Nontraditional Personal Statement Samples

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willow84

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Hi Everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of how nontraditional students tackle their personal statements, but I'm not finding much on Google (and I understand people are not going to post their PS here for all to read). Does anyone have links to sites or guides that were helpful when you were writing your statement as a nontraditional student? Or is there a kind soul who would be willing to share what he or she wrote via PM? 🙂

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Your personal statement as a non-trad doesn't need to be terribly different from what you would write if you were a traditional student; it should answer "why medicine" and "why you," with the addition of "why now." Everyone has a different approach, but mine essentially took the following form: paragraph 1) introduce a framing device that draws on my non-traditional (and non-science) background, which addressed both the fact that I am *not* a typical applicant and why that's a good thing; paragraph 2) address the people and service aspects of medicine, with nods to specific experiences that helped me get to this path; paragraph 3) address the science and intellectual discovery aspects of medicine, including mentions of how I came to the decision to finally pursue medical school and demonstrating that I know what I'm getting myself into, have explored my options; paragraph 4) wrap up with details about the qualities that make me suited to this field aka why they should want me, and bringing the entire essay back to the initial framework that I started with.

I kept a brainstorming document for a while before I actually sat down and attempted to pull the whole thing together. I highly recommend taking advantage of both people that are familiar with you and your story and those that aren't at all in editing your statement, both perspectives were invaluable for me.
 
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Hi Everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of how nontraditional students tackle their personal statements, but I'm not finding much on Google (and I understand people are not going to post their PS here for all to read). Does anyone have links to sites or guides that were helpful when you were writing your statement as a nontraditional student? Or is there a kind soul who would be willing to share what he or she wrote via PM? 🙂
Hi there. You can check Memorable Essay "How to Write a Memorable Personal Statement in 8 Steps" for a guide on how to do this. Dont focus on being "non-traditional"; focus on what you bring as a result of being non-traditional, not in spite of. Positive framing. Get a good understanding of what the PS prompt is asking and answer what you are asked. Based on what your dream school is looking for, which things have you learned along your non-trad journey that have prepared you to be a unique asset?
 
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