| Usually colleges have their own guidelines when it | | | | up yourself. On the common college admission essay, |
| comes to college essay for admission or personal | | | | if you choose one of the prompts, you have to |
| statements. It depends on what the actual college | | | | respond to the prompt. If you make up your own |
| requires. You should consider that the colleges look at | | | | prompt, it's basically a personal statement. |
| more than just college essays for admission | | | | Most colleges don't have you write both. I don't think |
| statements; they look at your grades, GPA, class | | | | any of the colleges on my list that use the common |
| standing, extracurricular activities, and school service | | | | college application essays ask for a personal |
| before they admit you. I would find out what the | | | | statement. |
| actual requirements are and base your statement on | | | | This response was kind of unclear because there's no |
| that. | | | | genuine and clear difference. On the personal |
| I've heard more than one admissions representative | | | | statement, they're asking you to give an angle of |
| stress, "the personal statement is NOT an essay," | | | | yourself that the college admission essays don't |
| but every time it seems like they're just trying to | | | | provide. You should do the exact same thing on the |
| keep you from stressing out about it. | | | | common app essay. |
| That said, practically by definition, the personal | | | | If you have to write both (College entrance essay |
| statement is basically just another college application | | | | and personal statement) for the same college, try |
| essay anyway. | | | | writing your common app essay on part of your life, |
| Think of it this way. The common college essay | | | | and write your personal statement about you |
| writing is basically a personal statement, apart from | | | | personally. |
| they give you 5 prompts to choose from incase | | | | Again, there's no clear difference. You should provide |
| you're drawing a blank and don't want to make one | | | | an interesting take on your life in both. |