate a student’s ability to reflect, use critical thinking, and other valuable soft skills that can set them up for success in college.
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2025-2026 Personal Statement Prompts
Each year, the Common App releases college essay prompts for students to review in advance. Although the prompts remain the same for 2025-2026, it’s still good practice to review the complete list of questions before kickstarting the brainstorming process.
Below are the most popular and common prompts students select for their personal statement:
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
The prompts all focus on important themes in which students are encouraged to reflect on, including:
- Perseverance and self-discovery
- Defining moments and personal growth
- Passions and future goals
No matter which prompt you choose, students shouldn’t rush into it. Taking the time to brainstorm topics, outline a narrative, and refine the essay is the best way to ensure you’re submitting the best work possible.
In this next section, we’ll identify key elements that all great personal statement essays include.
How to Write a Personal Statement?
3 Things Every Personal Statement Essay Should Include
Authenticity and Reflection
Reflection is a big component of college applications. Colleges want to see how your experiences and values have shaped you, and what that might bring to your future college experience. When admissions readers are sifting through thousands of applications, introspection is key to standing out from the crowd.
Don’t be afraid to show vulnerability and share personal stories. After all, it’s called a personal statement for that reason!
A Plot or Narrative Arc
As cliche as it may be, every good story has a well-structured beginning, middle, and end. The same applies to the personal statement. These are building blocks to craft a compelling narrative. Without them, readers may be left with more questions than answers, and in college admissions, you never want to risk leaving valuable information out.
When drafting the personal statement, it’s critical to ask these important questions:
- What’s my story and why am I telling it?
- What will the reader learn about me after reading this story?
- Have I changed from the beginning of the story? Is that being clearly communicated to the reader?
Related: Looking for a Personal Statement Outline?
Detail and Description
At first glance, it may seem easy to write a 650-word essay. The less the better. Students quickly learn that it can be very challenging to summarize their experience in 650 words or less. That’s why being detailed, concise, and using descriptive language strategically is key to writing a strong essay. Focus on specific emotions or experiences to bring your story to life. For example, simply saying “I love science,” is not sufficient. Take the time to identify where your passion for science started, how you incorporated this into your life, and how it shaped your studies. This level of reflection is what makes an essay stand out.
5 Tips to Write an Effective Personal Statement
- Start brainstorming early.
Understanding how to start a personal statement is challenging. Give yourself ample time to brainstorm, write, and revise your essay. The first personal statement draft should never be the one submitted to colleges. Use this checklist to guide you:
- Brainstorm 1-3 potential essay topics
- Write a general outline for each one
- Narrow your topic down to what feels most authentic to you
- Draft a couple of versions of the essay
- Put your essay down and go do something
- Come back to it with fresh eyes and see where you can make revisions
- Ask someone to review your essay
Essay writing can be a taxing process, especially for students who may not be the strongest writers. Working on essays in the summer before senior year will help alleviate any last-minute stress in the fall.
- Show, don’t tell.
Illustrate your story through anecdotes and experiences. It’s more effective to demonstrate personal growth than to simply say you’ve grown as an individual.
- Get feedback from people you trust.
It can feel intimidating to ask for feedback from peers, but there is so much value in receiving different perspectives on your story. Who should you ask? Select 2-3 people. Teachers or counselors are great essay readers because they know you just enough to remain impartial.
Knowing when your essay is ready to be read by others is also a key milestone in the essay-writing process. Receiving input too early can lead to discouragement. Asking too late could result in those individuals being too busy to dedicate their time, especially if you’re thinking of asking a teacher before application season. To understand if your essay is where it needs to be, ask yourself: Can this story be passed off as someone else’s story?
- Be authentic.
Let your voice and your story shine. This isn’t the time to whip out that dusty thesaurus or sit back while ChatGPT does all the work. No one can tell your story better than you (No, not even AI).
- Don’t repeat information from other sections of the application.
Students instinctually attempt to write about their academic experiences, since colleges want to know first and foremost if a student is academically qualified to attend their college. However, the personal statement is not the place to rehash your GPA, extracurriculars, or test scores—those details have already been covered in your application. This space is the time to offer a deeper look into your life.
If you feel that there is still information you’d like to share with admissions readers or nuances that need to be explained, the “Additional Information” section is the place to do that.
Common Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid
Some common pitfalls to steer clear of when kickstarting the essay writing process are:
- Trying too hard to impress admissions readers through over-embellished stories. Stay true to yourself.
- Submitting an essay without proper proofreading and revision. The worst feeling is to re-read an essay after it has been submitted and find a spelling mistake.
- Leaving the essay-writing process until the last minute. The last thing students want is to juggle essay writing, homework, extracurriculars, and college applications in the fall of senior year. It’s a foolproof way to submit rushed or incomplete applications.
- Trying to cover too much ground. Some students attempt to tell their life story in 650 words. Focus on a single theme or pivotal moment.
Related: 5 College Essay Examples & What to Avoid
Frequently Asked Questions about the Personal Statement
How Long Should My Personal Statement Be?
Most personal statements will have a 650-word limit. Students should attempt to maximize their word count to tell their story.
Can I Write about Mental Health in my Personal Statement?
Yes, if mental health struggles are a part of your experiences in high school. Students considering writing about mental health should be cognizant of how much information they are communicating. Admissions officers are real people, so questioning how much information you’d like them to know is important.
Additionally, students should avoid going this route because they believe it will increase their chances of admission to a college. Mental health topics should not be used as a strategy to elicit sympathy, but rather to demonstrate resilience and growth.
When Should I Start My Personal Statement?
Ideally, students should start thinking about their personal statement in junior year. This is a great time to identify a handful of potential topics and start playing around with them. Starting early is also the best way to avoid rushed essays or last-minute hiccups. The summer before senior year is the ideal time to start drafting and revising your essay. This will ensure that students are ready when early college applications come in November.
What if I Don’t Have a Dramatic Story?
That’s okay! In fact, most students feel this way, so you’re not alone. The personal statement doesn’t always have to be about overcoming extreme adversity. The most important thing is how the story is being told.
Conclusion
The personal statement is an essential part of the college application. Take your time, be thoughtful, and craft a story that truly reflects who you are.
Looking for college essay writing support? Work with a Collegewise counselor to brainstorm and refine your college essay and benefit from Collegewise’s in-house essay review team for expert feedback and proofreading, trusted by 30,000+ families.
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Personal Statement: Additional Resources
- How to Start a Personal Statement
- Personal Statement Outline
- Is a Personal Struggle an Appropriate Essay Topic?
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