Cutting down from 5300 to 4500 characters

[virtuoso735]

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How did you guys cut down your AMCAS personal statements to work for AACOMAS? There's a quite large 800 character gap. Did you guys just remove a paragraph that was somehow the least relevant from your AMCAS statement, or did you try making your sentences as streamlined and efficient as possible? I'm not really sure what to do, and I don't want to write an entirely new PS for AACOMAS.

Btw, if anyone would like to read my essay and try to help me with my task of cutting it down (suggesting things to cut out or help with making it more efficient), I would be glad to PM you my essay. I can also help read yours.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

You have a lot of room to remove things from your PS. Really...

 

[psychkub]

How did you guys cut down your AMCAS personal statements to work for AACOMAS? There's a quite large 800 character gap. Did you guys just remove a paragraph that was somehow the least relevant from your AMCAS statement, or did you try making your sentences as streamlined and efficient as possible? I'm not really sure what to do, and I don't want to write an entirely new PS for AACOMAS.

Btw, if anyone would like to read my essay and try to help me with my task of cutting it down (suggesting things to cut out or help with making it more efficient), I would be glad to PM you my essay. I can also help read yours.

I removed superfluous words here and there from my AMCAS PS. I wouldn't remove paragraphs. It took some time, but I managed to bring it down to about 4,493 words.

 

[CopToEM]

Truthfully, if you're close to 4500 characters, you're being entirely too wordy. The odds of them reading a PS that long are slim. Cut out mundane details that aren't important.

I.E. a common thing I see people doing in PS drafts is including names, places, etc. which aren't necessary. Such as, "While a volunteer at John Douglas Camp for Handicapped and Challenged Children, I worked with Dr. Adam Manning in helping recently disabled children become more independent." That could easily be shortened to, "While volunteering at a camp for disabled children I assisted a physician in improving the independence of those recently disabled." Not only does it make it more concise it also makes it easier to read and far less heavy. It seems like a trivial thing but when you do it for two entire pages it adds up.

Another thing people often do is just including too much detail. You want to give the AdCom member reading your PS just enough information to make them think, "Man, I'd really like to get to know this person better." You've already listed your volunteer experiences in the AACOMAS app and a brief description so they have that in front of them. Then, you're going to talk about it again in the personal statement. Then, you're going to undoubtedly get a secondary that asks you about life experiences that helped you consider a career in medicine. Then, you're going to have an interview and they're going to ask you about them a fourth time. By the time it's over you're beating the proverbial horse.

Just some of my advice - most of which was passed on by my 'born during the ice age' English professor who helped make mine bulletproof. Consider these things and it may help you revise.

 

[BNHWC2009]

I'm doing this right now too... I wouldn't cut out a whole paragraph. If yours is like mine that would cut out a whole section of how you want to present yourself as a person. I would try combining sentences, cutting out details (I agree with the post saying to cut out names), and saying things in as few words as possible. Have someone else read it and ask them to cross out parts they think are unnecessary. Evaluate from there. Hope that helps--it's what I've done so far, but I still need to cut out 200 characters! :/

 

[Dharma]

Remove any redundancies (i.e. don't repeat the same thought twice unless it really drives home a major point), eliminate unnecessary sentences as well as names and places, and find ways to distill your thoughts with any fluff removed. Writing takes practice, so expect multiple revisions and most definitely do so by having others read, edit, and critique your work. I'm sure a few folks here would be glad to give it a look if you so please. PM me if you want. I'm game.

All in all, just keep at it and you'll get there.

 

[Mash43]

in the same boat here...its not easy but it can be done. Im still like 150 over....i def wouldnt cut out whole paragraphs.

 

[as1212559]

My AACOMAS PS is in the final stages of editing and is ~3300 characters. Someone I know who is matriculating this year wrote about ~3000.

Say what you need to say in a short manner. Shorten sentences, omit lengthy ways of saying simple things, etc. Then repeat. Then repeat. Make 10 drafts, 20 drafts, it doesn't matter. Let someone who knows you personally edit your content, then let others edit your diction, grammar, punctuation, etc. Someone who knows you really well (spouse, significant other, parent, etc.) will be able to tell you what is not necessary. I thought there were things I really wanted to include but I was easily proven incorrect by someone who knows me well enough to talk frankly about what a lousy point I was trying to make.

You can't define yourself completely in 4500 characters, it's not worth trying. Just write them something that makes them believe you when you say "I want to be a physician".