Same topic on secondaries as on AMCAS

[rowjimmy]

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Is it acceptable to use the same topic for an essay on a secondary as on the personal statement on AMCAS? The secondary topic is regarding the MOST challenging situation and I wrote extensively about it on my AMCAS application. I don't feel that I have much choice because it asks for the MOST challenging situation. So I guess what I am also asking is will admissions consider it redundant if I write about the same issue?

Thanks!!

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Is it acceptable to use the same topic for an essay on a secondary as on the personal statement on AMCAS? The secondary topic is regarding the MOST challenging situation and I wrote extensively about it on my AMCAS application. I don't feel that I have much choice because it asks for the MOST challenging situation. So I guess what I am also asking is will admissions consider it redundant if I write about the same issue?

Thanks!!

As a rule of thumb usually people say avoid repeating the same topic because you're basically giving up the chance to give the admissions committee a new reason to like you.

However, it sounds like you almost have to talk about the same issue so I would go ahead with it but try to frame it in a different light. Don't just reword your personal statement but try to find something new about the situation you encountered and how it had an impact on you personally. Any way that you can make the situation fresh will help a lot.