Is a personal statement the same as a college essay, or is there a difference?
I've been working on my college applications and I keep seeing the terms 'personal statement' and 'college essay' used almost interchangeably. I'm mostly applying through the Common App, but one of my schools is on the Coalition App and another has a separate supplement.
I’m kind of confused: Are the personal statement and the main college essay supposed to be the same thing? Or is a personal statement like something different or more specific? I want to make sure I’m not repeating myself or misunderstanding what goes where. Any help breaking this down would be really appreciated.
Also, if anyone has examples or could explain if colleges expect something different from each, that would help a lot too. I'm worried about writing the wrong type of essay and messing up my apps!
I’m kind of confused: Are the personal statement and the main college essay supposed to be the same thing? Or is a personal statement like something different or more specific? I want to make sure I’m not repeating myself or misunderstanding what goes where. Any help breaking this down would be really appreciated.
Also, if anyone has examples or could explain if colleges expect something different from each, that would help a lot too. I'm worried about writing the wrong type of essay and messing up my apps!
4 months ago
•
20 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
This is a really common question, so you’re not alone in being confused by the terms!
For undergraduate applications, especially those using the Common App or Coalition App, the 'personal statement' is typically the *main* college essay—the long-form essay (usually 500-650 words) that gets sent to every school you apply to through that platform. On the Common App, you’ll see it called the 'personal essay,' while some colleges or resources refer to it as the 'personal statement.' In practice, for your undergraduate admissions, personal statement and main college essay are used interchangeably.
Where it can get confusing is with supplemental essays. These are school-specific prompts, often much shorter, and they’re not the same thing as your main personal statement. For example, a supplement might ask 'Why do you want to study at our university?' or 'Describe a community you belong to.' These responses should focus specifically on the question—the colleges expect them to be different from your personal statement, even if there’s some overlap in your experiences or core message.
For most Common App and Coalition schools, you should write one main personal statement (the college essay), which tells a story about you and reflects on your growth, values, or a significant moment. For example, you might write about when you started a community project after noticing an issue in your neighborhood. Then, for Stanford’s supplemental essays, you might answer, 'How did you spend your last two summers?' by describing your internship or reading project—but you wouldn’t copy-paste your main essay here.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Personal statement = main college essay (for the Common App and Coalition App)
- Supplemental essays = shorter, specific essays for each college, usually with their own prompts
As long as you write a unique, engaging personal statement as your main essay, and respond directly to supplemental prompts (without repeating your main essay), you’ll be in good shape!
If you’d like to see a sample personal statement or tips for a specific supplemental prompt, just ask—happy to help break those down too.
For undergraduate applications, especially those using the Common App or Coalition App, the 'personal statement' is typically the *main* college essay—the long-form essay (usually 500-650 words) that gets sent to every school you apply to through that platform. On the Common App, you’ll see it called the 'personal essay,' while some colleges or resources refer to it as the 'personal statement.' In practice, for your undergraduate admissions, personal statement and main college essay are used interchangeably.
Where it can get confusing is with supplemental essays. These are school-specific prompts, often much shorter, and they’re not the same thing as your main personal statement. For example, a supplement might ask 'Why do you want to study at our university?' or 'Describe a community you belong to.' These responses should focus specifically on the question—the colleges expect them to be different from your personal statement, even if there’s some overlap in your experiences or core message.
For most Common App and Coalition schools, you should write one main personal statement (the college essay), which tells a story about you and reflects on your growth, values, or a significant moment. For example, you might write about when you started a community project after noticing an issue in your neighborhood. Then, for Stanford’s supplemental essays, you might answer, 'How did you spend your last two summers?' by describing your internship or reading project—but you wouldn’t copy-paste your main essay here.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Personal statement = main college essay (for the Common App and Coalition App)
- Supplemental essays = shorter, specific essays for each college, usually with their own prompts
As long as you write a unique, engaging personal statement as your main essay, and respond directly to supplemental prompts (without repeating your main essay), you’ll be in good shape!
If you’d like to see a sample personal statement or tips for a specific supplemental prompt, just ask—happy to help break those down too.
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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