AMCAS re-apply, do I need a new essay?

[TexasGuy41]

Hey, I figure since I'm the king of the waitlist, I should get my stuff in for next year in case I things go bad. Anyway, does anyone know if you are supposed to write a new personal statement? Though I'm not in anywhere, I thought my essay was really good and I spent a long time on it and I'm not really sure I can change it up. Thanks

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[Aggiemaj]

I'm in the same boat - I'm on waiting lists, but I'm also getting my stuff ready to reapply. Our professional school advising office told me that since it was a "new" application, there had to be a new essay and new letters of recommendation. It's really hard to start over on the essay because I really liked what I wrote last year!

 

[TexasGuy41]

There is NO way i can get more recommendations. Thats impossible. I really don't want to change my essay either. I can't even log in to AMCAS without getting error messages. I wish I could just write "Listen, I'm the same guy that applied last year, I wish I could say I'm different or more mature or smarter, but I'm not, I'm the same guy, let me in, now."

 

[tBw]

maybe you should consider why you didn't get in this year. If you applied late, or to a limited number of schools, then clearly there is reason to believe that sending them the exact same materials might be more successful this year if done early and to a good spread of schools.

If however those aren't the reasons, then probably sending them the exact same materials this year isn't going to make things any more likely. In that case you might want to consider re-doing things.

 

[oldman]

I can't imagine writing a new PS. I poured my heart out into that thing for 2 months. Best of luck to you all.

 

[zealous]

When I went on my interviews, my interviewers were REALLY familiar with my ps and one of them asked about ten questions from it. I think that for schools who's secondary doesn't have questions or who's questions are really common like "why do you want to be a doctor" then, your ps might come into greater play. So, while schools do look at gpa, mcat, eca's, I think the ps is still very important. Remember, it's their greatest indication of you as a person. So, if you didn't get in this year, I would definitely look over your ps and re-evaluate and re-write it. I definitely wouldn't send in the same one. Even though you may have poured your heart and soul into that 1 page response, sometimes just one word can turn someone off. I hope this may have helped you and good luck next year.

 

[strangeattractor]

they wouldn't remember your app from the year prior would they? i mean...let's say i did use all the same essays (i both applied late and to a lim'd number of schools)...they wouldn't notice it was the same stuff, would they?

 

[vitaminX]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by the boy wonder:
[QB]maybe you should consider why you didn't get in this year.[QB]••••Are you guys seriously getting feedback from schools that rejected you? I called up every single school that rejected me and asked extremely politely, and i got NO reply. they just wouldn't tell me (e.g. "that information is not available" or "i cannot help you with that" or "you have to give us a call late June")

Why!!!!???

 

[Aggiemaj]

Pertaining to the feedback question, I set up an appointment with the Dean of Admissions to one of the schools that I didn't get into, and he went over my ENTIRE file with me - what strengths he saw in my paper application, what he thought about my personal statement, as well as what the interviewers thought about me. It's been really helpful now that I'm working on my reapplication.

 

[Hero]

I think my PS is pretty good as it is. And I have been doing the same thing for the past year and a half that I can't really add that much more to it. Changing it is too much work and might make it worse.

Howerver, I am going to add that I am reapplying and really want to learn and practice medicine.