Bearby: Content, grammar, cohesiveness, "hook," basically anything you want. Be warned that I can be blunt when it comes to poor grammar.
TheEvilShoe: content, cohesiveness/flow, efficient sentence length (have to make the best use of every character!), general strength or "wow" factor of essay. If I notice grammar mistakes I will correct those as well, however my strong suit is definitely more making an essay "pop".
twelvetigers: I look at content, try and make sure you're talking about neat stuff and not just listing what you have done. I might notice grammar, too. Just my opinions, really.
nuevaburra: Grammar, spelling sentence structure, punctuation, word usage - I will use a machete to hack through bad grammar! Can also comment on content.
goldnretrivrgrl: Will mostly comment on content, as well as glaring spelling/grammar/punctuation issues. Proper comma usage seems to be a real problem for most people. I will make corrections but I won't utterly destroy your self esteem, I promise. After May 14th is better!
heylodeb: content/ ease of reading. I will notice obvious grammar issues if present. My first application I wrote an awful PS (unknowingly - bad content) and this time around my personal statement was one of my strong points. (2 out of state interviews and an acceptance at my in state) I learned a lot from my mistakes and will be happy to help others not make them
BakersDozen: grammer/content/flow, editor type stuff! Can also comment on content.
Ricegrad: grammar/spelling, content, cohesiveness/flow, sentence structure (no passive voice!). I like to track changes too- that way you can see my suggestion, and yet feel free to ignore it!
withoutane: general grammar etc. (I used to be a copy editor for my school newspaper so...). I also asked a lot of vets to edit and comment on my personal statement last year so I know what to include, what to reword, etc. to help you come across as passionate about vet med instead of insincere (really easy to do, btw).
Dsmoody23: Soul-crushing document review. I will humiliate and degrade your personal statement. I will read your words and give you the absolute worst-case scenario review. Not for the faint of heart.
AHorseOffCourse: Content, advising where you can chop characters to fit inside the required length (trust me, you'll need this). I'm blunt and honest but not mean. My pet peeves are passive voice, wordiness (using 5 words to say something that 1 word will suffice for), too many's "that's" and starting all your sentences with the same word ("I've" for example). I'm fairly well versed in various literary devices/creative devices that will help the structure/interest of the essay. I'll have time to look at PS's 5/16/11-8/10/11. I'm better at looking at 2nd and third drafts than final drafts (ie - write it, revise it 1-2x, and then send it to me) unless you are looking for where to chop characters - in that case final drafts are fine. I'm also more than willing to share my PS - SDNer's is there usually a thread for this? Don't pm PSs to me, use my e-mail. It's my user name at gmail.
savethewhales: grammar/spelling//content/flow I will make sure you are conveying what vet med means to you and why you should be accepted. I want to help you sell yourself while being authentic and honest. My history includes a lot of employee hiring in both the veterinary and animal care businesses so I know what I would look for in an animal person
LetItSnow: Former newspaper writer/editor. I work best with beer. I'll bring a 40-something view to the picture. Only have time for a few, but willing to do the first handful that contact me. Willing to share mine.
psilovethomas: anything the microsoft word editing function will not catch. Tense, word order, sentence structure and cohesiveness. I will almost always make recommendations on how to improve your essay. I will tell you if your essay sucks, so be thick skinned.
HopefulAg: Whatever needs done. I'm a self-described fantastic grammar and spelling nazi. I also get wrapped up in how things are said (vs what they're saying) because I think it makes a difference (though it probably doesn't): in other words, readability and content. Willing to review all summer and dependent on free-time when school starts up again.
that redhead: I'll read it and I'll comment where I see necessary.
EllieGirl89: I will read and edit but PLEASE proofread before sending it. I don't mind fixing the occasional spelling or grammar mistake, but when a paper is riddled with them and it could have been prevented just be reading it over once yourself, that drives me a little batty. I am good with the overall big picture, sentence structure and semantics, and general paper flow. Willing to share my PS.
thedogisgreen: I'll cover it in red using the tracker in Microsoft Word - grammar (though do some proofing before you send it!), flow, conciseness, readability. Willing to share my PS once you have a first draft. Pretty free through mid-May and then the first two weeks of August - I can edit during the summer in between also, but won't be as quick to get back to you.
hunterjumper12 - grammer/content/"hook"/pretty much all aspects. Please proofread before you send it to me though! Pretty free all summer, although it might take a day or two for me to get it back to you
SouthJerseyBell - Help "selling" yourself, highlighting your experiences, sentence structure and flow, creating a story. I am NOT good for spelling!
I am willing to share my PS, applied for two years and got great suggestions from the first year and great responses for my second app (including 4 acceptances, all OOS/international).
Tuckervet: I will check for spelling and grammar mistakes, and offer suggestions regarding content/flow/ overall impressions. I do not know the secret of getting into vet school or writing a perfect essay, but I am willing to give my opinions and you can take them as you will. I will give suggestions and am happy to work with you on editing, but will not rewrite it for you because your PS is not supposed to be in my words. Please make the effort of proof reading it at least once - if it is coming up wrong on my spell-check, it showed up on yours. Although I think it is incredibly early to be working on them already, I am ready to read them anytime you're ready, just PM me about it and I'll give you my e-mail address to send the actual essay.
Armymutt25A: I won't edit, but will mark up and make suggestions. I'm an Army officer, and I write like one. If you are into flowery language, then I'm not your editor. I will give advice on how to fit the most meaningful content into the smallest space possible. I also check for grammer, spelling, etc. I have the next two weeks off, so if you have something, send it over. I'll also be off all of June and July, and if I'm not in the middle of moving, I'll check some essays. Not limited to PS, but if you have an essay, please send me the question. Oh yeah, I'm possibly a tad nicer than Dsmoody...possibly.
kaydubs: Normal grammatorial editing stuffs, comments on content, cohesiveness/coherence of points. I will try not to be too critical but I tend to be honest. Take that as you will. Start sending whenever you want (already edited some drafts for people). Please keep in mind, you will be editing at least a few times if not more. (I tend to prefer emailed ones so I can track changes in Word. My liberal arts education has 'ruined' me in a sense). I will share my PS, but take it as a grain of salt.
Bacci: Like others, I'm also a grammar/spelling nazi. I'm also good at flow and transitions. Anyone can PM me whenever they'd like. I usually check SDN daily. I prefer emailed in MS Word as well so I (and you!) can easily track changes. I am also willing to share my own personal statement if you feel it would help.
PreVetBeaver: I will edit whatever you would like me too. I can edit grammer, flow, creativity... anything
🙂. You can PM me whenever you would like and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Felixor90: I can do grammar and spelling as well as comment on structure, flow, etc. I got a perfect score on the writing SAT. PM me and I will give you my email where you can send a
double-spaced rough or final draft.
lareinesoleil: I am a grammar nazi. So yeah, grammar, spelling, general sentence flow, transitions...if anything jumps out about the content, I'll comment on it, although I probably will mostly edit for grammar and structure.
Just a quick note: my computer can't open .docx files (it's a Mac and I'm too cheap to buy Word), so please send them as .doc instead if you're using Word.
Available: until August.
hintofblue: Will happily comment on anything you need - content, word choice, transitions, etc. I can be as nice or as mean as you'd like, but I will keep it constructive.
whyevernot55: Another grammar nazi here - I was an English major the first time around and have worked for magazines and newspapers. Will edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, general flow/sentence structure, etc. I'll also offer any insights on content that I feel able to.
jumphigherlivie: Grammer, punctuation, content, wow factor, shortening it up (I'm happy to help you cut down characters ... but pls don't send a 10,000 character document and ask me to help chop it to 5,000). I wont go out of my way to be cruel, but I will tell it to you like it is (in my opinion anyways). I've also served as a member of the admissions committees for my PhD program.
sooprnova: I'll look at nuts and bolts like grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. I edited theses for spare cash while in college. I'll also help with content, temporal issues, and character count. I spent many years reviewing resumes and cover letters, so I can also let you know if your PS is engaging and something that someone is likely to read from start to finish.
