What's the most effective way to write a Personal Statement?

Admissions staff has to read hundreds or possibly thousands of applications. Pretty much of all of which will read like an essay and say something along the lines of: I’m clever, I’ve read some stuff, I like you and now could you please let me in. That is very easy to do and extraordinarily dull. Think of it as a short story rather than an essay. You’re the hero and over your life time you’ve come across these amazing texts that have sent you flying off towards studying English. Try to make a connection between each text you mention because that will lead you to why you should go to university to study literature. The key is to make it a bit more involving for the reader whilst making it clear you are clever, you are interested in things and you like learning.