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Old 02-03-2004, 02:46 PM
HelloKitty22 HelloKitty22 is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 126
Your personal statement is a time to tell the reader about you but in a way that your resume won't. You're right not to want to rehash all the stuff on your resume. This is your chance to give the committee (or whoever decides this) a look at your third dimension, who you are, not just what you do.
A good way to start is by brainstorming about what qualities you want to convey. They don't have to be things shown on your resume but they can be. You may want to reflect stuff like your ability to use humor to deal with tough situations or your ability to juggle tons of different responsibilities.
Once you've brainstormed, pick three or less qualities that you want to reflect in your statement and that you think will be of particular interest to the committee. This is not a list. You want to highlight a few things that will bring your resume alive. You don't have to pick three. Sometimes, if one is particularly important or sticks out, you may just want to focus on one.
Once you've picked what you want to convey, you need to SHOW how you demonstrate those characteristics. You can use experiences from your resume but they are more effective in the form of a story or antidote. If you want to show how loyal you are, relay a story where you had a tough choice to make but stayed loyal to your friends rather than taking the easier route.
What ever you do, do NOT just LIST the qualifications or the stuff on your resume! What makes a really good personal statement is that it aquaints the reader with who you are or what you're about. Show them why you believe that you should be chosen. What is special about you?
I hope this helps.
Good Luck.
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