Question about apps and secondaries

[IL Pre Med]

First, am I considered a reapplicant if I sent a primary to a school but never a secondary? And if I NEVER sent a primary I am NOT a reapplicant there correct?

Second, is it bad to reuse secondaries from last year for that same school? Some of my responses regarding ethics etc. are not really going to change from a year ago, I still feel like responding the same way. Will schools look at this negatively?

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[type12]

Yes, you are considered a reapplicant.

 

[Moification]

When you fill out your AMCAS, it will ask you if you've previously applied to that specific school.

If your secondaries didn't get you in last year, why would they work for you this year? The schools probably wont remember, or even have, your responses from your previous cycle, but you should definitely switch it up.

 

[IL Pre Med]

When you fill out your AMCAS, it will ask you if you've previously applied to that specific school.

If your secondaries didn't get you in last year, why would they work for you this year? The schools probably wont remember, or even have, your responses from your previous cycle, but you should definitely switch it up.

Essays weren't my problem, it was the low GPA but I guess I'll do my best to switch things around this year. I already re-wrote my PS from the ground up.

 

[KindofBlue]

If you've submitted the secondaries, I would re-write or at least make some edits.
Even if it was a good response, I feel you run the risk of appearing lazy or over confident. Of course it would depend on the school whether or not they keep the files from last year.

 

[LizzyM]

And watch out... sometimes the questions change a bit from year to year and it can be very obvious when someone reuses an old essay with the new question!

 

[medic86]

And watch out... sometimes the questions change a bit from year to year and it can be very obvious when someone reuses an old essay with the new question!

Haha. People do that?

Attention to detail, people...

 

[NoDakDok]

First, am I considered a reapplicant if I sent a primary to a school but never a secondary? And if I NEVER sent a primary I am NOT a reapplicant there correct?

You are considered a reapplicant. You will also be asked on your AMCAS application if you've applied to the school in the past.

Second, is it bad to reuse secondaries from last year for that same school? Some of my responses regarding ethics etc. are not really going to change from a year ago, I still feel like responding the same way. Will schools look at this negatively?

As a reapplicant myself, it depends. First, make sure the question is actually the same (see @LizzyM's post). Second, ask yourself whether that is truly the best essay you can come up with. Has your mindset over the past year changed at all? If the question is something like ethics with a pretty straightforward answer, maybe not. However, if the question is about you personally, how have you developed over the past year? I certainly hope you've matured and learned more about yourself in some way worth mentioning.

Regardless, I'm sure there will be some edits for you to make. Using the essays you used the last cycle as an outline for your new ones is certainly not a bad decision. If you received an interview at a school you submitted those essays to, but ended up getting rejected post-interview, it's less likely your secondary/GPA problem you mentioned was the ultimate issue. I legitimately copy-pasted some of the secondary questions I used last year and was ultimately accepted to that school this cycle, but that was according to what I wrote above (minor edits; only did for questions that were not, in my mind, malleable; I received an interview last year to that school).

I hope that helps/makes sense.

Haha. People do that?

Attention to detail, people...

It certainly makes thinning the herd easier for AdComs!

 

[Goro]

You would be surprised how careless people can be. I do see about 1-2x a year someone's secodary with something like "And that's why I'd like to attend X University COM"...except I'm at "Y COM"

I tend to skewer people in interviews wwhen I see that.

Haha. People do that?

Attention to detail, people...

 

[YLFounder]

Essays weren't my problem, it was the low GPA but I guess I'll do my best to switch things around this year. I already re-wrote my PS from the ground up.

What was your GPA if you don't mind me asking?

 

[IL Pre Med]

What was your GPA if you don't mind me asking?

2.8, but I have since raised it to a 3.0