new letters? new format!?

echinoderm said:

so i'm thinking about reapplying.. i'm wondering how much of the application should change from before. i heard i should write a new personal statement, but i also heard some ppl just modifying slightly their original statement.

also in regards to letters, is it important to have new letters? or do i just send the same ones?

also wuts up with the new activities section.. they more than doubled the character limit! do you all recommend changing the original list of activities description? or just keeping it the same... assuming that both my gpa and mcat score went up...

thanks.

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Echinoderm,

Just wanted to drop a line and let you know that I am in the same boat. Literally every question you had I had as well. I am meeting with my premed advisor tomorrow and she is really cool. I will try to mention the questions that you had and let you know what she says. If you find anything in the meanwhile-let me know.

Peace

A.Huxtable

have reapplied once, may have to do so again (come on TUUULANE!).

between app 1 and 2, i DEFINITELY changed my personal statement. upon reflection, my first one was crap. fat ass crap. used some of the same letters but since received (hopefully) better letters and used those instead. freshen up ur item descriptions but always think about it this way: the space is for when you NEED to be detailed and talk ur ass off. if it was just a simple experience, have a simple description. ive done this for so long, maybe im just tired of typing too much...but i think we're all really trying to out wit the AMCAS as if they would even see what we're doing. these are adcom people reading our words for what they are...just be direct.

essay1: interesting/funny story segway into how i am still surviving the process while friends have quit, etc. (more of my voice, much less of a point)

essay2: qualities a, b, and c are necessary to become a good med student because a,b,and c are used by doctors this way... here are examples from my life that HAPPEN to show that i kick ass in a, in b, and you guessed it, c too.

essay3: (to be completed) no loopy setup crap for deep or intriguing papers anymore. im talking to them as if they asked me "who are you, tell me about yourself, why do you want to become a doctor" in the process, i figure i can cover all my 'trials and tribulations,' talk about my goals, and my motivations.


goodluck. if you take my idea and get in and i still dont, imma have to imaginery kick ur ass.


-ed

From what I can tell, it seems to depend on the schools. University of Colorado keeps all the records from the year before, so there's no point in sending the same letters as the year before. Other schools say on their website that all application materials are shredded each year, so I guess you'd need to resend to those schools.

As far as personal statements go, I talked to to a dean of admissions at U of CO and he said that it is a must to rewrite. He seemed to think that there would be some member of the admission committee that would find the old PS, and use it as an excuse to not admit (laziness).

Hope that helps a little.