Writing weaker secondary essays as a reapplicant

[LiteralLungs]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am reapplying, and I do not think that my secondary essays the first time were my weakness. I realize that, at the same time, it will look lazy to submit the same secondary essays. I am trying to rewrite them now. However, even with the added 2 years of new experiences since my first application, I am finding it incredibly difficult to rewrite the answers to the same questions. In fact, I think that by forcing myself to change them, they are becoming weaker than the essays I submitted the first time. Does anyone have advice to offer? I spent significant time writing them the first time around, and I feel like I squeezed the best and most valuable insights out of the experiences I used the first time. Now, I am forcing myself to use experiences which are lesser quality.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I am reapplying, and I do not think that my secondary essays the first time were my weakness. I realize that, at the same time, it will look lazy to submit the same secondary essays. I am trying to rewrite them now. However, even with the added 2 years of new experiences since my first application, I am finding it incredibly difficult to rewrite the answers to the same questions. In fact, I think that by forcing myself to change them, they are becoming weaker than the essays I submitted the first time. Does anyone have advice to offer? I spent significant time writing them the first time around, and I feel like I squeezed the best and most valuable insights out of the experiences I used the first time. Now, I am forcing myself to use experiences which are lesser quality.

Check with your school/alma mater's writing center or career center for help.

I developed my PS and many secondaries with the help of an English PhD candidate/tutor at my alma mater's writing center. She helped me flesh out my ideas and narratives, then helped me edit all the half-baked ideas into proper essays. My original drafts were hot summer dumpster garbage compared to what they looked like when she got through with them. I was thrilled with the result, it got me acceptances, and it was all free.

 

[Goro]

I am reapplying, and I do not think that my secondary essays the first time were my weakness. I realize that, at the same time, it will look lazy to submit the same secondary essays. I am trying to rewrite them now. However, even with the added 2 years of new experiences since my first application, I am finding it incredibly difficult to rewrite the answers to the same questions. In fact, I think that by forcing myself to change them, they are becoming weaker than the essays I submitted the first time. Does anyone have advice to offer? I spent significant time writing them the first time around, and I feel like I squeezed the best and most valuable insights out of the experiences I used the first time. Now, I am forcing myself to use experiences which are lesser quality.

Wise @Moko?????

 

[Moko]

I am reapplying, and I do not think that my secondary essays the first time were my weakness. I realize that, at the same time, it will look lazy to submit the same secondary essays. I am trying to rewrite them now. However, even with the added 2 years of new experiences since my first application, I am finding it incredibly difficult to rewrite the answers to the same questions. In fact, I think that by forcing myself to change them, they are becoming weaker than the essays I submitted the first time. Does anyone have advice to offer? I spent significant time writing them the first time around, and I feel like I squeezed the best and most valuable insights out of the experiences I used the first time. Now, I am forcing myself to use experiences which are lesser quality.

It depends on the prompt. If the prompt is asking about something that is already set in stone, e.g. childhood hardships, poor grades, socioeconomic diversity (race, income, LGBT status, etc.), undergraduate experience, greatest challenge (if you overcame significant hardship as a child, e.g. fleeing war, immigrating from another country, etc.), then reusing the same essay and topics with only minor changes is very acceptable IMO. You should not be forcing yourself to use less meaningful experiences.

However, I would hope that with two additional years of activities, that you can draw upon more recent experiences to answer/supplement at least some of these secondary prompts, e.g. diversity (highlighting a particular strength or uncommon feature of your application that you've fostered over the past two years), future career plans (again, incorporating what you've been doing over the past two years), personal characteristics, etc. For example, as a non-trad, your example of leadership should not be something that happened as a freshman in college for a school project (again, barring uncommon circumstances).

Unless there is truly no way to improve your secondary application (which is doubtful), there should be some changes in some your essays reflecting the growth you've had over the past two years. The above also holds true for the primary application, especially your personal statement, except for experiences that have long since concluded. It would also be wise to apply to new schools as well. Just my thoughts and best of luck.

 

[LindaAccepted]

I am reapplying, and I do not think that my secondary essays the first time were my weakness. I realize that, at the same time, it will look lazy to submit the same secondary essays. I am trying to rewrite them now. However, even with the added 2 years of new experiences since my first application, I am finding it incredibly difficult to rewrite the answers to the same questions. In fact, I think that by forcing myself to change them, they are becoming weaker than the essays I submitted the first time. Does anyone have advice to offer? I spent significant time writing them the first time around, and I feel like I squeezed the best and most valuable insights out of the experiences I used the first time. Now, I am forcing myself to use experiences which are lesser quality.

I agree completely with @Moko It is highly unlikely that your previous secondaries are unimprovable. But even if that's true, you must have accomplished something, learned something, contributed something, grown in some way over the last two years that can be reflected in at least some if not most of your secondary essays. And you want to show that growth and impact as a reapplicant.

I recently gave a webinar on reapplication and I actually addressed this topic. You may have improved in other areas and that's why you feel that this application effort will be more successful than the previous one. Great! Kudos to you. But don't fail to show that growth in your re-application. Schools don't want to admit people who have stagnated for the last two years.