So I know that with personal statements the general rule of thumb is to not specify a particular program or school, especially with the essay you submit to OTCAS. However, I was wondering if it was common or a good/bad idea to mention why you're interested in a program, even for just a sentence or two, in a personal essay for a school that you're applying to independently of OTCAS? Basically, is it recommended to make an essay specific to a school if you know it's only going to that school? Thanks!
General Admissions & OTCAS Personal Statement & Being Specific
- Thread starter KM20
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If it is independent of OTCAS, I don't see why not. In fact, for some of the schools I applied to that weren't part of OTCAS, the essay question sometimes required the applicant to write why a certain school would be a good fit for them.
Yes! If you know that an essay is going to a SPECIFIC SCHOOL only, you should definitely personalize it to that school specifically! For one, it shows that you have done your research on the school and actually know what you are applying to. Secondly, it really shows that you have a connection with that school instead of some general statements. Typically, programs like to see you mention about a specific faculty member you wish to work with whether that be for research or other things. In addition, they also like to see that you actually talk about what is compelling you to their program whether that be their advanced labs or esteemed faculty members. Just remember to be VERY VERY SPECIFIC. Do not talk about "esteemed faculty members" and not mention a single one by name. Most importantly, DO NOT accidentally leave in info about other schools. Many admissions committees see a common mistake where a student did the copy a paste method and forgot to take out info pertaining to another school (They usually do this if they are applying to a lot of schools). A big no-no! Proofread your essay 10+ times to make sure nothing is left in about other schools.
Other than that I see no harm in making an essay specific for that school as long as it is not the GENERAL OTCAS one. Go for it and make it an amazing one to that specific school! 🙂
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agree with the above. if it's a specific schools own app then mention away. also, a lot of school have supplemental essays attached to the OTCAS application with the question usually being why you chose their program.
