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1. I could write about how I "found my voice." Began with reading a poem I wrote in the 10th grade. Prior to this I very rarely spoke up outside my home and my first swing at it was a dark poem my teacher had a talk with me about. It didn't represent me or how I felt but I enjoyed the reaction that came from the kid who never spoke reading a dark depressing poem. This lead me to adopt a persona of debate absurd points to no end which helped me to break out of my shell and to shape the person I am today.
2. I had a near-death experience on Mount Whitney during a winter ascent. I would have surely died if my climbing partner had not been there. I walked away from this experience with a stitched on smile and a need to do more. This happened during winter break in college and I came back with a drive that led me to strong arm my student organization to strive for something for the good of someone other than the club members(personal finance clinics). Even though it happened to me and I know the effect I had from it I have difficulty seeing someone else connecting the dots for this. I guess the key is that the near-death experience made me strive for excellence.
3. I am a splitter and my GPA has been something I have had to overcome on two different occasions. I applied and was accepted for a DC internship in college even though my GPA was lower than their average and I applied and ended up working for a Congressman even though I had a lower GPA than they had as a soft requirement. In both cases I was able to prove myself worthy and went on to succeed in both cases.
4. I could write about my experience as the leader of a student organization that competed against other schools with years of experience to win the right to manage money.

At this point I am just throwing ideas out here
5. The most difficult thing I have ever done. Leader for John Muir Trail trip. Motivating friends/planning/working for mental/physical agony to achieve a lifelong goal.

That's all for now.

Thanks for the help

I couldn't see how you could not write about a near-death experience as long as your honest about the events and how they've shaped you.

LSATclincher wrote:I couldn't see how you could not write about a near-death experience as long as your honest about the events and how they've shaped you.

Agreed. I think your best shot is probably the near-death story. Still, hope you don't write essays the way you write on this board... I know it's an online forum, but a period here and there would be nice.

weejonbu wrote:

LSATclincher wrote:I couldn't see how you could not write about a near-death experience as long as your honest about the events and how they've shaped you.

Agreed. I think your best shot is probably the near-death story. Still, hope you don't write essays the way you write on this board... I know it's an online forum, but a period here and there would be nice.

Lol...even I would agree with this statement.

Vote near-death also. If there was some profound/unexpected philosophical idea you could incorporate, and tie-in flashbacks to your childhood, you'd probably have a pretty awesome short story.

Short story does not necessarily translate to a good personal statement.

However, definitely go with near-death experience. It sounds like it could be a very memorable topic, which is really the best way for a PS to stand out in the crowd.