Persistence syntax [closed]

Solution 1:

Insistence may be a better choice than persistence. The reason is that to persist means to continue to do something despite opposition or hardship, as in, "Everyone said the plants wouldn't grow but he continued to water them every day and eventually, his persistence paid off."

Insist, on the other hand, simply means to firmly state one's desire or preference, which seems to fit your case better.

Despite my supervisor's insistence that I apply to the x, I applied to the y.

If you really want to use persist, you could do so by describing a specific action taken by the supervisor.

Despite my supervisor's persistent demands that I apply to the x, I still applied to the y.