A personal statement for the medical school that you are applying for may be cumbersome to work out, but remember that it is one of the most important requirements for admission. Your “myself essay” will tell the admissions committee something about you that cannot be seen on your other credentials, such as your undergraduate records and your Medical School Admission Test or MCAT scores. It is practically your voice in the admissions process when the interview is not yet on the way. To help you come up with an excellent “myself essay,” here are some “essay on myself” writing tips.
Focus on your strengths
The admission process for medical school is usually a very competitive one. Do not forget that you will be competing with people with similar or even higher undergraduate grades or MCAT scores. Therefore, like in any other competitions, you should always put the best foot forward. While stating your weaknesses is not entirely discouraged, it would preferable if you focus and “advertise” your strengths and other achievements in your “essay about myself.” Write about your skills and talents, particularly those that you deem are important characteristics for a medical professional to have.(1)
Show your unique side
Always remember that you are not the only applicant for admission to a particular medical school. Most schools have limited slots for admission, but they also more often than not receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants yearly for those slots. And yes, all of those applicants try to offer their best foot forward. The best way to get noticed among the other applicants is to make a good first impression by showing that you are unique. You can do this by discussing out-of-this-world things that you have done in the past, even your plans in the future. Just tell them something about you that will set you apart from the others.(2)
Show your excellent writing skills
One other sure way to get noticed and be unique is an excellent essay. While most schools have limited word count for each personal statement, the number of applicants still means that the admissions committee will have to endure reading lots of essays. Boring them with your writing style may of course jeopardize your admission. You must make sure that your essay is finely written with no technical or grammar errors. And you can do it with lots of practice.(3)
(1) http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml
(2) http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:Dcf7aulqS78J:www.wpi.edu/Academics/FS/personal.pdf+personal+statement&cd=10&hl=tl&ct=clnk&gl=ph
(3) http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html
The law school application process can be a lot tougher as the decision-making itself. After evaluating yourself that you are indeed decided to enter law school, the application process begins. And it all boils down to a single crucial step — writing your admissions “essay on myself.”(1)
Essay about myself: goals or reasons for becoming a lawyer
It is imperative to discuss in any admission essay the main reasons for your decision. Is being a lawyer your passion? Definitely, since it seems impossible for a student dreaming of becoming a lawyer who does not have passion for justice. Then, you can discuss how you find genuine happiness in doing the things that you really want to do. You can also elaborate by stating that you see yourself being more productive in this field. If you’re planning on going to law school just because you don’t really know what to do after college, then you’re probably not meant for a career in this field. So on your essay, it is important to convince the readers that after long years of studying, when someone asks you whether or not you regret going to law school, you can give them a proud “no” for an answer.(2)
Essay about myself: determine how to reach the goals
In reality, law practice isn’t always intellectually stimulating and exciting. There are times wherein the student will get bored and stressed. This is why it’s very important that before you apply for law school, you really know what you are getting into.
The journey towards the achievement of your goal to become a lawyer is not that easy. It is vital to make the evaluators realize that you are entirely aware of how difficult and challenging law school can be, as well as the profession itself. This can give them the impression that you are more than willing to surpass all of them.(3)
Essay about myself: What you can contribute to the law school community
As a prospective law student, describe what you can share to the school community in terms of your participation in meaningful school activities other than focusing all your attention to your academics. You must point out that you are a well-rounded individual who knows how to value the essence of camaraderie.
(1) http://www.yale.edu/visvi/students/gradprof/lawschool/lawapply.html
(2) http://www.100megsfree3.com/wordsmith/2bornot2.html
(3) http://www.abanet.org/yld/chooselaw/frink.shtml
Stanford University is a learning institution that most high school graduates hear about, but only few students are actually admitted to. On a yearly basis, thousands of people send their application packages to Stanford with high hopes of getting admitted to this school. More often than not, however, applicants receive the thin rejection envelope instead of the bursting approval envelope. If you are one of the many people who were not accepted to Stanford or if you decided against going to Stanford, you may want to read this article on reasons not to attend Stanford University.
The Farm: The good and the bad
As one of the most prestigious schools in the world, Stanford University has produced some of the most influential and most renowned world figures. Aside from having educated some leading scholars, writers, and artists, Stanford also produced numerous political and legal figures. Some of the most prestigious people to graduate from Stanford include US and foreign presidents, vice-presidents, prime ministers, members of the royalty, senators, and Supreme Court Justices.(1) You can bet that not all of the Stanford graduates were perfect role models though. A classic example would be the 1971 experiment of a Stanford professor of psychology and his students, who created a mock prison system. The experiment led to the mock guards getting more sadistic, while the mock prisoners would show depression and passivity. Some students were emotionally scarred by the experiment.(2, 3)
Berkeley’s better academic environment
One of the biggest problems with going to school at Stanford is that it can cost you more than your entire life savings. At University of California, Berkeley, you can get a great education at a great value. Berkeley has also produced numerous influential figures, including Pulitzer Prize winners and Nobel Laureates. Berkeley even has a larger student body, which means a bigger and more diverse network of friends and social contacts. Stanford even allows their students to drop classes before taking the finals without incurring any penalties to their grades. What kind of education is that? How can you forge character, virtues, and values if you allow students to just drop a class to save their GPA? Talk about baby feeding.(4, 5)
A bunch of preppies with attitudes
Another problem with Stanford is that the students can be stuck-up and conceited, only worried about how good they look in their designer outfits. If you aren’t the type to try and look like a goody-two-shoes preppy, then you’ll probably get annoyed as hell in Stanford. Besides, all they have to talk about is their money and the people they “know.” Whatever happened to real conversations?
Life over money
Finally, if you believe that there is more to life than just money, then Stanford isn’t the right place for you. The people at Stanford tend to get caught-up in talking about their financial capabilities. Who can blame them, though? With the huge tuition that they pay, they must have money. But you have to agree that there is much more to life than fattening your bank account, like getting a good education at a place other than Stanford University.
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stanford_University_people
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Zimbardo
(3) http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_zimbardo
(4) http://ual.stanford.edu/AP/academic_policies/AcPolicies.html
(5) http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/04/us/stanford-u-decides-to-make-courses-harder-to-drop-but-easier-to-fail.html?pagewanted=all
As children, many people dream of becoming a doctor or they play doctor for fun. As teenagers, students often think of becoming a doctor because of the prestige and wealth that is usually associated with the profession. As adults, people often look up to doctors because of their vast knowledge and expertise. It’s no wonder why so many people want to get into medical school. The truth is, though, medical school isn’t as great as people fantasize it to be. For those who have recently been rejected by a medical school or those who have decided not to pursue a medical education, here are some great reasons not to be in medical school:
Bodily secretions
The phrase alone, “bodily secretions,” makes some people squirm. The thing with medical school is you’ll be dealing with all types of weird, gross, and downright disgusting bodily secretions, because it is part of the curriculum.(1) The good part is, if you forgot what you had for breakfast, you’ll probably get a quick reminder when you puke after your professor carefully performs an autopsy before your eyes. Not everyone is cut out for the putrid smells, weird textures, and horrifying sights that one is likely to see in medical school and throughout the medical career.
Round-the-clock stress
Another problem with medical school is that they work you like a dog. Because your career as a physician may require 24/7-on-call duty,(2) medical schools often train their students to be able to work around the clock. The trouble with this is that it can get in the way of your relationships with other people, including friends, family, and loved ones.(3) Aside from your relationships, you may just lose your sanity working such long hours under tremendous stress.
The “god” mentality
Every once in a while, you meet a medical student or doctor who has what’s called the “god” mentality. These are the people who feel as though they have the “power” to extend people’s lives, heal them from sickness and injury, and cure them from diseases. The problem is that, when this mentality gets into someone’s head, that person can end up being very arrogant and proud.(4)
Incurring debt
Going to medical school is a huge investment, which will likely have you borrowing money for your tuition, residency, and other student expenses. With the number of years that medical school takes, you will probably incur a pretty big debt. As a result, the first few years of your medical career will probably be about working insane hours at a low wage in order to pay your debts off. And, once you start making your own money, you’ll be probably be buying the nicest cars, best gadgets, and biggest houses. Whatever happened to that childhood dream of helping those in need?
(1) http://www.deathreference.com/Bl-Ce/Cadaver-Experiences.html
(2) http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/oct2000/well.htm
(3) http://gradschool.about.com/od/medicalschool/a/should.htm
(4) http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=479625
