Personal Statement Dilemma

[TopTomato]

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As I finished writing my personal statement, I began to look at the application on the AMCAS website, and apparently they ask about highest level of education your parents received. However in my personal statement I talk about how when I was growing up neither of my parents were college educated, which is true. However my mother recently went back to school and ended up getting her bachelor's degree and is now a teacher. Now obviously I could explain this very easily in an interview, however I wouldn't want my application to be thrown out because they thought I was a liar. Does anybody know if they would cross reference my personal statement with the application? Or should I just take the time to re-write a portion of it to make sure I state how she went back to school later in life?

 

[LizzyM]

As I finished writing my personal statement, I began to look at the application on the AMCAS website, and apparently they ask about highest level of education your parents received. However in my personal statement I talk about how when I was growing up neither of my parents were college educated, which is true. However my mother recently went back to school and ended up getting her bachelor's degree and is now a teacher. Now obviously I could explain this very easily in an interview, however I wouldn't want my application to be thrown out because they thought I was a liar. Does anybody know if they would cross reference my personal statement with the application? Or should I just take the time to re-write a portion of it to make sure I state how she went back to school later in life?

Add that she recently went back and finished her degree. If reading your application from top to bottom they will see highest degree attained by parents before reaching the personal statement which falls at the end of the application. The discrepancy might trip up some readers and so it is best to clarify the situation.

 

[justkeepswiming]

I was in a somewhat similar situation when I wrote my PS/disadvantaged status essay. Although in my case my mom actually did have a college degree to begin with, my father didn't, and my mom never worked until a few years ago, after she went back to school and got her nursing degree. I was concerned about contradicting myself because one part of the app mentions her as a nurse, and another part mentions my parents not working.

I didn't think it was worth spending a lot of valuable character space clarifying this in detail on my app, but I worded things in such a way as to avoid any direct contradictions. (eg, instead of saying "my mom, who is a nurse," i said "my mom, who recently returned to school and now works as a nurse.") I figured it would come up in interviews if people wondered, and it did a couple of times. Not because anyone thought I was lying about anything, though--just because we were discussing my background.

I doubt you'd get flagged as a liar for this, but it might be worth writing in something quick into your PS like I did just to avoid any potential misunderstanding.

 

[TopTomato]

OK thanks for the input!