Dear All

I begin my PS with my motto and my interest in trekking in an attempt to convey the best part of my characteristics. But I find some passages say that quotation is overused and should be avoided. I also feel that trekking is a cliche though I really like it.

Any suggestions?

I am so confused because in the 10 Do's on accepted.com, it's said that:

The Do's for Your Personal Statement:

5. Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead - an anecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of a scene.

To quote, or not to?

To mention hiking or not to?

Your suggestions are so appreciated!!!!!

A quote may work if its incorporated well into a sentence, but make sure it isn't a cliched one otherwise it seems a bit tacky.

Andrea, thank you!

Any other ideas? I feel totally at a loss... I used to think the quote is the best part of my PS and I submitted it to Essayedge for review. Neither did the editor say anything bad about it.

Below are those who are against quote:

from Princeton's instruction on how to write PS:

DON'T use quotes. Quotes are usually the ideas of others, and often presage a theoretical discussion, which, as we said above, is best to avoid. In fact, a few of our guest law school admission panelists have made specific mention on how quotes sets their teeth on edge, especially when they occur in the first sentence. Be warned.

Advice from UVA

While many applicants like to begin with a quotation, this is overused. Only take this strategy if the quotation is truly meaningful to you or ties in creatively with the rest of your essay.