Contractions too colloquial for PS?

[stick91]

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Just wondering what you all thought about using contractions in the personal statement. Do you think it'd make it sound too casual? I've got some instances that feel more lighthearted where I used contractions and other more serious moments where I wrote them out. I never use them when writing an essay for class but since it is a personal statement it seems almost too formal to write everything out. Any thoughts?

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[Pomona2006]

Hey -

I personally kept away from contractions. While it is a personal statement, it is still a professional piece of writing, so I would stay away from them.

Nice to see a fellow Claremont College's alum on here 🙂

 

[jollyfatman]

Don't over-think it. As long as your usages are not too flagrant, then it won't matter either way. Adcoms will focus on the content of your statement.

Just my opinion. 🙂

 

[Pomona2006]

I agree that adcoms will focus on the content, but we don't want them to be distracted by the little stuff (like grammatical errors, punctuation errors, spelling errors, etc.). I know some people / profs that are distracted by contractions in professional writing, which is why I tend to avoid them. But in the scheme of things, I think they are a lot less harmful than the other types of errors I listed.

 

[FlyOnTheWall]

Just wondering what you all thought about using contractions in the personal statement. Do you think it'd make it sound too casual? I've got some instances that feel more lighthearted where I used contractions and other more serious moments where I wrote them out. I never use them when writing an essay for class but since it is a personal statement it seems almost too formal to write everything out. Any thoughts?

Don't overdo it. A few to keep the tone conversational is fine. Too many and you start sounding like W.

 

[stick91]

Don't overdo it. A few to keep the tone conversational is fine. Too many and you start sounding like W.

hehe. I went back through and found I only had about 3 and they ended up getting edited out anyways.

Thanks guys!

(and to Pomona2006, yay for Claremont! Most of the time when I tell people I went to Scripps I get either A) a blank stare or B) oh so you most like marine biology! and then I have to explain, no, not Scripps the Marine Biology Institiute, Scripps the college? Claremont Colleges? which usually gets the blank stare : )