Application question

[niss11]

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im getting my application together for optometry school and i need to write a personal statement. the schools i checked out didnt list anything specific they wanted included in it. does anyone have an idea of what exactly they are looking for (e.g. what information to include and around how long it should be)?

 

[prettygreeneyes]

im getting my application together for optometry school and i need to write a personal statement. the schools i checked out didnt list anything specific they wanted included in it. does anyone have an idea of what exactly they are looking for (e.g. what information to include and around how long it should be)?

What schools are you applying to? I was of the opinion that most schools have gone the way of a few essays questions as opposed to a personal statement. ICO did do the autobiographical statement, but they gave a prompt about what they wanted. Perhaps you should get a hold of someone at the school to clarify what exactly they are looking for? The worst thing would be to invest a lot of time into something when it turns out they were looking for something different!

Generally, the PS will cover why you want to be an optometrist (how you came to arrive at the decision, etc.) and what makes you a different and better candidate than the average Joe. Here is a link from the Pre-Allo forum on how to write a PS for medical school. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=375844 The same guidelines should work for you too! Good luck!

PGE

 

[SearchSquad]

Your personal statement is an excellent tool to use to make yourself stand out from the other applicants. You have to focus on all of your best features and highlight some unique things about yourself. Write about your background, why optometry is right for you, how you figured out that optometry is your future. Write about your experiences in volunteering, shadowing...maybe even give a specific case/patient that you observed. Write about your extracurricular activities or whatever it is you are passionate about to show the committee what you're all about.

Good luck.

 

[niss11]

Im applying to SUNY, Boston and Phili, but the PS is for SUNY. Thanks so much the tips and that link. It was really helpful!