On September 8th I wrote an entry on the number one mistake I see in personal statements (wordiness). Today I’m writing about the number two mistake I see.

Writing an essay that is not distinctive to you is a waste of a chance to sell yourself. If any sentence in your essay could have been written by someone else the phrase should be omitted.

The goal of your essay is to highlight your accomplishments and activities and demonstrate how the qualities you have garnered from them will make you a good [insert doctor or specialist here]. So if you say, “Internal medicine is an excellent specialty because it encompasses clinical medicine, research, technology and preventive care” you are not writing a personal essay. You are simply writing an essay… and a dull one at that. This concept is valid for medical school secondary essays as well.

For help making your essay distinctive and increasing your admissions appeal contact me at http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .

The number one mistake I see with personal statements is wordiness. Remember to keep your essay at a single-spaced page or under (forget the word count) and avoid flowery language. As my colleague Dr. Presser says (see the bottom of this blog for his credentials), a writer should imagine s/he is being charged for each word.

So when you read your PS draft say to yourself, “If I had to pay $5 for each word how would I save myself some bucks?”

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