Final Word/Personal Statements

Applying to College
1

A lot of the scholarships and college applications that I have been filling out ask for a final word or a personal statement, and I have absolutely no idea what to include, say, talk about, etc. For example, I am one of my school’s endorsements for the Morehead-Cain, and the final portion of the application says “Final Word: What didn’t we ask you that you would like to tell us about yourself?” Internally I want to say something quirky and differnt like, “My favorite food is fish tacos, my heroes are Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amy Poehler, and I love making my own jewelry,” but this all seems very unprofessional and not something that I would want to submit to a prestigious school and scholarship committee.

Overall, what makes a good and professional final word or personal statement?

2

Actually, I like the quirky ‘final word.’ It rounds out their picture of you, shows a sense of humor and a sense of fun. It doesn’t detract from your application which, I assume, is full of sober things like grades, test scores, essays about what you plan to study and/or do with your life, ECs, etc…That final word is your shot a making yourself sound like more than an achievement god or mentor magnet - you are also someone they would enjoy getting to know better and who can be trusted to talk about something besides academics in a social situation.