Writing a Personal Statement
Many colleges and graduate schools require a personal statement along with an applicant’s admission package. It is often an opportunity to demonstrate you personality and your journey to the school, and explain why they should accept you.
The purpose is to write a coherent story about who you are and what made you who you are. The following are tips on how to frame your discussion.
There is lots of advice on the internet about how to write a good personal statement and much of it can work for Yeshiva students as well. However, because those articles are written for the general public, some of it may not apply and there is much that has been left out; that is what we present here.
For Bochurim who went through the Chabad system, there is a lot in your favor. Throughout your years you have been provided with many opportunities to do amazing things and you almost certainly have been through a great many experiences that can demonstrate your character.
Volunteer
The average bochur also engages in a lot of volunteer work, from merkos shlichus to Friday mivtzoyim where you do outreach and make cold calls either on the street or in office buildings and where you meet others and share your tradition with them. If you volunteered for Aleph, or for the friendship circle, released time, etc. you can describe that as well and how you felt about it and the experiences you’ve had and how it made you who you are today.
You can describe your Merkos Shlichus trips to exotic locations helping isolated and underprivileged communities and led religious services. If you’ve been involved with your shul or any organization you can use that as well. You can discuss the other Shlichus and volunteer work that you’ve done if you’ve mentored others or helped the community in any way.
​
Yeshiva
You can also discuss where you studied, if you studied abroad, and the rigorous schedule that yeshiva students often are put through. From waking up early in the morning to late at night, there are few other systems that have such a full educational schedule.
Some specific examples:
-
You can discuss the fact that you are multilingual in Hebrew, Yiddish , etc.
-
If you are going to law school, you can also discuss how the Talmud is a critical analysis of legal theory and how it impacted you.
-
Discuss how it was in yeshiva, learning for 12-14 hours a day, waking up early and going to bed late and studying all the time.
-
Did you hold any teaching or leadership positions, were you a counselor in camp, etc
-
If you were not such an academic student, discuss what you did do, if you went on Mivtzoyim or outreach or if you were involved in some other project.
-
If you are a baal teshuva, you can discuss your journey and what you’ve been through and what made you who you are.
-
In addition you can write about any competition, achievement, award, skills, or other interesting experiences you’ve been through.
For Girls
-
Many girls in our educational system have had similar global and leadership opportunities as the bochurim which would work for a personal statement, as outlined above. For those who have not had those same mivtzoim/shlichus opportunities, there are still many components of our upbringing that would make a personal statement unique and memorable, not least of all what it was like growing up as a girl/woman in a Hassidic community, etc
​
If you have members of your family who’ve been to college you can gain valuable information from them. If they were alumni of the school you are applying to, you can mention that and they are more likely to accept you.
However, if you don’t have any relatives who’ve been to college, you can actually play that to your advantage. Many schools like to have a diverse student body who come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have a dozen uncles and aunts and 100 first cousins and you are the first one to go to college, that may impress the admissions office because it shows you have initiative and that you are ambitious and focused; they may be more willing to take you on and give you the opportunity to get out there into the world.
What may seem like a disadvantage you can often play to your advantage. For example, if you had a hard time in school, you can discuss it and how you’ve overcome the challenges you faced, that will show your ambition and perseverance.
​
I know some may feel that writing a personal statement in such a way is somewhat deceitful, but you shouldn’t feel that way. You must obviously be honest about what you write and don’t write anything untruthful, but the fact is that you probably live a unique life like nobody has ever lived or will live, you need only find the correct way to think about it and present it and show people the amazing person that you are.
Remember, it’s important that you write this all in a coherent and readable essay and not just throwing a bunch of stuff around. The point is that you want to tell the admissions who you are and what made you who you are. And of course, show your statement to multiple family/friends if you can and cull helpful feedback; noone makes it through this process alone.
​