I'm not gonna lie: the hardest thing to get printed on Bustle as a freelancer is a personal essay. That said, personal essays are also what I'm most in need of as our features editor. The reason ...

Most graduate programs require a personal statement or essay for admission. While narrowing your goals and aspirations down to 500 words or fewer may not be a task you relish, it’s a critical ...

Barbara Coward is an MBA admissions consultant who has helped students get into top-tier programs. Her advice for nailing the personal essay includes bridging the gap between your past and future. She ...

Leslie Jamison's incredible new essay collection, The Empathy Exams, covers topics ranging from random violence to HBO's Girls to abortion to bad romance to stereotypes, proving she can write about ...

A wave of updated 2026 personal statement guides is changing how students approach college essays, stressing authenticity, narrative craft, and rhetorical strategies over mere achievement lists.

Brandon Galarita is a freelance writer and K-12 educator in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is passionate about technology in education, college and career readiness and school improvement through data-driven ...