Selling Yourself

I dislike writing personal (or narrative, as they are sometimes labeled) statements, but over the last year or so, I have had to write them frequently for applications. And as college lurks closer and closer, this is just the middle of a never-ending paper trail. Currently, I have to write yet another one for the "Summer in New York" high school program I hope to attend this summer at Columbia University. Writing about myself has always proved difficult. We humans are just simply impossible to put exactly into the right words, and but it's even more of a challenge describing ourselves.
I'd like to think words are only relative, and our actions speak louder than words. Unfortunately, there are times where words are equally as crucial. For writers, words are our arsenal and our palette. We have to manipulate them into a clear picture of what we want to convey. A personal statement must act as a positive portrait of the individual in question. I recently dug out some old bios of myself that I wrote a few years back. They were short essays describing my academic information, activities, and interests. These would not be adequate for personal statements because they don't highlight what makes me special and noteworthy.
That is the key with personal statements: writing about what makes an individual stand out. I always struggle with finding enough strengths to write about but not over-promoting myself and coming across as arrogant. In life, I am self-deprecating and tend to focus on my many weaknesses and pitfalls. Perhaps I need to mentally remind myself that I do have strengths that define me. At the same time, I have to put the right words together for tired college admissions officers who have to peruse thousands of applications saying literally the same thing. I should be thorough but succinct, self-promoting but courteous.
I guess this is why in addition to personal statements, summer programs, colleges, and other such institutions also require recommendations. It's much easier to describe someone else than yourself, right? At least that's what I've discovered in my experiences: I'd much rather have someone else brag about my meager achievements than doing it myself.
Maybe I should stick to writing bios, a much easier, pressure-free task. I'm always too lazy to add anything to my Blogger profile, so I could start there. In the meantime, off to draft my personal statement. I'm looking forward to spending three weeks studying and exploring with fellow juniors and seniors. I hope it will be a meaningful experience. Of course, this all comes down to if I get accepted or not. New York, here I come!