Can I reuse my Other Impactful Experiences as the adversity essay in secondaries?

[evenfeather]

I'm wondering whether I can reuse my OIE essay for secondary essays that ask about adversities I've faced. Of course, I would not be copy and pasting it verbatim, but rather be telling the same story / circumstances using different words. Is this acceptable and/or common, or is it looked down on? Should I "save" this essay for my adversity essay and leave the OIE blank?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[hommefatale]

Personally, I wouldn't say the exact same story. Is there a different angle / perspective you can take from the experience? For example, in my OIE, I talked about growing up in a country with a lot of fighting / civil service issues that caused me to miss a lot of school, but I'm also using experiences from there to support my diversity essay but not at all the exact same story.

 

[LizzyM]

Some schools won't have an adversity essay so you might want to be sure your story is in the AMCAS application that every school you apply to will see. If your OIE was an adversity that fits the prompt, go for it with a rephrasing to match what is being asked (schools vary in how they ask the question and what they are looking for in terms of a response).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Theoretically, you can write whatever you want as long as you address the prompt (or intended prompt). You only have 1350 characters though. Do not use the space for a trauma dump or a confessional.

Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Exploring Your Unique Story | SDN

Access free resources, expert advice, and tools to advance your medical career.

www.studentdoctor.net