lodnl114 Posted June 28, 2016 Hey there! Though your answer to why you want to be a PA likely has not changed, it's very likely that you've grown as a person over the past year. While your framework for your essay can be reusable, I'd recommend either re-evaluating experiences you discussed in your statement from last year (perhaps in focusing on how your perspective/reflection has deepened), or drawing conclusions as to why you're continuing to pursue being a PA from new experiences that you've had since the last time admissions groups visited your statement. Ultimately, there's plenty that you can do. instead of "Why do you want to be a PA," perhaps think about it more as "Why do you still want to be a PA? How have you grown?" Definitely don't resubmit the essay you used last year. Hopefully that helps! Best of luck!
sockerkid9 Posted July 3, 2016 I agree with above. I'm also a 2nd time applicant this year, and i wound up changing my PS. Last round I contacted schools to ask why I didn't get in and had asked about my PS, I had numerous people look it over (in healthcare fields and not) and knew that it was awesome. I sat down this year and took one look at it, and changed it. Even though my last one was great then, I've done a lot to improve my application and I felt that I needed to show that. The reasoning behind why i want to become a PA hasn't changed, but I've still grown as a person and healthcare provider since applying last and that was important to note. also - from what i've gathered from schools, they don't want the same PS twice. you can certainly use parts of your last one as stated above, but tell them what you've done since last application to better yourself. what have you learned since being rejected? how did you deal with it/overcome it? things like that. if your PS doesn't change at all, and you're essentially the same applicant this year on paper, what makes the chances of you getting in any different than before? Just a thought.
loliz Posted July 3, 2016 Yes!! Write a new PS! Your PS was good last year and got you a few interviews and that's great. However, you did not end up with a seat. My advice-- Don't look at your old PS for a few days and then sit down and make an outline of what you think your PS should encompass. Write a completely new PS and DO NOT LOOK AT THE OLD ONE. Once you have a semi workable draft of your new PS, get out your old one and see if there are any parts of it you would like to include or ways you could edit a new one to keep some of your previous key points. This way you will have a new PS, but you can keep your favorite parts of the old one (or you very well might decide that you have changed enough that the last one isn't as awesome as you remember!!). Good luck!
AliB Posted July 3, 2016 I disagree that you need an entirely new personal statement if you were pleased with the one you wrote. If you received interviews at all schools where you applied, your personal statement is not a problem. Your interview skills are. THAT is where you need to focus the bulk of your efforts as a re-applicant. It may be too late, but I hope you requested feedback from every school where you interviewed! They won't always provide it, but some will. Should you update your PS? Absolutely! Reread anything after 8-10-12 months and you should find something you'd say differently or improve. I do agree with the above sentiments that it needs to have some reference to what you've done to better yourself as a future PA since you last applied. Personally, I used probably 90% of what I wrote first time around - I had interviews the 1st year I applied even when I had very few of the pre-reqs complete and I expected no interviews. My reasons for pursuing PA didn't change; what I accomplished in that 1st year to attain that goal were significant (e.g., 21 credit hours in a summer semester, while also working, showed I was very serious, AND could handle the load). However, since that was detailed out in the academics portion of CASPA, I didn't dwell on it in my PS; I just made reference to in a single sentence highlighting the hours and the grades. I also didn't make my PS about being a re-applicant; although I applied to some of the same schools the following year, I applied to a number of new schools I decided would suit me (and vice versa). Good luck.
paproof Posted July 5, 2016 You can use the same personal statement, but I'd suggest adding some information about what you've done since the previous year to make you a better applicant.
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