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I did the math this year and ~1% of the personal statements I read this year were memorable in a positive light. ~7% were memorable in a negative light. The remaining 92% were basically groups of words.
When writing your personal statement, the goal for most of you is not to be in the 1%. It's to avoid the 7%. In other words, shoot for the top 93%.
Here's a useful tip for landing in that coveted middle: don't try and set a mood with the first sentence.
"The thin, mewling cries echoed down the hallway."
"The moist, stagnant air curdled inside my nostrils."
"The gray old man coughed half-chewed dandelion stems onto my sleeve."
"The clown shoes slid grotesquely across the gym floor."
Look, you probably aren't Hemingway. Or even Faulkner. Unless you have won collegiate-level prizes for your fiction I suggest you stick to the road more traveled.
Next up, let's discuss tired analogies. I do not want to hear about how the marathon you ran is a metaphor for your premedical journey. I do not want to hear about how the mountain you climbed is a metaphor for your premedical journey. I do not want to hear about how your intramural water polo victory is a metaphor for your premedical journey. Just describing the actual journey will be fine.
Lastly (although I suspect this thread will invoke more advice), I know it can be challenging to get reliable feedback from others regarding your personal statement. Whatever you produce, some may like it, some may dislike it, and it can naturally be tough deciding who to listen to. Really, you should only be asking three questions of your reviewers:
1. Is my personal statement clear and logical?
2. Are there any typos?
3. Does this piece of writing make me sound crazy?
#3 is the most important. Forays in creative writing often end badly in this realm.
When writing your personal statement, the goal for most of you is not to be in the 1%. It's to avoid the 7%. In other words, shoot for the top 93%.
Here's a useful tip for landing in that coveted middle: don't try and set a mood with the first sentence.
"The thin, mewling cries echoed down the hallway."
"The moist, stagnant air curdled inside my nostrils."
"The gray old man coughed half-chewed dandelion stems onto my sleeve."
"The clown shoes slid grotesquely across the gym floor."
Look, you probably aren't Hemingway. Or even Faulkner. Unless you have won collegiate-level prizes for your fiction I suggest you stick to the road more traveled.
Next up, let's discuss tired analogies. I do not want to hear about how the marathon you ran is a metaphor for your premedical journey. I do not want to hear about how the mountain you climbed is a metaphor for your premedical journey. I do not want to hear about how your intramural water polo victory is a metaphor for your premedical journey. Just describing the actual journey will be fine.
Lastly (although I suspect this thread will invoke more advice), I know it can be challenging to get reliable feedback from others regarding your personal statement. Whatever you produce, some may like it, some may dislike it, and it can naturally be tough deciding who to listen to. Really, you should only be asking three questions of your reviewers:
1. Is my personal statement clear and logical?
2. Are there any typos?
3. Does this piece of writing make me sound crazy?
#3 is the most important. Forays in creative writing often end badly in this realm.