When writing personal statements, make sure you do these things

As your writing your personal statements, keep track of the following.

Remember TO:

• avoid reiterating your resume or writing typical biographical essays. Your statement isn't meant to list activities, awards, etc. It's the time to let the admissions committee know more about you.


• make it personal! Show the admissions committee why they should let you in! Let them know how unique you really are!


• Show them who you really are. Everyone is different and everyone has something different to offer. Don't try to be someone who you think the admission committee wants to see


• It's probably best to avoid controversial topics such as physician-assisted suicide, abortion, euthanasia, etc.

The things above are important to making your personal statements stand out. They make the reader see the real person.

Remember NOT to do these things:

• Avoid writing in the third person and starting every sentence with "I". It's about balancing and mixing it in once in awhile.


• Don't name drop. In other words, don't think just because you know people that it will help you get into medical school.Remember, you want to get in because of YOU, not because you know someone.


• Don't apologize for your past mistakes. For example, if you got a C in organic chemistry, don't justify it. However, if something serious happened (ie someone was sick in your family, someone passed away, sickness, etc.), state thefacts, but don't make excuses.


• If there really is a weakness (ie you droppped out of school), it's a good idea to briefly mention it in your application and then state what you learned from it. Don't focus on what you did wrong. Rather, focus on what you got out of it because you want to show the admissions committee that you are a positive person. They don't want to accept critical or negative people. Doctors have to be positive otherwise they can't heal others.


• Get to the point. Don't digress or ramble. You want to get your point across ASAP because admissions committee are notreading only your essay. They're reading 1000's of essays and you want to stand out!

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