Looking back at this, I noticed that the personal statement has only been briefly mentioned throughout high school, and we are told to focus on our studies and extracurricular activities to build our strength of character. These are also important, of course, but I feel like setting a priority on recognizing this important detail should be introduced earlier in our high school years. Does anyone else feel the same way? Did you also feel that slap to your face when Ms. Fletcher provided her insight on Cho's personal statement? Did this just make the stress of being able to write an impacting personal statement that much harder?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Emphasizing The Personal Statement's Importance in High Shcool
I knew the personal statement was needed to be accepted into a University of California, but it was not until we read Ms. Cho's own personal statement that made me realized just how crucial the personal statement was to deciding whether or not any one person would be admitted into a college of their choice. Looking over Cho's transcript, we all were clearly able to see her academic strengths and weaknesses as well as showing that she was a hard working, well-rounded student involved in many extra-curricular activities and had an internship (or was it a job?). I personally thought her essay showed how much she had grown as a young adult, but Ms. Fletcher's analysis made us all realize that Cho had a few issues with her family that she needed to deal with before she would be mentally prepared for college life. I never had such a powerful epiphany before regarding essays, and that was when I realized that the personal statement was the final decision that determined our entrance into our dream universities or colleges.
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Hey Kalei. Yeah I wish I knew early on about everything colleges want from students. I always focused on good grades and never paid attention to what I was passionate about. I had that mindset that the way to get in to a good college was to get the best grades. I wish I realized the importance of the SAT, personal statements, and extra-curriculars early on in high school. I could have started early and done more to be more appealing to colleges. Most importantly, I should have pursued more of the things I wanted to do instead of always putting grades first. When I read Cho's personal statement, I thought it was pretty good. Then Ms. Fletcher had us analyze both the profile and essay of Cho and that really opened my eyes. I did not realize how much of an impact the essay can have on defining the applicant. Putting myself in the college admission's shoes made me have a new insight into how to and what to write about. By reading Cho's essay and taking part in the BRA, I was able to see myself among the sea of papers.
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