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Does anyone know if/how much it's frowned upon to use contractions in my personal statement?

A lot of the time contractions just sound more natural and more personal.

The TLS guide says to not use them. But I've seen them used in the examples that U Chicago gives of essays that got students admitted there.

I'd limit them but yes it's okay. I think I had one or two in mine. Definitely helps make it more personal.

I used contractions all over my PS. There's nothing wrong with using them, and I recommend it if you find that it helps you keep your tone more personal.