Statement of Purpose?

[J00kie33]

---

Members do not see this ad.

For the life of me I cannot find information about the statement of purpose for each school, and especially on the PharmCAS website. What are the questions generally for the statement of purose? I think I read some were "what are your short and long term goals?".
Im thinking the general outline is what youre intentions for the future should be based on your past experiences

Should a statement of purpose be more autobiographical, and follow the sequence of achievements in your life in order?
How should the first few sentences of the statement of purpose begin? Should you use an eye catching dramatic event? Or just some general statements relating to your goals (ex: The quality of life/health is the every persons number one priority)? Or straight biographical info (ex: Being raised in a family of medical doctors has led me to...)

 

[kellia]

avoid cliche's (sp??). i started with :
1st sentence: "I have always been interested in healthcare..."
2nd sentence: "I first developed an interest in the world of pharmaceuticals while..."

Make this statement as personal as you can. This is your chance to show them who you are and to make yourself stand out. This is a VERY important part of your application, so make sure that you rewrite, revise, reread. several times. I had several people take a look at my essay and give suggestions. The tone still needs to be professional even though it is a personal essay. Keep it structured. Chronological order is a good way to go, but use a format that works for your life, and your life experiences. If you had issues with not-so-good grades, address that in your statement. discuss the issues, why, and what you have learned from that experience. discuss activities such as honor societies, volunteer work, pharmacy experience. discuss the qualities that you have that will make you a good pharmacist.

This statement is a marketing tool for you. The better the personal statement, the better your chances of getting an interview. There are a lot of resources on the web, you just have to search a little. also, your undergrad school probably offers a service to help you. your advisor would know.

 

[Bubble Thi]

Yes, I agree that you definitely need to make it personal. Basically, the essay is your chance to let them get to know as a person, beyond the gpa, classes, and other numbers. There's no real standard rule on how to write the personal statement – just be yourself, be honest, and consider this: these admissions officers are going to be reading hundreds of essays…how are you going to stand out from the crowd?