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Disclaimer - I am not, nor have I ever been, employed in an admissions department at any university in any capacity. The views and ideas depicted in the following answer are based solely on my personal experience and excessive reading habit. I am in no way qualified to give an expert opinion.So, if this is what you're after...Here ya' go.PS - This answer turned out long (I'm good at that). If you want the short version, just read the bold print.Alright, that's established. Let's go with a story...Broken Glass, Apple Sauce and $50 LessIn high school a friend of mine (I'll call him Bob for anonymity's sake) and I built a weapon. It was large, reasonably scary looking, and was capable of launching projectiles at a disturbing velocity. We made it using only materials found in a typical American garage.Once completed, we gathered around it ready for exploratory testing. Bob pulled the lever. There was no turning back now, the deed was done. We weren't sure what to expect, but we knew it was going to be good.What we did not expect turned out to be a lot of broken glass, a wall of apple sauce, and a $50 deduction in allowance. We had executed a perfect launch and had managed to propel an apple through a neighbor's upper story window about a 100 yards away. Luckily it was in Bob's neighborhood, not mine. I split the cost of a new window with him anyway.Our weapon of choice was... a trebuchet. Essentially it's a tweaked version of a catapult that was used in the Middle Ages. Plus, it has a catchy name. It looks something like this -Well, maybe not exactly like that one. I'm fairly sure ours was a bit more, well.... rugged?For me, The Trebuchet Affair was an entertaining adventure that later became an amusing anecdote I would use to make a point on Quora.The trebuchet was mostly Bob's idea and we'd built it in Bob's yard. I assisted, but I'm one of the clumsiest people on the planet so my assistance wasn't terribly helpful. Handing me a hammer and saw is one of the most surefire ways to land me, or some hapless soul that happens to be standing near me, in the Emergency Room. Okay, maybe I'm not quitethat bad. I still wasn't allowed to touch the power tools, though.For Bob The Trebuchet Affair was an entertaining adventure that later became the fundamental framework for a powerful personal statement.He used his version of this experience for the essay portion on several college applications. What had started out as a silly idea to fill the long hours of a boring summer, Bob had crafted into a useful tool.Bob wrote an engaging and unique story.He told a tale about a simple yet unusual experience. He proceeded to explain how the event helped turn his sights towards a career in science. For proof of his scientific prowess, he casually incorporated his familiarity of mechanical physics in his writing. Bob's account of The Trebuchet Affair was humorous in it's recollection of our follies and compelling in it's use as a parable. It was well written and grammatically sound. It was a wonderful piece of work.It was also successful. He got into quite a few highly renowned schools.When I read this question, the story of Bob and his essay immediately leaped to the forefront of my mind. I've read and written quite a few college entrance papers in my time. My friends and I proofread each others'. As senior year edged nearer, we practiced writing and critiquing them in school.Thirteen years later, hisis the one story I still remember. I don't even remember what Iwrote for my college entrance application essays. But I still remember Bob's story. It made an impact. It stuck with me.I'm not saying Bob got into great schools based solely on his essay. He was exceptionally intelligent, had great grades, AP classes under his belt, high test scores (SAT and ACT), extracurricular activities in which he excelled, and he volunteered his time at local charities. All of this makes for an impressive resume.But there are loads of intelligent, talented students out there with entrance applications loaded down with qualifications. That's a daunting amount of competition.With your personal statement, you have a chance to really stand out against those who might be equally or even more qualified.Read this one for instance...The greatest college application essay ever - Blake SnowThe greatest college application essay everSeptember 10, 2008Here’s an oldie but goodie.http://...Hugh Gallagher won first prize in the humor category of the 1990 Scholastic Writing Awards for the following essay. He allegedly used it to get into NYU and graduated from the university in 1994. To call his work humorous is an understatement to say the least (via Educated Nation, thanks Robert).IN ORDER FOR THE ADMISSIONS STAFF TO GET TO KNOW YOU, THE APPLICANT, BETTER, WE ASK THAT YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD, OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE HELPED TO DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON?I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I’m bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me. I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me.I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.But I have not yet gone to collegeTotal nonsense, right? Hugh Gallagher wrote a page of lies and got into NYU! How did thathappen?Here's the fun part: it doesn't even matter that the content was (nearly) a complete work of fiction!It's all made up, but it's wellmade up.This bit of writing has the intriguing quality of imparting a wealth of information about the author while never explicitly telling the audience anything at all. Save the one single sentence at the end, the whole piece of work is one great big fabrication. And yet you can still learn quite a bit about Hugh Gallagher by reading it.You learn......that he's most definitely creative and imaginative. His myriad examples of personal accomplishments are wild and unlikely at best. But they are also interesting and entertaining, diverse and multifaceted. A lot of imagination went in to his selection of falsehoods....that he's an excellent writer and communicator. This essay grabs your attention immediately. You know without a doubt that it's complete BS by the second line, but it's extremely well written. It's also grammatically sound. There are no spelling errors. The pacing is near perfect. Each imaginary achievement is thoughtfully well placed amidst its peers. Then it ends in surprise and style. As a whole, this essay is captivating, logical, well constructed and technically precise....that he's sharp and witty and intelligent. The content of the composition is absurd. But it's obvious Mr. Gallagher knew the attributes an applicant needed to possess to be considered for admission by the board. He had obviously given these characteristics some serious thought. Once decided, he took the qualities he deemed relevant and exaggerated each of them into a hilarious farce.This example may not actually be “The greatest college application essay ever.” But it's certainly a good one. I would be willing to bet that any member of any entrance board that received an essay of this caliber would think twice before denying admission to the applicant.For more great examples and tips, look here:Real-Life Essay Lessons College Essay Samples &amp CommentaryMy Tips & Advice:Make an Impact.You want your essay to stand out. The more unique your work, the more memorable it will be. Strive to be that elusive diamond in the rough.Demand Attention.Grab the reader's interest early. Don't just hook the reader... whack him over the head with your introduction so that he's paying attention.Keep it Up.Okay, you've got the administrator's attention. Now you have to keep it. Once you've reeled the reader in, you're going to want to keep them interested. Make sure the body of your work stays fluid and on point. Be aware of the overall flow and tempo of your work.Go Out With a Bang.A strong finish is just as important as a good start. You've hooked your reader, the body of your work is engaging, and now all you have to do is leave them satisfied. Don't leave any loose ends and wrap up your points. Make sure you end your statement with something memorable. This is the last thing the reader will see.Be Creative.Dig deep to find an idea or experience that works for you. The examples above used imaginative methods to emphasize their themes. There are an endless number of approaches. Try to find a way to express your thoughts and ideas that is fresh and innovative.Become a Criminal.Stealing is okay. Plagiarizing will get you in major trouble. This is what I mean - it's fine to take someone else' original idea. But make sure you make it your own. Most of the time finding the best idea is not about having some glorified “Eureka!” moment. Most of the time it's about choosing a combination of known methodologies that form a new composition all of your own.Expose Yourself.Even in an essay full of lies, Hugh Gallagher let you know who he was. Strive for this. The product you are selling is yourself. Let the admissions department know exactly who you are through your words.Tell a Story.I don't mean you literally have to tell a story. Although a memory or an anecdote or even a bit of make-believe can be great modes of expression, there are many others. Even if you decide not to expressly use a narrative configuration, craft your writing so that you tell exactly the tale you choose. Your essay should still feel like you've told the tale of you no matter what device you use.Be A Wise Guy.Think about what the college you are applying to wants to see. As a prospective marketing major, maybe this means the admissions department wants to see your marketing skills and ideas. If you think they do, that's what you should include in your writing. All colleges, especially competitive ones, have at least one criteria in common. They want to know that you are a good investment. They want to see drive and motivation and hard work. They want to know they are making a good choice in selecting you to matriculate there. Whatever your qualifications are, show them that you are a good choice through your statement. Know your audience. Then market yourself. And sell it.Back to Basics.Bad grammar aren't going to get you what you want it to. Make sure what you write is grammatically sound. Potential readers will be turned off immediately if it is not. Spell check is an absolutely wonderful tool, but don't rely on it. It will miss when you use the right spelling of the wrong word (there vs. their, to vs. too, rite vs. right, its vs. it's, etc). Choose your words carefully. Avoid profanity and slang. There are times when it's fine to break the rules of grammar, as long as you are aware the rules are being broken. This is not one of them.As Good as It Gets.Edit your work. Read over it. Read it out loud - this trick can shed light on wording issues you didn't realize were there when only reading silently to yourself. Cut out extraneous details. Be ruthless if you have to. No matter how much you like an idea or the sound of a particular phrase, it might not be a good fit. If it isn't, get rid of it. Because your entrance essay carries such a potentially life changing impact on your future, you want to make sure yours is as good as it can get.Share.No matter how many times you read your essay to yourself, your eyes will gloss over mistakes. Let other people, those whose opinions you trust, read and edit your work. The trust part is important. Whoever you choose to give you pointers and suggestions about your writing, make sure it is someone whose judgment matters to you and knows their stuff. It doesn't matter if it's a friend, a parent, a classmate, a teacher, a paid editing service... the trust must be there. If it isn't, the advice you receive won't be useful and could even be damaging to your work.Figure It Out.All of this advice is meaningless unless you know what message you want to get across. Make a list or outline of what you want the admissions faculty to know. Who are you? How did you become the person you are today? Who do you want to become? What do you want? Why? What do you believe in? Why? These are all good questions to include the answer to in your statement. Refer to the previous points to expand on these.