Weird Interview moment. Is this common practice?

[CamIsRad]

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I was in an interview last weekend and was asked a question concerning something in my personal statement from last year. I submitted a different personal statement this year and was not expecting to have the previous year's come up.

After the interview in a very polite manner in an email I asked if they used previous applications for admissions and interviews. They told me that they could view previous applications "as needed."

Does anybody know if this is common practice for admissions committees? I would like to know because my application last year was not my best work and would like to know if I should prepare to explain in my upcoming interviews.

Thanks

 

[sector9]

I was in an interview last weekend and was asked a question concerning something in my personal statement from last year. I submitted a different personal statement this year and was not expecting to have the previous year's come up.

After the interview in a very polite manner in an email I asked if they used previous applications for admissions and interviews. They told me that they could view previous applications "as needed."

Does anybody know if this is common practice for admissions committees? I would like to know because my application last year was not my best work and would like to know if I should prepare to explain in my upcoming interviews.

Thanks

I think the general understanding here is that if you applied to that school previously, then they can keep your file from year to year and they may refer to it. If you didn't apply to that school, then they can't see your previous application (although they will know that you're an AMCAS reapplicant)

It's not necessarily expected that all adcomms will review previous applications. Not sure if it's "common practice" for them, although I seem to remember LizzyM saying that it's generally not worth the trouble to pull up an old application. I suspect that this answer is like so many things in med school admissions: widely variable depending on school

It doesn't hurt to prepare for future questions though, ESPECIALLY questions about how you've improved your application

 

[Celerity]

I believe LizzyM said this year is the first year that AMCAS let's schools see your entire application from previous years.

 

[RookTookIt]

I believe LizzyM said this year is the first year that AMCAS let's schools see your entire application from previous years.

Whoa! Really? I was surprised that a school I had never applied to before mentioned that I was reapplicant, but that was no big deal. But I'm not pleased about them having my entire previous application.

 

[sector9]

Whoa! Really? I was surprised that a school I had never applied to before mentioned that I was reapplicant, but that was no big deal. But I'm not pleased about them having my entire previous application.

I don't believe that schools can see your previous year's application.

LizzyM did say (in a thread that was deleted so I can't link to it) that the primary app now says, for the first time, if you are a reapplicant to the school in question and what year(s) you applied before to their school

 

[Buttermilk]

This answer is UW-specific, but maybe it gives a little insight into how other schools regard previous applications as well? Dr. Teitz (Associate Dean for Admissions) said that at UW, only executive committee members can see previous applications. She said that when an applicant has clearly improved her application from the previous cycle, they are pleased. It doesn't reflect badly on you; if anything, it shows that you've grown.

Regardless of whether schools are looking at your old PS, be ready to explain why you're a better applicant this time around.