Who Should Edit My Personal Statement?
A personal statement is a vital document when applying for grad as it gives detailed information on your motivation and background. It can determine whether you get accepted or not, so you really want to write it as quality as possible. But is it you who should edit it, or is it better to get a second opinion? Let’s find out.
Ask Professionals
If you won’t go for anything short of an absolutely perfect personal statement, you should definitely turn to professionals. A skilled personal statement editor is not just a person that will correct your grammar. They know precisely how a PS should be structured, worded, and formatted to get your point to the reader. It is because they have years of experience and hundreds of edited papers to know what an application committee wants to see, not to mention that many editors have academic backgrounds themselves.
Moreover, if you give your paper to an editing bureau, you no longer have to worry about its quality. You will get it back ready for submission. This will save you a lot of time rather than when editing it on your own.
Ask a Friend
Since a personal statement describes a person’s educational background and achievements, it is a good idea to get it checked by someone who knows you well. Besides, if you and your friend are both going through the application process, you can exchange your papers and share your vision of how they should be written. Two heads are better than one.
Some of us tend to downplay and forget our achievements. A friend who knows you long and well enough can point out some major successes you didn’t bring up and help make those you mentioned sound even more confident.
Seek Help from Your Teachers
If you are in good relations with some of your teachers or professors, ask them to help you level up your personal statement. Since they are in the educational system, they have a good idea about the way it works and can give some good advice about the content. They can tell you about:
- preferred word count and formatting requirements
- structure preferences
- do’s and don’ts
- how to properly start and finish
For example, they may point out that the application committee pays close attention to extracurricular activities but doesn’t care much about your hobbies. With their advice, you can write a paper that is more likely to make a good impression on the reader.
Edit It Yourself
Finally, you can do a pretty decent job editing your PS on your own. First of all, no one can do a more thorough grammar check than you. In terms of quality, you can search for high-quality proposal statement samples and compare your work with them. But don’t try to simply copy it as the paper must be about you and reflect your personality. If it is not sincere, it will show and play against you.
Conclusion
Here are some people you can trust to get your personal proposal checked. If you need more tips on how to write it, check this Complete Personal Statement Guide. It includes everything from getting started with writing your paper to how you can make it stand out.