Only submitted primary applications, no secondaries submitted...rewrite everything?

[psychme]

I was rejected everywhere because my application was incomplete since I didn't submit secondaries or an MCAT score. Do i still need to rewrite my whole application (activity descriptions, PS, etc) for the upcoming 2015-2016 cycle?

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[Chansey]

Nope.

Since you didn't submit any secondaries, the schools you applied to did not read your primary application. You can use the same essays, if you wish. Don't forget to update the activities section with new extracurriculars, if you have them.

 

[psychme]

Ok thanks. is there anyone else that can confirm this? I'm going to call a couple schools tomorrow to find out.

 

[DrMidlife]

I disagree - the primary goes directly to schools from AMCAS, and then the schools decide whether to send a secondary or not. Med schools keep a "file" on rejected/incomplete applicants because reapplication is common, and schools want to see what has changed between app cycles. It's not unheard of for reapplicants to lie, assuming their old app is gone. So it doesn't matter whether schools looked at your app this year or not - they'll look at it next time, when it's relevant to look at it against the new app.

So you're a reapplicant. In my experience, successful reapplicants update everything and don't submit the same app. And you absolutely need to have a good answer to "what happened last cycle?"

Best of luck to you.

 

[psychme]

Is it advisable to reuse my PS?

 

[DrMidlife]

Is it advisable to reuse my PS?

In my experience, successful reapplicants update everything and don't submit the same app.

 

[psychme]

OK let me elaborate. Are there paragraphs or bits and pieces of my PS that I can reuse?

 

[gyngyn]

The software schools use to manage this data varies. Depending on what a particular school uses, they may not have processed an application to which a secondary was not sent. Either way, it is reasonable to improve your PS.

 

[itnasasta]

I disagree - the primary goes directly to schools from AMCAS, and then the schools decide whether to send a secondary or not. Med schools keep a "file" on rejected/incomplete applicants because reapplication is common, and schools want to see what has changed between app cycles. It's not unheard of for reapplicants to lie, assuming their old app is gone. So it doesn't matter whether schools looked at your app this year or not - they'll look at it next time, when it's relevant to look at it against the new app.???

 

[psychme]

I disagree - the primary goes directly to schools from AMCAS, and then the schools decide whether to send a secondary or not. Med schools keep a "file" on rejected/incomplete applicants because reapplication is common, and schools want to see what has changed between app cycles. It's not unheard of for reapplicants to lie, assuming their old app is gone. So it doesn't matter whether schools looked at your app this year or not - they'll look at it next time, when it's relevant to look at it against the new app.

So you're a reapplicant. In my experience, successful reapplicants update everything and don't submit the same app. And you absolutely need to have a good answer to "what happened last cycle?"

Best of luck to you.

Ok it was a family health emergency that precluded me from appropriately preparing for the MCAT. Honestly, i should not have submitted my primary application. What exactly should I say to answer that question best? How transparent should I be?