Do you have to follow the instructions for a statement of purpose/personal statement?
Yes
If you've ever asked a question here on SE that goes &quot;hey, I need help with X&quot; and someone answers with &quot;I think you're actually asking Y, here's the answer to Y&quot; you'll know how annoying it can be. It's even more annoying when the person apparently didn't read the question before writing the response, or when the submitted statement of purpose reads like it's written for another university with minor modifications for this one.
Answer the question that is asked, not the question you wish was asked or the question you wish to answer.