Should I pay to get my personal statement edited

[CPmustangs]

Hello,
I am trying to decide if I should use a professional editing service for my personal statement. writing is not my strength, it showed in my MCAT and in my classes. I would like my personal statement to look the best it could.
Has anyone else used an editing site? If so what was the cost? Everything I found has been expensive over 100 dollars just to edit one paper🙁

Thanks for you help, ready for the fun to begin

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[NeuralNetwork]

First, see if your school offers any writing assistance. My school not only had writing tutors and personal statement advisers, but to my surprise, also had a free personal statement editing service. Then, start asking friends and family that you do know to have skills in writing. No point in blowing money when you have people all around you to help you out on this. Unless you live in the Yukon. Then this service might help you out.

 

[GimpGenius]

The best way to self-edit, I've found, is to read the PS out loud. If at any point you pause, mess up with pronunciation/rythym, etc., highlight that area and tweak it. You want to come off as approachable and conversational; and if you can't literally talk your way through the PS (or any good piece of writing, IMO), it's going to come off as potentially confusing and/or pretentious.

There are also decent writers and editors at your school and on the boards here. I'm sure a few would be willing to look things over.

 

[Barcu]

Absolutely not.

Look for free editing services at your school, but even that may be overkill. I definitely recommend that you get at least three other people to read it over (the more the better), but using a service is unnecessary. Just make sure to find at least one or two people that understand the importance of a PS. The others can just edit it for grammar, see if it flows, etc.

 

[ppfizenm]

Try your pre-med committee as well (if they know what they are doing).