Opening the PS with a quote

[ASDIC]

hi everyone, i am in the midst of opening my personal statement with a quote. So for the experts out there here is my question...
wut tips can you give about such essays?

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[ATPase]

Be able to tie it in somehow with the rest of the essay; i.e. make it a theme that runs throughout (or be able to tie up the loose ends in your conclusion.) Don't just stick a nice quote in there unless it adds something substantive to the thrust of your essay.

 

[g3pro]

i would start out with a Ludacris quote:

"All my women in the house if you chasing cash
And you got some big titties wit a matching ass
Wit ya fly ass boots or ya open toes
When ya get on the flo ***** throw them 'bows"

 

[ATPase]

Excellent suggestion. There's a lot of material to work with there.

 

[ASDIC]

seriously...i need help

 

[ATPase]

Sorry, kegelman. Do you have a specific quote in mind? Something that encapsulates your experiences or background in some way?

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

kegelman is your name some sort of reference to vaginal tightening excercises called kegels?

 

[good_faith]

Originally posted by NE_Cornhusker1
kegelman is your name some sort of reference to vaginal tightening excercises called kegels?

 

[LaurieB]

thekegalman,

It's early, so don't worry so much about the quote. If you have something you like, go with it - write out a draft and see how it looks in the end. There is no magic formula for Personal Statements. Just be sincere and make it informative. When you're done, ask your parents, your advisor, and your best friends to read it. They'll tell you if the quote fits or if it's out of whack.

Good luck!

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

What works well is to get really wasted and type about why you want to be a doctor [while you're uninhibited] and then build on that when you're sober.

 

[TheFlash]

Originally posted by thekegalman
hi everyone, i am in the midst of opening my personal statement with a quote. So for the experts out there here is my question...
wut tips can you give about such essays?

Starting with a quote will, at best, give your essay a cool edge, and at worst, set the tone for a cheesy, forced paper. Beginning with a good quote is hard to do, because the reader then wonders how exactly you intend to tie it into the rest of your paper. It can thus be distracting if it's ineffective, unrelated to your thesis and/or isn't somehow related to the entirety of the essay. The last thing you want your reader to say is, "What in the heck did that Gandhi quote do with to him wanting to become a doctor? Beats me." So just be careful to make sure your quote is relevant.

tf

 

[Ernham]

How junior high of you.

 

[umass rower]

I suggest you write the essay first, let it take the form that works best, and then see if a quote is a good way to get it started. I've found that quotes only really work well if they get the reader thinking about a subject, and then the author goes on to look at the subject in a unique way.

 

[ncalcate]

I almost did this with my PS, but opted against it. The real killer is the fact that the AMCAS app doesn't preserve formatting when you print it (and thus when the Adcoms print it as well). For example, if you wanted to do this:

***************

"cool quote here"

And this is why I want to become a doctor.

*****************


AMCAS would not save your formatting when your essay is printed out. It would look like:

************

"cool quote here" And this is why I want to become a doctor.

************




So, if you're looking to have a dramatic quote spaced apart from the rest of your essay, it won't happen. That was the dealbreaker for me, and I ditched the whole quote idea. Just my $.02.

 

[Moose1]

I just don't think the quote is a good idea. The purpose of the personal statement is to put your own touch on your application - to give more of an insight as to who you are. You are wasting that opportunity with somebody else's words, even though it is only a sentence or a few lines. Create your own "quote," that one-liner that will really stick in the reader's mind. It is definitely harder than using somebody else's, but it is more respected.

 

[Nutmeg]

Closing with a quote is better than opening with a quote.

 

[No Egrets]

opening with a quote is so very very cheesy. just don't do it. i think the best openers are unique attention-grabbing ones that quickly tie in to who you are.

 

[CanIBeMe??]

thekegalman....hey....I PM'ed you!

 

[bigbaubdi]

Someone told me that he was going to start his PS with the quote "Eat $h!t - A million flies can't be wrong" but I doubt he went through with it.

That would be a real good way to get the adcoms to notice you though!

 

[Outer Space]

One way you can start with a quote, is to start with a conversation. Or something like ?Let me go, you son of a ?"%"?$%!!!!?? snarled my grandmother.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by thekegalman
hi everyone, i am in the midst of opening my personal statement with a quote. So for the experts out there here is my question...
wut tips can you give about such essays?

Never start with a quote unless its something you or a person close to you said.

Don't think you are novel either. I started with a quote from a little known english socialist and was struck down by my premed advisor. Apparently said person is the 2nd most quoted individual in premed applications.

DEFINITELY DO NOT START A QUOTE WITH SOMETHING WRITTEN OR SAID BY THOMAS JEFFERSON, THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PERSON QUOTED IN ALL APPLICATION ESSAYS. (think historical documents, etc).

Coops

 

[TheFlash]

Originally posted by Cooper_Wriston
DEFINITELY DO NOT START A QUOTE WITH SOMETHING WRITTEN OR SAID BY THOMAS JEFFERSON, THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PERSON QUOTED IN ALL APPLICATION ESSAYS. (think historical documents, etc).

Coops

Especially around these parts.

tf

 

[ATPase]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
Closing with a quote is better than opening with a quote.

Good point. This is what I did in my personal statement because it worked out better than opening with a quote.

 

[ASDIC]

well its good to hear a lot of pros and cons about starting the PS with a quote. Here are my thoughts:

First of all, if one wants to use quote; a really good quote is needed. And with a really good quote I mean how it can tell your story within its apostrophes.

Secondly, based on the responses, I think a quote is a risk; but if it works out, it can pay off really well.

Lastly, if a quote by Mr. X is used as the framework of the PS, the applicant must have strong reasons to explain why he chose Mr.X

But, please keep your opinions coming, it will definitely help other PS writers around. Thanks

 

[TTSD]

If you want to start out with a quote, then make it a GRABBER.

But do you know what's 100 times better than starting off with a REALLY interesting quote? Writing something original AND interesting.

You either want to:

a) Make the intro incredibly smooth so that the reader will easily fall into your essay.

or

b) Make it so bone-jarring that the reader will crap their pants and go, "what did s/he mean by that?"

of course the risk with "b" is the possibility it'll fly over their head or not be their cup of tea. But then again, the whole admissions process is gambling.