美國留學個人陳述是所有出國文件中最重要的部分，它是申請者最主要的自我包裝。申請的過程就是要把自己推銷給評審者的過程。由于美國大學很重視申請人的誠信問題，所以個人陳述最重要的一點就是要做到材料的真實性。

　　Sincerity(材料的真實性)

　　Don't focus too heavily on what you think admissions officers want to see, at the expense of conveying your own message in your unique way. Be yourself rather than pretending to be the "ideal" applicant. Inundated with countless cliché-ridden essays, admissions committees respond very favorably to honesty. Don't be afraid to reveal yourself. Admissions officers are interested in finding out about who you are, and they appreciate candor.

　　Sincerity is important to stress because it's hard for most of us to achieve, despite the fact that it seems so simple. The pressures and anxieties of the situation have locked us into a mindset that prevents us from writing honestly.

　　Further, because we are not used to writing about ourselves and being so close to the subject, we cannot assess the sincerity of our own writing.

　　Thousands of students every year will read this same advice, whether in a guidebook or even in the application instructions themselves, but they simply will not be able to put it into practice. If you can be one of the few who truly understand what it means to be sincere, then you will already have separated yourself from the pack in a crucial way.

　　You might question how a reader who doesn't know you can judge your statement's sincerity. The basis for judgment usually lies in the context your reader has developed from reading hundreds or thousands of other essays. Assessing your essay against others is one essential area in which we can offer a more critical eye than your friends, relatives, or teachers who have not accumulated the expertise specific to the personal statement.

　　Moreover, our perspective in reading your essay is just as objective as your admissions reader's perspective will be.

　　用英語寫作本來就是困難的事，更何況美國留學個人陳述是為了表現和包裝自己，有違我們的文化習俗，所以寫起來往往倍感吃力。中國申請者往往沒有面談的機會，因而這份文件愈發顯得重要。