Is anyone not bothering to rewrite PS?

[TCIrish03]

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Rather than just sit around and wait for Drexel to get their a$$ in gear, I'm starting AMCAS again. The reason I got so many rejections this year was because I took the August MCAT and didn't get my secondaries in until late November (pretty much every Doc, advisor, and admissions person I've talked to has said as much). So other than update what I've beein doing at work in the last year on AMCAS, should I bother with my PS? It was decent enough to get me interviews, albeit late in the cycle, and I really don't know how to make it any better (it's been a steady writing process over the last 3 years). Am I correct in my understanding that once you are rejected from a school, your file is closed and they know nothing about you until next cycle?

 

[Depakote]

Rather than just sit around and wait for Drexel to get their a$$ in gear, I'm starting AMCAS again. The reason I got so many rejections this year was because I took the August MCAT and didn't get my secondaries in until late November (pretty much every Doc, advisor, and admissions person I've talked to has said as much). So other than update what I've beein doing at work in the last year on AMCAS, should I bother with my PS? It was decent enough to get me interviews, albeit late in the cycle, and I really don't know how to make it any better (it's been a steady writing process over the last 3 years). Am I correct in my understanding that once you are rejected from a school, your file is closed and they know nothing about you until next cycle?

I think it would be a remarkable act of arrogance to think that any of us couldn't fix our personal statements with a year's more experience.

 

[TCIrish03]

I think it would be a remarkable act of arrogance to think that any of us couldn't fix our personal statements with a year's more experience.

That's right, I'm just oozing arrogance


Or....maybe I realized there was a length limit, that my PS wasn't purely chronological, and in order to add new stuff I would need to take old stuff out, stuff that I feel was more important to my formation as a person than what I am doing now.

 

[slb830]

TO the OP:

I was questioning the same thing myself. My premed advisor said that she liked my essay and that I should use it again, while some premed friends have said that new things have happened this year and I should write a new essay. My thought is that the question is not "prove you will make a good doc", but, rather, "Why do you want to be a doctor." The things I have accomplished this year dont necessarily change my answer to that question. This year's accomplishments will also be noted elsewhere in my application.

My solution I think is to use my old PS, but, modify it. Obviously there is always room for improvement stylistically, but, i liked the basic format and what it said about me as a person. I have started writing two new personal statements, and I hated both of them....if it aint broke....

 

[Avalanche21]

Rather than just sit around and wait for Drexel to get their a$$ in gear, I'm starting AMCAS again. The reason I got so many rejections this year was because I took the August MCAT and didn't get my secondaries in until late November (pretty much every Doc, advisor, and admissions person I've talked to has said as much). So other than update what I've beein doing at work in the last year on AMCAS, should I bother with my PS? It was decent enough to get me interviews, albeit late in the cycle, and I really don't know how to make it any better (it's been a steady writing process over the last 3 years). Am I correct in my understanding that once you are rejected from a school, your file is closed and they know nothing about you until next cycle?

Before I got off the waitlist, I was having the same issue. I really like my personal statement, but I was told by an admissions counselor that I should update it. I don't know if this is good enough, but I was just going to add an extra paragraph stating anything new that affected my decision to study medicine.

 

[Dr.Who?]

That's right, I'm just oozing arrogance.

or...maybe laziness? There has to be something you need to take out and make room for...give it to someone who can edit content. Stop hoarding details, suck it up, and make the change.

Or....maybe I realized there was a length limit, that my PS wasn't purely chronological, and in order to add new stuff I would need to take old stuff out, stuff that I feel was more important to my formation as a person than what I am doing now.

Regardless, the adcoms can see this as you haven't done anything meaningful this past year...which can be a big deal at some schools. Your strategy here is to not give them the opportunity for this 'misinterpretation' of you and your motivations.

Am I correct in my understanding that once you are rejected from a school, your file is closed and they know nothing about you until next cycle?

No one knows. There are schools that welcome reapplicants, there are some that don't. There are some that close files (not sure of any) and there are some that don't. I don't think it's safe to assume "they know nothing"...better be safe than sorry.


On another note,

Pretend you own a company and you are looking for a new manager. In a stack of applications, you find a resume from a person that applied last year. You go back to your resume database and find that it's the exact same one they used a year ago. Would you hire them?

Regardless if your motivations are the same...there is SOMETHING in this past year that you did or you've realized that should give the adcoms a better understanding of who you are...

 

[kevster2001]

I think you should mention something about what you did this year that has continued your interest in medicine and why it has spurred you on to apply for a second time.

 

[LastOneStanding]

I have a good friend that told me "writing is rewriting" or something along those lines. Basically, you can look at it like one of those things that you can always refine to be better, like your life or your profession.

I mean you've probably learned some things going through the whole process that would give you a better chance to get in right?