500 words?

[BMW19]

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Did anyone else think that the space that they provide on the application was kind of slim? I understand they want to prevent people from writing about their 6 generations of DO's in their family blah blah blah... But still I had to cut my statement almost in half.

 

[luckystar]

I remember thinking that there was no way I could write a correctly grammared med school essay in 500 words. But after more than a month of editing and shifting everything, I realized how much more eloquent you have to be to write a shorter essay, without losing much of your "point". In some ways, it was easier to just dive into the meat of what you have to say. You just have to figure out and decide what details can be shaved and what sentences are essential to your essay.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[BMW19]

thanks for the reply luckystar. I guess I was reluctant to let some of my ideas go but I think I finally got it down

 

[paramed2premed]

It is hard when you have become just a little too proud of a certain turn-of-phrase, or when you want to recount just one more absolutely riveting anecdote. Getting rid of these is like chopping off fingers.

On the other hand, I get bored reading any SDN posts which exceed a screen in length. I skim, skip, my mind wanders... It is not hard to imagine that admission officers, reading their 2375th essay on why "I AM MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN ALBERT SCHWEITZER," may have their attention flag when they finally come to essay 2376; yours.

 

[Nater44]

Nice way of putting it paramed. Puts things into perspective.

I tend to skim over long posts as well. I focused my statement on my experiences as an EMT and how it led me to medicine. But it seems like it can always be improved some way some how. I'm never satisfied with the final draft. It's driving me crazy.

 

[sacroiliac]

Nater44...it's a process. I went through the same thing. It can be very frustrating, however, in many ways I enjoyed it, similar to an exercise in self evaluation/motivation. I ended up going the "short and sweet" route. I was surprised to find how much meaning could be conveyed in carefully selected words (about 350). Of course, to each is own, but sounds like you have a solid start. Good luck!