Personal Statement 2008-2009 - Proofreading and Help!

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Utterdevotion

Utterdevotion

Hopeful future pharmacist
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To those interested in having your Personal Statement proofread - Please note the following:

- Use caution when deciding whom to send your PS to - on an anonymous forum, information can easily be plagiarized.
- Utilize the following list for those willing to proofread personal statements - we can vouch that they ARE indeed pharmacy students/pharmacists.
- For questions, comments, complaints, or critiques - feel free to PM me (Utterdevotion)

Proofreaders:
Pharmacistdoc - University at Buffalo
K0ni - University of Colorado
chelu55 - Samford University
Falokis - Auburn University
transzincIIB - Oregon State University
Storm90 - University of Colorado
Hels2007 - Pharmacist and SDN Advisor
thephoenician88 - accepted pharmacy student
lp0309 - accepted to USC and UOP
NebPharmer - University of Pacific

Utterdevotion - UMB - Also an SDN Advisor [will not be proofreading as of 07/29/08]
Pharmpills - Auburn University [will not be proofreading as of 11/27/08]
Nerv12345 - Thomas Jefferson - Also an SDN Advisor [will not be proofreading as of 08/22/08]
Kattster - University of California, San Francisco [will not be proofreading as of 9/3/08]

------------------------
Guidelines:
1. PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
2. This is NOT a place to ask for someone to send you a PS, or write your PS for you. We are here to help with suggestions, and proofreading.
3. If you want to help others with personal statements, please post a message here indicating your interest.
4. If you want help with your personal statement, PM someone on the list.
5. Please don't post your personal statement in this thread.

Happy writing!!

This thread is brought to you by the SDN Pharmacy Volunteer Staff and maintained by SDN Advisor, Utterdevotion.

-------------------------------------------------
A useful guides to writing a PS can be found here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=375844

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...0&postcount=21

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...61#post3930961
Members don't see this ad.
 
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Hi everyone -

Here are MY guidelines:

1. I will NOT respond to any requests that are posted here. I love helping you, but I don't help people who do not take initiative. PM me and ask me; I'm not going to PM YOU and ask you for your statement.

2. PM me, and ask about my availability. If I'm ok (I usually get back to you within a week, if not I'd let you know), then I'll give you my email address. Please send your statement to me as an ATTACHMENT. I would also suggest copying your prompt question.


How do I proofread?
- I do grammar last. So I will comment/suggest/advise on content and details. If your paper is perfect content wise, then I will fix any grammar issues you may have.
- I like to highlight, and use different colors, so don't worry, you'll see where I changed things.
- NO I DO NOT WRITE YOUR PAPER.
- I edit on the assumption that it is a PharmCAS personal statement, unless you tell me otherwise.


My suggestions:
PLEASE PLEASE read the prompt carefully.
Worry about wordcount and formatting LAST.
Ask yourself:
- Have you answered the prompt?
- Did you answer in every paragraph, WHY you want to become a pharmacist, or answer what your short/long term goals are?
- Did you remove all paragraphs and/or sentences that talk about your characteristics, your skills that makes you a good pharmacist? (yes, they are good to have, but that doesn't help answer your prompt!!)
- Did you remove all the paragraphs and/or sentences about your weaknesses, your semester/class that were especially poor? (they are important too, but not for this prompt!)
 
I'd like to help out as a proofreader. I'm probably not the best person to ask in regards to grammar but I did apply to 10+ schools in the last cycle and was accepted/received interviews to the bulk of them despite a below average gpa.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Nerv12345's Guidelines:
1. PM me if you want me to proofread your PS--I will not be checking this thread.
2. If I agree to proofread, I will send you an email address where you can send a copy of your PS--please do not copy and paste it in the PM box
3. Give me a 3-10 day window to proofread--my schedule will vary in busy-ness
4. If the essay prompt is different from the generic Pharmcas one, please include it in the essay so I know how to judge your PS
5. Don't be offended by how blunt I may be--I'm just trying to be as truthful as possible to make your essay better! :)
 
Hi to all 2008-2009 Pharmcas applicants,

I will be more than happy to provide individualized service in making your PS the best possible one, but it will require organization, co-ordination, communication and commonsense on your part, if you agree, then please PM me.

I got acceptance from three pharmacy schools for 2007-2008 application cycle (the only three schools where I chose to attend the interview), but I got interview offers from 7 different schools. I was average on GPA (3.36) and PCAT (82%), but it was my PS, strong profile on pharmcas, Elors, supplemental applications and Interview scores that helped me to reach where I am right now. So, everyone has equal opportunity to get that acceptance offer, but you have to understand that you have to meet the minimum standards on each and every component.

My Guidelines for reviewing/editing/proofreading the PS are as following:
1. PM me if you want me to review your PS (briefly describe your expectations and progress with PS)
2. If your PS is for Pharmcas then please state so, if it is for supplemental application then provide the prompt to me
3. Once I provide you with my e-mail ID, you can e-mail me your PS with prompt (words limit included) and put your sdn ID name as well as pharmcas PS in the subject line: (SDN ID, Pharmcas PS)
4. I will take two days at the max to review your PS and will forward the edited version to you at your e-mail address
5. After reading it thoroughly you can either edit it yourself and submit it or send it back to me for further review, but this time you have to tell me the specific portions I should edit/proofread for you
6. I will also recommend using the writing center service or reviewer service at your university before you finalize your PS to submit on pharmcas (show them both copies: the one you wrote and the one I edited for you and ask for their opinion on both)

If I missed anything do let me know in the PM that you send me and I will try to incorporate your perspective when doing the proofreading for you. A word of caution to all the applicants: Once your satisfied with your PS and have it reviewed from atleast 5 creditable reviewers with overall positive comments on it I would recommend submitting it without wasting any time because along with writing an excellent PS it is equally important for you to submit it before most of the applicants do it (this was one of the mistakes I made :)).
 
Hi everyone - I'm going out of town at the end of this week and will not be returning until school starts for me. I'm pretty sure I won't have the time to help proofread during the school year. I'll still be maintaining this thread but I hope to find some more proofreaders for you!

So if I've sent you a PM stating that you can send me your statements, they will be done by the end of this week. If not, sorry guys I will not be accepting anymore.
 
Hi everyone,

My guidelines for proofreading are pretty much the same as the others. Please PM me if you want me to proofread any of your essays or PS for PharmCAS. I don't regularly check this thread or this site. I'm not sure how much free time I will have outside of school (and maybe work) yet but if you PM me, I will give you an approx. time frame for when I can get back to you. Don't forget to include the essay prompt so I know what you are responding to.

Just in case you are wondering about me-- I applied to 12 schools, received 8 interview offers, went to 3 interviews and was accepted to 3 schools. My gpa was on the lower side (3.08 cumulative gpa) and my PCAT was 86. I'd like to think that it was my personal statement and LORs that helped me land those interviews.
 
k0ni said:
I'd like to think that it was my personal statement and LORs that helped me land those interviews.
Click to expand...

What is an LOR? Which schools accepted you?
 
I apologize but I'm not too good with the acronyms. I'm interested in having my essay proofread, but what does PM mean? Thanks in advance!
 
Is there a way I can look at some sample essays, maybe the first pharagraph or so...I'm having a hard time with ideas. My brain is so dry at this point.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you guys know that I usually proofread statements over the weekend. Give me about a week or so because I do have homework, exams, quizzes, etc. I will not be able to review your PS AND return it to you within a day or two. Just a friendly FYI for you all... Best of luck.
 
Hi,
I'm looking for someone to give me some proofreading on my PS. I'm sure everyone is very busy now, however I just got to finish my PS. I am not good at writing and English isn't my native language, so I took me quite a bit to finish it. So I really need your help. Please let me know if you are available. I really appreciate it.
Have a good weekend!!!!
 
I might need help with proof reading..who do i send it to?
 
hey, i'm looking for someone to proof read mine as well, at least to tell me if it sounds good and persuading enough. thanks guys.
 
Pharmcisdoc, do you still available to proofread PS ? How can I PM you? Im very new =)
 
Is anyone still proofreading personal statements? I've sent out a few PMs but never got anything back. If someone has helped you recently or if you are helping please let me know. Thanks! I appreciate it greatly!
 
I did email my PS to someone but never received anything back, not even an acknowledgement when I thanked them for their help and told them I had someone else do it. Now I regret asking anyone on here at all.
 
id be willing to proofread some ps.. BUT i have to tell you im really slow about getting back.. so only pm me if you have the time to wait... and i dont check for grammar.. just content..

Bests,

UMB c/o 2012
 
Hi I need help regarding my PS. How can I contact you. Give me reply as soon as you can
 
pharmacistdoc said:
Hi to all 2008-2009 Pharmcas applicants,

I will be more than happy to provide individualized service in making your PS the best possible one, but it will require organization, co-ordination, communication and commonsense on your part, if you agree, then please PM me.

I got acceptance from three pharmacy schools for 2007-2008 application cycle (the only three schools where I chose to attend the interview), but I got interview offers from 7 different schools. I was average on GPA (3.36) and PCAT (82%), but it was my PS, strong profile on pharmcas, Elors, supplemental applications and Interview scores that helped me to reach where I am right now. So, everyone has equal opportunity to get that acceptance offer, but you have to understand that you have to meet the minimum standards on each and every component.

My Guidelines for reviewing/editing/proofreading the PS are as following:
1. PM me if you want me to review your PS (briefly describe your expectations and progress with PS)
2. If your PS is for Pharmcas then please state so, if it is for supplemental application then provide the prompt to me
3. Once I provide you with my e-mail ID, you can e-mail me your PS with prompt (words limit included) and put your sdn ID name as well as pharmcas PS in the subject line: (SDN ID, Pharmcas PS)
4. I will take two days at the max to review your PS and will forward the edited version to you at your e-mail address
5. After reading it thoroughly you can either edit it yourself and submit it or send it back to me for further review, but this time you have to tell me the specific portions I should edit/proofread for you
6. I will also recommend using the writing center service or reviewer service at your university before you finalize your PS to submit on pharmcas (show them both copies: the one you wrote and the one I edited for you and ask for their opinion on both)

If I missed anything do let me know in the PM that you send me and I will try to incorporate your perspective when doing the proofreading for you. A word of caution to all the applicants: Once your satisfied with your PS and have it reviewed from atleast 5 creditable reviewers with overall positive comments on it I would recommend submitting it without wasting any time because along with writing an excellent PS it is equally important for you to submit it before most of the applicants do it (this was one of the mistakes I made :)).
Click to expand...
Hi I need help regarding my PS. How can I contact you. Give me reply as soon as you can
 
i need some advise on how to start my personal statement if you could please help like give me hints on what to write about that would be all
write a brief statement about your professional goals
how would you start it and also what would you include as far as goals
i know my professional goals but i don't know how to start it
i would really appreciate the help please thanks
 
Last edited:
harshad1228 said:
i need some advise on how to start my personal statement if you could please help like give me hints on what to write about that would be all
write a brief statement about your professional goals
how would you start it and also what would you include as far as goals
i know my professional goals but i don't know how to start it
i would really appreciate the help please thanks
Click to expand...
i am in same situation as u are
 
could you please critique my personal statement.
Please let me know where you want it sent
thank you so much in advance
 
hi, i really need an urgent proofread for my personal statement.
is there anyone who is willing to do that for me ? i hope to get it finalized by monday. Thanks you guys.
 
I am willing to proofread personal statements and offer advice to those who want it. I am not super busy with school, so I can likely get back to you within a day or two. You can PM me and I will get back to you asap. I also look for grammatical errors as well as spelling, punctuation, etc. My Guidelines for reviewing/editing/proofreading the PS are as following:

1. PM me if you want me to review your PS (briefly describe your expectations and progress with PS)
2. If your PS is for Pharmcas then please state so, if it is for supplemental application then provide the prompt to me
3. Once I provide you with my e-mail ID, you can e-mail me your PS with prompt (words limit included) and put your sdn ID name as well as pharmcas PS in the subject line: (SDN ID, Pharmcas PS)
4. I will take two days at the max to review your PS and will forward the edited version to you at your e-mail address
5. After reading it thoroughly you can either edit it yourself and submit it or send it back to me for further review, but this time you have to tell me the specific portions I should edit/proofread for you.
 
Hels' guidelines:

- I will get back to you within a couple days; for best results, PM me first.
- I will work on content before I will work on grammar, however, if you don't use spellcheck, I will return your PS to you untouched.
- Speaking of content, if you have a specific question you need to answer - then make sure you think it through; they may not be as straightforward as they seem (I got burned on it all many years ago writing my first one).
- If you don't have a specific question, make sure you make it personal and eloquent. Yes, it is a lot more work to write a different letter for each program. But guess what - I have done it for pharmacy schools, for fellowships, and for jobs. It can be done. And I will push you to do it, because as someone who has read a lot of letters of intent with the purpose of screening applicants, I find few things more disgusting than a generic letter of intent.
- I can help you think it through but I will not do the legwork for you. I will give you a direction, but I will not rewrite a paragraph for you.
- As a fair warning, I may miss an occasional comma here or there, or disagree with you on the usage of a certain word. Either ignore that, or live with it, up to you.
- Gentle I ain't. Be prepared that I will rip your statement apart. I am here to make it the best it can be, not to stroke your ego.

Good luck writing! :)
 
Last edited:
° PM me first
-let me know what we are working on? (Pharmcas or supplemental or other specific concerns on your paper)
° If I am able to do the job. I will send you my email where you can attach your essay (I´d add some simple instructions along with this.)

Here´s what I can do for you
° Warning: I´ll let you know about my flaw that I´m not an english major so I´m not so great in correcting your grammar. I can definitely trace the very obvious ones. Lol.
° I will check and provide comments on the content of your essay whether it sounds plain, repetitive, cliche, generic, original...whether you have good transition, intro...etc.
° I will try to put comments on each paragraphs of your essay by underlining or inserting some suggestions.
° I will not write your essays but I would love to guide you through.
° As for best results, I suggest using me for your drafts. Ask second to third opinions from sdn proofreaders, from your friends & professors. Then for your final draft use an ultimate English professor to check on your grammar and punctuations.

At your service,
TranszincIIB
 
I'm proud to announce many of our new proofreaders!

transzincIIB - Oregon State University
Storm90 - University of Colorado
Hels2007 - Pharmacist and SDN Advisor
thephoenician88 - accepted pharmacy student
lp0309 - accepted to USC and UOP
NebPharmer - University of Pacific


Thanks for helping us out! :)
 
hey everyone, just an fyi, i like to use the microsoft track function. If you have an issue with this let me know ahead of time. It makes it very easy to make changes/add comments so that you can see it.
 
Hi all,

I am happy to proofread personal statements and offer help to those who want it. PM me and I will get back to you ASAP. I will review content and structure as well as usage, spelling and punctuation.

1. PM me if you want me to review your PS (briefly describe your expectations and progress with PS).
2. Once I send you my email, send your PS with prompt and word limit included, even if it is for PharmCAS. Make sure your SDN ID is on there too. Make sure I can contact you with questions if needed. Chances are excellent I will have some.
4. I will review your PS in a timely manner and forward the edited version to you at your e-mail address. By this time we will both know whether it needs more work or not.

Good luck all,
NebPharmer
 
I'm in the midst of writing my PS but I'm having some difficulties. I have a great idea about what to write about, but it's starting to sound more like a story. I'm having a tough time trying to say all I have to say in the allotted space. (1 page is just not enough!!) Just how long should the 1st paragraph be?? I'm so lost, please help!!!
 
There's no rule about how long a paragraph should be. Generally you just find a natural break and stick to one idea per paragraph. If you have trouble with this, ask someone to help you with it or look for resources on the internet. There are a lot of tutorials on the web about writing papers.

Before starting you need to brainstorm a few ideas you think are the most important to include, or you'll just keep writing and writing. What answers the prompt the best and flows with your main idea? After that, I usually just write and then edit to make the essay the right length. I feel doing that helps me determine what are my best ideas and which can be thrown out. It's too hard to write while trying to stay within your allotted space at the same time. Editing always comes last.
 
Does anyone have a sample personal statement or knows where I could find one online? All the ones I found on the internet are crap. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. I just really need some help. I just finished writing one, but I don't think I did it right. Or if someone can read it and tell me what I'm doing wrong because I know it's not right! I'm totally stressed!! help!!! =[
 
Hi xO,
PS's have no set rules to follow, as long as you tell your true story and address the prompt. Make sure you say why you want to pursue pharmacy and what makes you uniquely qualified.

PS's can be very diverse because everyone has a different story and a different set of life experiences. When you show that you are enthusiastic, and knowledgeable in the topics at hand, you will knock the socks off.

Best of Luck!
 
Last edited:
Utterdevotion said:
To those interested in having your Personal Statement proofread - Please note the following:

- Use caution when deciding whom to send your PS to - on an anonymous forum, information can easily be plagiarized.
- Utilize the following list for those willing to proofread personal statements - we can vouch that they ARE indeed pharmacy students/pharmacists.
- For questions, comments, complaints, or critiques - feel free to PM me (Utterdevotion)

Proofreaders:
Pharmacistdoc - University at Buffalo
K0ni - University of Colorado
chelu55 - Samford University
Falokis - Auburn University
transzincIIB - Oregon State University
Storm90 - University of Colorado
Hels2007 - Pharmacist and SDN Advisor
thephoenician88 - accepted pharmacy student
lp0309 - accepted to USC and UOP
NebPharmer - University of Pacific

Utterdevotion - UMB - Also an SDN Advisor [will not be proofreading as of 07/29/08]
Pharmpills - Auburn University [will not be proofreading as of 11/27/08]
Nerv12345 - Thomas Jefferson - Also an SDN Advisor [will not be proofreading as of 08/22/08]
Kattster - University of California, San Francisco [will not be proofreading as of 9/3/08]

------------------------
Guidelines:
1. PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
2. This is NOT a place to ask for someone to send you a PS, or write your PS for you. We are here to help with suggestions, and proofreading.
3. If you want to help others with personal statements, please post a message here indicating your interest.
4. If you want help with your personal statement, PM someone on the list.
5. Please don't post your personal statement in this thread.

Happy writing!!

This thread is brought to you by the SDN Pharmacy Volunteer Staff and maintained by SDN Advisor, Utterdevotion.

-------------------------------------------------
A useful guides to writing a PS can be found here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=375844

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...0&postcount=21

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...61#post3930961
Click to expand...



Hi, I am trying to get someone to proofread my Personal Statement. I was wondering if any one can help me with something. I don't know how to PM people. can someone tell me how to PM someone who will help me with my PS? Thanks a lot.
 
Is there anyone out there still doing proof read? This thread is pretty dead.

I have a personal statement that's ready to be checked off :love:
 
you need to PM someone, and they will get to you, not the other way around.
 
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