<p>I applying to UW-Seattle in hopes of pursuing a Public Health major and going to med school. The prompt for the personal statement is </p>
<p>“Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals”</p>
<p>I want to talk about my family’s science background, but I really want to talk about my mom’s multiple sclerosis and how her attitude towards her disease was positive and how she shaped me to make the best of any situation and not let it define you. I think her disease has definitely affected my choices career wise, although public health does not really relate because I don’t necessarily want to go into neurology. I also am passionate about handicap accessibility and stigmas, but treatment of the disabled is more of a social issue</p>
<p>basically I am kind of lost. I want to discuss her, but I definitely do not want to make it seem like a sob story</p>
<p>That sounds like a great idea, but three things:
Don’t focus on her. Her disease is the base for your essay, but it should be all about you. Just try to remember that as you’re writing it. If you find yourself focusing on her for the majority of it, go back over it and try to incorporate yourself more.
It won’t be a sob story from what I can tell. For one thing, you were impacted by it in a positive way, and you could probably go so far as to say it inspired your interest in the public health field.
The prompt says “opportunities or challenges”. This basically means don’t write an overview of how her disease affected you. Choose a couple (two-three) specific examples of what it did for you and elaborate on them. You’ll have a much more focused, in-depth, interesting essay this way.
I hope this helps!!</p>
<p>Anyway, I don’t think you need to specifically devote much of your essay to public heath. Mention it in your intro/conclusion, and use the examples of your experiences with your mom’s disease to back up your “claimed interest”. I say claimed only because if you just said, “I want to major in Public Health” they would ask why. The way you were impacted and how it inspired you is the why. For example, did you do anything outside of school because your mom’s disease inspired you to? Has she prompted you to set goals for yourself that have something to do with public health? The AO’s want to get to know what motivates you. Obviously your mom does, so show them that. Show them you are serious about it, and you’ll be set.
Does this better explain what I was trying to get at?</p>
<p>And I just happened to look at your stats…
I don’t see why you wouldn’t get into UW. As long as you’ve got your essay(s) under control, you’re golden (:</p>
<p>aw thanks! So naturally I had to look at yours…
I love love Vandy. I used to live in Memphis, TN and I did some activities there. It was my dream school, but after moving to new school with the smartest kids in the city and taking (and dying in) IB classes my chances are low. Good luck! </p>
<p>Haha it’s most definitely my dream school (: I may or may not stalk them on a daily basis…ahem what oh never mind I don’t stalk anybody psssh…ha…haha. Anyway, ya I just sent in my app for ED1 a few hours ago, so the nervous waiting has begun O.o</p>
<p>Ah, ya that kind of screws things up. I moved a lot when I was younger, but after 6th grade I didn’t, so I’m glad for that. Only thing that sucks is my school is so small we don’t have all that many clubs and only 3 AP classes to take. No IB or anything remotely close :/</p>
<p>you know…I love IB but I wonder if I would be more desirable if I went to a smaller school. My test scores are so much better than my average GPA. I think IB will help in the long run, especially with science, but it’s such a pain right now!</p>
<p>Aha ya I’ve heard it sucks work load wise. I’m the opposite test scores vs. GPA though. Only 2010 SAT but 4.0 UW. I’m hoping and praying that my essay and recs will help make up for my SAT (which is oddly enough the highest in my class).</p>
<p>oh gosh! there are atleast 50 people with higher SAT scores than me and probably over a 100 ACT wise.
But I’ve heard Vandy focuses on GPA and writing more. A 2010 is pretty high. Any ACT? It was easier for me</p>
<p>I haven’t had a chance (or the money for that matter) to do ACT. There’s only 95 people in my grade though, so it’s not a huge accomplishment compared to the people with 500 in their grade. I love my school though Especially the community setting.</p>
Good luck! </p>
Especially the community setting.</p>