Hi queens, I'm applying for PA school this cycle and already asked all my profs for an LOR. The PI that I do research with asked me to provide her with my personal statement stating "why PA" to help with her LOR. I was just wondering why she would need a personal statement when she could just speak about the work that I've contributed for a year. Maybe I might be wrong, but how do I bring up this conversation with her?
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Congrats! The personal statement just gives them a more detailed picture of your motivation and interest in the profession. Feel free to DM if you’d like me to review your essay. Good luck 👑
As someone who's spent 12 years so far in higher education (and has written LORs), don't worry sis, just do your best to give her all the info she needs. After a few degrees I got into the habit of (a) outlining for each prof exactly what a given program was looking for in their LORs, and (b) giving them previous letters/statements/a resume and CV outlining exactly how I met these requirements and what they should include. The best LORs will include both info about "professional" qualities/hard skills AND ideally some tidbits about how passionate and well-suited you are more generally to the particular career you're applying to.
For example, between grad programs I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and I ended up applying for and getting into law school (one of the best in the world, so not easy to get into). My STEM PIs wrote my letters, and I sent them a beautiful personal statement linking my family tree's traumatic ancestry (Holocaust survivors) to the work I did in the lab (physiological correlates of psychological stress in refugees) to the law (think "passion for justice"). They wouldn't have been aware of these connections otherwise, and while they focused on my work and our relationship, this is the kind of thing that gets you into harvard law.
It's a good sign she's asked for this; it's likely she's just gathering more info to write you the best letter possible.
Good luck sis x
Hey Queen! Way to go on meeting the requirements for PA school- that's an incredible accomplishment! I say just do what she asked. It's silly, but maybe she's on a power trip. Don't confront her. Don't even read into her motives. Get your LOR and get going.