2. The influence of your family/early experiences on your life
3. The influence of extracurricular, work or volunteer experiences on your life
4. Personal philosophies as related to your goals
5. How you’ve overcome an obstacle or disadvantage
II. Before You Begin:（开始之前应该）
· Brainstorm
· Self-Reflection Exercises
· Free-write
· Decide your approach in terms of content
· Think about your readers and tailor your message
· Write an Outline
II. Writing Process（写作过程）
· Getting Started – Writing 1st Draft
· Revise Revise Revise
· Proofread
Q. How long should this take?（一般需要多长时间）
A. Probably longer than you’d like. Give yourself plenty of time to go through this writing process. The longer that you have the more revision that you can do and as a result the better your statement.
Q. Who should I ask to read my work?（应该让谁读一下？）
A. A multitude of perspectives is good. You should ask someone who knows you well and others who don’t know you that well. The staff in the Pre-professional office are certainly willing to help in this regard. Listen to the feedback and don’t take it personally
– both friends and advisors are trying to help you tailor your message.
Q. How do I know when I’m done writing and revising?
A. Only you can know the answer to this question. When you read it out loud and feelhappy with the result.
Q. How should I handle optional essay questions?
A. Answer them. Don’t squander opportunities to communicate with admissions committee.If you don’t take this opportunity – you may appear lazy.
Q. Should I talk about my a bad semester or a bad grade on my transcript within
the personal statement?