When to start on personal statement

[chemphd]

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Hi all,

Just wondering when you all think it's a good idea to start working on the personal statement- I've started kicking ideas around/ outlining a bit to apply starting in June but am kind of avoiding it😱

Thanks🙂

 

[spicedmanna]

Hi all,

Just wondering when you all think it's a good idea to start working on the personal statement- I've started kicking ideas around/ outlining a bit to apply starting in June but am kind of avoiding it😱

Thanks🙂

Yeah, I understand the aversion to writing it. I actually started mine in January--a very, very rough draft; it was mostly a toss-around of ideas. I didn't get serious with it until about May, when I wrote my formal first draft. I got lots of feedback, both formal and informal. I wrote many, many drafts before arriving at my final draft by the end of May.

Get used to writing; there's much more to come... After awhile you begin wondering how many times and different ways you can spin the same thing.

 

[Lshapley]

I have personal statement that I used when i applied to my post bac last year. I am planning on using it as a starting point to write a new and improved version for the AMCAS. I will begin working on it in May, like SpicedManna did.

 

[PepperMD]

I have personal statement that I used when i applied to my post bac last year. I am planning on using it as a starting point to write a new and improved version for the AMCAS. I will begin working on it in May, like SpicedManna did.

If you've got the time, start working on it now. There are always, always revisions and improvements to be made and it'll definitely be to your advantage to have it completed so you can apply as early as possible (which is absolutely crucial). The PS was the main factor holding back submission of my app this cycle, leading to late secondaries, late interviews, and a waitlist at my #1 school. While I have a decent rank on the list and will probably get in, I would have much preferred to hear the good news back in November rather than May.

Anyway, that's my pair of copper Lincolns...

 

[Captain Fantastic]

If you've got the time, start working on it now. There are always, always revisions and improvements to be made and it'll definitely be to your advantage to have it completed so you can apply as early as possible (which is absolutely crucial). The PS was the main factor holding back submission of my app this cycle, leading to late secondaries, late interviews, and a waitlist at my #1 school. While I have a decent rank on the list and will probably get in, I would have much preferred to hear the good news back in November rather than May.

Anyway, that's my pair of copper Lincolns...

I don't know if that's worth $10, but good advice anyway. 😉 Oh, you mean the other Lincolns.

Even if you don't write now, start thinking of topics and themes. It took me a long time to decide which experiences to include and which ones to leave out. Finding the right balance of material is the trickiest part.

 

[Lshapley]

I don't know if that's worth $10, but good advice anyway. 😉 Oh, you mean the other Lincolns.

Even if you don't write now, start thinking of topics and themes. It took me a long time to decide which experiences to include and which ones to leave out. Finding the right balance of material is the trickiest part.

I agree with the captain. I would probably start toying with the statement now as well, but I am prioritizing my MCAT (mid-May) and spring semester courses. I would feel a lot less secure about going this route if I didn't already have a PS that I am somewhat content with. FYI, I spent over two months writing that PS...

 

[chemphd]

Thanks so much for all your input🙂 I kind of put together a draft, and I'm going to have some friends take a look at it and make suggestions to get started on the edits.

 

[oxeye]

I gave myself 2 or 3 months to work on the revisions and stuff, but I was brainstorming ideas several months before then.

Good luck - definitely task I am glad is behind me.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Hi all,

Just wondering when you all think it's a good idea to start working on the personal statement- I've started kicking ideas around/ outlining a bit to apply starting in June but am kind of avoiding it😱

Thanks🙂

Just get something, anything, on paper to get the ball rolling. It's not going to get any easier, and you're not going to feel any less like avoiding it, as time goes on. Trust me, once you get something on paper it will feel less like an 800 pound gorilla sitting on your shoulder.🙂