Study Abroad Personal Statement

[Omppu27]

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I'm applying to study abroad this summer and I have to write a personal statement. I am planning on including why studying abroad will help me achieve my goal of becoming a physician and how it will make me a better physician in general.

However, i am concerned that if i mention my past traveling experiences that my chances for the program will be hurt. I was born overseas and have traveled to almost every country in europe and my father lives in asia and i have visited him there multiple times. I am concerned that the committee will not want someone with such extensive traveling experience. I would leave it out, but all of my experiences traveling are actually an important reason why i want to study abroad and keep traveling...

Suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[BABSstudent]

Is this through a company? If so, they tend to not reject people because they like having money.

 

[Omppu27]

Is this through a company? If so, they tend to not reject people because they like having money.

Haha no this is through my university

 

[BABSstudent]

Haha no this is through my university

Then don't talk about traveling. Talk about experiencing new cultures, gaining different perspectives and expanding your education.

Another plus is to mention any of their mission statement in your PS.

 

[hmockingbird]

I can definitely see where they would want to give the spot to someone who doesn't have as much or any experience abroad. But at the same time I could also see them viewing your past experience as evidence that you really have a passion for global issues or diversity (or whatever) and that perspective could really help you succeed while studying abroad or that studying abroad could help you develop this passion further.

I would maybe ask past participants to figure out how competitive the program is, if you haven't already. I had to write a personal statement for my study abroad semester (school-run) but it was basically a formality because my program wasn't as popular. On the other hand we had another that was so popular that they had to do interviews, so I would have put a lot more thought into my PS in that situation.