Personal statement for re-applicant

[sshung]

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I applied last cycle but wasn't successful. I'm planning on applying this coming cycle again and I was wondering if I can recycle my personal statement? I feel like the main reason I got rejected was because of my low MCAT, which I'll be retaking it on June. Would it be ok if I apply this year with the same personal statement?

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I applied last cycle but wasn't successful. I'm planning on applying this coming cycle again and I was wondering if I can recycle my personal statement? I feel like the main reason I got rejected was because of my low MCAT, which I'll be retaking it on June. Would it be ok if I apply this year with the same personal statement?

If over the application year you have not done anything and have no further insights into medicine or why you want to be a doc, then definitely use the same one. If instead you've grown and had experiences this year write a new one.

Note: If schools didn't take you this year, they will want to see growth.

 

[MARS!]

I would strongly suggest making changes to your statement. When you re-apply the schools want to see that you have used your time wisely, and you can best show this through your personal statement. I was a re-applicant and I changed my personal statement the second time around.

 

[VictorAlpha]

i would second most everyone's advice to refresh the statement. I kind of figured (when I did it) that the ADCOMs wanted to see some growth and also, that statement was a part of something that didn't get it done last time...so time to make it better

 

[sshung]

As much I want to make some changes to my personal statement, I feel like my previous one clearly shows why I want to commit myself to medicine. Do ADCOMs compare them side by side? If so, I would not hesitate to make major changes to my personal statement. Has anyone re-applicant had success without refreshing his/her personal statement?

 

[BeancheBlanco]

if you are re-applying, would it be wiser to just write an entirely new PS as if this is a first-time application? Or should you explicitly talk about how you are more prepared now than your previous cycle? Or is either way acceptable?

 

[AndyQC]

I have a similar question as BeancheBlanco.

I received generally good feedback about my PS last cycle. The one negative comment I received was that I needed to be more clear about my motivation(s) to pursue medicine and how my life narrative ties in with my future goals.

I am considering completely overhauling the PS and tackling it from a different angle. However, I am concerned that it might come across as disingenuous if it was compared to my previous PS.

In other words, my first PS cited experiences "A," "B," and "C" as my reasons for wanting to become a physician. If I instead talked about experiences "X," "Y," and "Z," which were entirely different but equally meaningful, would it be a problem?

Thanks!

 

[mynameissss]

when reapplying to the same schools, are they able to compare your current PS with the one you used the previous year? or do they only look at the current year?

 

[bearded frog]

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