Personal Statement ???

[steve007]

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Hey,
so, does the PS have to be a strict narrative of your college experiences? specifically, i've been to 3 colleges with about a 4 year break when i was working full time, do I need to explain all that very specifically, or can I just write an interesting essay that touches on my experiences and motivations w/o getting too granular w/ my life history? thanks alot everyone.

 

[Street Philosopher]

the latter.

 

[gower]

I concur with the previous answer.

 

[steve007]

thanks alot you guys.

 

[Sonya]

anything you want for <= 5300 characters that will sell you to adcoms best

 

[Cydney Foote]

HI Steve007:

Your personal statement is your introduction to the Admissions Committee. They have your grades, MCAT scores, and transcripts, but those things tell them next to nothing about your personality. At this point in the game, your personal statement is probably the single most important tool for catching their attention and making them want to know more about you.

With that in mind, you do want to relate an interesting story that illustrates your personal qualities, motivations, etc. You don't want it to be a laundry list of your experiences, but the one or two episodes that you choose to write about should be very "granular" -- or perhaps specific is a better word. Using concrete examples will help readers feel like they are there with you, or at least like they know you a little more.

You might want to get started by reading some sample essays. You can find many by surfing the Internet; you can also check out our essay samples, most of which take this "human interest" approach.

Good luck writing!