Ranked low on waitlists, time to reapply?

[Mr Lahey]

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I'm an MD applicant, Ohio resident, waitlisted at Cincinnati, NEOMED and Toledo. UC and NEOMED ranked me in the low third of their lists, and Toledo hasn't prioritized their list yet. The UC and NEOMED interviews didn't go well, but I couldn't tell how the Toledo interview went, so I have no idea where I'll end up.

I think my application is decent: 3.8 GPA, 32O MCAT (12 B, 11 V, 9 P), extra curriculars, leadership, research, thesis, study abroad, shadowing, volunteering. I think the worst part was that I didn't submit my primary until August, so I couldn't get any secondaries out until mid/late september. And I didn't start interviewing until the end of January.

I think that I could use more volunteering - I spent a month in an ER and did some nursing home stuff a few times a year. The neomed interviewer said my volunteering looked ok, but OSU said I should do more when I called after my rejection.

Is Habitat for Humanity a good choice for volunteering? I would go to the local hospital, but they said it can take 5-6 weeks to screen and approve volunteers, so this isn't really a good option if I want to get my application out early.

Three final questions:
Is it ok to re use my LORs from the last cycle? I'll probably add one from my current employer since I graduated last June.
What should I say about my reapplicant status in my personal statement, if anything?
Should I wait for a rejection from UC, UT and NEOMED before I apply to them?

This turned out longer than I thought it would, but I'll appreciate any input.

 

[MedBound1]

I think the worst part was that I didn't submit my primary until August, so I couldn't get any secondaries out until mid/late september. And I didn't start interviewing until the end of January.

You're right, this definitely hurt your chances.

I think that I could use more volunteering - I spent a month in an ER and did some nursing home stuff a few times a year. The neomed interviewer said my volunteering looked ok, but OSU said I should do more when I called after my rejection.

More volunteering always a good thing and definitely something you should pursue in your gap year.

Is it ok to re use my LORs from the last cycle?

Yes

What should I say about my reapplicant status in my personal statement, if anything?

If it was part of your growth towards medicine and it fits well in what you're trying to get across in your PS, then yes. If you feel like there's no place for it in your PS, then you don't have to. I would re-write your PS and make it a good one though!

Should I wait for a rejection from UC, UT and NEOMED before I apply to them?

No. They won't even see your primary until late June at the earliest. It won't hurt you to go ahead and re-apply to them. Be first in line for next year!

As for your thread title, the answer is definitely to start applying again now. There's no downside to it and waiting could only hurt your chances for next year.

 

[Mr Lahey]

Do I need to do a complete rewrite of my PS? I want to talk about most of the same stuff and I really think that my first submission was the best way I could write that. It's only the first two paragraphs that I want to keep the same (which, I realize is probably the worst two paragraphs to keep the same if the readers go back and look at my previous submission).

 

[MedBound1]

It's not mandatory that you rewrite your PS. Many people do on their second go-around because they go back and read their original PS after going through all the secondaries, interviews, etc. convincing people why they want to go into medicine and find that they didn't mention many important things in their PS. Your personal statement is a huge part of your application and many times can be a blame spot for not getting interviews the first go-around (especially if your stats are in range). However, if you are very confident that your PS is solid and it is exactly what you want to say, don't change it just for the sake of changing it. It better be a strong one though so schools don't think you just re-submitted the same app again the 2nd time around.

With your stats, I pretty strongly believe that you will see hugely different results if you apply early and broadly and be on your 'A' game througout the process.. that means letters of interest when necessary, thank you letters, keeping up with your interviewers via email, doing thorough research on the program and why you 'fit' before your interview. Your stats are fine, now you just gotta show them that you're passionate about getting in by not letting them doubt your drive with a late application.