[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-349244-105":53,"doc-detail-349244-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","personal-statement-frequently-asked-questions","Personal Statement - Frequently Asked Questions","","Frequently Asked Questions for writing personal essays for college admissions, covering how to begin brainstorming and structuring a personal statement, recommended lengths for Common App and UC essays, and typical numbers of required essays and supplemental essays. Explains what admissions officers look for, how essays are evaluated across schools, and how much essays can matter relative to grades, course rigor, and test scores. Includes Common App and Coalition prompt lists plus exercises like Roles and Identities and Feelings and Needs.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":36,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/forms/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/personal-statement-frequently-asked-questions/349244/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/personal-statement-frequently-asked-questions/349244.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"4398046744996","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-23","2026-09-22",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":15},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"How do I begin writing my personal statement essay?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"Start brainstorming and develop structure for your essay. Use exercises like the Essence Objects and Values Exercises to generate ideas and organize your content.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How long should Common App and UC personal essays be?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The Common App personal statement can be up to 650 words. University of California (UC) essays are around 350 words each, while supplemental essay lengths vary by school.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What should admissions officers look for when reading my essay?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"Admissions officers focus on who you are, whether you will add value to campus, and whether you can write effectively. Different readers may emphasize different elements, such as writing ability or your story.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},349244,1791709489,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":60,"doc_module":9,"category_id":35,"category_name":36,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":129,"file_id":130,"file_url":131,"file_type":132,"file_size":133,"view_count":15,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":15,"language":134,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":135,"faqs":136,"seo_title":137,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":138,"read_time":79},4398046744996,"Frequently Asked Questions  \nHow do I begin to write my essay? If you’re reading this, you’ve already begun. In this guide you’ll find some ideas on how to brainstorm and structure your essay. Our favorite exercises are the Essence Objects and Values Exercises.  \nHow long should my essay be? It depends. Your main Common App essay can be up to 650 words, while the essays for the University of California (UC) schools are around 350 words each, and your supplemental essays will vary.  \nHow many essays will I need to write? Around 15 is average. You'll likely write a main personal statement for your Common App, perhaps some separate essays if you're applying to public schools (the UCs require four, for example), plus you'll write supplements for most selective schools, which number anywhere from 6-20, depending on the number of schools you apply to.  \nWhat should my essay be about? In a word, you.  \nWhat are college admissions officers looking for? They're looking for the answers to these three questions:  \n1. Who is this person?  \n2. Will this person contribute something of value to our campus?  \n3. Can this person write?  \nHow do college admissions officers evaluate my essay? Each school has its own criteria and different readers will prefer different elements. Michael Gulotta (Director of Recruitment, University of Colorado Boulder) for example, has told us he most looks to the essay to assess a student's writing ability. But Rick Diaz (Regional Director of Undergrad Admissions at SMU) is less interested in writing ability and more interested in a student's story.  \nSo which is more important: your story or your writing skill? Both are important. A good story, well told. That's your goal.  \nWhen should I start writing my essay? Today. Right now.  \nHow do I structure my essay? You’ll learn about two options today: Narrative Structure and Montage Structure.  \nHow much do essays matter? It depends on the college, but generally between 10%-30%. Essays tend to matter more for small schools, or schools who look at applications holistically.  \nIf my grades are bad, can I get into Harvard with a great essay? Nope. Schools look at your GPA, course rigor and test scores more than anything. When you're being compared to other students with similar GPA/SAT scores, that's when the essays can make or break your chances. Harvard is great, but there are a lot of other awesome schools too. For a list of Colleges That Change Lives, Google \"Colleges That Change Lives.\" (Really.)  \nCan a bad college essay negatively affect my application? Yes.  \n[www.collegeessayguy.com](www.collegeessayguy.com)  \nCOMMON APPlication PROMPTs  \nChoose one of the following prompts. 650 words, strict limit  \n1. 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.  \n2. 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?  \n3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?  \n4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?  \n5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.  \n6. 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?  \n7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.  \nCOalition application PROMPTs  \nChoose one of the following prompts. 500-650 words.  \n1. ","cbCaigxXQur6XVf4","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigxXQur6XVf4","pdf",584570,"English","# Frequently Asked Questions\n## Writing process and structure\n## Essay length and number\n## Admissions criteria and evaluation\n## Common App application prompts\n## Coalition application prompts\n## Exercises: Roles and Identities; Feelings and Needs","[{\"question\":\"How do I begin writing my personal statement essay?\",\"answer\":\"Start brainstorming and develop structure for your essay. Use exercises like the Essence Objects and Values Exercises to generate ideas and organize your content.\"},{\"question\":\"How long should Common App and UC personal essays be?\",\"answer\":\"The Common App personal statement can be up to 650 words. University of California (UC) essays are around 350 words each, while supplemental essay lengths vary by school.\"},{\"question\":\"What should admissions officers look for when reading my essay?\",\"answer\":\"Admissions officers focus on who you are, whether you will add value to campus, and whether you can write effectively. Different readers may emphasize different elements, such as writing ability or your story.\"}]","Personal Statement - Frequently Asked Questions | PDF",1790082383]