Should I write new essays?

[data-ram]

I am re-applying this summer. Do I need to write a brand new essay? I really like the one I have. Can I just re-vamp it?

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[Sartre79]

I am re-applying this summer. Do I need to write a brand new essay? I really like the one I have. Can I just re-vamp it?

From everything I have heard...yes.

 

[RxnMan]

If you're applying to the same schools, then definitely. You can imagine that an ADCOM isn't going to be too impressed with a boiler-plate PS, reagardless of how good she/he may have thought it was when they read it last cycle.

If you're applying to different schools, then probably nobody will know the difference. However, you should do it anyways because it doesn't take that much effort, and you need to re-evaluate your goals anyways: ADCOMs will ask what went wrong last time in interviews.

Besides, your current PS didn't do the trick last time, so why not make it better?

 

[FDoRoML]

Revise the essay substantially to bring new info in IF and ONLY IF you got a lot of positive feedback last time (% interviews / applied).

Rethink your strategy for the PS if you had limited or no success. I completely re-wrote mine this time and it worked like a charm. I even used different vignettes and a somewhat different focus.

If you need PS help at some point, PM me and I would be glad to offer more specific advice.

FD

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

I am re-applying this summer. Do I need to write a brand new essay? I really like the one I have. Can I just re-vamp it?

Either put a different spin to it incorporating new things that you've done or do another one. Medical schools don't like recycled applications. They may still keep your file from last year. So, in theory, they compare.

 

[JDWflash44]

I reapplied for the 2006 cycle and I used the same structure as last year because I liked it. But, I added in everything I had done in the past year and edited it much more thoroughly. I also expanded on my ECs and filled in almost the entire 3500 characters for most of them(the important ones at least). Good Luck

Jim

 

[toothless rufus]

Ok, so, the general consensus is to do pretty much a total rewrite, and just express the main theme of your motivations, interest, etc in a permutated form? Ugh. I personally found writing my first PS a grueling experience, and was very happy with the results. It just makes me nervous deciding how to approach it again and do well.

 

[Chongzi]

Sorry, I am new here. Could you tell me how to PM? Thanks

 

[vkhalsa]

Sorry, I am new here. Could you tell me how to PM? Thanks

just click their name and then click PM from the dropdown

 

[ilovehedgehogs]

See, I dont get this: My pre-med advisor told me to redo mine without even having seen it-how does she know its not publishable material?? I know exactly why I didnt get into school last time around-a 26 mcat and applying to 4 relatively competitive schools, duh, I totally asked for it. So to people who suggest writing about what youve improved-should I write a PS about how I studied for the mcat really super hard this year?? No, obviously not. So blanket statements, like yes, you should totally rewrite your essay from absoulte scratch are absurd because a) the pivotal experinces that have driven me to pursue this career have not changed (I added one more vignette from volunteering at washington cancer inst because it was a great experience) b) I am pretty sure the reasons I am rejected had nothing to do with my essay (i.e. poor mcat scores and no range of schools) c) I worked on the essay from Jan to May and had about 5 people read it for content including the former pre-med advisor and an additional 2 for grammar and they all thought it was phenomenal by the final draft d) so basically, I sweat and bled over this thing and it IS close to publishable material. Conclusion: this matter, just like any other aspect of this process, is highly personalized and depends on your individual situation, advice for one person may not be appropriate for you, and you need to assimilate such advice and weigh it against your own judgement when deciding things like whether to rewrite the PS.

 

[GujuMD]

Yes but most people who end up reapplying generally have more volunteer or new experiences to talk about. That's what happens in theory anyways. Plus I've heard adcom people saying that if you are a reapplicant they'd rather you write a new personal statement that incorporates what you've done to strengthen your application.

is it a good idea to state in the PS that you have strengthened the application by doing volunteer work, shadow.....
or should I try to indirectly say it?

 

[ilovehedgehogs]

is it a good idea to state in the PS that you have strengthened the application by doing volunteer work, shadow.....
or should I try to indirectly say it?

I feel like they can look at the EC list and see what you have added/or conlude on their own by looking at your ECs that that section is strong. Ive heard not to repeat things bc that only wastes space-perhaps you could say "In the past year I have further gained an awareness of ---- by doing ----." I mean incorporating these new experiences into the story or vignettes that you already have and framing them in order to demonstrate how they have further supported your decision to go into medicine by the invaluable impact they have had rather than saying "I am now a stronger applicant as a result of x,y and z"

 

[el1984]

one way to know for sure if you need to rewrite your essay is talk to one of the schools you were rejected from. i called up pritzker the a week or two ago, and they told me exactly what i needed to do to improve my application, one of them being to rewrite my personal statement.

 

[acrobat]

well in my opinion rewrite it if you can get it done fast and still apply early. Don't spend two or three months on it though at the expense of gettng yr app in early. My PR's take me a while... maybe other do theirs real fast tho?

 

[OhtheSilliness]

Do people usually mention that they are reapplicants in their PS? I'm rewriting my PS but I wasn't plannng on talking about this last application or being an reapplicant. Should I?

 

[Anna Plastic]

Adding my two cents here, even though I am ten years removed from this process (so add your grain of salt now, if needed). I was a re-applicant: wait listed at two schools my first time around, but didn't make it in. I did a re-write of my PS, and worked with someone who was an editor to be sure the flow was right and had lots of polish. Most importantly, I wrote a personal statement which was, well, personal. My first statement came across as somewhat cold because I was quoting papers and trying to appeal to the left brain of my readers. When I rewrote this, I was very frank about what my motivation was for doing medicine (not going to share it here, very private about this). I worked with the editor to be sure I didn't cross over into Oprah/Springer land, but I wanted the reader to know that this was not only a logical decision to me, but it was something that affected me to my core.

Whaddya know: the next year, I was accepted to 4 of the 5 schools I applied to, and wait listed at the last one. Same schools I applied to which were pretty indifferent to my application the year before were incredibly responsive with this new PS.

Never underestimate the power of your PS.

Oh, and if you think writing a PS is grueling...wait until your internship year. Seriously.