General Admissions & OTCAS What are some tips and tricks for writing your personal statement?

[Reddington]

As the topic says. That said, though, I'm not really asking for a framework of skeleton for writing a cookie-cutter personal statement because that would be disingenuous. I mean, do you have any good advice? Things to avoid doing? Things not to forget? What you should focus on?

Thanks in advance!

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[cb31]

As the topic says. That said, though, I'm not really asking for a framework of skeleton for writing a cookie-cutter personal statement because that would be disingenuous. I mean, do you have any good advice? Things to avoid doing? Things not to forget? What you should focus on?

Thanks in advance!

Start with a story or something very descriptive to grab the reader... try not to make your essay so chronological. And don't forget to include a limitation or a challenge that you have overcome or are overcoming.

 

[CaliKnitter]

I had 4 or 5 people read my statement and give me thoughtful comments. (I put out a call on Facebook, and none of them were related to OT.) It really helped make sure my message was clear and interesting.

 

[idontdance]

Using colloquial language can be nice. Also, I was told by an English PhD who read my statement to start with a hook and call back to that hook at the end. He also said its not a bad idea to make a joke here or there --the person reading it will appreciate it and see your personality shine through.

One of the most important rules of writing here is to show and not tell.
Ex. Don't say, "I observed in this setting and now I am passionate about OT", say "while observing I felt X and Y, my brain was buzzing with questions for the ot, and i just couldn't get enough of the setting "

 

[Reddington]

By the way, how long should it be? I got caught up in writing it, and I'm afraid it might be a bit overboard in terms of length. Then again, I haven't the slightest on what they expect.

 

[c2902]

Using colloquial language can be nice. Also, I was told by an English PhD who read my statement to start with a hook and call back to that hook at the end. He also said its not a bad idea to make a joke here or there --the person reading it will appreciate it and see your personality shine through.

One of the most important rules of writing here is to show and not tell.
Ex. Don't say, "I observed in this setting and now I am passionate about OT", say "while observing I felt X and Y, my brain was buzzing with questions for the ot, and i just couldn't get enough of the setting "

I slightly disagree that an applicant should use colloquialisms and informalities in an admissions essay; that can easily go down the slippery slope of looking unpolished and unprofessional. You can remain lighthearted and heartfelt, use a hook to capture your reader, and still maintain a professional tone overall. However, "show and not tell" is great advice, and to add to that, I would say that if you (the OP) have anything unique in terms of experiences and skill sets that you can bring to the profession, show that in your essay. What sets you apart from the rest of the candidates, and overshadows your less-than-stellar GPA?

Regarding your GPA, OTCAS, the common application system many schools use will calculate a GPA that includes all of your classes, so that will bring things up a little bit. Some schools only consider the last 60 credit hours as well, and some have lower minimum GPAs that they will accept in order to consider your application.

 

[idontdance]

By the way, how long should it be? I got caught up in writing it, and I'm afraid it might be a bit overboard in terms of length. Then again, I haven't the slightest on what they expect.

1 page
They are reading hundreds of these. Keep it concise.

 

[gntk]

As the topic says. That said, though, I'm not really asking for a framework of skeleton for writing a cookie-cutter personal statement because that would be disingenuous. I mean, do you have any good advice? Things to avoid doing? Things not to forget? What you should focus on?

Thanks in advance!

You could purchase a personal statement book (usually geared towards medical school applicants) from a bookstore or online that has some pretty good tips and brainstorming exercises on how to create the perfect personal statement that tells a story. These books also have example essays which I found pretty helpful. Although its geared towards medical school, I found it to be pretty beneficial for anyone applying to healthcare programs.

For advice: After you do an initial read, does it sound like your reading a resume? As in, I did A, B, and C. If so, you might need to change it up. Aim for a "story" and keep it engaging as if you were in a conversation with a friend. Imagine that if you were engaging in a conversation with a buddy, and they asked, "what made you want to do OT?" As what other people said, start with a story that catches their attention or the "hook", and end your personal statement summarizing that "hook". Avoid using cliches and slogans such as "I've always wanted to be an OT..." Dig deep into concrete examples from shadowing experiences, work experiences, or life experiences, where you found that "spark" for OT, without explicitly stating that spark. If a reader can convey your passion for OT, without you specifically stating "I love OT for reasons A, B, and C...", you completed your personal statement

For length purposes, if there isn't a word or character limit, use as much as you need. But, make sure your personal statement doesn't drag. If you can convey your message in 1-2 pages, thats awesome. If you need 3-4 pages (within word limit), take it up. Just make sure you get a read from someone before you submit to see if there are any run-on sentences or ways to shorten things up.

If you know any friends who majored in english, they can be your best bet during the admissions process. One of my english major friends was able to scan my essay within 5 minutes and pinpoint every single mistake, run-on, or grammatically incorrect sentences.

Before you do the final submit (and when you feel everything is perfect), do one last check. Have an OT go over your essay to make sure its geared towards the profession. I had an OT re-read my essay and they changed some terminology I may have "thought" was accurate.

 

[Reddington]

1 page
They are reading hundreds of these. Keep it concise.

Hahaha, oh crap, mine is going into 5 pages. Yeah, I should trash it.

 

[ot.3277]

I would say try and keep it 1 page, if you have to go a paragraph in page 2 then thats ok. They read hundreds and hundreds of statements. Midwestern has 1300 applicants. If they see it drag they will skim and put it aside. If I were admissions I probably would stop reading a statement past a 1.5.
For structure, I would start with a personal story then why it led you to OT. I followed by a thesis on how I've planned my academic, personal, and professional pursuits to OT and the skills I've developed and how it goes with OT disciplines (w/ examples) and parts to give them ideas of your personality. Make sure you're not having sentences that could be wrapped up in one or sentences that essentially say the same thing. Good luck, I think you'll do great

 

[cb31]

Hahaha, oh crap, mine is going into 5 pages. Yeah, I should trash it.

Yea, five pages is a bit much! Mine was like 1.5 page... I went off of the number of words though. I think OTCAS said it could be like 1200 words so I made sure I kept it in that range which is about a page in half. There is nothing wrong with a one page essay, but I don't think you will be criticized for 1.5 to 2 pages. I applied for two rounds of OT and NO ONE ever criticized my essay (or it's length). But I agree with the others that more then two is probably a no no.

 

[Reddington]

Well, thanks for all the tips, folks. They've been real helpful. After a bit of slashing and burning and spacing off for a few hours, I got it to under 2 pages, and I avoided telling my life story. Cheers.

 

[idahograd14]

On OTCAS this year it doesn't have a guide for the limit but last year it was a maximum of 7,500 characters including spaces, which is roughly two full pages maximum.
So concise is good, but I disagree with some other people in the sense that if it takes you closer to 2 pages than 1 to show how good of an applicant you are or explain a personal situation that is not necessarily a bad thing. Just make sure that if you can say something in 1-2 sentences, as opposed to 4, and still get the same message across go with the 1-2 sentences.

 

[Marie12]

Should the personal statement be single or double spaced?

 

[Subjective]

Yeah I was wondering the same thing; mine is double spaced, should I switch to single to keep it to a single page?

 

[Fahrney]

mine was one page and spoke from the heart. talked a little about my experience and where i wanted to take myself and the OT profession in the future

 

[3rdTime'sTheCharm]

If my dad needing OT after brain surgery is the reason I chose to pursue OT over PT (my original plan) is it okay for me to kind of start with a little story about him in my personal statement? I am not the best at these but it's the truth and I really don't want a cookie-cutter essay.

 

[cb31]

If my dad needing OT after brain surgery is the reason I chose to pursue OT over PT (my original plan) is it okay for me to kind of start with a little story about him in my personal statement? I am not the best at these but it's the truth and I really don't want a cookie-cutter essay.

I think that story would be fine... it's just all about how you develop your essay. There are so many ways to go about writing a personal statement. Good luck!

 

[HopefulOT17]

I am at the point of having a nervous breakdown over this personal statement. Every time I start, I think it sounds dumb and I start again.

I have ideas. I'm just not sure how to out it into an essay. Anyone else having major issues? It is the only part of my application not completed and I want to turn it in soon.

Thank you!

 

[Bokonomy]

I am at the point of having a nervous breakdown over this personal statement. Every time I start, I think it sounds dumb and I start again.

I have ideas. I'm just not sure how to out it into an essay. Anyone else having major issues? It is the only part of my application not completed and I want to turn it in soon.

Thank you!

Saaaaame. My problem is talking about my short term/long term goals. I think I wanna do neuroscience research and become a professor later on, but I'm not totally sure yet. I'm just starting in a lab next week with my behavioral neuroscience professor...it's also really hard to talk about positively about yourself without bragging, too!

 

[cb31]

I am at the point of having a nervous breakdown over this personal statement. Every time I start, I think it sounds dumb and I start again.

I have ideas. I'm just not sure how to out it into an essay. Anyone else having major issues? It is the only part of my application not completed and I want to turn it in soon.

Thank you!

I'm the same way when I write.... what I do that seems to help is I just write down all my ideas in paragraph form and after I've exhausted all the ideas in my head I organize my essay and pull from the ideas that flow. Idk if that will help you, but instead of keep starting and stopping just keep going and change it up later.

Hope applications are going well for you. Good luck!

 

[gOT2beOT]

Any thoughts on starting a personal statement off with a question? I have family with Parkinsons and was going to start it off with, Do you know anyone with a debilitating disease? If so, you know how important the members of their care team are (....). Any toughts are appreciated, thank you!

 

[thekau]

Any thoughts on starting a personal statement off with a question? I have family with Parkinsons and was going to start it off with, Do you know anyone with a debilitating disease? If so, you know how important the members of their care team are (....). Any toughts are appreciated, thank you!

I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with starting your ps with a question per se. A lot of it will depend on how you use it and connect it with the rest of your ps. I'm personally a little iffy about it because it almost sounds like the intro to an academic essay. If you have a minimum character or word count, I'd say skip the fluff and just jump right into it (believe me, when I wrote my ps, I had a TON of fancy words and unnecessary fluff in my intro paragraph--it ended up being 3/4 of a page, single spaced!).

But of course, again, it really depends how you use the question to lead into the rest of your essay. I have no doubt that there are some people who can utilize it very effectively.

 

[thekau]

I wouldn't start it with that because the people reading your essays will be occupational therapy faculty. They'll most likely have worked with people with debilitating diseases before so the answer to that question would be a resounding yes. I would start off with something more relevant to your own personal experience.

Actually that's a really good point. The kind of question you're posing is more aimed towards the general population. Since you know OTs will be the ones reading your PS, it's pointless to start with that particular kind of question.

 

[gOT2beOT]

Thank you all for the feedback! Definitely decided against that intro sentence. Perhaps I'll utilize imagery or nix it all together. Thanks again! I've got the rest of my personal statement completed but the introduction is tricky for me.