Re-using essay for scholarship?

[closertofine]

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I have a question...I was invited to apply for a merit scholarship (I wonder if everyone is invited or not, but I guess that's not my main question right now!)...and I have to write an essay for it within the next week or so.

The essay question is somewhat specific, but I've come to realize that my AMCAS essay comes close to fitting the bill, at least in some parts. I'm wondering whether or not I can re-use large chunks of my AMCAS essay in my scholarship essay...along with some "new" paragraphs and sentences.

Would a scholarship committee have read my AMCAS essay? Is it taboo to re-use at least part of an old essay in this case? I guess maybe I'm just lazy...but it was hard enough writing the first essay, and now I'm having trouble coming up with completely new material.

Thanks,

Karen44

 

[lilgecko]

Why not? It's your essay. I think your idea of recycling chunks and adding a few new sentences is good. Also, what is the probability that someone on an admissions committee would also be sitting on the scholarship committee and would remember the content of your essay? Even if this did happen, prior reading of the essay would probably just serve to enhance their opinion of you.

 

[bewitched1081]

if the school has your amcas stuff, then i dont think you should. cause what if they realize that you used the same stuff? i mean, i dont think it's breaking any rules or anything. but they might construe something negative out of it anyway.

 

[closertofine]

Thanks, I guess I'm leaning towards trying to write a totally new essay, but I'm having some trouble getting away from vague, generic statements (like "I hope to gain a sense of....") without using the detail of my original AMCAS essay...hmmm...anybody else have an opinion?

 

[JohnHolmes]

I PMed you about this.

Coops

 

[valliumv]

every female who is accepted before the deadline is invited to apply for the scholarship, not only in medicine but in any grad school, if you are referring to the scholarship I am thinking about (I saw your other thread).
my friend was accepted at wash u last year and won this fellowship.
I'd say reuse some bits...we're all pretty young here and probably don't have enough life experiences to write two completely diff essays about the same topic.