I am applying to columbia’s post-bacc pre med program and need to submit a personal statement of “approximately 500 words”. I have close to 700 words and am having a really hard time cutting it down.
Does anyone have advice on what I should do? Is it bad to submit an essay that is so much longer than the prompt asks for? Suggests you can’t follow directions, etc?
Any advice would be great. Thanks
Okay this is from my wife the writer, she cut my PS down about a thousand characters.
First do this in steps. Don’t try to kill it all at once.
- Get rid of the “to be” verbs. If there are any english profs on here that can explain what a “to be” verd is that would be helpful.
- Then look at each sentance individually and see if you can eliminate any words and still get your point across.
- Then start eliminating sentences.
Sense this is secondhand info I hope one of the writers on here will chime in and help “paging terra incongnita”.
As far as it being bad to submit a longer essay, I really don’t know. I know on med-school apps. they just won’t let it get past “x” number of characters.
When I see “approximately XXX words” I read it as +/- 25 words (maybe +/- 50 if it’s 2000+). I’d be pretty loathe to stray very far outside of that.
Bailey’s suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice summary of to be verbs and how to change them with a quick Google search.
HA! I’m glad I’m not the only one! I decided to write my personal statement for my med school application this week (even though I’m not applying until next year–I figured I’d want some time to chew on it.) After working and working, editing and editing, I finally decided to do a character count…I thought, surely I’m close, because I’ve really been careful. 9345 Characters. LOL
At least I have a year to cut it down!!!
Good luck!
- NightGod Said:
When I see "approximately XXX words" I read it as +/- 25 words (maybe +/- 50 if it's 2000+). I'd be pretty loathe to stray very far outside of that.
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
When you fill out med school apps that are mostly online now, if they say ### words, your essay will get cut off at ### words, or the app will refuse to let you move on until you comply.
If I remember correctly, that is also the case with the AMCAS online app.
- Dazed Said:
- NightGod Said:
When I see "approximately XXX words" I read it as +/- 25 words (maybe +/- 50 if it's 2000+). I'd be pretty loathe to stray very far outside of that.
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
When you fill out med school apps that are mostly online now, if they say ### words, your essay will get cut off at ### words, or the app will refuse to let you move on until you comply.
If I remember correctly, that is also the case with the AMCAS online app.
- NightGod Said:
- Dazed Said:
- NightGod Said:
When I see "approximately XXX words" I read it as +/- 25 words (maybe +/- 50 if it's 2000+). I'd be pretty loathe to stray very far outside of that.
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
Bailey's suggestions seem pretty solid. Found a pretty nice
When you fill out med school apps that are mostly online now, if they say ### words, your essay will get cut off at ### words, or the app will refuse to let you move on until you comply.
If I remember correctly, that is also the case with the AMCAS online app.
Reason I mentioned AMCAs and the school apps in my response -
1). Since the final objective is the AMCAS and school apps, better to start honing one's skills of cutting down on verbosity now than later.
2). It is best to stick to ### words if asked for ### words. ###-x words is OK but ###+x words can convey a "doesn't follow guidelines" impression. When the stakes are high even subtle impressions make a big difference.
Thanks for the help! yes it is an essay submission so they wont actually count the characters. But I have gotten it down by about 150 words so Im in the 500-550 range now.
I was an english major so I love words and it actually makes it a lot harder to cut things out.
Not sure if anyone else has seen the columbia post bacc application, but it is a very basic application that doesn’t even have a section for volunteer/extra-carricula rs so the essay is the ONLY place to address everything - 500 words for all of this is very short and I get the impression that the majority of the adcoms decision is based upon undergrad grades.
Anyway thanks again! It feels amazing to be done with the essay!
- In reply to:
Not sure if anyone else has seen the columbia post bacc application, but it is a very basic application that doesn't even have a section for volunteer/extra-carricula rs so the essay is the ONLY place to address everything - 500 words for all of this is very short and I get the impression that the majority of the adcoms decision is based upon undergrad grades.
Wait till you have to do your Personal Statement for Med-School. A page and a quarter to explain why you want to be a docotor, examples of why and addressing why you have decided to "go back" to school.
I miss the days when the goal was "no less than XXX words."
nypremed,
There is an OPM’er in the Columbia post-bac program now. You may wish to take a look at some of her posts before attending. It sounds like a difficult program due to the way they curve grades.
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
Tishdoc: That OPM’ers info about the columbia program was actually in response to a question that I had posted. I am already familiar with the grading system at Columbia and have done my research on the program that I feel is right for me.
Thanks
Glad you were able to finish your essay! When you work on your personal statement/secondaries, one way to “triage” what to cut if whole sentences come out is to ask yourself “does this sentence tell more about me?” It’s easy to elaborate to give a clearer picture of your circumstances or an example you are discussing, but if a phrase doesn’t give them a clearer picture of who you are, it is less important.
Kate
Think in terms of “economy of words” and “succinct.” Don’t ramble. Cut out editorializing and self-promoting. Keep your language relatively simple. The easier your essay is to read, the more likely it WILL be read. 
High fallutin’ [sp?] doesn’t make it. “See Spot run” doesn’t make it either.
Cheers,
Judy
Note: not a reply to Judy (as the post says) per se. This is just a general reply to the thread.
If it says approximately X words, and is paper-based, the real issue is probably how long your essay itself is. When you tell students to write X pages, you’ll have some kids find ways to to do so with as few words as possible and some with as many words as possible. Telling them X words instead results in more standard amounts of writing.
Now I’m not the one who wrote the description, so I can’t swear that’s what it is. But “produce X words” typically means “produce something that takes Y minutes to read.”