Expert Personal Statement Services

The personal statement is essential to the success of any application for a medical residency, fellowship, master's, PhD, law or other graduate program. And it requires a lot more than simply being a good essay.

The DLA Difference

Whether you're an international graduate needing help overcoming cultural barriers, or someone seeking a competitive edge or simply who doesn't know where to start, you're dealing with a unique and critical challenge in writing a personal statement.

Our Clients Get Accepted

The only clients who have used our personal statement services and were not accepted into a program either ignored our suggestions or did not meet the program's minimum requirements.

Client Acceptance Rates

Medical Fellowship	100.0%	Medical Residency	97.4%
Medical School	100.0%	Law (JD, LLM)	100.0%
Dentistry	100.0%	Nursing	100.0%
Physician Assistant	100.0%	Physical Therapy	100.0%
Pharmacy	100.0%	MBA	100.0%
Veterinary School	100.0%	Other Master & PhD	100.0%

Where Our Expertise Comes From

	Interviews With Program Directors: We interview program directors and admission committee members to know exactly what they want—and don't want—to see in a personal statement.
	1,000+ Personal Statements Every Year: We develop, critique, revise, edit and proofread 1,000+ personal statements annually. From this volume alone, we know what it takes to stand out.
	In-House, Highly Trained Personal Statement Experts: We do not use freelancers or students. And only our editors who have undergone rigorous training work on personal statements.

Red Flags We've Helped Our Clients Overcome

Everyone faces challenges, but not everyone overcomes them. We're experts in taking your blemishes and turning them into bright spots!

Red Flags We've Overcome

	Low Test Scores / Failed Attempts
	Poor Academic Performance
	Lack of Relevant Experience
	Medical Leaves of Absence
	2+ Years Since Graduation
	Lack of Interviews (SOAP)

	Professionalism Issues
	Disciplinary Action
	Failure to Match
	Multiple Medical Schools
	Age (e.g., 60+ y.o.)

Word Count Limits

650-750 Words: If your personal statement is shorter than 650 words or longer than 750 words, we strongly recommend either PS Revision & Critique or PS Development for it to be successful.

1,200 Words: A personal statement cannot be its most successful if it has more than 1,200 words. If yours is longer, we will require you to shorten it before submitting it for our services.

Will You Write My Personal Statement for Me?

We do not write personal statements, but we will help you to write yours brilliantly.

Not the best writer? Don't worry! No matter whether English is a second language, or you simply have trouble writing, we will guide you in what needs to be written and how. And in our revisions and proofreading, we'll help you with the English.

Get 50% off Additional Personal Statements

Applying to multiple specialties or programs, and tailoring your personal statement to each? Great! After the first personal statement, each additional personal statement gets a 50% discount.

Want the best news? They doen't even have to be submitted at the same time to get the discount!

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your fees and turnaround times for all your personal statements.

Get $20 off Add-on Services

All our personal statement packages come with the option to include

Get to Know Us!

We are a team of dedicated, in-house editors with 50+ years' combined experience.

Meet Your DLA Team cta arrow

Samples of Our Work*

Sample Personal Statement
Medical Fellowship—Geriatric
and Palliative Care

Sample Personal Statement
Medical Residency—Ob/Gyn—
IMG with Leave of Absence

* These samples—used with permission—were the result of our PS Revision and Critique service.

Feedback We've Received

“When I came to DLA for help with my personal statement, the application period had already opened, and I knew I was behind. I signed up for the development service and cannot be happier with the results. I just had an interview, and the interviewer said my personal statement was one of the best she had ever read, that it clearly presented who I was and the journey I have been on to reach this point. Hearing that made it totally worth the cost!”

Alessandra B., Biddeford, ME

"I can't explain how gratified I felt when I saw the edited personal statement by your team ... Your editing team is definitely something ... This personal statement that I sent to your team was already edited twice by a so-called very famous and professional organization. But I was never satisfied with their work on my personal statement. Now I see a huge difference and without a fret, I can attach it to my residency application. I'll let you know how many interviews I get!"

Abbas K., Danville, KY

add-ons at a discounted rate. They depend on the program (e.g., medical residency, law school) you are applying to.

Add-on services can be submitted at the same time as your personal statements or after, and include Editing & Feedback or Proofreading of your:

	CV / Resume
	Letters of Recommendation
	MSPE

	ERAS Application
	CaRMS CV

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your fees and turnaround times for all your add-on services.

Our Services

PS Development (Consultation + 3 Rounds + Final Polish)

Choose PS Development If:

You want expert, one-on-one guidance for developing your personal statement;
You have only a few notes or an incomplete draft of your personal statement; or
You don't know where to start with your personal statement.

Consultation times are available between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM CT, Monday through Friday, and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

To be able to provide the highest quality service possible, we require you provide us with a copy of your CV/resume or ERAS application.

WHAT THE SERVICE COVERS

With PS Development, we will work one-on-one with you to guide you in developing, revising and polishing your personal statement.

Step 1: The Consultation

For the consultation, we will:

Contact you, usually within two to three business hours, to schedule your consultation;
Thoroughly review your CV/resume and any drafts or notes you provide, and will research any particular details of the program you are applying to; and
Guide you through a series of specially tailored questions to determine what to write, and how and where to write it.

After the consultation, we will send you detailed notes to serve as a guide for you to follow when composing the initial draft of your personal statement.

Step 2: Revision & Critique (up to 3 Rounds)

In each round of Revision & Critique, we will:

First, evaluate and critique the content of your personal statement. If any of it needs to be replaced and for all new content that is needed, we will tell you what needs to be written, and where and how to write it.

For all the other content, we will edit for:

	Tone, Style, Voice, Clarity and Word Choice
	Sentence, Paragraph and Overall Structure

	Conciseness
	Flow and Transitions

Step 3: Final Polish

In the Final Polish, we will proofread the personal statement for any final adjustments to be made.

7 DAYS BETWEEN ROUNDS

After the consultation, and after each round of revision & critique, you have 7 days to make adjustments to the personal statement and submit it for the next round. (Additional days may be purchased.)

PRICING AND TURNAROUND

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your total fee. Our turnaround times are:

	Consultation	Revision & Critique and Final Polish	Total Time to Completion
Normal Delivery	1st Available	2 Business Days	~2 Weeks*
Rush Delivery	1st Available	1 Business Day	~1 Week*

* Total time to completion depends on consultation availability and the time you take to prepare your personal statement for the next round. Our business days are Monday-Friday (8:00 AM-5:00 PM CT). The cutoff for the next business day is midnight CT.

PS Revision & Critique (4 Rounds + Final Polish)

Choose PS Revision & Critique If:

You want detailed feedback and revision of your personal statement;
Your personal statement is not as concise, engaging or complete as you want it to be; or
Your personal statement is shorter than 650 words or longer than 750 words.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

To be able to provide the highest quality service possible, we require you provide us with a copy of your CV/resume or ERAS application.

WHAT THE SERVICE COVERS

With PS Revision & Critique, we will tell you exactly the improvements needed to make your personal statement successful. We will also edit and proofread your personal statement.

Step 1: Revision & Critique (up to 4 Rounds)

In each round of Revision & Critique, we will:

First, evaluate and critique every aspect of your personal statement. The critique provides specific feedback on:

	The selection and development of the themes of your personal statement, relative to your experiences and personality, and the program or specialty to which you're applying;
	The structure, flow and development of your narrative;
	The tone and style of your narrative voice;
	The quality, quantity and relevance of your supporting details and content; and
	The strength, completeness and focus of your argument.

For all content needing to be replaced or added, we will tell you what needs to be written, and where and how to write it.

For all the other content, we will edit for:

	Tone, Style, Voice, Clarity and Word Choice
	Repetition and Redundancy
	Sentence, Paragraph and Overall Structure

	Conciseness
	Syntax and Phrasing
	Narrative Flow and Transitions

Step 2: Final Polish

In the Final Polish, we will proofread the personal statement for any final adjustments to be made.

7 DAYS BETWEEN ROUNDS

After each round of Revision & Critique, you have 7 days to make adjustments to the personal statement and submit it for the next round. (Additional days may be purchased.)

PRICING AND TURNAROUND

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your total fee. Our turnaround times are:

	Revision & Critique and Final Polish	Total Time to Completion
Normal Delivery	2 Business Days	~2 Weeks*
Rush Delivery	1 Business Day	~1 Week*

* Total time to completion depends on the time you take to prepare your personal statement for the next round. Our business days are Monday-Friday (8:00 AM-5:00 PM CT). The cutoff for the next business day is midnight CT.

PS Evaluation (1 Round, Evaluation Only)

Choose PS Evaluation If:

You want an honest, forthright evaluation of your personal statement;
Your personal statement is of any length (up to 1,200 words); and
You do not wish to have any editing or proofreading of your personal statement.*

* PS Evaluation does not include editing or proofreading of your personal statement. For editing and proofreading of your personal statement, see our PS Revision & Critique and PS Development services.

WHAT THE SERVICE COVERS

With PS Evaluation, we will provide a thorough evaluation of your personal statement covering:

	The selection and development of the themes of your personal statement, relative to your experiences and personality, and the program or specialty to which you're applying;
	The structure, flow and development of your narrative;
	The tone and style of your narrative voice;
	The quality, quantity and relevance of your supporting details and content;
	The strength, completeness and focus of your argument; and
	Our overall opinion of your personal statement.

PS Evaluation does not include revision, editing or proofreading of your personal statement.

PRICING AND TURNAROUND

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your total fee. Our turnaround times are:

Normal Delivery		2 Business Days
Rush Delivery		1 Business Day

PS Proofreading (1 Round, Proofreading and Light Editing Only)

Choose PS Proofreading If:

You have a finished draft of your personal statement;
Its content is concise, appropriate, engaging and complete;*
Your personal statement is between 650 and 750 words*; and
You only proofreading and light editing of your personal statement.

* Personal statements that are shorter than 650 words or longer than 750 words likely either lack significant content or contain superfluous text, respectively, thereby significantly handicapping the success of the personal statement. While these issues are not addressed in the PS Proofreading service, they are dressed in PS Revision & Critique and PS Development.

WHAT THE SERVICE COVERS

With PS Proofreading, we will correct and improve your personal statement in the following areas:

	Word Choice for Personal Statements
	Punctuation
	Grammar
	Spelling/Typographical Errors
	Identification of Superfluous Text**

	Light Editing for Syntax
	Verb Tense
	Subject-Verb Agreement
	Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
	Singular vs Plural Agreement

Superfluous text means any text we see handicapping the success of your personal statement. It could be text that is too wordy, too vague, irrelevant, inappropriate or otherwise needing to be revised, rewritten, replaced or removed. We will highlight this text as part of this service, but we will not go into the detail of what makes the text superfluous and how to address it; that is covered under PS Revision & Critique and PS Development.

PRICING AND TURNAROUND

Use the Quick Quote Calculator to see your total fee and turnaround times.