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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, is the personal statement really optional for clemson.
Hey everyone! I'm working on my Clemson app and I saw that the personal statement is 'optional'. Is it actually optional? Will it hurt my application if I don't submit one? I don't wanna miss out if it's an unwritten must-do. Anyone got insights?
Hello! When Clemson says the personal statement is optional, they truly mean that it's up to the applicant to decide whether to include it. However, I encourage my students to take advantage of every opportunity to showcase their personality and strengths. If you have experiences, qualities, or insights that haven't been highlighted elsewhere in your application, the personal statement can be a great place to share those. Think of it this way, if two applicants are equally qualified and one has submitted a compelling personal statement while the other has not, the one with the personal statement might have a slight advantage.
That being said, don't submit a rushed or poorly written statement just to submit something. If you choose to write one, make sure it adds value and offers new information about you. In summary, while it won't necessarily hurt your application to skip it, a well-crafted personal statement can potentially enhance your application.
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Clemson University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
Early Action: Oct 15
Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1
Clemson University 2024-25 Application Essay Explanations
The Option: One essay upload (no word count)
Supplemental Essay Type(s): Personal Statement
If you wish to submit your optional personal statement, you may upload it here.
Clemson offers applicants the opportunity to upload an optional personal statement. This is not a time to reupload your Common App essay. Admissions will have already read your Common App personal statement, so this is a chance to provide them with additional information about yourself, your background, and/or how you plan to contribute to their campus community if admitted. Pro tip: if you’ve written a supplemental essay for another school that you’re proud of and feel adds more depth to your application submission, this is a great place to recycle it. Good luck! 🙂
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How to Write the Clemson University Essays 2020-2021
Academics and activism combine at Clemson, one of South Carolina’s top universities. Founded in 1889, Clemson University is passionate about building a robust student body that’s dedicated to serving the larger community. Students have the opportunity to work with volunteer organizations like the Women’s Leadership Council and the Giving Tree Project. And with 80 undergraduate majors and hundreds of student clubs and organizations, there’s plenty to do both in and out of the classroom. As a bonus, more than 92% of Clemson seniors say they would choose this school all over again.
Clemson, which is ranked #70 by US News , has a general acceptance rate of 47%. Its Calhoun Honors College accepts just under 10% of applicants. The Honors College offers its students specialized coursework with Clemson’s top professors, opportunities for independent research, exciting study abroad programs, access to the Honors Academic Activities Center, and much more!
Want to know your chances at Clemson? Calculate your chances for free right now.
Want to learn what Clemson will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering Clemson and the Calhoun Honors College needs to know.
Calhoun Honors College Supplemental Essay Prompts
While the standard application to Clemson University does not have applicants write supplemental essays, the Honors College does. The Honors College application is separate from Common App. Let’s take a look at the essay prompts.
The essays constitute a critical part of your Honors College application. Thoughtfully and originally responding to the following essays will provide the selection committee key insights into your accomplishments, intellectual curiosity, and vision.
Prompt 1: Tell us ─ as best you can at this point ─ about your academic and professional goals. What experiences, talents, accomplishments, and/or personal qualities make you think you’d be happy and successful in the Honors College and in your future career? (500 words or fewer)
Prompt 2: What is something you thought you knew that you turned out to be wrong about? Why was this realization important? (500 words or fewer)
Prompt 3: Please use this space to share any special circumstances affecting your application that warrant consideration by the selection committee. (250 words or fewer)
Honors Applicants, Prompt 1 (required)
Tell us ─ as best you can at this point ─ about your academic and professional goals. what experiences, talents, accomplishments, and/or personal qualities make you think you’d be happy and successful in the honors college and in your future career (500 words or fewer).
This prompt is asking you about your life direction so far and how the Honors College could fit into it. You’ll want to approach the essay as a classic “ Why This Major? ” essay while focusing more heavily on explaining your future career goals.
For your first paragraph, tell the story of how you came to develop the academic and professional goals you have today while linking the two together. For example, if your academic goal is to study marine biology and your professional one is to break into the aquaculture industry to make it more eco-friendly, you could introduce your essay with a personal anecdote. The start of such an essay could look like this:
“I first became interested in fish while watching tiny fries swim around in a small pond right outside the school playground. It was a ritual for my friends and I to visit the ‘PokéPond,’ observe how the fish were growing, and try feeding them on occasion. That all changed when the school groundskeepers accidentally tipped over a bag of fertilizer into the pond, and the fish were no more.
After seeing the effects of pollution on the puddle, I became interested in the fish I had nostalgia for in a more scientific way. I read books on ichthyology and asked myself how I could recreate the PokéPond and its fries. I learned that aquaculture was the solution, and eventually came to dream of starting a sustainable and efficient aquafarm as my future career.
To make my idea a reality, I will need to develop an in-depth understanding of osmosis and fish gills to take care of practical matters such as sanitizing fish tanks. That is where the Calhoun Honors College, with its innovative learning and individualized research opportunities, comes in.”
Start the second paragraph with a sentence that ties your academic and professional goals to the Honors College ─ something akin to the following statement would do the trick:
“The Calhoun Honors College offers unparalleled resources, such as the EUREKA! 2.0 research program and Educational Enrichment Travel Grants, which would allow me to explore my passion for marine biology in new depth and take my aquaculture career to new heights.”
Continue down this vein to fully explain how the Honors College is the right fit for you. Specific details are crucial ─ take a look at the Honors College website and find programs and opportunities that would enhance your existing talents, accomplishments, personal qualities. Explain how you know that these programs are ideal for you because of your previous life experiences, e.g. studying fish in the puddle with your own microscope taught you the value of experiential learning, a goal which the Calhoun Honors College also holds dear. Avoid making this paragraph a laundry list ─ after you mention any resource at the Honors College, show how it would benefit you personally more than an equivalent resource at another university.
Remember the wording of the prompt as you write ─ Clemson wants to know how you would be happy and successful at the Honors College and the future career it can open up to you. A good way to wrap up the essay would be to write a third paragraph about what success and happiness mean to you, and how the Honors College could help you achieve both. Start off this part with your definitions, and be sure to define success and happiness as something larger than yourself. For example, success could mean reducing pollution from aquafarms, while happiness could mean satiating your intellectual curiosity in an environment of diverse individuals. Explain how the Honors College, with its shared values of X and unique educational opportunities of Y, would allow you to achieve your version of happiness and success.
Honors Applicants, Prompt 2 (required)
What is something you thought you knew that you turned out to be wrong about why was this realization important (500 words or fewer).
This essay is all about telling a story and taking the admissions readers through your thoughts. A quirky or unique and serious subject that has a philosophical lesson would be ideal ─ for example, the story of how you thought you knew that you could dig to the center of the Earth as a child, but quickly hit rock as you were digging and realized the importance of learning by doing.
Begin the essay by explaining how you came to know your chosen piece of knowledge. Why were you confident that it was correct? In a new paragraph, explain how you realized that you were wrong and what feelings the realization came with. If you felt embarrassed or defensive, doubling down on your original ideas as you were proven wrong, describe how you finally gained the courage and humility to admit to your mistake. Though other people may have been instrumental in helping you see things in a different way, focus mostly on your internal thoughts and feelings rather than heated debates.
Conclude with the realization of how being wrong was important not only for yourself, but for humanity. Ask yourself what lesson your story could teach others. For example, a student entrepreneur who started a single wheel skateboard company could write the following essay about learning the value of making bold change:
At that moment, as I walked out of the office, I threw my hands in the air. I had realized that I was wrong ─ not rocking the boat is not the way to live life ─ and I had raised my first round of angel investment for OneBlades as a result. My realization was so much bigger than myself. My example proved not only myself wrong, but all of the doubters in my life and all of the people in my shoes who doubt themselves everyday. I can now say that we must rock the boat, and rock it until it capsizes. Only then can we build something bigger.
Honors Applicants, Prompt 3 (optional)
Please use this space to share any special circumstances affecting your application that warrant consideration by the selection committee. (250 words or fewer).
Unlike for the other essays, we recommend answering this question directly and matter-of-factly rather than with an anecdote. Be sure to explain your circumstance in as much detail as needed, plus the subtle and obvious ways in which it affected you. Unlike other essays, there’s no need to take up the entire word count if not necessary.
This essay is truly optional in that not answering it will not show a lack of motivation on your part ─ the prompt exists for explaining circumstances outside of your control that affected your personal, academic, and professional development. Some of the circumstances that would fall into this category would be the following:
- Since both of your parents had to work, you spent much of your time outside the classroom caring for your younger siblings instead of doing extracurricular activities
- One of your family members had a long battle with cancer, and you spent lots of mental energy worrying about them
- Your mental health suffered after a traumatic experience, and that caused your grades to fall
- You were diagnosed with ADHD at 16
- As a low-income student, preparing for the SAT was a challenge
If you did not have an unavoidable experience that came crashing into your life during your high school career, it would be best to not answer this prompt. You can provide additional details about your academics and extracurricular activities in other sections of the Calhoun Honors College application, as the application gives ample room to describe them.
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Optional personal statement
If I am applying to schools with an optional personal statement (Penn State, clemson, etc) and just want to use the essay that is already loaded into my common app writing section, do I have to repost it in the optional section for that school? or does it automatically get sent with the common application?strong text
If I remember correctly, for Clemson, I had to upload it into a seperate part of the Clemson Application as a pdf. It is not sent automatically, but I am pretty sure you could upload it into your application portal later. Not sure about Penn state.
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Here are some dos and don'ts: Dos: 1. Do Highlight Your Unique Interests or Experiences: Clemson values students who can bring diverse perspectives, interests, and experiences to their campus. If you have a unique hobby, a passion for a specific subject, or an interesting personal narrative, make sure to weave that into your personal statement. 2.
The common app for Clemson has room to upload an optional personal statement. Clemsons website says this is your chance to explain how your grades/classes may have been impacted by outside circumstances. Others say to submit it because it won't hurt. My grades weren't impacted by anything so I'm considering skipping this.
A personal statement or statement of purpose is an essay usually required along with a graduate or professional school application. This document brings your application to life by establishing a positive impression and showing your unique brand to the admissions committee. The personal statement should describe who you are, why you are ...
When Clemson says the personal statement is optional, they truly mean that it's up to the applicant to decide whether to include it. However, I encourage my students to take advantage of every opportunity to showcase their personality and strengths. If you have experiences, qualities, or insights that haven't been highlighted elsewhere in your ...
Personal statement is optional as Clemson only "considers" an essay (see common data set). IMPORTANT: If admitted, Clemson uses application submission date for housing selection priority. If CU is a top choice- don't delay. davisgermany October 14, 2023, 6:47pm 5. We have the same question. ...
Should i write a personal statement for undergraduate admissions and is it a consideration for admissions. katcap October 6, 2019, 6:14pm 2. There is a section in Clemson's online application for a personal statement as well. I think its one opportunity to say something in your own voice. While it isn't listed as a consideration, it's not ...
Submit your application through the Clemson Application, Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir or the Common Application. No preference is given to any application in the admission review process. Pay the application fee. There is a nonrefundable $70 application fee. Clemson accepts all major credit cards.
Early Action has an application deadline of October 15 and required materials deadline of November 1. Applying through Early Action allows students to know their admissions decision sooner (in mid-December). This gives students more time to consider Clemson as their college choice. Regular Decision gives students additional time to add any ...
A personal statement or statement of purpose is an essay usually required along with a graduate or professional school application. ... Website. https://career.clemson.edu. Address. Third Floor, Hendrix Student Center 720 McMillan Road Clemson, SC 29634. Career Service Hours. M Monday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm T Tuesday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm W ...
Official Regular Decision Admissions Thread for Class of 2027. Soccer44 August 21, 2022, 6:01pm 2. Do not stress over essay for Clemson - they don't have one. Use personal statement if need be - application submission date is MOST important for housing. They are a GPA, class rank, rigor of coursework school - see common data.
Clemson University 2024-25 Application Essay Explanations. The Option: One essay upload (no word count) Supplemental Essay Type(s): Personal Statement. If you wish to submit your optional personal statement, you may upload it here. Clemson offers applicants the opportunity to upload an optional personal statement.
The essays constitute a critical part of your Honors College application. Thoughtfully and originally responding to the following essays will provide the selection committee key insights into your accomplishments, intellectual curiosity, and vision. Prompt 1: Tell us ─ as best you can at this point ─ about your academic and professional goals.
Personal Statement. Unless your program specifies otherwise, the personal statement section will ask you to address the following: Please articulate your career goals and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Clemson University in your chosen field of study. You can upload a prepared statement of purpose directly into the application.
Personal Statement Question. Clemson defines the purpose of the optional "personal statement," portion of the essay as "to let us know if there are specific circumstances that impacted your academic performance for a specific period of time or in a particular class. We want to hear your story.". But, many people say I should write it ...
I'm doing the actual Clemson application. It has a "optional" personal statement but my guidance counselor told me they would prefer if you did it. I didn't even know what the common app was until after i was like half way done with it😭. Definitely wish I would have just done that
College Essays. waitlist2 October 18, 2024, 1:59pm 1. If I am applying to schools with an optional personal statement (Penn State, clemson, etc) and just want to use the essay that is already loaded into my common app writing section, do I have to repost it in the optional section for that school? or does it automatically get sent with the ...
Hi guys I'm applying to Clemson and I was wondering if you guys submitted anything for the optional personal statement. Not the common app personal statement essay but the other thing. I did and I would recommend it. I'd definitely still submit it. It'll help you stand out from everyone who decided to not submit anything at all.
How to Write a personal statement A Comprehensive Video Course for Students. A seven-part online course designed to gives students and counselors everything they need to figure out (or help someone else figure out) how to write a personal statement for the Common App. Watch the Q&A sessions after each session where I answer important questions about the personal statement-writing process and ...
Writing your personal statement: carers, estranged students, refugees or asylum seekers. Everyone is individual, but certain life circumstances provide an opportunity to showcase the unique qualities and experiences you can bring to university life. Here you'll find everything you need to know about writing your personal statement.
alicekatt. • 1 yr. ago. Personal statements are usually to help support your application! So be sure to include any clarifying points if there are things that look questionable on your application. If not, take the opportunity to talk about your strengths, experiences, and accomplishments that might make you stand out or attest to the fact ...
Is the personal statement on Clemson's application the same thing as the common app essay? If not, is the personal statement necessary since I'm interested in applying for honors as well. Share Add a Comment. Sort by: Top. Open comment sort options. Best. Top. New. ...