Successful reapplicants - how much did you change your PS?

[preeeeeeemed]

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Hello,

Calling all reapplicants - say you had a personal statement you felt very comfortable with, and didn't get accepted in cycle A. Did you completely change your PS for cycle B, edit it slightly, or did you perhaps leave it as it was?

I just feel like a personal statement can't change every year if it is to be genuine, no?

ADCOM members, do you look down upon people who keep their PS similar between app cycles?

Thanks all!

 

[bananafish94]

I was almost a reapplicant and I finished my new PS last week. I completely rewrote it without even looking at the old one, but made sure to keep certain important themes in the document. They'll be suspicious if your motivations for medicine are completely different after a year or two.

 

[preeeeeeemed]

I was almost a reapplicant and I finished my new PS last week. I completely rewrote it without even looking at the old one, but made sure to keep certain important themes in the document. They'll be suspicious if your motivations for medicine are completely different after a year or two.

Thanks for the feedback, and best of luck at Rush 🙂 you're a living legend among us waitlisted applicants 😉

I'll probably follow your lead and keep the most important parts of my PS in there - they're my motivations for med school after all.

 

[bananafish94]

Thanks for the feedback, and best of luck at Rush 🙂 you're a living legend among us waitlisted applicants 😉

I'll probably follow your lead and keep the most important parts of my PS in there - they're my motivations for med school after all.

Solid plan. And have lots of people read it! Also, I'm happy to have reached "living legend" status.

 

[preeeeeeemed]

Further advice is appreciated! 🙂 @gyngyn any thoughts on what you prefer to see in reapplicant's PS?

 

[xxabi]

I have this same question as well! I edited my PS moderately I would say, including additional experiences, but I don't know if I should scrap it all together and start over.

 

[dougy]

Complete rewrite

Initial PS was about motivations, experiences and attributes

Second PS was what I did on my summer vacation as a 14 yo (not kidding)

 

[preeeeeeemed]

Complete rewrite

Initial PS was about motivations, experiences and attributes

Second PS was what I did on my summer vacation as a 14 yo (not kidding)

I'm assuming the second PS still had those same motivations, no? This just seems a bit strange to me.

 

[Cotterpin]

I'm reapplying and I rewrote the whole PS. It's basically about the same things, but the focus is different. I'm spending more time on some things that highlight my passion and excitement about medicine and spending less time on stuff that in retrospect is just boring, unnecessary biographical information. I think the new one is much, much better actually, so I'm really glad I decided to do it over.

 

[dougy]

I'm assuming the second PS still had those same motivations, no? This just seems a bit strange to me.

Yes, but in a much more subtle manner, based more on an extreme summer experience where interests, skills and passion were born.

 

[Syns]

Rewrote the entire PS.

Changed everything about PS including motivations and stories.

N = +1

 

[dougy]

I made sure that second, though totally different, supported everything in PS1. Did not want to render PS1 disingenuous!!

 

[bunchesonothing]

Let me also point out that now with everything saved as computerized files, virtually every school you applied to before will have your previous application, many having it automatically attached to your new application. How would it look to a school if they saw your new and old PS exactly the same? Like perhaps you had no motivation or commitment? Besides, the PS didnt work the first time so why think it may be persuasive this time ?

My guess would be if, your personal statement wasn't the problem the first time.... why would it be the second time, if you made other changes to your app?

 

[bananafish94]

My guess would be if, your personal statement wasn't the problem the first time.... why would it be the second time, if you made other changes to your app?

Even if the personal statement isn't the problem, I've read that it projects laziness and an unwillingness to change if you submit the exact same thing.

 

[Cotterpin]

My guess would be if, your personal statement wasn't the problem the first time.... why would it be the second time, if you made other changes to your app?

How do you know if the PS was or was not the problem? Either way, the only thing you can do is take a critical look at your entire application (PS very much included) and find ways to make the whole thing better. Even if your personal statement was very good last time, it can always be better. Don't miss the opportunity to improve it.

 

[bunchesonothing]

Even if the personal statement isn't the problem, I've read that it projects laziness and an unwillingness to change if you submit the exact same thing.

I'm personally in love with my PS as it is. And I told the story of what lead me down this path. A very personal story. And anything else would be shallow in comparison.

 

[bunchesonothing]

I'm personally in love with my PS as it is. And I told the story of what lead me down this path. A very personal story. And anything else would be shallow in comparison.

And it's not that I'm against an edit. It's that I've already had tons of people read the thing.... and my main editor is a writer by trade. And I didn't do it at the last moment. I started very early on it.

 

[bananafish94]

And it's not that I'm against an edit. It's that I've already had tons of people read the thing.... and my main editor is a writer by trade. And I didn't do it at the last moment. I started very early on it.

I think that might be a different case then! If you're sure it's good perhaps its doesn't need to be edited.

 

[bunchesonothing]

I think that might be a different case then! If you're sure it's good perhaps its doesn't need to be edited.

I'm painfully aware of the other pitfalls in my application, however.... 🙁

 

[bananafish94]

I'm painfully aware of the other pitfalls in my application, however.... 🙁

Nobody's application is perfect! God knows there were many pitfalls in mine.

 

[DokterMom]

How do you know if the PS was or was not the problem? Either way, the only thing you can do is take a critical look at your entire application (PS very much included) and find ways to make the whole thing better. Even if your personal statement was very good last time, it can always be better. Don't miss the opportunity to improve it.

How can you tell if your PS was or was not the problem? -- Look at how many IIs you got from the first statement relative to your numbers and the appropriateness of your school list. If you had a lot of interview invitations, it was probably a pretty good statement - or not a BAD one at least. If you didn't - even if it was probably your numbers - then re-write. You can keep the same theme, but re-write.

 

[Cotterpin]

How can you tell if your PS was or was not the problem? -- Look at how many IIs you got from the first statement relative to your numbers and the appropriateness of your school list. If you had a lot of interview invitations, it was probably a pretty good statement - or not a BAD one at least. If you didn't - even if it was probably your numbers - then re-write. You can keep the same theme, but re-write.

You don't think there might be more factors than PS and numbers that would confound that? What if the problem was in the ECs or LORs? I think you should always rewrite it because you never really know for sure.

 

[xxabi]

I'm piggybacking on this thread since I'm in the same situation! Would one of you be willing to read my PS just to give your viewpoint as to whether it is "different enough" from my original?

 

[DokterMom]

You don't think there might be more factors than PS and numbers that would confound that? What if the problem was in the ECs or LORs? I think you should always rewrite it because you never really know for sure.

"If you had a lot of interview invitations, it was probably a pretty good statement - or not a BAD one at least."

I'm suggesting that if they got a LOT of interview invitations, that they NOT re-write it substantially, because the original appeared to have gotten good results.

"If you didn't - even if it was probably your numbers - then re-write. You can keep the same theme, but re-write."

 

[bunchesonothing]

You need to refresh it for schools that you are a reapplicant at as they will not understand or see your motivations leaving it the same. That leaves an open, unanswered question in the mind of a adcom, a dangerous thing to do. Since all schools will read the primary, those you have applied to before and those that are new you, cant simply edit the opening acknowledging that your a reapplicant, hence it needs some rewriting. Additionally, even though your PS may not have been the issue, it sets the context, tone, and pattern of the rest of your application. Whether directly or not, it needs to be concise, coherent, and compelling overcome those deficiencies.

Okay, I will refresh it a bit.

 

[BZG64]

.

 

[binko]

I don't even have my old personal statement anymore. I completely forget what it was even about. Would a school still have a PS from six years ago?

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

About to be a reapplicant. Completely scraped my old PS, but made sure to keep some important aspects/themes.

This time around really tried to focus on ME. And what makes me, me. Also, made sure to answer the question of "Why Medicine" much better this time, and made a better effort to "Show and not just tell"

Had a greater number of people look over my PS this time around.

 

[glasseagle]

What happens if the PS really wasn't the problem the first time around?

 

[BZG64]

What happens if the PS really wasn't the problem the first time around?

Rewrite it. There is no way of knowing which part of your application was the "problem" unless ADCOMs specifically told you that your PS was the ONLY problem. Plus, I'm sure that you have new experiences that you can talk about/better convey to schools why you want to be a physician.

 

[gyngyn]

Further advice is appreciated! 🙂 @gyngyn any thoughts on what you prefer to see in reapplicant's PS?

Even if your motivations are essentially the same, you are not the same person who originally applied. That growth is part of your narrative. Write the essay in the voice you have now.

When I see the identical essay re-submitted, I come up with a list of less than flattering descriptors. I'll bet I'm not alone in this regard.

 

[Cotterpin]

Just to be clear, we don't want to say we're reapplicants in the PS, right? I don't want to broadcast that to all the schools I'm applying to for the first time.

 

[Cotterpin]

Mostly no, but if your school list from cycle A to cycle B is essentially the same, and your issues were clearly defined (GPA, MCAT) then there is an argument to be made to discuss that briefly then segue into "My reasons for medicine for medicine still stand from last cycle" and go into previous PS

(sorry if I am making your head system)

No, in my case my gpa and mcat were almost definitely not the problem and my school list is roughly half old, half new. I think my problem was more to do with not applying early enough or broadly enough.

 

[Cotterpin]

Then dont mention in primary, probably not needed in secondary either .

Thanks. There may be a spot in some of the secondaries to mention it, but if not I figure it can get discussed in interviews if it's an issue.

 

[mvenus929]

I completely rewrote it, but I used my PS to say 'Yes, I'm a reapplicant, but this is why I failed last time and this is what I have done to change it'.

 

[Cotterpin]

Sorry, I cant resist this. Are you going to write "It was my boneheaded move for not applying early and broadly"

I dont think you need to mention in secondary but have an answer ready if I were to ask you at an interview

No, but some schools ask specifically if you're a reapplicant in the secondary. I would have to say something there.

 

[Beyoncelover4013]

Another data point: I was also a reapplicant and did a complete rewrite of my PS. Didn't even look at my first one!

 

[Whyamionhere]

.

 

[t0fuluv04]

For weeks I've been trying to rework my old personal statement from last year. Actually, I've been working on it for over a year if you count the time I put in to write it the first time. I get writer's anxiety and can spend hours trying to rewrite just one paragraph. Today I scrapped everything and started from scratch, and produced a PS I'm super proud of in just one sitting!! Sometimes you just gotta not overthink and write from the heart! 😉

 

[toast]

Just throwing my 2 cents in ( I'm a successful reapplicant). I rewrote my PS, the overall story stayed the same with just a few updates included. I think gyngyn's point about writing in the voice you have now is a good one.