So, you got me.
I promised this blog weeks (maybe even months?!) ago now. Here I sat, trying my damnedest to get this blog out....
Re-reading the first four, scouring my favorite, sure-to-inspire writers, flooding my thoughts with tired sayings that everyone hates, like:
Don't sit around and wait for inspiration to strike.
There is no limit to how rough a rough draft can be.
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
Blah....blah.....blah-freaking-blah.
Right??!
In these past weeks (months?!), I've had to honor of crafting committee letters of recommendation for prospective medical school students. In English: I have been writing the letters that will be a huge determining factor on whether students will be accepted into medical school or not. No pressure!
Who cares, you ask? Stick with me.
I take their personal statements, an in-depth questionnaire, letters of reference from anyone who would attest to their (insert one) work ethic/ maturity / intellectual curiosity, and formulate a 5-page personal statement that should make angels sing.
Through this exercise, it hit me. Every.single.applicant I have written a letter of recommendation for has an incredible life story. At first, I thought (say these in a squeaky voice, it works better):
Maybe only pre-med students have such fortunate upbringings, thus making them so successful and driven?
Perhaps pre-med students are drawn to medicine based on their rich life experience?
It could be that only pre-med students are this amazing because they were granted opportunities that the majority of high schools students are not?
UM, WRONG!
Every single applicant is amazing because of the uniqueness of their journey. Whether you are Wheeler from the suburbs or DeeDee from the ghetto, you have an in-credible story to tell.
It's not bragging if you had a lot, it's not self-pity if you rose up and became the first one in the family to go to college.
It is your story, so own it! Tell it. Make us see the world you grew up in through your eyes, in your culture, then relate it to why you want to go college and what has inspired you on this very path.
A student I'm working with recently told me about the Lion Dance of his culture and how it impacted his life. He was able to dig deep to relate something unique from his childhood, and he made.it.matter.
Check it out:
Fadi attributes his character and core values back to his childhood in learning the skills to perform the culturally-driven Lion Dance. Through the Lion Dance, he learned to trust in his own abilities through persistence and hard work in a supportive learning environment that fostered personal growth over performance. This unique experience afforded Fadi the motivation and confidence to improve academically and to define his life goals, ultimately pointing him firmly in the direction of medicine.
To this, I say: HELL YES!!!
Now, go out there and do it.
Did you miss the other parts of the series? Check out Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, Part 3 HERE and Part 4 HERE.
Know you need pro help? Drop me a line so we can start polishing, revising, and/or rewriting your college admission essay.*
email me call/txt me www me
[email protected] 817.602.7778 www.mrsalwayswrite.com
*You may be cute/sweet/charming, but I will not write your essay in its entirety. No exceptions!
I promised this blog weeks (maybe even months?!) ago now. Here I sat, trying my damnedest to get this blog out....
Re-reading the first four, scouring my favorite, sure-to-inspire writers, flooding my thoughts with tired sayings that everyone hates, like:
Don't sit around and wait for inspiration to strike.
There is no limit to how rough a rough draft can be.
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
Blah....blah.....blah-freaking-blah.
Right??!
In these past weeks (months?!), I've had to honor of crafting committee letters of recommendation for prospective medical school students. In English: I have been writing the letters that will be a huge determining factor on whether students will be accepted into medical school or not. No pressure!
Who cares, you ask? Stick with me.
I take their personal statements, an in-depth questionnaire, letters of reference from anyone who would attest to their (insert one) work ethic/ maturity / intellectual curiosity, and formulate a 5-page personal statement that should make angels sing.
Through this exercise, it hit me. Every.single.applicant I have written a letter of recommendation for has an incredible life story. At first, I thought (say these in a squeaky voice, it works better):
Maybe only pre-med students have such fortunate upbringings, thus making them so successful and driven?
Perhaps pre-med students are drawn to medicine based on their rich life experience?
It could be that only pre-med students are this amazing because they were granted opportunities that the majority of high schools students are not?
UM, WRONG!
Every single applicant is amazing because of the uniqueness of their journey. Whether you are Wheeler from the suburbs or DeeDee from the ghetto, you have an in-credible story to tell.
It's not bragging if you had a lot, it's not self-pity if you rose up and became the first one in the family to go to college.
It is your story, so own it! Tell it. Make us see the world you grew up in through your eyes, in your culture, then relate it to why you want to go college and what has inspired you on this very path.
A student I'm working with recently told me about the Lion Dance of his culture and how it impacted his life. He was able to dig deep to relate something unique from his childhood, and he made.it.matter.
Check it out:
Fadi attributes his character and core values back to his childhood in learning the skills to perform the culturally-driven Lion Dance. Through the Lion Dance, he learned to trust in his own abilities through persistence and hard work in a supportive learning environment that fostered personal growth over performance. This unique experience afforded Fadi the motivation and confidence to improve academically and to define his life goals, ultimately pointing him firmly in the direction of medicine.
To this, I say: HELL YES!!!
Now, go out there and do it.
Did you miss the other parts of the series? Check out Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, Part 3 HERE and Part 4 HERE.
Know you need pro help? Drop me a line so we can start polishing, revising, and/or rewriting your college admission essay.*
email me call/txt me www me
[email protected] 817.602.7778 www.mrsalwayswrite.com
*You may be cute/sweet/charming, but I will not write your essay in its entirety. No exceptions!
