Use 500 to 1000 well-selected words

1. Introduce yourself

   • “My name is Maciek. And I like Hawaiian pizza.” Be careful when coming up with funny ways to introduce yourself. Humor is great, but what you consider funny may not resonate with your audience. Be mindful of the context. You may be a pizza lover, but unless you’re a chef or taking part in a culinary workshop, it will feel random and silly! You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

   • Talk about your interests and motivations. Go into details if you’ve pursued the hobby with serious interest.  Use an example to show skills, qualities or values in action. 

   • Some of your extracurricular activities may be directly applicable in the senior school. What interests and qualifications make you the ideal applicant for this program?  Consider ending your response with a question about how you might be able to bring these specific skills or passions to the senior school.

   • In the first paragraph, you will either grab attention or you will lose it. It does not have to be an attention grabbing story. The goal is for the readers to know who you are by the end of the first paragraph.

2. Summarize your school life 

   • Have an Angle: Even if your life has been less than dramatic, you still have a story to tell. The best approach to the “angle” is to find a theme that can unify all your paragraphs.

   • If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, (such as poverty, illness, or excessive work) state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles.

   • Avoid a re-mention of those tangible accomplishments which have been separately documented as grades, awards, etc. in other parts of the application.

   • Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities. Write about how have you challenged yourself to build a strong foundation.

3. Mention Volunteering Work

4. • Have you ever chosen to volunteer?  Volunteer jobs belong in your resume. Treat it like your work experience

   • Volunteering is unpaid work for someone other than a close relative. 

   • Detail the time you volunteered, relevant tasks you undertook and the skills you gained through the experience

   • But be specific rather than vague. Don’t only list your responsibilities, but also mention your accomplishments

   • It shows you are willing to get involved in your community, take initiative, and make things happen. They indicate that building healthy relationships with your community and environment is your priority.

4. Elaborate on your academic interests

   • Elaborate on your academic interests. You can also indicate here how your activities helped you focus your choice of subjects. (ex - bad statement  -“I didn’t like physics so I decided to try something else”)

   • Do your research about the senior school program that is being offered. Check out the website. Why do you think you will be able to achieve what you want in this senior school? 

5. What do you see yourself becoming? What impact do you hope to have?

   • Remember that this is not written in stone, and no one will revoke your certificate if you change your mind or life takes you in a different direction.You are expressing a broad understanding of where you want to go and what that will mean not only to yourself but to others.

Checklist before submitting

• I have proofread my statements carefully to avoid poor grammar, spelling, or other errors   ✓

• The essay is well organized and coherent. It has a well-thought-out idea development and is properly paragraphed. It is telling a story about my aspirations, my personality, achievements in the form of short paragraphs. ✓

• My writing is engaging and expressive. It helps the reader to visualize me behind the numbers and to know exactly what type of person I am on a personal level.  ✓

• After a good deal of introspection I have arrived at a keen self-knowledge of what my strong points are and how to best portray them. I am specific about my experiences and how I might share them and contribute to the school community.  ✓

• I am familiar with the course. I have portrayed why I have found this school a perfect fit for me ( ex. after reading the website, getting feedback from alumni or current students)  ✓

• I have demonstrated everything I have said by example  ✓

• I have adequately demonstrated that I am a self-motivated and a competent senior school student  ✓