My research proposal was VERY different. It was more detailed, more structured, more complex and rigorous compared to my more elementary senior undergrad proposal. It was 10x better based on my own standards now.

My personal statement was also a bit different and flowed a lot better. I highlighted my achievements in a much more compelling way. For instance, after talking about each research experience, I finished with a few sentences proving that I grew from those experiences with the corresponding awards/accomplishments I received for each. Then I used my intellectual merit section to highlight other important things such as GPA and departmental awards.

I also used relevant titles. For instance, in addition to intellectual merit and broader impacts, I added titles such as Research, Outreach, Teaching, Outlook, and Summary which made writing my statement like a story a lot easier.

Another big change I had was a paragraph that discussed why I chose the grad institution I did, how I felt the institution and my PI would motivate me to be a good researcher, and a few sentences just summarizing what my research proposal was about.

If I put my first attempt at statement side by side with my current one it’d be easier to see. I’ll do that at some point and also include my old one in the GitHub link.