A Guide to Medical School Personal Statements
The recording will load in a moment.
About this livestream
Join CollegeVine advisor, Robbie Herbst, for guidance on crafting an effective personal statement for medical school applications. It covers choosing a topic, highlighting relevant experiences, and conveying one's motivation and passion for the field. Participants will gain insights into what admissions committees look for in a strong personal statement and tips for standing out in the application process!
Advisor
Robbie Herbst
Education
Dartmouth College, CU BoulderBio
Hello! I am a writer, editor, and violinist, and for the past eight years I've coached students through the college application process.In the 2022-2023 application cycle, my students received admission from Stanford, Columbia, Duke, Northwestern, UVA, Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, Bates, Vanderbilt, Case Western Reserve, and many others.
When I was in college (Dartmouth '16), I became interested in creative writing. During my time there, I won the student awards for best Short Story and Best Creative Work. I also founded the campus literary magazine. In the years since, my essays and fiction have been published in esteemed literary magazines including Gulf Coast, CRAFT Literary, and The Offing. A full list of my publications and awards can be found at my personal website, robbieherbst.com.
After graduating from Dartmouth, I channelled my passion for writing and editing into the world of admissions, and I began working with rising high school seniors in 2016. Since then, I've worked with all sorts of students including transfers, veterans, students applying for medical/graduate school, students taking gap years, as well as more traditional undergraduate applicants. The breadth of my writing experience has given me insights into the editorial process, and I know my students benefit from it.
In my parallel life, I am a violinist, and I play with a number of groups in and around the Chicago area. I graduated from CU Boulder with my Masters of Music in 2019 and my Artist Diploma in 2021.
Specialties
EconomicsEducationHistoryInternational RelationsCommunicationsJournalismFilm and PhotographyMusicArtDesignLanguagePhilosophyCreative Writing
Undergrad College: Georgetown University '21
Major: History; Minors in French and Russian
Work Experience: The college applications process is all about responding to one question: who are you? I am passionate about helping students craft a creative answer. I have been helping students gain admission to the T25 schools of their dreams since 2018, when I first started working for CollegeVine as an Applications Consultant, and later, blog writer. Soon after graduating from Georgetown, I started my own company to make college advising my career. I currently mentor students through one-on-one consulting sessions and essay editing.
My Admissions Story: My admissions journey began with a desire to dive into the humanities and have an adventure of self-discovery. I applied to East Coast liberal arts schools that value creativity and specialize in teaching languages, history, and international affairs. One thin deferral letter came in the fall, a thicker envelope came in the spring, and with that, I was accepted to my dream school — Georgetown University!
.png)
