The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Hello all, and sorry for the extended absence!
After finals week rolls around, I'm usually so caught up in my summer plans that my blogging goes by the wayside, which is exactly what happened a couple months ago. But, I'm back! And ready to type.
After my last final in April, I immediately went home and got busy working on my personal statement. (Some people say type-A, I just say well prepared.) And boy did that personal statement take me longer than I thought it would. I had written many drafts, beginning as early as last summer at SMDEP, but none of them resonated with me. But when it came down to crunch time, I became inspired as all writers do with an impending deadline, and drafted something that came directly from my heart (and my keyboard.) I'm so proud of it, it makes me giddy. I never expected to have one 4500 character document explain me so perfectly. But I'm not going to say it was all sunshine and rainbows - it was pretty difficult at points trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, and I couldn't even count how many times I pressed the "word count" button on my Google doc. (Pro tip: I ALWAYS use Google Docs when typing something important - everything is automatically saved, making unexpected computer shut-downs or anything of the like no longer a major crisis.)
After my personal statement was edited and revised to perfection, I then started on my application. I used a template of last year's AADSAS I found online to be able to start filling it out a week early. I figured it wouldn't take me long at all, but was I wrong yet again. The hardest part was figuring out how to describe my extracurriculars, volunteer/leadership positions, etc in 175 characters or less. It's very challening when you have a little bit more characters than a tweet to describe something you've been doing for years. And of course all of these descriptions were revised and edited more than their fair share, as well.
And then it came time to submit my application. There was an elephant on my chest and my parents hovering over my shoulder with baited breath as I clicked "E-submit." This turned incredibly anti-climatic, however, because as soon as I ceremoniously pressed the button, I was immediately taken to a screen asking for payment. Thanks AADSAS!
So now, we wait. I've submitted one application fee that was requested of me, and now I'm waiting for my committee letter to be uploaded, and my application to be mailed out to my designated schools. I'm in strong agreement with the philosopher Tom Petty who once said, "the waiting is the hardest part."
After the hurricane that was the AADSAS was completed, I started doing normal summer things! I applied, interviewed, and received a job as a clerk for a dental clinic that travels around Michigan for 6 weeks and provides dental care to children in impoverished areas. I'm extremely excited to start this job, and cannot wait until my orientation at the end of the month!
Here's a picture summary of what else I've been doing so far:
So there you have it. My summer so far in review. I've done so much and it's not even halfway over! I guess I just get restless when I'm not being busy. If you guys have any questions about the application process, your DAT, the AADSAS, etc, please feel free to ask! It helps when you have someone to talk to that's already been through it.
Until next time,
PJ
After finals week rolls around, I'm usually so caught up in my summer plans that my blogging goes by the wayside, which is exactly what happened a couple months ago. But, I'm back! And ready to type.
After my last final in April, I immediately went home and got busy working on my personal statement. (Some people say type-A, I just say well prepared.) And boy did that personal statement take me longer than I thought it would. I had written many drafts, beginning as early as last summer at SMDEP, but none of them resonated with me. But when it came down to crunch time, I became inspired as all writers do with an impending deadline, and drafted something that came directly from my heart (and my keyboard.) I'm so proud of it, it makes me giddy. I never expected to have one 4500 character document explain me so perfectly. But I'm not going to say it was all sunshine and rainbows - it was pretty difficult at points trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, and I couldn't even count how many times I pressed the "word count" button on my Google doc. (Pro tip: I ALWAYS use Google Docs when typing something important - everything is automatically saved, making unexpected computer shut-downs or anything of the like no longer a major crisis.)
After my personal statement was edited and revised to perfection, I then started on my application. I used a template of last year's AADSAS I found online to be able to start filling it out a week early. I figured it wouldn't take me long at all, but was I wrong yet again. The hardest part was figuring out how to describe my extracurriculars, volunteer/leadership positions, etc in 175 characters or less. It's very challening when you have a little bit more characters than a tweet to describe something you've been doing for years. And of course all of these descriptions were revised and edited more than their fair share, as well.
And then it came time to submit my application. There was an elephant on my chest and my parents hovering over my shoulder with baited breath as I clicked "E-submit." This turned incredibly anti-climatic, however, because as soon as I ceremoniously pressed the button, I was immediately taken to a screen asking for payment. Thanks AADSAS!
So now, we wait. I've submitted one application fee that was requested of me, and now I'm waiting for my committee letter to be uploaded, and my application to be mailed out to my designated schools. I'm in strong agreement with the philosopher Tom Petty who once said, "the waiting is the hardest part."
After the hurricane that was the AADSAS was completed, I started doing normal summer things! I applied, interviewed, and received a job as a clerk for a dental clinic that travels around Michigan for 6 weeks and provides dental care to children in impoverished areas. I'm extremely excited to start this job, and cannot wait until my orientation at the end of the month!
Here's a picture summary of what else I've been doing so far:
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| I saw Ben Folds in concert. I still can't think about it without screaming with joy. |
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| My boyfriend, Jeff, graduated with honors from the University of Michigan's School of Engineering! |
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| I visited the Marquette University School of Dentistry with a couple members of my Pre-Dental Club! |
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| I wrote an article on oil pulling for the American Student Dental Association! Check it out here: http://www.asdablog.com/pulling-back-the-curtain-on-oil-pulling/ |
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| I volunteered at the MDA's Mission of Mercy. It was an amazing event that gave over 1300 people free dental care. I am so blessed to have been a volunteer at this event. |
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| I did a lot of queen bee grafting! |
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| I celebrated my grandma's 76th birthday. This woman is such an inspiration to me. |
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| I went to Kalahari in Sandusky, OH. I love water parks! |
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| And finally, I've watched a lot of my new obsession: Bones. Love this show! |
Until next time,
PJ
Hey I saw your link on the SDN thread about CO, so I thought I'd check it out. I'm a fellow pre-dent blogger! Good luck on everything, and who knows we might meet each other come interview season :)
ReplyDeleteHey! Thanks for commenting! I love following pre-dent blogs, what's your url? And yes, I would love to see you in an upcoming interview! Fingers crossed! =)
Deleteeatpraylearnblog.wordpress.com. It actually started out as a food blog but now is more about school, faith, quite a bit of pre-dent stuff, and still with some cooking and recipes thrown in. Thanks for checking it out!
DeleteWow, great post.
ReplyDelete