New Letters of Recommendation?

[HereWeGo43]

I know I posted this thread in the Pre-Medical (MD) forum, but I was just wondering, from previous re-applicants... do you need to get new LOR if you plan to re-apply? I am still waiting to hear from three schools (I am on the waitlist for at them all)... but I want to get my stuff in order so that I can re-apply...

I really think my MCAT, late application this past cycle, and perhaps lack of research are my three missing pieces. Any advice would be appreciated... thanks!

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[DbDan]

I know I posted this thread in the Pre-Medical (MD) forum, but I was just wondering, from previous re-applicants... do you need to get new LOR if you plan to re-apply? I am still waiting to hear from three schools (I am on the waitlist for at them all)... but I want to get my stuff in order so that I can re-apply...

I really think my MCAT, late application this past cycle, and perhaps lack of research are my three missing pieces. Any advice would be appreciated... thanks!

What have you done over the past year other than the application process? Are you still in school for your final year? If you could get another strong academic LOR I would suggest doing so. If you have been working, volunteering, etc. I'd recommend getting at least one LOR from that. Basically, the idea is to show them that you havent been sitting on your thumb for the last year while you were applying. I know that I'm reapplying while on waitlists and I have already secured 2 LORs from my 2 jobs that will be important in showing my new experiences and that I have been working to improve over the past year.

If you feel that your LORs cannot get any stronger though I don't see a problem in re-using the same ones. If you have taken another course with the professor or gotten to know one better perhaps ask them to write you an updated letter or ask them if there is anything that they would like to add to their previous letter before you re-submit. Otherwise your fine. Just keep in mind schools like to see significant improvement in areas of weakness when you are a re-applicant. Maintaining the same GPA, same letters and same MCAT despite applying earlier is going to be a tough sell to an admissions committee that saw the same application last year.