Why You Should Avoid Jargon In Your Personal Statement…

The Admissions Guy
2 min readFeb 14, 2023

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Avoid jargon to make your personal statement more PERSONAL.

I often advise my clients to write like a human being, and NOT like a corporate video whose script was written by AI. What does this mean, concretely? Start by eliminating jargon in your personal statement. Using jargon can make a personal statement seem stiff, impersonal, and unclear.

A strong personal statement is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or level of education. If a writer uses jargon that is not widely understood, they risk alienating the reader and appearing arrogant or out-of-touch. More importantly, though, using jargon can be dangerous because it can hide the writer’s true intentions or motivations. If a writer uses jargon to mask their lack of knowledge or experience, they risk being caught out and losing the reader’s trust.

Avoid jargon to sound more personal and real

While jargon may seem like a short-cut to making a personal statement seem more professional, the dangers of using it far outweigh any potential benefits. Personal statements should be clear, concise, and accessible to all readers. By avoiding jargon, writers can ensure that their true personalities and motivations shine through, and that their personal statements are effective in capturing the reader’s attention and interest.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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The Admissions Guy
The Admissions Guy

Written by The Admissions Guy

helping people get into fancy schools since 2005

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