Ace the AMCAS Essay: Why Do We Have Personal Statements?

In this blog series, you’ll get succinct, practical tips on how you can optimize your AMCAS essay for acceptance to top medical schools. 

Do the essays in your med school applications serve as mere padding for the rest of your application? Or do they have some higher purpose?

I’d like to propose three important reasons WHY the med schools request essays in addition to the all the stats and data that you provide in other sections of your application.

The purpose of the AMCAS essay is to…

 1. Provide a window into who you are.

Not just into your grades and scores and impressive awards and experiences, but into the real you. Your AMCAS essay gives you an opportunity for the admissions community to meet you beyond the hard facts. This is your chance to introduce yourself.

2. Add insight and value to your application.

Your AMCAS essay will allow you to delve deeper into specific experiences and to discuss your motivation and the lessons you learned. Be careful not to merely repeat info found on other parts of your application; instead, build and add to it with an insightful essay.

3. Demonstrate writing ability.

Strong writing skills are indicative of strong communication skills, which are critical in the medical world. Let the adcom readers see that you know how to get your point across.

To sum up, your essays shouldn’t pad your application with meaningless filler material, but should serve as a different kind of PAD – Provide a window, Add value, and Demonstrate writing skills. Include these elements in your AMCAS essay, and you’ll be one step closer to creating a captivating piece of writing and capturing a spot in your dream med school!

“Why Do We Have Personal Statements?” is taken from the Accepted guide, Ace the AMCAS Essay. To download the complete guide, Click here.

Learn more about writing a strong, memorable medical school application when you join us live for our upcoming Create a Winning AMCAS Application webinar on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

For individualized assistance, check out Accepted’s AMCAS Application Advising and Editing Packages – get matched with an expert med school advisor who will help you highlight your competitive advantage and get ACCEPTED!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted. Linda earned her bachelors and MBA at UCLA, and has been advising applicants since 1994 when she founded Accepted. Linda is the co-founder and first president of AIGAC. She has written or co-authored 13 books on the admissions process, and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News, Poets & Quants, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS News, and others. Linda is the host of Admissions Straight Talk, a podcast for graduate school applicants. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

 

Related Resources:

• The 5-Step Guide to Successful Medical School Personal Statements, a free webinar
• 7 Signs An Experience Belongs In Your Application
• Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Your Application Essay

Last updated on July 29, 2018.