Reusable Materials 31: Questions About Themes & Value Statements

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

Annette was working on the themes and value statements in her master application. She met with one of our counselors twice to get started. However, she stalled when she tried to create them on her own. They overwhelmed her. She tried to convey too much information. Frequently, she felt that her statements overlapped and addressed multiple themes and categories. She had already identified 45 different ideas for value statements. We helped her sort them out and simplify her approach. She started completing applications within 3 weeks.

Q: My themes confuse me and overlap. How do I sort them out?

You, typically, select your themes from a list (see our blog on themes). The categories should clearly separate the theme without overlap. Categorizing your themes too closely leads to the overlap mentioned in the question.

For example, the first categories for leadership create confusion and overlap.

• Leadership
• Management
• Supervision

These geographical categories clarify and make it easier

• Internationally
• Domestically
• For my employers

Q: My value statements run on and wordy. How can I fix them?

Your value statements should focus on one, very specific accomplishment. Frequently, clients stay too general in their descriptions. For example, they say “I’m a good leader. I can help my people improve their productivity and morale.” Notice how the statement offers a very vague description.

We suggest that you use the following structure to create your value statements.

• “I am… (use the theme and category)”
• '”For example, … (include a brief description of a very specific situation)
• “As a result, …(include what the benefits derived by the action)

Once created, you may substitute the structure headings for other words.

Compare the impression of the first, very general statement, with this, more specific, statement. “I am a leader in community. For example, as president of a local service club, I started an outreach and marketing program. As a result, we increased participation in the program by 30%.”

Saturday we share cautions about hurdles you need to overcome to get financial aid

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