Reapplying. Rewrite all essays?

[Doo]

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Hi guys, I just have a quick question regarding reapplying.

Do schools look at my application from the previous cycle if I reapply?

I am planning to improve my personal statement, but of course the core of the PS will most likely be very similar. Also, some of the secondary essays I wrote probably won't be changed much. Will schools be annoyed by the "copy & paste" part and auto-reject me?

Thanks a lot for the clarification! 🙂

 

[NicATC13]

Yes re write

 

[imcanadaian]

Hi guys, I just have a quick question regarding reapplying.

Do schools look at my application from the previous cycle if I reapply?

I am planning to improve my personal statement, but of course the core of the PS will most likely be very similar. Also, some of the secondary essays I wrote probably won't be changed much. Will schools be annoyed by the "copy & paste" part and auto-reject me?

Thanks a lot for the clarification! 🙂

i would definitely re-write. I know for a fact my essays got progressively better throughout the cycle..so even if the themes and ideas are different--you can rework them when you reapply to make them better. And hopefully, you've done significant things since your last app so you have something different to show them!

lemme know if you have more questions reapplying! I've applied three times thus far 🙂

 

[Mako555]

I re-applied this year and the personal statement question on PTCAS will change so your essay will not exactly fit the new question. Some things you will be able to copy and paste but for the most part a new essay will be written. Plus as a re-applicant you will have the new opportunity to write another essay stating all the things you've done in the past year to improve your application. All in all, Adding some of your old essay into the new question if it fits appropriately won't hurt you. I added some of my old essay into my new one and I was accepted.

huh? am i missing something here?

anyways, you should definitely rewrite parts of the personal statement, but its a good idea to keep the core ideas the same. Just make sure it looks like you spent some more time on it. and same thing for the essays, but if there were any you were not really happy with, just rewrite them.

it is not too likely that they will be directly comparing your essays/PS year-to-year so your main focus should be on quality. make sure you are portraying yourself in the way that you mean to.

 

[Doo]

I re-applied this year and the personal statement question on PTCAS will change so your essay will not exactly fit the new question. Some things you will be able to copy and paste but for the most part a new essay will be written. Plus as a re-applicant you will have the new opportunity to write another essay stating all the things you've done in the past year to improve your application. All in all, Adding some of your old essay into the new question if it fits appropriately won't hurt you. I added some of my old essay into my new one and I was accepted.

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It's AMCAS for me, so the topic will be the same. I am just planning to change the structure and make the presentation better. Also I will elaborate on things I should have elaborated this cycle. I guess it won't hurt if the main theme is very similar?

 

[Doo]

i would definitely re-write. I know for a fact my essays got progressively better throughout the cycle..so even if the themes and ideas are different--you can rework them when you reapply to make them better. And hopefully, you've done significant things since your last app so you have something different to show them!

lemme know if you have more questions reapplying! I've applied three times thus far 🙂

The "significant things" part you mentioned already scared me. 😳 I don't know if another full year of biol research + 150 hr clinical volunteering + 100 hr shadowing would be considered to be significant. I also expect 1-2 publications by the end of this year, but who knows how long reviews take after submission.

I'm mainly counting on my improved PS, early submission (applied late Sep last year, planning to apply on day 1 this year), and better LORs to help me do better in the up-coming cycle. I only had 2 II out of 22 schools this year despite my good stats... 🙁

 

[NicATC13]

Sorry responded to wrong post. I'm doing doctorate in physical therapy. Good luck guys!

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using SDN Mobile

 

[Doo]

huh? am i missing something here?

anyways, you should definitely rewrite parts of the personal statement, but its a good idea to keep the core ideas the same. Just make sure it looks like you spent some more time on it. and same thing for the essays, but if there were any you were not really happy with, just rewrite them.

it is not too likely that they will be directly comparing your essays/PS year-to-year so your main focus should be on quality. make sure you are portraying yourself in the way that you mean to.

I see. I'll definitely do more reflections and be true to myself with my PS. Thanks for the help!

 

[red doctober]

It's AMCAS for me, so the topic will be the same. I am just planning to change the structure and make the presentation better. Also I will elaborate on things I should have elaborated this cycle. I guess it won't hurt if the main theme is very similar?

Nope it won't, unless you think your PS was the reason you didn't get in the first time.

500th post 🙂

 

[Doo]

Nope it won't, unless you think your PS was the reason you didn't get in the first time.

500th post 🙂

I think that's 1/3 of the reason, but I think it's more because of my writing rather than the theme. I did a bad job writing it and most likely bored them out before I talked about what I was supposed to talk about 3 paragraphs ago... and also ran out of space to elaborate what I really needed to elaborate, making the piece half boring/half shallow... 😳😳😳

 

[impermanence]

I'd also suggest to have someone review your PS & 2ries before you submit them. Good luck!

 

[imcanadaian]

The "significant things" part you mentioned already scared me. 😳 I don't know if another full year of biol research + 150 hr clinical volunteering + 100 hr shadowing would be considered to be significant. I also expect 1-2 publications by the end of this year, but who knows how long reviews take after submission.

I'm mainly counting on my improved PS, early submission (applied late Sep last year, planning to apply on day 1 this year), and better LORs to help me do better in the up-coming cycle. I only had 2 II out of 22 schools this year despite my good stats... 🙁

no that sounds great. The pubs will be cool if they come out. It definitely sounds like you didn't sit on your butt all day just doing apps/attending school/going to work, so that'll work to your advantage especially if you can get stronger LOR's, beef up those essays, personal statement. As long as you've achieved something MORE that you can add to next year's app--it'll help. Simply saying you continued the same stuff doesn't add to your personal narrative at all.

At the end of the cycle I suggest trying to contact the schools you applied to and see if they'll share weaknesses they saw in your cycle. Any effort you make to address these weaknesses can go a long way to help you at the schools you applied to.

Lastly...re-visit the list of schools you applied to. Getting II's and acceptances from top schools really requires that you stand out. Try applying more broadly to capture interest from schools that "fit" your experiences and personality.

 

[Doo]

I'd also suggest to have someone review your PS & 2ries before you submit them. Good luck!

I will. Thanks!

 

[Doo]

no that sounds great. The pubs will be cool if they come out. It definitely sounds like you didn't sit on your butt all day just doing apps/attending school/going to work, so that'll work to your advantage especially if you can get stronger LOR's, beef up those essays, personal statement. As long as you've achieved something MORE that you can add to next year's app--it'll help. Simply saying you continued the same stuff doesn't add to your personal narrative at all.

At the end of the cycle I suggest trying to contact the schools you applied to and see if they'll share weaknesses they saw in your cycle. Any effort you make to address these weaknesses can go a long way to help you at the schools you applied to.

Lastly...re-visit the list of schools you applied to. Getting II's and acceptances from top schools really requires that you stand out. Try applying more broadly to capture interest from schools that "fit" your experiences and personality.

Thanks for the tip about contacting the school! I didn't know that they might tell me about my weaknesses. I'll apply more broadly this time. I guess I was too confident about my stats (though my application spectrum was still fair).

 

[TwinnyVinny]

The "significant things" part you mentioned already scared me. 😳 I don't know if another full year of biol research + 150 hr clinical volunteering + 100 hr shadowing would be considered to be significant. I also expect 1-2 publications by the end of this year, but who knows how long reviews take after submission.

I'm mainly counting on my improved PS, early submission (applied late Sep last year, planning to apply on day 1 this year), and better LORs to help me do better in the up-coming cycle. I only had 2 II out of 22 schools this year despite my good stats... 🙁

Wow I feel like I'm in the exact same boat as you. 3.64GPA, 36P MCAT, over a year in bioresearch (from which i'm also hoping to get a paper publication this year), and decent clinical volunteering experiences: 450+ hours at a hospital, 50 hours in a hospice, 40+ hours in a local free clinic where I obtain complete medical histories, give physicals, and discuss diagnosis & treatment options with physicians.

I've was rejected from 25 schools in 2012 (without research experience & applying late), rejected from 18 schools in 2013 applying in late June. Getting better LOR's, re-working personal statement again, and crossing my fingers for this year .

I'm mystified about why schools don't like us, Doo. 😕

 

[OhHey]

huh? Am i missing something here?

Anyways, you should definitely rewrite parts of the personal statement, but its a good idea to keep the core ideas the same. Just make sure it looks like you spent some more time on it. And same thing for the essays, but if there were any you were not really happy with, just rewrite them.

It is not too likely that they will be directly comparing your essays/ps year-to-year so your main focus should be on quality. Make sure you are portraying yourself in the way that you mean to.

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