Whether to redraft a personal statement

[theclem]

For re-applicants, would it be wise to rewrite a personal statement? I really liked mine from my previous application, but will schools just consider me lazy for not coming up with something different? I'm thinking of just tweaking it to include aspects of what I've been doing since last applying.

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[1289]

For re-applicants, would it be wise to rewrite a personal statement? I really liked mine from my previous application, but will schools just consider me lazy for not coming up with something different? I'm thinking of just tweaking it to include aspects of what I've been doing since last applying.

I completely rewrote mine for this cycle.. I would check with an adviser to make sure it wasn't part of why you didn't get an acceptance

 

[NeuralNetwork]

For re-applicants, would it be wise to rewrite a personal statement? I really liked mine from my previous application, but will schools just consider me lazy for not coming up with something different? I'm thinking of just tweaking it to include aspects of what I've been doing since last applying.

For re-applicants, most important thing is figuring out what went wrong (grades, scores, activities lacking, poorly filled AMCAS, bad PS, bad letters, etc) and then address those problems. If you believe your personal statement is a good reflection of your desire to practice medicine, and several trusted friends and colleagues who read it agree that it is good, then stick with it and work on the other areas.

 

[GladifImakeit]

Agree - totally depends on whether or not PS was the problem. If it was bad, rewrite it. If it was good, don't. If you did something consequential between now and last cycle, you might want to add a line or 2 about how you've changed.

 

[Aerus]

For re-applicants, would it be wise to rewrite a personal statement? I really liked mine from my previous application, but will schools just consider me lazy for not coming up with something different? I'm thinking of just tweaking it to include aspects of what I've been doing since last applying.

Tweaking is always fine. If you believe your personal statement wasn't strong enough, go ahead and rewrite/adjust.


Remember, there is no rule saying you HAVE to.

If you believe that your personal statement was one of the strong parts of your application last cycle, then you don't have to change it. The med school adcoms have NO access to your previous personal statements, so they will have NO IDEA if you re-use it as it is or not.

The ONLY thing you should be worried about is:

1) If I didn't get in last time, what makes me think I can get in THIS time?
2) Have I done what's necessary to fix the weaknesses of my application last cycle?

 

[Aerus]

I didn't know this. What is your source for this information? I'd love to hear what LizzyM or other adcom has to say on this topic.

Sorry, that was very poor wording.

I meant to say they don't have them available to them. I'm sure, if an adcom is really persistent in trying to find out if this personal statement in front of them is the exact same one or a rewrite, then they could find out if they dig deep enough. I don't know if any adcom will actually do that, wasting a lot of their time going through everything, for every reapplicant they have.

Here is where I got this information: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5216241&postcount=143

 

[Porfirio]

I did not rewrite mine from last year, and I got accepted this year...

 

[linebacker57]

Thanks for the due diligence!

This is not always true, when I interviewed at USUHS, they told us that if we were rejected and reapplied, our application file would include the previous application they have on file for us, as well as the current cycle's application.
I don't know if this is specific to USUHS, but I doubt they're the only ones doing it

 

[theclem]

Thanks for your responses, everyone. I did think it was one of the strongest parts of my application, but I will, as suggested, send it to a few more friends and counselors to have them look it over. If they like it, then I'll probably just keep with the format of the old one and add a few lines.