Help! ? abt personal statement sounding redundant!

[melon1129]

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Hi everyone,

I feel like my personal statement is like my CV but in paragraph form...I wrote about how some of my research and clinical experiences solidified my interest in pursuing a clinical psy program etc...Is this being redundant😕 I had to explain about the research I was involved in, so they knew what I was talking about (and what if they didn't read my CV first)...So, basically are personal statements usually somewhat redundant? Or should I try rewriting it completely? Also, any comments/thoughts abt personal statement in general are much appreicated!

Thanks! 😀

 

[KillerDiller]

I guess my only advice on the issue is to make your SoP into more of a narrative about your experiences than just a listing of what you have done. Sure, maybe you worked in two different research labs, but how were they related? How did each impact your interests, etc?

 

[psyed4clinPhD]

I guess my only advice on the issue is to make your SoP into more of a narrative about your experiences than just a listing of what you have done. Sure, maybe you worked in two different research labs, but how were they related? How did each impact your interests, etc?

My CV and SoP overlap too, but they are not the same. SoP is your chance to make yourself unique and stand out. What did you you like from your experiences? How did they help you professionally? (These are things that should not be in your CV 😉). Good luck!

 

[melon1129]

I guess my only advice on the issue is to make your SoP into more of a narrative about your experiences than just a listing of what you have done. Sure, maybe you worked in two different research labs, but how were they related? How did each impact your interests, etc?

Thanks!🙂

 

[melon1129]

My CV and SoP overlap too, but they are not the same. SoP is your chance to make yourself unique and stand out. What did you you like from your experiences? How did they help you professionally? (These are things that should not be in your CV 😉). Good luck!

Ok thanks!
My question now is...should I just say my research with Dr. X in project XYZ helped me by....and I liked it b/c....or should I include that research was with this population abt this topic. (that is my main problem I feel the need to explain the research which is already explained on my CV) Is it ok if I just keep it to one short sentence??

 

[busi26]

Ok thanks!
My question now is...should I just say my research with Dr. X in project XYZ helped me by....and I liked it b/c....or should I include that research was with this population abt this topic. (that is my main problem I feel the need to explain the research which is already explained on my CV) Is it ok if I just keep it to one short sentence??

Your CV should list your experiences. Your SOP should discuss your experiences and how they have sparked further interest in XXX. You could also link your experiences with profs at the institution to which you are applying.

 

[melon1129]

thanks!😀