Personal statement concerns

[doctermined]

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Just wondering, how important is the personal statement in the admission process? Can it determine your status between getting accepted and being waitlisted? I have been revising mine for awhile and just want to submit already. However, I want it to be really good but not sure if it even matters that much.

 

[pinkster]

I would think it would vary depending on what schools you are looking at. However, I will say that if you have a flaw in your gpa or DAT they may go straight to your PS to decide if you deserve to move forward in the process. I would definitely make sure you are comfortable with it before submitting. It could very well be the reason for an acceptance/denial, in my opinion.

 

[wildzodiac]

The purpose of a personal statement is to give your application character. It is a tool that adcoms use to see if you can effectively communicate a broad idea in a clear and coherent way. Like pinkster said, I would think that the weight of your PS would vary depending on what schools you apply to. I think (and this is just a guess) that if there is a slight discrepency in your transcripts, they would refer to your PS to see if you're worthy. I can't see a PS ALONE being the sole reason for rejection. However OP, the PS is a hefty portion of your app. Best of luck.

 

[yeslek88]

Absolutely can make or break you. Not to say that it will overcome a low GPA/DAT or ruin an otherwise strong app, but it is the only "human" aspect of your application- everything else is just a bunch of numbers. If they are on the fringe based on your numbers then your PS will probably be the biggest factor deciding whether they invite for an interview or not.