Succesful 3rd Time Applicant: Any questions?

[ohioguy]

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I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.


edit (11/17/2013): After receiving my third acceptance off a wait-list back in March, I am now an MS1 at a "top 20". Can't believe I'm already 4 months in. I remember dreaming about being where I am now. Now I'm building up for an a whole new path.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

Congrats!!! Let your ego free! You deserve it after the wait!

My question is, how one earth did you stay optimistic about this process?! I just got a rejection from the only school that interviewed me last year so I'm pretty bummed that I might not get in next cycle.

Also, what did you change between your second and third application that made you so successful?

 

[ChiveON]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing... This is really encouraging! I think it would be helpful to see an outline of each cycle and what you did differently each time and especially this past cycle.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Congrats on getting multiple acceptances!

 

[ChiveON]

Also, did you apply to a lot of the same schools all 3 times?
Thanks!

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

congrats on getting the acceptances!

Would you give us an overview of your profile (GPA/MCAT/ECs)?
Also what schools did you apply to and what changes did you make?

thanks!

 

[MedPR]

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

Stats?

 

[mj1207]

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

This is funny because I am also a 3rd time applicant and from Ohio! I was finally accepted as well. I did apply to a lot of the same schools, and while I took the MCAT over, I still didn't do well. Ironically, the school I got accepted to was a DO school I never applied to before. I think my trick was researching programs and applying to ones I really thought were a good fit for me. I have done AmeriCorps and have been on an international medical mission trip...the school I got into works heavily in impoverished areas and has an extensive international outreach program.

I definitely thought it was hard to stay positive, and it took a lot of support from friends and family, but now I'm definitely someone who would say don't give up! 🙂

 

[ohioguy]

Congrats!!! Let your ego free! You deserve it after the wait!

My question is, how one earth did you stay optimistic about this process?! I just got a rejection from the only school that interviewed me last year so I'm pretty bummed that I might not get in next cycle.

Also, what did you change between your second and third application that made you so successful?

Thank you! I knew what I had to do to get accepted and made a plan to make it happen. I just had to trust that all my work would pay off. But yes, there were many times when I questioned if would ever achieve my dream.

Please see cycle descriptions below.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing... This is really encouraging! I think it would be helpful to see an outline of each cycle and what you did differently each time and especially this past cycle.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Congrats on getting multiple acceptances!

Thank you!

1st cycle: Applied with a 28 MCAT….on the last day of the deadline to practically all schools. I shudder to think how my PS and activities section looked like. I was pretty naïve about the process.

RESULT: Rejected everywhere with no interviews for obvious reasons.

2nd cycle: I studied my ass off the prior summer and bumped my MCAT to a 35. GREAT!!! Except I became a bit overconfident and neglected to work a lot on my PS and activities description. To add to that, my activities weren't that impressive….could have used more clinical, leadership, and volunteering experiences. In addition, the majority of programs I applied to were MD-PhD. I realized that I wasn't competitive enough for them with what I had at the time, thereby making my app extremely late for just MD. My 4 interviews were from MD schools.

RESULT: 3 waitlists and 1 post interview rejection

Sitting on 3 wait-lists in January I decided to make a contingency plan in case I have to re-apply. I started writing my PS and activities section for next cycle. I also got involved in a good amount of volunteering and leadership experiences. I can't stress enough the importance of doing everything right the first time. Not enough clinical experiences? Do your activities show initiative?

3rd cycle: Good thing I knew I would have to re-apply. By this time I had a publication and enough significant activities to have to condense into the 15 slots. I also had an activities section and PS that I'm proud of to this day.

I don't think I would have gotten the invites that I did had my app not been significantly improved, both in terms of experiences and the way I presented them.

RESULT: 12 interview invites and 3 acceptances. Withdrew from remaining schools after 3rd acceptance.


Bottom line?

I wish I could say that this was trial of great perseverance, and in many ways it was, but I'd say that my story is more of a lesson in having to do everything right the first time.

Also, did you apply to a lot of the same schools all 3 times?
Thanks!

INTERVIEWS


1st cycle:

No interviews

2nd cycle:

1.) US News Top 25 School – waitlisted (applied 1st cycle also)
2.) US News Top 20 School – waitlisted (applied 1st cycle also)
3.) US News Top 20 School– waitlisted (1st time applying here)
4.) Drexel - rejected (applied 1st cycle also)

...I don't mean to be pretentious by listing some schools by US News rank, just want to preserve anonymity and give a sense of competitiveness.

3rd cycle:

Won't reveal specific outcomes right now for anonymity, but, most importantly, I've been accepted to three of them. (#1 #2 and one of the other ones)

1.) US News Top 25 School (interviewed cycle before and applied first cycle with no interview)
2.) US News Top 15 School (interviewed cycle before and applied first cycle with no interview)
3.) UPenn (Only applied second cycle previously)
4.) Temple (Only applied first cycle previously)
5.) Albert Einstein (Only applied first cycle previously)
6.) Iowa-Carver (Only applied first cycle previously)
7.) GW (First time applicant)
8.) Hofstra (First time applicant)
9.) Rochester (First time applicant)
10.) Albany (First time applicant)
11.) Vermont (First time applicant)
12.) TCMC (First time applicant)

congrats on getting the acceptances!

Would you give us an overview of your profile (GPA/MCAT/ECs)?
Also what schools did you apply to and what changes did you make?

thanks!

GPA: Both around a 3.8
MCAT: 35 and 28

I thought it was interesting that I earned interviews from 2 of the 3 schools that wait-listed me last year. One of those two has offered me an acceptance.

ECs? Sorry, I could get specific with a PM but I don't want to reveal them online at the moment. I think what helped was that I showed initiative, showed results, demonstrated a care for people, and had some unique research experiences.

Stats?

Please see above.

This is funny because I am also a 3rd time applicant and from Ohio! I was finally accepted as well. I did apply to a lot of the same schools, and while I took the MCAT over, I still didn't do well. Ironically, the school I got accepted to was a DO school I never applied to before. I think my trick was researching programs and applying to ones I really thought were a good fit for me. I have done AmeriCorps and have been on an international medical mission trip...the school I got into works heavily in impoverished areas and has an extensive international outreach program.

I definitely thought it was hard to stay positive, and it took a lot of support from friends and family, but now I'm definitely someone who would say don't give up! 🙂

Congrats to you as well!

 

[jemstone]

What did you change in your study habits to go from a 28 to a 35?

 

[ohioguy]

What did you change in your study habits to go from a 28 to a 35?

Both attempts were without a class.

1st time: Used EK. Wasted an incredible amount of time taking useless notes as I went along reviewing. Wasted more time by supplementing EK with class textbooks. No practice tests. End result: 28.

2nd time: Used only TPR (hyper learning series, bought it on EBay), lots of practice materials there that prepared me well. Took all official AAMC tests. After review my practice tests didn't budge from a range of 33-35 (mostly 34s). End result 35.

 

[lars3632]

Congrats! It takes a lot of moxy not to get discouraged from being declined twice.

 

[Ace1808]

I have been told my GPA is too low. What are your suggestions to increase it? I was looking into masters programs. If I do well, is a masters of public health or a related discipline a good idea? I have already applied and been rejected.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Congrats! It takes a lot of moxy not to get discouraged from being declined twice.

I just got my second round of rejections.... it's pretty hard to even have a bit of optimism that next year will be any different, and it seems like I'm just throwing away money to pursue a dream that I need to accept will never materialize. Any advice on staying optimistic? Gap year after gap year is not awesome to keep planning for, especially when all my friends are already in med school :/

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I just got my second round of rejections.... it's pretty hard to even have a bit of optimism that next year will be any different, and it seems like I'm just throwing away money to pursue a dream that I need to accept will never materialize. Any advice on staying optimistic? Gap year after gap year is not awesome to keep planning for, especially when all my friends are already in med school :/

I know the feeling. However, think of the positives.. as time goes on, you will have more experiences that increases your chances of being accepted. And while you might graduate out of medical school at a slightly older age than your friends, you atleast have your prime years more free to enjoy than they do.

 

[502623]

I cannot believe you didn't get any interviews with a 3.8 GPA and a 28 on the MCAT... I understand you say you were lacking in ECs, but I feel as though you would've gotten an interview somewhere.

 

[ohioguy]

Congrats! It takes a lot of moxy not to get discouraged from being declined twice.

Thank you! Yep it feels good. I also got in not too long ago to the "Top 15" school that wait-listed me last year. So of the 3 schools that wait-listed me last year...2 of them accepted me this time around. I have to feel that if a school invites you back after wait-listing you previously, then you got a real good shot.

I have been told my GPA is too low. What are your suggestions to increase it? I was looking into masters programs. If I do well, is a masters of public health or a related discipline a good idea? I have already applied and been rejected.

Honestly, I didn't have the problem of having to increase my GPA and don't know much about Master's programs to help it. I'd just devote more time to your classwork and make sure your studying methods are efficient.

I just got my second round of rejections.... it's pretty hard to even have a bit of optimism that next year will be any different, and it seems like I'm just throwing away money to pursue a dream that I need to accept will never materialize. Any advice on staying optimistic? Gap year after gap year is not awesome to keep planning for, especially when all my friends are already in med school :/

I'd focus on your weak areas and address them before re-applying. Can you better your stats? Do you lack clinical/leadership/volunteering experiences? I think it's important to note that quality > quantity. I for sure had some tough moments when I doubted if I'd ever get in, but I trusted that everything that I was doing would pay off.

I cannot believe you didn't get any interviews with a 3.8 GPA and a 28 on the MCAT... I understand you say you were lacking in ECs, but I feel as though you would've gotten an interview somewhere.

Trust me....I was so naive I barely put any work into my primary, then I applied on the last day of the AMCAS primary. I would've rejected myself.

 

[RegisBioMedMS]

Congratulations!

I really applaud the self-reflection it took to continue to improve each year. That will serve you well as a physician. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[ohioguy]

Congratulations!

I really applaud the self-reflection it took to continue to improve each year. That will serve you well as a physician. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank you! Even this cycle I knew that I had to show adcoms that medicine is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I took what I think was a big risk at the time by leaving a graduate program before my first interview this cycle. I then sought out research positions in the medical field.

I got a full time job and started doing part-time research with a faculty member of a med school. He really went to bat for me with two LORs and emails to the dean. I am now matriculating at said med school and have formed a relationship with a PI that I think will last well into my training.


And this is just my impression, but I really feel that adcoms are especially attracted to applicants with a cohesive story. Say, for instance, that someone's childhood friend passes away from a rare form of liver cancer. This person then conducts research in college dealing with liver cancer, is active in screening events, etc. This person clearly has a passion for medicine, takes initiative, and shows the potential to be a leader in their field. I'm not saying that having such a background is necessary, but doing things that mean a lot to you can go a long way.

 

[ComfortCreature]

I have been told my GPA is too low. What are your suggestions to increase it? I was looking into masters programs. If I do well, is a masters of public health or a related discipline a good idea? I have already applied and been rejected.

I know I'm not the OP, but my two cents here is the masters program you go into should be specific to which GPA needs help and/or for professional development. If your science GPA is low, an SMP would be more ideal than an MPH. There are other threads that cover this if you get a chance to search SDN.

 

[ComfortCreature]

OP- did you use any services to review your PS or activities?

 

[ohioguy]

OP- did you use any services to review your PS or activities?

If you mean paid services then no....however my pre-med advisers at school, family, friends, and SDN members were very helpful. Had I been as diligent as I was this past year, I probably never would have turned into a third timer.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

If you mean paid services then no....however my pre-med advisers at school, family, friends, and SDN members were very helpful. Had I been as diligent as I was this past year, I probably never would have turned into a third timer.

How well did you transition into being a student again? Did you take courses in your years off? I'm getting concerned about this as I have already lost a lot of my knowledge in gen chem and physics.

 

[ohioguy]

How well did you transition into being a student again? Did you take courses in your years off? I'm getting concerned about this as I have already lost a lot of my knowledge in gen chem and physics.

I'm starting in August so we'll see. I did take some classes that were required for a thesis based Master's program (before I left). I think doing a 9-5 on top of a lot of other things will have prepared me well enough.

 

[Nanoo]

Congratulations! You're definitely an inspiration- I'm about to become a reapplicant- how forthcoming were you in your applications about being a reapplicant? Did you just come right out and say it right off the bat to get it out there or was it something that just kind of came up eventually? I'd love to read your personal statement if you'd be comfortable sharing that.

 

[ohioguy]

Congratulations! You're definitely an inspiration- I'm about to become a reapplicant- how forthcoming were you in your applications about being a reapplicant? Did you just come right out and say it right off the bat to get it out there or was it something that just kind of came up eventually? I'd love to read your personal statement if you'd be comfortable sharing that.

I didn't mention being a reapplicant at all on my primary or PS because I didn't think it was relevant. Also, I didn't feel the need for me to bring anything up when many schools already knew I had previously applied...only 1 interviewer asked about it, and only because I think she was looking at the secondary which asked about previous application cycles (the only secondary I remember that asks about previous cycles..this was at Albert Einstein). However, I've read on here that some people make a point of mentioning their being a reapplicant in their applications and end up with acceptances.

Being a 3rd time applicant didn't seem to hurt in terms of getting interviews and acceptances. All three of my acceptances were from schools where I had unsuccessful applications in the past. Two of them I had been waitlisted the cycle before, and straight up rejected the cycle before that.

I may be wrong but judging from my own experience and looking over mdapps, I do think that Vanderbilt does not like reapplicants. Only school that didn't invite me back for another interview after being waitlisted the cycle before.

I'll share my PS if you offer to give me a .edu email to send it to.


Just to add about being a reapplicant and applications in general. In terms of ECs I just did what I enjoyed and thought was interesting. I never joined any sort of pre-med club and tried to stay away from that stuff in college for my own sanity. Looking back, that was both good and bad. I was kind of clueless in terms of what to do when I first applied but I eventually got in my own "non-trad...but not by choice" way.

 

[Nanoo]

Thanks a lot!

A lot of advice I get about being a re-applicant is to outline specifically what about my application/myself is different than when I first applied. I had assumed that meant to spell it for people reviewing my application by doing a PS in the style of 'Since I was rejected I did this and this and this to strengthen the weaknesses in my application.' So it's insightful to hear that being a re applicant only came up once for you. I was under the impression that, while it wouldn't be the main focus of my app, it would be a jumping off point for me to explain my actions afterward. Do you think a PS in this style is redundant since reviewers can just note differences in apps by looking at activities descriptions etc? Or could it be a good way to high light resilience/perseverance in the aftermath of a set back?

 

[ohioguy]

Thanks a lot!

A lot of advice I get about being a re-applicant is to outline specifically what about my application/myself is different than when I first applied. I had assumed that meant to spell it for people reviewing my application by doing a PS in the style of 'Since I was rejected I did this and this and this to strengthen the weaknesses in my application.' So it's insightful to hear that being a re applicant only came up once for you. I was under the impression that, while it wouldn't be the main focus of my app, it would be a jumping off point for me to explain my actions afterward. Do you think a PS in this style is redundant since reviewers can just note differences in apps by looking at activities descriptions etc? Or could it be a good way to high light resilience/perseverance in the aftermath of a set back?

IMO making your PS with an outline of "here's how I improved" is a terrible idea, especially if you start talking about application cycles and weaknesses. It should be an honest look at your journey to medicine. Let the adcom and interviewer make the connections and decide whether or not you improved and showed perseverance.

Having to reapply isn't the hardest thing in the world. Growing up in a broken home, in poverty, working a full time job in college....that shows perseverance.

 

[N7chell]

Wow congrats on your acceptances! It all paid off in the end!

My question is: how do you get leadership experience or meaningful extracurriculars if you're out of school? I don't know if you had a job in between applications, but I have a full-time job now, and it's extremely hard for me to find the time and the opportunities to enhance my ECs.

I would also love to read your personal statement if you don't mind!

 

[ohioguy]

Wow congrats on your acceptances! It all paid off in the end!

My question is: how do you get leadership experience or meaningful extracurriculars if you're out of school? I don't know if you had a job in between applications, but I have a full-time job now, and it's extremely hard for me to find the time and the opportunities to enhance my ECs.

I would also love to read your personal statement if you don't mind!

Hey I was a grad student between applications so it was more flexible then the full time job I currently have. I live right next to the city, my undergrad, med school, and huge hospital system so that made things easier. I just reached out to several organizations and they were more than happy to have me work with them. It was kind of hectic but I balanced my time well.

If you PM me a .edu email address, I can send you my PS.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

This is funny because I am also a 3rd time applicant and from Ohio! I was finally accepted as well. I did apply to a lot of the same schools, and while I took the MCAT over, I still didn't do well. Ironically, the school I got accepted to was a DO school I never applied to before. I think my trick was researching programs and applying to ones I really thought were a good fit for me. I have done AmeriCorps and have been on an international medical mission trip...the school I got into works heavily in impoverished areas and has an extensive international outreach program.

I definitely thought it was hard to stay positive, and it took a lot of support from friends and family, but now I'm definitely someone who would say don't give up! 🙂

Which DO school?

 

[afk1994]

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

Congrats! If you don't mind me asking what were the big differences between your first, second, and third times applying in terms of GPA, MCAT, and extra-curriculars and things of that nature?

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Hey I was a grad student between applications so it was more flexible then the full time job I currently have. I live right next to the city, my undergrad, med school, and huge hospital system so that made things easier. I just reached out to several organizations and they were more than happy to have me work with them. It was kind of hectic but I balanced my time well.

If you PM me a .edu email address, I can send you my PS.

would you mind sending it to me as well?

 

[ohioguy]

Congrats! If you don't mind me asking what were the big differences between your first, second, and third times applying in terms of GPA, MCAT, and extra-curriculars and things of that nature?

I did my best to outline what I changed in an earlier post. Both undergrad GPAs were pretty much the same throughout all 3 cycles (around a 3.8). For my third cycle however, I took some graduate classes prior and had an overall and biosci GPA around 3.0. So a poor graduate GPA didn't seem to matter (although it was from only a few classes). MCAT was 28 1st cycle and 35 2nd and 3rd cycle.

ECs? I could get more detailed with a PM if you'd like but I think I demonstrated a care for people, initiative, results, and genuine interest in research.

would you mind sending it to me as well?

If you PM me a .edu email address to send it to I'll send it there.

 

[lsu8601]

Congrats...you don't see a lot of people with the perseverance to try 3 times. Best of luck in the future.

 

[Hemorrage]

Could you tell us what you did during the time you were re-applying? Did you live at home with your parents or worked somewhere?

 

[ohioguy]

Congrats...you don't see a lot of people with the perseverance to try 3 times. Best of luck in the future.

Thank you! I'm looking forward to finally getting started.

Could you tell us what you did during the time you were re-applying? Did you live at home with your parents or worked somewhere?

My main "occupation"...lived at home all 3 cycles.

Cycle 1: Undergrad senior

Cycle 2: Grad school at same undergrad institution

Cycle 3: Full-time job in research

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I just talked to my pre-med adviser and she said three times is kind of worthless if you applied to the same school all three cycles. Did you get interviews at schools to which this was your third time applying? I'm hoping if I totally change my application that I will still be considered at these schools.

 

[ohioguy]

I just talked to my pre-med adviser and she said three times is kind of worthless if you applied to the same school all three cycles. Did you get interviews at schools to which this was your third time applying? I'm hoping if I totally change my application that I will still be considered at these schools.

meh, my premed adviser told me she doesn't think I'm getting into the school that I'm now matriculating at (It was my 3rd time applying there after being waitlisted the cycle before). Even much of family pretty much gave up on my med school route. I had a very stubborn trust in myself though that things would work out

I detail the number of times I applied to each school I interviewed at in post #8.

I think my application was strong enough that it didn't matter to schools that I interviewed at that I was a third timer. You have to make your "re-applicant status"...if there is such a thing, a non-issue.

 

[ohioguy]

Hey guys to those that asked for my PS and have not heard back yet....I may change my mind, but for the time being I've decided to not give out my PS anymore.

 

[SOOyC52H1Sof]

My advice is not to give out your personal statement. It's personal for a reason and people really have nothing else to gain from it. They ought to sit and ask themselves why they have decided medicine. It's a long and hard journey, and there has to be some bigger reason driving them.


Anyways, OP, congratulations on your acceptance. I'm a nontraditional myself (mechanical engineering major). I went to go talk to a med school counselor at my university, and was given horrible advice. They are overrated IMHO. I'm glad you didn't take them to heart and believed in yourself.

 

[tonberry]

op- how much material did you recycle from your personal statement. Was it just a revision of the way you presented the old one? Did you only put what you did in the transition year? Or was it a combination of both? Congrats on your success. it's very motivating

 

[ohioguy]

My advice is not to give out your personal statement. It's personal for a reason and people really have nothing else to gain from it. They ought to sit and ask themselves why they have decided medicine. It's a long and hard journey, and there has to be some bigger reason driving them.


Anyways, OP, congratulations on your acceptance. I'm a nontraditional myself (mechanical engineering major). I went to go talk to a med school counselor at my university, and was given horrible advice. They are overrated IMHO. I'm glad you didn't take them to heart and believed in yourself.

Thank you, good luck to you as well! Yes, in regard to the PS..totally agree.

op- how much material did you recycle from your personal statement. Was it just a revision of the way you presented the old one? Did you only put what you did in the transition year? Or was it a combination of both? Congrats on your success. it's very motivating

Thank you! I completely re-wrote my personal statement (down to the ideas) and made sure each word had a purpose. My PS wasn't really about what I did during any particular year...it pulls from my childhood, what I was doing at the time of writing it, and what I did previously... I just did my best to "show" instead of "tell" that medicine is for me.

I may have mentioned this earlier in the thread but during the faculty interview at the school where I'm matriculating at the first thing the interviewer told me was that my PS was "very convincing". Pretty sure they already knew that they would give me a favorable recommendation because they spent 90% of the time talking....I see posts here where people say that the PS does not matter...well if someone is a 3rd time applicant like I was, then they can't afford to not have a PS that stands out.


On another note....when I was leaving my grad program (unrelated to medicine) in the midst of this past application cycle, I knew I still needed to show that medicine is where I belong. I found a PI at the school I'm now matriculating at, started working with him, and he gave me 2 additional LORs. He's now going to "coat" me at the white coat ceremony.

 

[MDSSURF]

op- how much material did you recycle from your personal statement. Was it just a revision of the way you presented the old one? Did you only put what you did in the transition year? Or was it a combination of both? Congrats on your success. it's very motivating

That also goes for the secondaries as well. Did you reuse or change completely?

 

[ussmediprise]

How early in the application cycle did you apply? Did you verify by June...July... etc? Thanks and congrats! I'm a reapplicant too. I thought first round rejections were hard so I can't imagine 2!!! Good job on your third round acceptance!

 

[ohioguy]

That also goes for the secondaries as well. Did you reuse or change completely?

I kept a few main ideas for some but other than that I completely rewrote everything. Multiple drafts, different opinions...i basically treated them as i did my PS. In terms of getting complete earlier for schools, it definitely helped that I pre-wrote them in the period leading up to sending out my primary.

Kind of off topic, but I somewhat tailored my PS (to show that I am "creative") to my number one choice school and one that I'm now matriculating at.

How early in the application cycle did you apply? Did you verify by June...July... etc? Thanks and congrats! I'm a reapplicant too. I thought first round rejections were hard so I can't imagine 2!!! Good job on your third round acceptance!

Thanks and best wishes to you as well! I submitted my primary late June and was verified on July 6th. Premed committee letter then held up my app from being complete for about 2 weeks after that. I wanted to submit the first day it was open but it probably wouldn't have mattered.

 

[451617]

thanks for the encouragement!

i assume you couldn't change your GPA after graduating unless you went through a post-bacc program. you could've also completed a master program. can you tell us what path you took and specific numbers?

ie: uGPA MCAT 1st time, MCAT 2nd time, or whatever changes you made.

thanks so much!

edit: Nevermind! read through the thread and found all the answers! again - congrats!

I don't mean for this to be an ego stroking thread. Perhaps if I had gotten some more advice three cycles back, I wouldn't have turned into a 3rd timer.

I've learned a lot and feel that I can be of use. As a third time applicant who retook the MCAT, I received 12 interview invites out of 34 applications. Invites ranged from UPenn to GW. Is there a "3rd-time reapplicant" stigma? Maybe, but it didn't seem to hold me back.


I have so far received 2 acceptances and I am matriculating at a school ranked in the "top 25" of US News. The school I will likely marticulate at also wait-listed me last year.

 

[deh2ase]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but did you receive a lot if interview questions about being a reapplicant? How did you go about responding to them?

 

[chillaxbro]

Congrats, your hard work paid off

I understand not getting in the first time but why do you think you didn't get in the second time? What would you have done differently?

Could you PM me your activities list from year to year so I can see the magnitude of change that is needed?

Getting rejected twice is my biggest fear 😕

 

[ohioguy]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but did you receive a lot if interview questions about being a reapplicant? How did you go about responding to them?

Only one interviewer out of 11 interview days (18 interviewers total...not including MMI at Albany) inquired about it, and only because they had the secondary in front of them that asks applicants about previous cycles. This was at Albert Einstein. They just asked what I was doing in my gap years and how I improved so much on the MCAT. I gave them my story and tried to show them that I improved as an applicant.

I had a lot of control over my interviews (I think this is the case for most applicants). Most questions were just in the flow of a conversation or came directly from something in my primary. Unless there's something about your reapplicant status in your PS, activities section, secondary, or you bring it up in the interview yourself, I have to feel that you won't be asked about it.

Indeed, I was a bit concerned how my re-app status (3rd timer at many schools) would affect me before the cycle and did not want to bring it up during interviews unless asked about it. This is not to say I completely ignored it and didn't use it to my advantage when I had the chance. For one of the secondary essays asking "why this school?", I tied all my reasons into a little story about my interview day the cycle previously (I was wait-listed). I was accepted to this school a few days after the interview. I could PM this essay if anyone is interested.

Something I found neat: I interviewed at 2 schools I had interviewed at the cycle before (both wait-lists). For one of them there is a presentation by the dean where they ask the same question to all interviewees seemingly year after year (just for kicks), "what (famous person) is from (town where school is located)". Obviously, I don't think anyone gets it right but I somehow remembered the answer from last year. I doubt it had any impact of my acceptance there but perhaps it made me more memorable.

At the second school I was waitlisted at previously and accepted at for the third cycle, the assistant dean goes around the room and asks what everyone likes to do for fun...I felt my answer came off as a bit too self-promoting last year so I just made sure to give a humble answer. These may seem like little things but when you're being evaluated as a future colleague your presentation of yourself during interview day at all times is important.


Looking back, if 3 adcoms (3rd timer at 2 schools and 2nd timer at 1) thought I was good enough to be accepted when my re-app status was right there in black and white then I shouldn't have worried about it at all.

Congrats, your hard work paid off

I understand not getting in the first time but why do you think you didn't get in the second time? What would you have done differently?

Could you PM me your activities list from year to year so I can see the magnitude of change that is needed?

Getting rejected twice is my biggest fear 😕

Second time I was too confident about my MCAT netting me an acceptance and failed to represent myself well on my PS, activities section, and secondaries. I looked back on some of what I wrote for the second cycle... . This on top of having sub-par activities in the first place.

For this second cycle, I think my MCAT netted me 4 interviews then but I couldn't get past the interview stage with what I had on the primary. Also, I'm a much more mature person than I was last year and know how to play the game after 2 failed cycles.

I'll send you a PM shortly.

 

[ohioguy]

thanks for the encouragement!

i assume you couldn't change your GPA after graduating unless you went through a post-bacc program. you could've also completed a master program. can you tell us what path you took and specific numbers?

ie: uGPA MCAT 1st time, MCAT 2nd time, or whatever changes you made.

thanks so much!

edit: Nevermind! read through the thread and found all the answers! again - congrats!

Glad to help. Thank you!