Dreading writing new PS for reapplication

[ABRuniverse]

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Hello,

At the moment I am on 3 waitlists with 0 acceptances so I have no choice but to reapply. 🙁 I am planning on retaking the MCAT at the end of August, but I am going to submit my primary ASAP. What is really holding me back right now is the realization that I need to write a whole new personal statement. The idea of this makes me nauseous and I have no idea where to start. All I know is that I want to write from a whole new angle but I am freaking out. Any suggestions? I need to get this thing done so I can move on with my life! It's also not helping that I work like 60 hours per week and have little time to work on application related bull****. I really just need some words of encouragement at this point 😕

 

[Appless]

can someone explain why you have to write a new PS is you are a reapplicant? I mean if the point is why do you want to go into medicine....thats probably not going to radically change in <1 year? between apps?

 

[ABRuniverse]

can someone explain why you have to write a new PS is you are a reapplicant? I mean if the point is why do you want to go into medicine....thats probably not going to radically change in <1 year? between apps?

I made that decision based on info in the message boards. The idea is that between app cycles, there is not really time to make drastic improvements in your applications, so the PS is the only way to make a major change. I personally feel that my application has improved... I have done and am continuing to do some more non-medical volunteering, I have done more shadowing, and have improved my GPA somewhat (cGPA from 3.73 to 3.75, sGPA from 3.69 to 3.73). I also would like to assume that I will improve my MCAT by at least 3 points. While I view these changes as significant, I'm not sure that the adcomms will think I made any effort to improve if I don't change up my new PS.

I think you make a valid point, but I don't think my PS was as strong as it could have been. On the other hand, I did mange to get 3 interviews and probably would have had more if it weren't for my low MCAT (28P). As you can see, I am extremely conflicted and am not sure what to do. Yikes!

 

[jult24er]

I'd say the MAJOR task for you is to get that mcat up. I wouldnt let any worrying about your PS get in the way of that. If you can get up to a 32 or 33, looks like you'll be a solid applicant, and might not need to write a mind-blowing PS. And you can always apply to schools you didnt apply to this cycle; they wont even know you havent updated your PS. Still, I understand wanting to have a new one, especially for those schools you did apply to this year. Maybe see if you can work your new shadowing and volunteering experiences into it. I bet as long as the PS islike 33% new, thats fine ...

 

[alibai3ah]

Did you study a lot the first time you took the MCAT or did you rush it. It's just a common notion, that if you were well prepared for the MCAT the first time your score will not drastically change from a 28-->33.

In terms of the PS, I feel for you, I am sure it can be very time consuming process. But with your stats I am really surprised you didn't get in. 3 waitlists also shows that schools were interested, so that is very encouraging... For the PS, I would write similar experiences, but you have to word it completely differently. I heard that some schools can look at your first application, so it would be better to rewrite the whole thing. You obviously don't have new experiences in a year, but just write about similar situations in a completely different manner....I know it's time consuming, but you'll do well this cycle...

 

[ABRuniverse]

Did you study a lot the first time you took the MCAT or did you rush it. It's just a common notion, that if you were well prepared for the MCAT the first time your score will not drastically change from a 28-->33.

In terms of the PS, I feel for you, I am sure it can be very time consuming process. But with your stats I am really surprised you didn't get in. 3 waitlists also shows that schools were interested, so that is very encouraging... For the PS, I would write similar experiences, but you have to word it completely differently. I heard that some schools can look at your first application, so it would be better to rewrite the whole thing. You obviously don't have new experiences in a year, but just write about similar situations in a completely different manner....I know it's time consuming, but you'll do well this cycle...

I definately was not as prepared as I could have been for that damn MCAT; my studying was very unorganized. As for new experiences, I do have a few but we will see how well I can work them in. It sounds like I just need to get it out of the way so I can focus on the MCAT. I'm not in love with my original PS, but clearly I am capable of producing at least a half-decent essay that will get the attention of adcoms in a positive way.

 

[cowabunga]

I got on 4 waitlists last year but got rejected by them all in the end. This year, I applied to mostly different schools that I thought I had a better chance at and got accepted to a few of them. I reused my personal statement without changing a word. My GPA was quite a bit lower than yours. I did, however, have a >30 MCAT score, so I would focus on that if I were you.

 

[hewmanoid]

can someone explain why you have to write a new PS is you are a reapplicant? I mean if the point is why do you want to go into medicine....thats probably not going to radically change in <1 year? between apps?

True. But, there are so many different ways you can present your life experiences and motivation for medicine. Maybe, in the OP's case, the PS might have been bland or didn't reflect his reason for wanting to become a physician as effectively and convincingly as he had hoped.


ABRuniverse,

You don't necessarily have to change everything on your PS. You might just have to reorganize your ideas, add some fresh ideas to it, or simply come up with a catchy opening. But, I think it would be a good idea to have other people read your old PS and get some honest feedback first.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

can someone explain why you have to write a new PS is you are a reapplicant? I mean if the point is why do you want to go into medicine....thats probably not going to radically change in <1 year? between apps?

Agreed. It's the same reasoning, you should not have to write a new one.

 

[ABRuniverse]

True. But, there are so many different ways you can present your life experiences and motivation for medicine. Maybe, in the OP's case, the PS might have been bland or didn't reflect his reason for wanting to become a physician as effectively and convincingly as he had hoped.


ABRuniverse,

You don't necessarily have to change everything on your PS. You might just have to reorganize your ideas, add some fresh ideas to it, or simply come up with a catchy opening. But, I think it would be a good idea to have other people read your old PS and get some honest feedback first.

Thanks hewmanoid! I will now turn my attention the the Official PS Reader Thread. It will be quite a relief if others think that my original PS is acceptable and I don't have to change much. PS, I'm a she 😀 Thanks again!

 

[mallard]

I honestly think if you got that MCAT up even 2 points to a 30 and applied to like 5-10 more schools than last time you should have a good to great shot at getting in somewhere, especially at your state school that WLed you this time around. Just by taking the time to reapply will show them that you are determined to become a doctor no matter what, and that says more than any change in your PS you could make IMO

 

[flip26]

Hello,

At the moment I am on 3 waitlists with 0 acceptances so I have no choice but to reapply. 🙁 I am planning on retaking the MCAT at the end of August, but I am going to submit my primary ASAP. What is really holding me back right now is the realization that I need to write a whole new personal statement. The idea of this makes me nauseous and I have no idea where to start. All I know is that I want to write from a whole new angle but I am freaking out. Any suggestions? I need to get this thing done so I can move on with my life! It's also not helping that I work like 60 hours per week and have little time to work on application related bull****. I really just need some words of encouragement at this point 😕

This is a bad plan. Your app is going to be late by any standard if you are taking a late Aug MCAT...

Reuse the PS if it says exactly what you want to convey. Change it otherwise. No need for a wholesale revision, unless of course you think it sucks.

Waitlist season isn't over yet...there is still hope.

 

[alibai3ah]

Even if you do go from a 28 to the 30+, you are not going to "wow" the adcomms...unless you get like a 34 or something. I still think unless those schools explicitly said it was your MCAT, I would not retake. I would spend more time thinking about what went wrong, b/c your numbers are not what I think is keeping you out (as demonstrated by 3 schools who wanted to interview you).

 

[witness23]

you should rewrite your essay.

if you think you don't learn a lot from 9 months of non stop rejections, another $40k in tuition/costs, or a year in the real world, well....idk. but all i know is that you couldn't have reasoned (with experience) that you wanted to go into medicine for more than 4 to 5 years now. a year has to be BIG deal.

people develop and your essay should develop too. I think writing a PS is a great study break/source of motivation for the MCAT

 

[Az1698]

Good luck man! The PS is a main part of the app, so make it count!

 

[takethat12]

you are not going to "wow" the adcomms...unless you get like a 34 or something.

I got a 34 and am on 5 wait lists, 0 acceptances. There is no rhyme or reason to this. We all have weaknesses and we all have strengths. Some of us are better at displaying the strengths and hiding the weaknesses, and visa versa.

I gave my PS from last cycle to a few people for criticism and just rewrote it. It sucked, but the essay is better for it now. I also called a couple of schools that rejected me pre-interview and set up meetings to go over the weaknesses in my AMCAS. That was very very helpful.

Hang in there, as I am trying to do. I think being a reapplicant lends credibility, which is really the best thing we've got in this oh so arbitrary process.

Good luck.