As with résumés, there’s no room for errors or slips in personal statements. (help with common errors) They are a test of your writing skills, plain and simple, so you need to get the spelling, mechanics, and usage correct. In addition, consider the following advice.

Don’t get too artsy. A striking image or two may work well in the statement, as may the occasional metaphor or simile. But don’t build your essay around a running theme, an extended analogy, or a pop-culture allusion that a reader might dismiss as hokey or simply not get. If a phrase or feature stands out too noticeably, change it, even though you may like it.

Use common sense. You probably already have the good grace not to offend gender, racial, religious, and ethnic groups in your personal statement. You should also take the time to read your essay from the point of view of people from less protected groups who may take umbrage at your dismissal of old folks, fundamentalists, or even Republicans. You don’t know who may be reading your essay.

Compose the statement yourself. It’s the ethical thing to do. If you don’t and you’re caught, you’re toast. You might ask someone to review your essay or take a draft to a writing center for a consultation. (peer review) This review or any help from a parent or English-major roommate should not purge your voice from the essay. Remember, too, that when you arrive at a job or internship, you’ll be expected to write at the level you display in the statement that got you there.