Personal Statement - Must use all 5300 characters?

[kdangg4]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if you guys recommend using all 5300 characters for the personal statement. I only have about 4500 characters but I feel like it I try to add more, it won't flow right. Thanks!

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[MMa23]

it's not required to use all 5300

 

[TheBossDoctor]

I heard that if you don't have at least 5300 characters, schools auto-reject you and send you links for Caribbean school applications.

 

[jeffs office]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if you guys recommend using all 5300 characters for the personal statement. I only have about 4500 characters but I feel like it I try to add more, it won't flow right. Thanks!

4500 sounds just fine.

 

[LostinLift]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if you guys recommend using all 5300 characters for the personal statement. I only have about 4500 characters but I feel like it I try to add more, it won't flow right. Thanks!

I used all 5300 characters because I want to actually get accepted, but that's just me.



Also have you not submitted yet?

 

[yehhhboiii]

adcoms count every single character to keep applicants on their toes
use them all or risk an automatic rejection

 

[jk1006]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if you guys recommend using all 5300 characters for the personal statement. I only have about 4500 characters but I feel like it I try to add more, it won't flow right. Thanks!

you need to submit that primary, youre gonna be late

 

[Toss]

you need to submit that primary, youre gonna be late

Pretty much this.

Based on the extension of the 4-6 week verification period to 8 weeks, AMCAS is predicted to verify your primary application by mid-October.

 

[sector9]

4500 characters is perfectly fine

 

[kdangg4]

Thanks for all your help guys! Im turning it in this week.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if you guys recommend using all 5300 characters for the personal statement. I only have about 4500 characters but I feel like it I try to add more, it won't flow right. Thanks!

My PS came out to ~4600 characters (down from over 5300 in the first draft) and one of my PIs who also serves as an interviewer for the med school told me it was one of the best he's seen. Quality > quantity.

If you feel like you've said what you need to say and that the essay is as good as it's gonna get (reasonably), then you're good. If anything, adcoms probably value a shorter PS considering how many essays they have to read. No sense in annoying your reader with filler.

Pretty much this.

Based on the extension of the 4-6 week verification period to 8 weeks, AMCAS is predicted to verify your primary application by mid-October.

Wow, I can't believe they did that (okay, I can). That's hilarious, for all of June and most of July they were saying "don't worry guys, we may be going slower than usual but we will definitely be able to keep to the 6 week turnaround we promised!" AAMC is really dropping the ball this year, they've gone back on just about everything they've promised so far.

Considering AAMC is still stuck on June 27th though, I think the old concept of when an application is late is going to be very different this year. It may be that this year even an October secondary submission will be "on time".

 

[mvenus929]

Considering AAMC is still stuck on June 27th though, I think the old concept of when an application is late is going to be very different this year. It may be that this year even an October secondary submission will be "on time".

I doubt that. I think one adcom (might've been LizzyM) said that more than half of all applications they get during the cycle are received on the first day now. I know my school starts interviewing in less than a month, so has already started sending out interview invites.

Obviously, it will depend on the school. Colorado is notorious for not sending out their secondary until the very end of August/beginning of September, but I still feel like waiting to submit secondaries until October will be considered on the later side.

 

[Runican]

My PS came out to ~4600 characters (down from over 5300 in the first draft) and one of my PIs who also serves as an interviewer for the med school told me it was one of the best he's seen. Quality > quantity.

If you feel like you've said what you need to say and that the essay is as good as it's gonna get (reasonably), then you're good. If anything, adcoms probably value a shorter PS considering how many essays they have to read. No sense in annoying your reader with filler.



Wow, I can't believe they did that (okay, I can). That's hilarious, for all of June and most of July they were saying "don't worry guys, we may be going slower than usual but we will definitely be able to keep to the 6 week turnaround we promised!" AAMC is really dropping the ball this year, they've gone back on just about everything they've promised so far.

Considering AAMC is still stuck on June 27th though, I think the old concept of when an application is late is going to be very different this year. It may be that this year even an October secondary submission will be "on time".

I'm really hoping this is like the whole "transfer of information to medical schools will be delayed" thing and they end up saying "JK!" in like 2 weeks.

 

[Will Parry]

I used all 5300 characters because I want to actually get accepted, but that's just me.

 

[Roshan]

Considering AAMC is still stuck on June 27th though, I think the old concept of when an application is late is going to be very different this year. It may be that this year even an October secondary submission will be "on time".

If the delay is due to a higher amount of applicants processed, then medical schools would still be receiving applicants at the same rate as last year-- meaning they probably would not consider anything differently.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

If the delay is due to a higher amount of applicants processed, then medical schools would still be receiving applicants at the same rate as last year-- meaning they probably would not consider anything differently.

We already know from data AAMC released that that's not the case. The increase in verification time is due to "technical problems", not a giant increase in applicants. While the numbers they released in June were higher than in previous years, they weren't terribly so, and when you consider applicants have, on average, been submitting earlier every year then the increase in numbers is even less significant than it appears.

If you need more evidence, consider that AAMC had to delay opening submissions by five days and then felt the need to delay transmission of verified apps by at least a week only to then screw up and accidentally transmit the apps on the 28th anyway. All of that points to a problem on AAMC's end, not an increase in applicants.

 

[ChiDO]

After 2 pages, I get bored of reading. I know for residency (1 page non double spaced).

 

[Shark7500]

After 2 pages, I get bored of reading. I know for residency (1 page non double spaced).

...single spaced?