which DS topic: Forum

[swtlilsoni]

Also, I have a few general questions:
A) How long would an average DS be?
B) Is it true that PS's are more dramatic and metaphorical while DS's are expected to be more straightforward and to the point (not as emotional and less flowery language and elegant phrasing)

[swtlilsoni]

Okay after reading various DS samples I see that some people write about over-coming adversity that is diversity-related. That's sort of like a personal statement - to show what you went through. On numerous school DS prompts it specifically says that they basically want to have a diverse student body and are interested in what you can BRING to the school. It seems like they expect a statement that revolves more around, what makes you diverse/unique and how can it add to our environment. But all these overcoming adversity DS's don't really explain what the writer can bring to the environment. They just explain what the writer had to deal with and feel more like personal statements.

[nsbane]

1) No one cares if you lived in another country when you were 2.

2) No one cares you studied abroad in Europe. So did everybody else.

3) If that is all you have to offer, then go ahead and write the DS. The committee will skim it and ignore it.

[swtlilsoni]

1) No one cares if you lived in another country when you were 2.

2) No one cares you studied abroad in Europe. So did everybody else.

3) If that is all you have to offer, then go ahead and write the DS. The committee will skim it and ignore it.

[nsbane]

1) No one cares if you lived in another country when you were 2.

2) No one cares you studied abroad in Europe. So did everybody else.

3) If that is all you have to offer, then go ahead and write the DS. The committee will skim it and ignore it.

I'm really stuck because whatever I wrote for my PS would have made the perfect DS (about how I have two different cultures and have had to learn to merge them). Now I'm stuck with no DS but I actually do have a diverse upbringing so I feel like I should give them SOMETHING. Should I try to respin my PS and change the focus or something?

You are overthinking this. If you truly wrote about something that would offer valued diversity to the school in your PS, they will consider it appropriately. How do you think the application evaluation works? "Hey Stan, look at this black lesbian iraqi refugee who grew up underprivileged, everything in her PS is awesome, she will add diversity to our campus ... oh wait a sec, she didn't write about it in a DS. One more for the trash pile."

DS's are an opportunity to write something additional that hasn't been communicated in anything else, i.e. resume or PS. Writing one more piece of paper rehashing your PS just to file paperwork seems kind of ridiculous to me.

And by the way, unless you have something truly amazing and unique, the DS won't affect your chances. Writing about living in two different cultures seems to me pretty vanilla. Unless your parents are Israeli and Palestinian, I don't think it will make a difference. But go for it if it makes you feel better.

[swtlilsoni]

1) No one cares if you lived in another country when you were 2.

2) No one cares you studied abroad in Europe. So did everybody else.

3) If that is all you have to offer, then go ahead and write the DS. The committee will skim it and ignore it.

I'm really stuck because whatever I wrote for my PS would have made the perfect DS (about how I have two different cultures and have had to learn to merge them). Now I'm stuck with no DS but I actually do have a diverse upbringing so I feel like I should give them SOMETHING. Should I try to respin my PS and change the focus or something?

You are overthinking this. If you truly wrote about something that would offer valued diversity to the school in your PS, they will consider it appropriately. How do you think the application evaluation works? "Hey Stan, look at this black lesbian iraqi refugee who grew up underprivileged, everything in her PS is awesome, she will add diversity to our campus ... oh wait a sec, she didn't write about it in a DS. One more for the trash pile."

DS's are an opportunity to write something additional that hasn't been communicated in anything else, i.e. resume or PS. Writing one more piece of paper rehashing your PS just to file paperwork seems kind of ridiculous to me.

And by the way, unless you have something truly amazing and unique, the DS won't affect your chances. Writing about living in two different cultures seems to me pretty vanilla. Unless your parents are Israeli and Palestinian, I don't think it will make a difference. But go for it if it makes you feel better.

I didn't know a DS needs to be that spectacular. I was under the impression that it was just supposed to show how you can offer a diverse perspective. For example, someone who traveled the world could offer a diverse perspective and someone who lived in one town their entire life may not.

I read a bunch of DS samples and it seems like thats what everyone writes about - there are a few really unique ones but the majority of them are just about cultural background, socio economic factors, or traveling.

Or do you mean that although most people write about stuff like that, it really makes no difference to the adcomms?

[nsbane]

1) No one cares if you lived in another country when you were 2.

2) No one cares you studied abroad in Europe. So did everybody else.

3) If that is all you have to offer, then go ahead and write the DS. The committee will skim it and ignore it.

I'm really stuck because whatever I wrote for my PS would have made the perfect DS (about how I have two different cultures and have had to learn to merge them). Now I'm stuck with no DS but I actually do have a diverse upbringing so I feel like I should give them SOMETHING. Should I try to respin my PS and change the focus or something?

You are overthinking this. If you truly wrote about something that would offer valued diversity to the school in your PS, they will consider it appropriately. How do you think the application evaluation works? "Hey Stan, look at this black lesbian iraqi refugee who grew up underprivileged, everything in her PS is awesome, she will add diversity to our campus ... oh wait a sec, she didn't write about it in a DS. One more for the trash pile."

DS's are an opportunity to write something additional that hasn't been communicated in anything else, i.e. resume or PS. Writing one more piece of paper rehashing your PS just to file paperwork seems kind of ridiculous to me.

And by the way, unless you have something truly amazing and unique, the DS won't affect your chances. Writing about living in two different cultures seems to me pretty vanilla. Unless your parents are Israeli and Palestinian, I don't think it will make a difference. But go for it if it makes you feel better.

I didn't know a DS needs to be that spectacular. I was under the impression that it was just supposed to show how you can offer a diverse perspective. For example, someone who traveled the world could offer a diverse perspective and someone who lived in one town their entire life may not.

I read a bunch of DS samples and it seems like thats what everyone writes about - there are a few really unique ones but the majority of them are just about cultural background, socio economic factors, or traveling.

Or do you mean that although most people write about stuff like that, it really makes no difference to the adcomms?

Yeah, I mean the fact that you did a semester in Prague and your mom is French Canadian will not make up for a low GPA or LSAT. Writing about stuff like that seems like a waste of time. But I don't think you will get dinged for writing it, so if it makes you feel safer, go for it.