Explanatory Note

The collection is now in place. Before engaging with the Personal Statements (PS) presented here, please first read this note.

For years, students have asked me: “Leo, can you share more sample texts for us to study?” My response has always been twofold: first, I maintain that the materials I have previously provided are already sufficient for meaningful learning, for example, my book here; second, the very best, most distinctive works are also the most personal, and therefore the least likely to be willingly shared. The challenge lies in depersonalization: stripping away identifiable detail without hollowing out the text itself. Until recently, this was almost impossible. With AI, however, it has become feasible.

The guiding principle is simple: I only release a PS when I am confident that I have removed every identifiable trace of the author while still preserving its instructive value. This necessarily means that in the following texts, virtually all names—of people, schools, books, and places—are AI-generated substitutions. In some cases, entire sentences have been rewritten for the sake of confidentiality. Such revisions may incidentally polish errors in the original, which is a gain; but they may also flatten the human edge of voice, or strip away detail, which is a loss. What I aim for is what might be called equivalent substitution: a balance in which the privacy of the writer is protected, yet the text continues to teach.

It is important to underscore that these PS remain deeply personal at their core. Their value lies not only in structure or phrasing, but in how they reveal a self through black-and-white text. That is why anonymity, though it inevitably weakens certain nuances, cannot be compromised. My hope is that by reflecting on this compromise, you will grasp a more essential lesson: a strong PS is one that allows others, even strangers, to “see” you—your choices, your character, your path—through words alone.

In reading, may you find not only practical models but also insight into how to write your own PS—one that is recognizably yours, and yours only.