Question about personal statement and edit

[BabyShades]

Hi everyone,

I am finishing one of my personal statements, and I am wondering how exactly the editing works? For example, I finished my personal statements with all my ideas added altogether. In addition with my ideas, it was also my writing too. However, my friend edited one of my personal statement to fix grammatical errors and added suggestion to make the personal statement more powerful by suggesting different verb usage.

This concerns me right now, and I was wondering if this is okay for editing? For example, I read from TMDSAS website that says "We are aware of various essay writing services but we are seeking your original personal expression."

Would this be my original personal expression still? My friend told me that line is just telling you to write your paper. In addition to all my questions, how different was your first draft compare to your final draft to those who already applied.

Thank you for all the replies in advance!

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[BabyShades]

bump

 

[gnleff]

Don't worry about that stuff. Editing is fine as long as it is only within grammatical and punctuational corrections.

You don't want anyone to edit it like a research paper. There was an issue where a students personal statement was looked over by a dentist for editing and during his interview the interviewer called him out on his personal statement because it was "way too good" and didn't believe that he wrote it (in a negative way). That being said he didn't get accepted to that school.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I am wondering how exactly the editing works? For example, I finished my personal statements with all my ideas added altogether. In addition with my ideas, it was also my writing too. However, my friend edited one of my personal statement to fix grammatical errors and added suggestion to make the personal statement more powerful by suggesting different verb usage.

What else could editing possibly be? Were you just wanting a "this is good" or a "this is bad?"

Would this be my original personal expression still? My friend told me that line is just telling you to write your paper. In addition to all my questions, how different was your first draft compare to your final draft to those who already applied.

Yes, this is fine. There are literally resume/essay writing services that you can submit a list of "points" about yourself and they put it together for you. Or you sit down with them, tell them all sorts of information, and they write it for you. You aren't doing anything close to that.

For example, I know that most schools have some sort of a "writing department" where you can take your paper and they will critique it and help you with it. What's the difference? And these sorts of things are CLEARLY approved by universities.

 

[Glimmer1991]

There was an issue where a students personal statement was looked over by a dentist for editing and during his interview the interviewer called him out on his personal statement because it was "way too good" and didn't believe that he wrote it (in a negative way). That being said he didn't get accepted to that school.

As a strong writer, if any interviewer told me this, I would probably tell them to KMA. Okay, not really, but I would be floored. I wouldn't want to attend that school.

The only way I could see someone doubting the authenticity of a statement if it is MUCH better than the rest of the writing in the application. And, if that's the case, how absolutely pitiful.

 

[Glimmer1991]

PS Help...

From the Princeton Review: "Get plenty of feedback. The more time you've spent writing your statement, the less likely you are to spot any errors. You should ask for feedback from professors, friends, parents and anyone else whose judgment and writing skills you trust. This will help ensure that your statement is clear, concise, candid, structurally sound and grammatically accurate."
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/personal-statement.aspx

From UC Davis: Services offered for students here: http://success.ucdavis.edu/grad-prof/personal-stmnt.html

Kaplan Test Prep: "Have your pre-med advisor and perhaps an English teaching assistant read and edit it. Proofread, proofread, and proofread some more. Also, try reading it out loud. This is always a good test of clarity and flow."
http://www.kaptest.com/mcat/medical-school/medical-school-personal-statement

There are many more examples out there.

 

[gnleff]

Yea there are a lot of jerks out there.. It sucks especially if the interviewer is not taking it professionally.