Possible Reapplicant again Texas, application/essay advice

[Benevolent_Cauliflower]

Well, this application cycle is quickly coming to an end. I am a current reapplicant and have had one interview so far at a Texas school. Of course all you need is just one interview right? Anyway, I applied to all Texas schools excluding DO school. I also applied to 22 out of state schools and as expected no interviews so far. If I don't get accepted, I plan to retake MCAT early summer and totally revamp my essays/application, and apply to both DO and MD programs. I have been working hard to improve myself over this past year. I have been working as a scribe over the past year in the ER and now have over 1000/hrs. I have a 510mcat, 3.9GPA.

My question is, I would like people's opinions and or recommendations on using an outside company to help me rewrite my essays and revamp my application. Who would you use? Would it help?

Thanks

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[SpoiledMilk]

What was the school you interviewed at? Did you not apply to TCOM and Sam Houston State because an aversion to DOs or because you couldn't secure a DO LOR? I'm very surprised that with 510 and 3.9 you only received 1 interview. I can only conclude that your reapp probably needs a complete rewrite. How did you feel about your LORs? Are you a nontrad without access to a college's writing center? If so then I would hire an admissions company (sorry can't recommend one, but *cough* they advertise on SDN). If you have access to a writing center, then I would use them first before shelling out money for a service.

 

[Benevolent_Cauliflower]

I interviewed at Tech in Lubbock. I am a traditional student. Only applied to MD programs this cycle. I was mainly worried about not matching into some specialities that I am interested in. I think my LOR were good. I used the premed letter from my school and used several professors for LORs, as most of my premed class mates did. But this coming cycle if I don't get in, I plan to get all new ones. In fact, I have most of them already lined up. This cycle and the past cycle I used a premed advisor at my school and another professor to read over my essays and application along with using the writing center with my undergrad school. So far that hasn't helped. I was planning to pay for an outside premed advising company to give me ideas and help rewrite application/essays. I just feel I need to totally rework my entire application. I am just trying to increase my odds of getting in along with retaking MCAT. But who knows March 4th might be my lucky day.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

I agree that a full rewrite of your app is inorder. Now that you have access to the secondaries, I would rewrite them, your PS, and have the writing center look over them again. Should you then feel that it's not adequate, then hire an admissions service. Unless you have $$ burning a hole in your pockets, use your writing center first..

You must get a DO letter for TCOM and Sam Houston State. I don't believe your MCAT prevented you from more interviews. Unless your FLs are in the high teens or 20s, I don't recommend retaking. 🤞

 

[deleted771945]

You must get a DO letter for TCOM and Sam Houston State.

Not a requirement.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Let me see... this is your second attempt and you went from 2 interviews to 1? I'm not sure it is just your writing. You said your prehealth committee evaluations were positive FWIW. I didn't see a detailed WAMC description of activities to see if that gave pause to your screeners at other schools. What networking have you done over the past 3 years? How did you tie together your activities to your dedication and motivation to pursue medicine?

 

[Benevolent_Cauliflower]

Thankyou for your response.
I thought I put together my dedication and motivation well on my essays, but since I have been unsuccessful so far I was really thinking I should totally revamp my essays. They were reviewed by my premed advisor and another professor at my undergrad school. Both thought they were good. One issue is that my Father is a physician. That was noted in my essays. My opinion is that some schools might look at that and feel like my parents are pushing me into medicine. Which is totally not the case. I live in a smaller city of about 100K hours away from a large city like Dallas. I am short on research. I did some during my last year in school. Some of that was interrupted by covid. Before I started scribing in the ER, I had decent shadowing hours. Volunteer hours are ok before this year. Currently I completed training and working as a crisis hotline volunteer on my off days. Networking? not much besides in my local area. My Father is in private practice and also teaches at one of the Texas Tech branches. I did meet with the Chair of the Dept that my Dad works in and had him look over my application. He thought it was good and didn't see much to improve on. He is active on interviewing premed students, but is not on admissions committee. I did not use him for a letter of recommendation last year. I just thought the admissions committee at Tech could easily see that he is a friend of my Father since they work together. But this coming year, I need to change something up. We will see this Friday if I get into Tech when the match for Texas is announced.

 

[MateoGM416]

Not a requirement.

Might as well be one though

 

[Benevolent_Cauliflower]

One interview was enough, I matched to Texas Tech Lubbock this morning . Beyond excited, words cannot say enough. Thank you everyone for advice and wishing me luck through this long and tough process.

 

[amath03]

Might as well be one though

Not really, I prematched at both of those schools without a DO letter.