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I am reapplying for the second time and my GPA and MCAT are fine, but I am not sure how to write another personal statement. Any Advice
Reapplying and need help with new essay.
- Thread starter TXKID
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i am also considering reapplying. to tell you the truth, i am not going to write another personal statement. i worked really hard on the last one and i'm just going to use it again. does anyone else know anything about this? is it a really bad idea?.....
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Typically it's considered a bad idea to use the same personal statement if you're reapplying. The rationalization is that if you didn't get in the first time with your essay than you should make some changes. It's also common practice for med schools to keep your old application on file and it may/ may not be used while evaluating your new application. The last thing you'd want to do is givet hem the idea that you're lazy. ;-)I'm not advocating lying on your personal statement by any means, just change the way you present yourself. I had to apply twice before I got accepted. In my second essay I focused on a few of my activities and went into great depth with them as opposed to worrying about trying to fit every last activity in my essay. Even though I felt my first essay was "perfect" at the time, as I reread it now, I can see how it reads more like a resume and tells less about the subjective qualities I present. Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck.
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Just my .02, but I think it's a little risky, and may be misunderstood as lazy. This is especially if you're re-applying to the same schools. I think it would be in your best interest to at lease change a few things - personally, I have completely re-written my essay. After speaking with the dean of admissions and going over my essay w/ her, she made some suggestions of things that the adcom may have wanted to see. It may be worth trying to speak to someone at the schools to which you will apply.
good luck.
good luck.
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i wouldn't stress too much about the personal essay. most people are pretty conservative in the personal comment, so there can't be too much variation in what people submit. they already know all of your grades, mcat, and extracurriculars, so i wouldn't waste time trying to impress them with achievements. my advice is to just be honest and try and find your voice. if you do, it will likely come through when admissions reads it. good luck.
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I'm w/ bruinboy. For reference and suggestion purposes, I had the same issue - I've kept my second essay a little more personal - less like a resume. - hoping for the same result as bruinboy!
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Let us in on these well-kept secrets... Please?
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…sorry, not trying to make anyone beg – just trying to keep it short.
In my discussions w/ her on my essay, she thought there wasn't enough about committment and desire. In my first essay, that translates to not speaking about how my experiences directly affected my pursuit of medicine. As I mentioned before, my first essay read too much like a resume. I talked about what I did, but said very little about how that experience applied to medicine. I actually left some things out that should have been included, such as additional medical experiences – (no, not the one where my grandmother had cancer and it changed my life) – I've spent years working in a hospital setting along w/ other medically related work experiences.
In a nutshell, this is what I took away from that conversation w/ her. I needed to spend less time giving them a chronological list of events / experiences in my life. What I needed more of, was how those events (those that were significant) have impacted my pursuit of medicine on a more personal level. I needed to illustrate my commitment better – and for me, that just meant tying everything in. I broke my essay into 5 sections – as follows: 1. Intro 2. Hospital experience 3. Other work experience 4. Preparation experience 5. Conclusion.
In all of the "experience" sections I made absolutely sure that I was able to illustrate exactly how they tied into my pursuit of medicine. As a non-traditional (out of college for 8 yrs / married w/ kids) this was absolutely necessary. I spoke very little of my college experience because, to be honest – it hasn't really been a significant factor in my desire to become a physician. With 8 yrs outside of college though, I've got tons of relative experience and I have worked toward this for a long time. Don't make the mistake of assuming that just cause you've taken classes for years while married and working full time, that the adcom will understand your commitment – it needs to be pointed out.
I hope this clears things up, sorry for being long winded. If I had to give anyone advice it would be this: try to be a little less chronological – you will have the opportunity to show all of your experience in the additional section of the ap that allows you to do so – I don't think adcoms want to read the same info twice. My second piece of advice is, again – if you're a second or third time applicant, I would not use the same essay twice. Show some initiative and show the adcom that you are not the same person that applied last year.
Disclaimer: this is really all relevant to me. I hope some of you find this helpful, although I'm sure that plenty will disagree with the slant I have taken. Good luck to all.
In my discussions w/ her on my essay, she thought there wasn't enough about committment and desire. In my first essay, that translates to not speaking about how my experiences directly affected my pursuit of medicine. As I mentioned before, my first essay read too much like a resume. I talked about what I did, but said very little about how that experience applied to medicine. I actually left some things out that should have been included, such as additional medical experiences – (no, not the one where my grandmother had cancer and it changed my life) – I've spent years working in a hospital setting along w/ other medically related work experiences.
In a nutshell, this is what I took away from that conversation w/ her. I needed to spend less time giving them a chronological list of events / experiences in my life. What I needed more of, was how those events (those that were significant) have impacted my pursuit of medicine on a more personal level. I needed to illustrate my commitment better – and for me, that just meant tying everything in. I broke my essay into 5 sections – as follows: 1. Intro 2. Hospital experience 3. Other work experience 4. Preparation experience 5. Conclusion.
In all of the "experience" sections I made absolutely sure that I was able to illustrate exactly how they tied into my pursuit of medicine. As a non-traditional (out of college for 8 yrs / married w/ kids) this was absolutely necessary. I spoke very little of my college experience because, to be honest – it hasn't really been a significant factor in my desire to become a physician. With 8 yrs outside of college though, I've got tons of relative experience and I have worked toward this for a long time. Don't make the mistake of assuming that just cause you've taken classes for years while married and working full time, that the adcom will understand your commitment – it needs to be pointed out.
I hope this clears things up, sorry for being long winded. If I had to give anyone advice it would be this: try to be a little less chronological – you will have the opportunity to show all of your experience in the additional section of the ap that allows you to do so – I don't think adcoms want to read the same info twice. My second piece of advice is, again – if you're a second or third time applicant, I would not use the same essay twice. Show some initiative and show the adcom that you are not the same person that applied last year.
Disclaimer: this is really all relevant to me. I hope some of you find this helpful, although I'm sure that plenty will disagree with the slant I have taken. Good luck to all.
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One other major change I made between my two essays was stating why I wanted to be a doctor. It sounds rather obvious, but in my first essay I pretty much skated around this question, I certainly addressed the question of why I'd make a good doctor to death, but I never really answered why in the world I would want to be a doctor. Hope you guys have success in the reapplication process.
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Jetson: Thanks a lot for that excellent information and great advice. It is a big help to us at this stressful time!
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with out a doubt you should make a new essay! I have a friend who works at UCLA medical school adm. and she said that they actually pull out your old file and take a look at it. CHANGE IT. WRITE A NEW ONE. IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME, BUT YOU CAN DO IT!
the reason I know about this is bc. I am reapplying this year. It took a little while, but I rewrote my entire essay from what she said.
TRUST ME!
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!
the reason I know about this is bc. I am reapplying this year. It took a little while, but I rewrote my entire essay from what she said.
TRUST ME!
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!
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Jetson,
got your message. thanks.
i'm a first time applicant and i attend KU in lawrence. I've been a paramedic for the last 4 years. I'm very familiar with the dean you were speaking of.
just curious.
later
got your message. thanks.
i'm a first time applicant and i attend KU in lawrence. I've been a paramedic for the last 4 years. I'm very familiar with the dean you were speaking of.
just curious.
later
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i reapplied this past year and did not rewrite my personal statement. i met with my premed advisor and changed a few minor things but overall kept it the same. i was accepted to a school that i had unsuccessfully applied to the year before and was waitlisted at two others i had previously applied to. at a few schools i even used some of my previous year's secondary responses. (i only applied to 6 schools) it depends on the school and how confident you are in your essay--make sure you have several people read it over but if you think it's as good as it gets go ahead and use it. my experience may be unique but i hope this helps some of you---good luck and persevere--i was really bummed to have to reapply but i feel so much more prepared to start school this fall with the experiences i gained this year and some time to relax !!!
!!!
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Originally posted by meikalulu:
•i reapplied this past year and did not rewrite my personal statement. i met with my premed advisor and changed a few minor things but overall kept it the same. i was accepted to a school that i had unsuccessfully applied to the year before and was waitlisted at two others i had previously applied to. at a few schools i even used some of my previous year's secondary responses. (i only applied to 6 schools) it depends on the school and how confident you are in your essay--make sure you have several people read it over but if you think it's as good as it gets go ahead and use it. my experience may be unique but i hope this helps some of you---good luck and persevere--i was really bummed to have to reapply but i feel so much more prepared to start school this fall with the experiences i gained this year and some time to relax
If you dont mind sharing, I'm curious about what you did (if anything) to change your application chances the next time around?
Did you do more clinical work or pull up your GPA or was it just a situation of probabilities?
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I tend to agree with the people that suggest rewriting your essay. You may get accepted without doing it, but I think that case is more rare. Many med schools do save the previous year's application files, and personally, if I was on an AdComm and saw the exact same essay used, that just wouldn't speak well to me.
Additionally, a whole year has lapsed since you wrote your first essays -- surely some things have changed in your life that could be reflected in these essays. I'm sure you will recycle some of the same ideas and sentiments, but perhaps you can present them differently.
Jetson made an excellent suggestion, which is talking to the Deans at some of the schools you applied to previously, especially if there were any that you interviewed at or received screened secondaries for. More than likely they will be happy to talk with you about your application and how it can be improved.
Additionally, a whole year has lapsed since you wrote your first essays -- surely some things have changed in your life that could be reflected in these essays. I'm sure you will recycle some of the same ideas and sentiments, but perhaps you can present them differently.
Jetson made an excellent suggestion, which is talking to the Deans at some of the schools you applied to previously, especially if there were any that you interviewed at or received screened secondaries for. More than likely they will be happy to talk with you about your application and how it can be improved.
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to poster above--the first year i applied i made the mistake of not realizing how important an early application is. i was traveling and waited until i returned to send in my amcas (sept!) i really feel this may have impacted my application the first time around. i didn't retake the mcat or improve my gpa at all. i definitely agree that having a dean give advice would really help--i had several people read and reread my personal statement(have people who know you well and who DONT know you well read it) and the consensus was that it was interesting and really covered why i have chosen to follow a career in medicine. if you have any other questions feel free to email me at [email protected] will be attending ohsu next year unless i hear from a cali school before classes start (only due to financial reasons though--i really love ohsu!)
