Questions about college personal statement?

Question

I've never done one of these before and I'm just wondering what exactly are colleges looking for in one of these. How can I make my statement stand out from others? Any help is greatly appreciated. The college I'm applying for is UIC in chicago. Thanks.

Answer 1

Here's one sit that I refer people often to:
http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/overview/apply/essay/

Here's a couple of samples:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/index.html

And, several actual examples that impressed admissions committees:
http://www.conncoll.edu/admissions/essays/

Answer 2

UIC does not require personal statements. The value of it in the UIC admissions process is more or less to explain away an extreme circumstance which caused your grades to dip.

Answer 3

Anything that happened before the ninth grade is too old to be a good statement subject. Colleges want to read about how you handle things now. Brief often means under 200 words.