Is it worth applying to top-tier/second tier school again as a reapplicant given my previous topic in my personal statement?

[DZ2106]

Hey guys! Firstly thank you for taking the time to read about my predicament. I greatly appreciate it

Ok so credentials: 3.9sGPA 3.86cGPA 521 MCAT (my LM is 76.6; WARS 90-93)

2050 research hours, 1 abstract and 2 middle author pubs in what seem to be middle-impact journals

1100 clinical hours as an ophthalmic technician; 300 volunteer hours with a general surgeon doing wound care rounds in multiple underserved nursing homes

200 additional shadowing hours

Like 2500 hours as an adjunct lecturer

4000 hours additional non-clinical part-time time work tutoring, hosting, etc.

1500 hours in martial arts as my hobby

500 hours in a club I started; 400 hours as treasurer of my fraternity

200 nonclinical volunteer hours; I "founded" an outreach program

I got 3 IIs last cycle and 3 WLs

My big red flag, I now realize, was talking about my past history with eating disorders and a semi-legal amphetamine for the purposes of weight loss (I'm a couple of years removed from that whole fiasco if anyone is wondering). I've made sure to absolutely not bring it up at all this cycle and have completely rewritten my PS and my secondaries save for 1 or 2.

I was very adamant about making sure I mostly applied only to schools that I am not a reapplicant for this cycle save for state schools, the schools that interviewed me, and a few other schools I think are really cool like UPenn, Mich, Dartmouth, etc. I've applied to 38 schools so far and have 2 more to make it a clean 40.

Is there a purpose to add any top/high-tier schools that obviously have my previous application? I'm worried that because it's already mid-august I'm already considered lower priority for these schools and that once they look at my previous application it'll be the nail in the coffin for me.

Edited a few times for conciseness

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[Angus Avagadro]

You have nice stats. Rather than focus on the Upper tier schools, I think as a reapplicant I would focus on top 20 to 50 schools where you would be more competitive. The object is 1 admission. Most schools can get you where you want to go. Good luck and best wishes!

 

[Goro]

Hey guys! Firstly thank you for taking the time to read about my predicament. I greatly appreciate it



Edited a few times for conciseness

Target these:
NYU
Columbia
JHU
U Penn
WashU
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Harvard
Yale
Cornell
U Chicago
Mayo
Case
Stanford
Duke
Sinai
U VA
BU
Baylor
UCSF
Pitt
UTSW
USC/Keck
UCLA
U MI
Rochester
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
Dartmouth
Western MI
USF Morsani
SUNY-SB
Brown
U MA
U IA
Albert Einstein
Emory
Tufts
NYU-LI
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
U WI
U CO
U VM
Your state school

 

[KnightDoc]

My big red flag, I now realize, was talking about my past history with eating disorders and a semi-legal amphetamine for the purposes of weight loss (I'm a couple of years removed from that whole fiasco if anyone is wondering). I've made sure to absolutely not bring it up at all this cycle and have completely rewritten my PS and my secondaries save for 1 or 2.

Is there a purpose to add any top/high-tier schools that obviously have my previous application? I'm worried that because it's already mid-august I'm already considered lower priority for these schools and that once they look at my previous application it'll be the nail in the coffin for me.

Okay, so, as I am sure you are aware, you are awesome aside from the self-inflicted wound. You have addressed it, and your question is whether past sins will be held against you? And the answer is, who knows? All you can do is try.

You are smart enough, and self-aware enough, not to limit your applications this cycle exclusively to all of the schools that rejected you last cycle. Beyond that, the purpose of reapplying to top schools is to give yourself a shot at them.

Sure, your chances will be lower than for your twin who is applying for the first time this cycle without your baggage, but there is no unringing that bell. You're already applying to 38 carefully curated schools. Why not indulge yourself with a few Hail Marys just to avoid Monday Morning Quarterbacking next spring?

 

[DZ2106]

Target these:
NYU
Columbia
JHU
U Penn
WashU
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Harvard
Yale
Cornell
U Chicago
Mayo
Case
Stanford
Duke
Sinai
U VA
BU
Baylor
UCSF
Pitt
UTSW
USC/Keck
UCLA
U MI
Rochester
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
Dartmouth
Western MI
USF Morsani
SUNY-SB
Brown
U MA
U IA
Albert Einstein
Emory
Tufts
NYU-LI
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
U WI
U CO
U VM
Your state school

Thank you so much for this list! I mostly had all the safety/ middle-tier schools in here. Gonna add some of the reach schools, as well as U WI and U MA

 

[DZ2106]

Okay, so, as I am sure you are aware, you are awesome aside from the self-inflicted wound. You have addressed it, and your question is whether past sins will be held against you? And the answer is, who knows? All you can do is try.

You are smart enough, and self-aware enough, not to limit your applications this cycle exclusively to all of the schools that rejected you last cycle. Beyond that, the purpose of reapplying to top schools is to give yourself a shot at them.

Sure, your chances will be lower than for your twin who is applying for the first time this cycle without your baggage, but there is no unringing that bell. You're already applying to 38 carefully curated schools. Why not indulge yourself with a few Hail Marys just to avoid Monday Morning Quarterbacking next spring?

Thank you for your kind words! I decided to add 6 or 7 more dream schools to reapply to, just for the sake of knowing what if. Thank you for your help and wish me luck!

 

[KnightDoc]

Thank you for your kind words! I decided to add 6 or 7 more dream schools to reapply to, just for the sake of knowing what if. Thank you for your help and wish me luck!

Absolutely all the best of luck in the world to you.

It sucks that you cannot be totally open, honest and forthcoming in today's world without being punished for it, but, it is what it is and you learned a valuable lesson. If there is any justice in the world, your application will be reviewed without prejudice, and you will end up precisely where you would have ended up had you been more circumspect before. If not, you should still do very well this cycle, and appear to be destined for great things. Good luck!!

 

[ooo000]

I am sorry to hear about your situation. Obviously, u are a great and qualified applicant, I can really relate with u, I talked about my own mental disorder in my personal statement because it motivated me to be a physician, and I think it is important to bring it up. But I also make sure that I make it clear that I recover, and it has not impact my academic and employment performance. I have many fears and struggle whether I should be honest, but I decided to stay true…..So far, I had 2 early ii one in state, one out of state, my Lizzy M is 72+, not as stellar as u, but I can totally resonate with your worries…...I am still waiting to hear back from the rest of 18 schools I applied for, I don’t ask for additional consideration, just want to be viewed without any discrimination…..I will continue to fight against the stigma of mental illnesses throughout my medical education if I get in, I wish you best luck this cycle, you can do it!