Should I spend more time on Works/Activities or Personal Statement?

[motz]

I have limited time, am a slow writer... which should I prioritize?

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[justAstudent]

This is not a good situation to be in as both are big components of your application. I would personally spend more time on my personal statement just because I know that I have a hard time writing about myself. I completed my activities section pretty quickly because it was easier to talk about the things I've done and what I've learned from them.

 

[manofmen]

i agree. some schools ask you to rewrite significant experiences anyway, which though doesn't necessarily mean you should blow off the work/activities, means to me that you should focus on the personal statement. the work/activities definitely are important, but if you're being slow and deliberate, be so on the ps.

 

[dnrs]

Personal Statement for sure.

 

[motz]

Regarding the Works/Activities, if I have the general idea, should I fuss over my use of words or how much sexier I could make it?

"I served coffee as a waitress." -> "As a server, I excelled in a customer-oriented, fast-paced environment."

Does it matter?

 

[dnrs]

It does, because the first one doesn't tell the reader anything about your skills. The second one does.

 

[Catalystik]

Should I spend more time on Works/Activities or Personal Statement? I have limited time, am a slow writer... which should I prioritize?

If the quality of your Work/Activities descriptions isn't on par with the smooth, polished perfection of your PS, it could raise a red flag that the same author didn't craft them.

Regarding the Works/Activities, if I have the general idea, should I fuss over my use of words

Does it matter?

Yes. You don't want your audience to be bored.

 

[familyaerospace]

Polish the PS.

If you have such limited time you can always try to do the bullet point thing in your work/activities list. While it is far from ideal, it will allow you to save some time.

 

[ace12345]

What are you talking about? This is one of the biggest applications of your life, both should be good! There is plenty of PS help on SDN, and I'm sure those people would be willing to help with Work/Activities as well.

 

[lobo.solo]

My PS took me a while to finish. I went through a couple of drafts before it was good and polished. The EC description takes a while too, but if you know what you're doing it doesn't take that long.

 

[snowman.33]

PS PS PS PS PS



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