2nd Time Personal Statement

[MuraRX]

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This is my second year applying to pharm school.
I am all done with PharmCAS except for the most important part--the Personal Statement. The reason I can't seem to write anything worth reading is because I want to include some of the info I wrote in last year's but don't want to sound redundant.

My question is, do you think the schools I applied to last year will read both personal statements? What do I do? I'm so confused.

On top of that, I only applied to 4 schools last year and this year I'm applying to A LOT more, so those extra schools will not have a copy of last year's PharmCAS. Someone please help---I need advice!😕

 

[goraka]

Well i think what I would do is take the ideas you want from the old one but completely rewrite it. And then just make sure to add some new things too. Anything that is important should be in there whether you mentioned it before or not. Just don't use the same essay. I'm completely rewriting mine, but that's just because my last one really wasn't good at all! I'm doing the same thing as you by the way. I applied to 4 schools last year and this year changed it to 9, hopefully that helps!

 

[MuraRX]

thanx for the tip. I'm gonna try to re-write it hopefully better than last year; I just hope they don't get bored if they read both essays with the same topics written 2 different ways.

Does anyone know if the adcoms compare/read your previous and current PS?

 

[sdn1977]

I can't say they don't read the PS from the previous year...but if you do get chosen for an interview, assume they have looked at your application closely.

Given that...you need to definitely rewrite last years PS because you have one more year of ..... something to include. Hopefully, your PS will reflect your growth of this last year.

If you mention not being accepted last year, turn it around to a positive thing - what did it make you realize about yourself, your goals, how you approach what you want in life?????

There are all sorts of things which you should be able to reflect back on & realize you could have done them differently or presented them in a different fashion to someone who is risking a position on how you will come out as a pharmacist.

Good luck this year!

 

[MuraRX]

Thank you sdn1977--my first choice school, UCSF, waitlisted me last year & I almost made it. When I spoke with the admiss. coord. he said the main reason I was waitlisted was b/c I had no pharm experience (despite the fact I have a ton of patient contact/healthcare and clinical research exp.).
I definitely plan to tell them in the supplemental application what I did to fulfill that, but the PS question is why do I want to be a pharmacist? My original reasons have not changed at all. So how do I answer the question without boring them to death since they have the answer from last year? Also, I can't forget about the schools that will be receiving my app for the first time---they need to know my reasons.

Thing is I have rewritten the PS already and it will sound good to the schools that I never applied to before, but when I read it from UCSF's point of view, I think they will see that it's the same PS, with the story told slightly differently, with a few added experiences and they will think it's boring. I guess I'm just freaking cuz I don't know what I'll do if I don't make it this year---I really don't wanna go for round 3!🙁

 

[DownonthePharm]

I think with all the applicants each school gets, they arent going to remember your PS from last year, or bother to dig it up.

If you like it feel free to use it again. But of course you want to tweek it a little because I KNOW you have done something in the past year to make yourself a more desireable applicant.

 

[sdn1977]

Thank you sdn1977--my first choice school, UCSF, waitlisted me last year & I almost made it. When I spoke with the admiss. coord. he said the main reason I was waitlisted was b/c I had no pharm experience (despite the fact I have a ton of patient contact/healthcare and clinical research exp.).
I definitely plan to tell them in the supplemental application what I did to fulfill that, but the PS question is why do I want to be a pharmacist? My original reasons have not changed at all. So how do I answer the question without boring them to death since they have the answer from last year? Also, I can't forget about the schools that will be receiving my app for the first time---they need to know my reasons.

Thing is I have rewritten the PS already and it will sound good to the schools that I never applied to before, but when I read it from UCSF's point of view, I think they will see that it's the same PS, with the story told slightly differently, with a few added experiences and they will think it's boring. I guess I'm just freaking cuz I don't know what I'll do if I don't make it this year---I really don't wanna go for round 3!🙁

Mura....so you want to appeal to UCSF in addition to others....now..what did you do this year which REINFORCED your decision?

You mention your reasons haven't changed, but your motivations & outlook may have changed. Make that reflect in your PS - your realization that perhaps your original reasons, altho idealistic, have been made more firm with a year of introspection, reflection & observation by your own personal experience with pharmacy. What did that experience provide you that you didn't have before? Did anything in the year you worked with pharmacists make any particular impact on you - did they educate patients who might otherwise not have been educated? did they intervene in doses which might have been problematic?......etc...you get the idea.

Good luck!

 

[MuraRX]

Thank you everyone for your advice!🙂