University of Maryland University College Personal Essay

Paper 1: Personal Essay

Tell a story: Be specific. Ground your belief in the real events of your life. Consider the
moments when your belief was formed, tested, or changed. Think of your own experiences,
work, and family, and write about the things you know that no one else does. Use descriptions,
dialogue, and details to bring your abstract idea vividly to life. Your story need not be heart-
warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story
ties to the essence of your belief.
Name your belief directly: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be
about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on just one core belief. Your paper
should either have an overt “I believe” statement, or similar thesis statement expressing
CLEARLY what belief you’re writing about.

Be personal: Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Avoid speaking in the
editorial “we.” Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak – an authentic,
unique voice that is all your own. Read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time
edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your belief and the
way you speak.

Be Positive. Explain your belief to the reader WITHOUT getting preachy or pushy. Use humor
if you want (and as long as it is appropriate), but try to stay away from both sob stories and rants.
Try to ask yourself: if you were reading your essay aloud how would you come across to your
audience? How do you want to come across to your audience?

Make a point. At the end of the essay, the reader has the right to ask “So what?” and have it
answered. A writer does not merely tell a story for personal reasons, but in order to communicate
a larger truth to the reader; the story is the vehicle on which this truth, often metaphorically,
rides. There are often two elements of a personal essay: narrative and comment. Sometimes they
are neatly divided, with an immediate lapsing into a story with brief comments at the end, but
such segmenting is not always the case. Other writers will choose to comment along the way,
interspersing authorial intrusions into the narrative to call attention to pertinent ideas. Whatever
the format, the reader understands the reason and the importance of the story beyond its aesthetic
appeal.
Choose an appropriate topic. This short statement isn’t all that you believe; it’s simply a way
to introduce others to something specific that you value. In spite of the name, your belief need
not be religious or even public. You may decide to focus on commitments to family, service,
political action, or the arts. You may choose to focus on a more creative belief, such as being
nice to the pizza delivery ma