UVA Personal Statement Question Forum

[Mike12188]

How "cheesy" do you guys think it is to tie in a Thomas Jefferson quote into my UVA PS.

FWIW:
3.24/171 - (most likely ED)

[Warhawk]

Hard to say in the abstract.

What quote, and why?

There can be good reasons to include a quote, but more often than not, the way people incorporate them kind of screams "I've read a history book! I'm philosophical and high minded!"

[billyez]

We need to see how you utilize the quotation in the context of your personal statement before we cast judgment. I can say, however, that if your purposely trying to force it in then I don't think you should do it. Putting a shout-out to Jefferson isn't as important as writing a personal statement that conveys something about you that can't be drawn from other aspects of your application.

[StupidQuestions]

Do it, you're my competition.

Ha seriously though, I am personally terrified of putting a quote in my PS because I know I don't have the knowledge of any particular writer/speaker to pull it off without seeming like I snagged it out of Barlett's. If you know your stuff and aren't using the first quote that comes up when you google "Thomas Jefferson Quotes" then maybe it makes sense.

One of my friends has a TJ tattoo on her arm (not a UVa grad). Compared to her, I wouldn't dream of claiming that a Teej quote has significance for me.

[Mike12188]

Hard to say in the abstract.

What quote, and why?

There can be good reasons to include a quote, but more often than not, the way people incorporate them kind of screams "I've read a history book! I'm philosophical and high minded!"

Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.
-Thomas Jefferson









j/k


But in regards to the other comments I definitely do not know a lot about Thomas Jefferson but it is one of the few things that stuck with me from last semester and as I sit here trying to write my PS I feel that it sums up the story I want to tell perfectly.

But yea I don't have the PS done or anything which is why I gave the broad options to choose form in the poll.

[billyez]

It's almost always better to just explain what you mean to say in your own words instead of sticking in a quote to substitute for it. That being said, I chose the last option.

[Warhawk]

Frankly, I'd choose the third, fourth, and fifth options if I could, and depending on what the quote is, the second option might apply as well.

Again, hard to say in the abstract.