The personal essay is an essential component of your application. How compelling it is — or isn't — can make or break your acceptance.

A filmed personal statement might have helped Elle Woods get into Harvard Law School, but in the real world, you're better off sticking to these tips. If you have seen the 2001 film, Legally Blonde, ...

I'm not gonna lie: the hardest thing to get printed on Bustle as a freelancer is a personal essay. That said, personal essays are also what I'm most in need of as our features editor. The reason ...

A mark of a good writer, whether fiction, essay, or poetry, is the ability to unflinchingly illuminate the emotional issues that people often try to suppress. An exemplar is Phillip Lopate, long ...