Since you are trying to stand out, avoid cliches. If helping others is truly your motivation, give examples of people you've helped and their impact on you or open the essay with a compelling story about a person you've helped. Finally, avoid turning your personal statement into a listing of accomplishments or experiences that reads more like a resume than a statement about you as a person. Remember, the point is to show who you are, not what you've done. If there's a particular accomplishment you want the committee to knowabout, build your story around it.
Some experts recommend doing so and others advise against it.
Our opinion is, it depends. If addressing a shortcoming on your application fits in with your story, you can probably include it. It's important to keep the tone of the personal statement positive, so if you can't put a positive spin on it, don't include it. A better approach would be to talk with people writing your recommendations and ask if they are willing to address the issue. A letter from a professor stating that your test scores aren't a good reflection of your scholastic ability is more convincing than if you state it yourself, and you won't be perceived as making excuses.