My hot take/unpopular opinion: the fact that it’s a soft requirement that every reapplicant has to redo all their essays is ridiculous. Sure, some people’s essays suck and need to be redone, but I’ve read jaw-dropping essays (in a good way) from applicants who were waitlisted at their multiple interviews and are now reapplying. I just reread one PS that was redone, and it seemed so watered down compared to the amazing original one. This applies even more so with applicants with amazing essays whose only weakness was a low MCAT score, which they dramatically improved for their next cycle. I disagree HARD with the notion that every PS should be improved. Many can be, but some are essentially perfect the way they are.
My other even hotter take: applications should be reviewed at face value, and schools don’t need to know you’re a reapplicant. The fact that you’re spending a ton of time and money to go through this process again should not put you at a disadvantage in how your app is reviewed. Some people just fall through the cracks unfortunately. I say this as someone who is accepted already, simply because I see my peers struggling so much with reapplying.
This is not directed at anyone. I’m just conveying my frustration with how apps are being reviewed.
This isn't going to help you, or anyone else, at all, but you are absolutely correct!!!!
The fact remains that admission is HIGHLY competitive, and everyone owes it to themselves to apply with their very best application the first time. A lot of people don't follow this advice and later regret it. There is absolutely is a bias against reapplicants, whether or not adcoms admit it.
First time applicants are the fresh produce while reapplicants are treated like picked over, day old bread. Reapplicants don't merely need to be good enough, they need to be better than they were, because they have to jump through the extra hoop of being judged against the application they previously submitted.
You really can't blame the schools for this. After all, you already had your shot, and were not only rejected by them, you were also rejected by everyone else in the prior cycle. Schools literally have thousands upon thousands of applications to go through to select a few hundred to interview. Screening based on who hasn't been previously rejected is as legitimate a first screen as anything else.
Some successful first time applicants might be objectively weaker than you, but they are not subject to this additional level of scrutiny. And, once subject to the extra level of scrutiny, appearing to be lazy by not changing everything, even if it was fine the first time, is, as
@gyngyn put it, not a good look. Even if the problem was submission timing, MCAT, GPA, whatever, the written material was part of a failed application, and you are refusing to play the game on a reapp by redoing it.
The takeaway from this should be that anyone on the fence about applying should hold off until they are absolutely ready. Relatively few people in this position have the discipline and patience to do this. As a result, we have throwaway applications, and posts asking how bad it is to take or retake the MCAT in July, August or September while applying in the current cycle, or about having a ton of projected ECs because, for whatever reason, activities have not been completed but we need to apply NOWWWWWWWWWWW. We end up being late, not catching a break, and then, with a perfectly fine application, end up being at a disadvantage on a reapp, all because we all know someone who applied in October and ended up with 12 As.
It's hard for me to believe that anyone will drop after they've made it this far, ya know? Unless one person max decides medicine may not be for them right now
