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April 29, 2024
Can You Use the Same Personal Statement for Different Schools?
There are some common questions we admissions consultants hear often from college and graduate school applicants: “I’m applying to six schools, and each one requires essays/personal statements . A lot of the content will be similar! Can I reuse the same essay for different schools? How can I keep the quality and not burn out while writing so many personal statements?”
We understand. We sympathize. Best of all, we have practical solutions for determining whether you can reuse any of your essays for more than one school. The good news is that what makes practical sense in terms of efficiency and not reinventing the wheel also makes sense in terms of quality – if you view the process not as “reusing” but as “adapting.” It is a very rare case indeed where reusing an essay almost verbatim would be advisable. On the other hand, the core content of a personal statement covers points that are important to your candidacy and would naturally be relevant to multiple applications. As you rework your personal statement for subsequent applications, sometimes the quality improves as you reflect further and discover new subtleties.
So, if various schools are asking similar questions, it’s logical to consider using – or really, adapting – some or perhaps even much of your previous essay response(s). However, the school’s essay lengths might be different, and your wording will vary based on the nuances of the question. Most important, many personal statements include some discussion of the specific program the candidate is applying to, and this part would certainly require fresh input for each school’s essay. Read each question out loud, so you can clearly hear exactly what the schools are asking. Many times, an essay prompt has more than one question within it. You don’t want to overlook any of the questions in a prompt. The key is to be guided first by the question and then, more broadly, by your understanding of the character of the school/program – and adapt your essay content (and tone/style) accordingly.
Additionally, we have this advice:
1. Make sure each essay has a distinct theme.
You can do this by developing different aspects of a single experience. For example, if you plan to write about your first summer as a counselor at a sleepaway camp, in one essay, you could describe how you worked to build a relationship with a lonely camper and helped them develop their self-confidence and participate in more activities. During the same summer, you might also have been in charge of the drama group. This could offer the substance for a very different essay about teaching and organizing a group of highly energized, sometimes rowdy young teens. Don’t waste an opportunity to write about multiple aspects of the same experience that opened different doors to personal growth. Most significant experiences in our lives are truly multifaceted and offer various “threads” that are interesting to explore in essays. Don’t just reuse content by rote copying and pasting; instead, probe it to discern its most valuable points for the essay at hand. You’ll likely find that you can stretch your available material to cover more bases.
2. Chart your list of essays and the qualities you associate with them.
With multiple essays/personal statements to manage, consider using a spreadsheet to list each question, the school asking it, and which experiences, accomplishments, and skills you can associate with those questions. This will help you avoid using the same experience, accomplishment, or skill for more than one question at a given school and will also help you see where you can adapt some previous material for a new application.
3. Portray your multidimensional self.
Make a list of what you feel are your ten most positive qualities . Your list might include such traits as intellectual curiosity, an eagerness for new experiences, a sense of humor, strong DIY skills, and leadership capabilities. That was fun! Now, make a much shorter list (two or three items at most) of what you would consider your weakest traits. These might include procrastination, too much binge watching, and impatience. As you draft your essays, keep these different layers and textures of your personality in mind. (Sometimes, schools will ask you to identify a weakness and explain how you have worked to overcome it, so being aware of your shortcomings isn’t necessarily detrimental to your application!) Having this list front and center will spark additional insights and angles for your essays. As a result, you will reward the adcoms with a rich, multidimensional portrait of you as a human being.
4. Name dropping? Better double check the names!
If you do reuse and adapt material for different applications, check carefully (and then check again ) to make sure you don’t forget to change, for example, “Michigan” to “Chicago” in the new application essay. Sending a “Why I want to go to UPenn” essay to the Yale adcom or a “Why I want to go to Columbia” paragraph to NYU wouldn’t bode well for you! Believe me, it happens.
5. No matter how similar the essay questions are, never simply cut and paste an entire essay.
As we noted earlier, no two questions will ever be exactly alike. As you write or edit from a different essay, keep the school you are writing for front and center in your mind. Individualize each essay as much as possible to accommodate each program’s unique culture, personality, and “flavor.” And by all means, reread the essay prompts when you feel you are nearly done to ensure that you really have answered every one of the adcom’s questions within the prompt.
Do you need help writing (or adapting) your application essays? Could you benefit from an expert’s assistance in identifying the strongest elements of your experience and profile? We can help! Work one-on-one with an experienced advisor who will help you get accepted !
After a successful career in business publishing, Cindy Tokumitsu has worked for more than 20 years with Accepted. Every year, Cindy’s clients have been accepted to top MBA, law, and med programs. She is a pioneer in the niche of EMBA application consulting. Want an admissions expert to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!
Related Resources:
- Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose , a free guide
- How to Project Professionalism, Positivity, and Confidence in Your Statement of Purpose
- Statement of Purpose versus Personal Statement
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Frequently asked questions
Can i submit the same personal statement with every application.
If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.
Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.
If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.
If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.
Frequently asked questions: Graduate school
In the US, most graduate school applications require you to include:
- Transcripts from previous educational institutions
- Standardized test scores (such as the GRE or MCAT)
- A graduate resume
- 2–3 letters of recommendation
- A statement of purpose
Some programs may ask you to write a personal statement in addition to, or instead of, a statement of purpose. You may also be asked to an interview .
Always carefully read the application instructions for the specific program you’re applying to.
Most medical school programs interview candidates, as do many (though not all) leading law and business schools.
In research programs, it depends—PhDs in business usually do, while those in economics normally do not, for example.
Some schools interview everyone, while others only interview their top candidates. Look at the websites of the schools you’re applying to for more information on whether they conduct interviews.
In addition to thinking about your answers for the most commonly asked grad school interview questions , you should reach out to former and current students to ask their advice on preparing and what sort of questions will be asked.
Look back through your resume and come up with anecdotes that you could use for common questions, particularly those that ask about obstacles that you overcame. If you’re applying for a research program, ensure that you can talk about the previous research experience you’ve had.
You should also read as much research in your field as possible. Research the faculty at the schools you’re applying to and read some of their papers. Come up with a few questions that you could ask them.
Graduate schools often ask questions about why you are interested in this particular program and what you will contribute.
Try to stay away from cliche answers like “this is a good program” or “I got good grades in undergrad” and focus instead on the unique strengths of the program or what you will bring to the table. Understand what the program is looking for and come up with anecdotes that demonstrate why you are a good fit for them.
Different types of programs may also focus on different questions:
- Research programs will often ask what topics you’d like to research and who you would like to work with, as well as specific questions about your research background.
- Medical schools are interested in your personal motivation, qualities such as integrity and empathy, and how you’d respond to common ethical dilemmas.
- Business schools will focus on your past work experience and future career prospects, and may be particularly interested in any experience you have managing or working with others.
Some students apply to graduate school straight from undergrad, but it’s also common to go back to school later in life. The ideal time to do so depends on various financial, personal, and career considerations . Graduate school is a big commitment, so you should apply at a time when you can devote your full attention to it.
Your career path may also determine when you should apply. In some career fields, you can easily progress without a graduate degree, while in others—such as medicine, business, and law—it’s virtually impossible to move up the career ladder without a specific graduate degree.
Most graduate school applications for American graduate programs are due in December or January for a September start.
Some types of programs, especially law school, are rolling applications, meaning that the earlier you apply, the earlier you’ll hear back. In this case, you should aim to apply as early as possible to maximize your chances.
Medical school follows a completely separate timeline with much earlier deadlines. If you’re applying for medical school, you should speak to advisors at your university for more information.
A good starting point to aim for is about 18 months before you would start the program, or 6–9 months before the applications are due.
In the first few months of the process, research programs and study for any standardized exams you might need.
You can then begin writing your personal statements and statements of purpose , as well as contacting people to write your letters of recommendation . Ensure that you give recommenders plenty of time to complete their letters (ideally around 2–4 months).
In the US, the graduate school application process is similar whether you’re applying for a master’s or a PhD . Both require letters of recommendation , a statement of purpose or personal statement , a resume or CV , and transcripts. Programs in the US and Canada usually also require a certain type of standardized test—often the GRE.
Outside the US, PhD programs usually also require applicants to write a research proposal , because students are expected to begin dissertation research in the first year of their PhD.
A master’s degree usually has a higher upfront cost, but it also allows you to start earning a higher salary more quickly. The exact cost depends on the country and the school: private universities usually cost more than public ones, and European degrees usually cost less than North American ones. There are limited possibilities for financial aid.
PhDs often waive tuition fees and offer a living stipend in exchange for a teaching or research assistantship. However, they take many years to complete, during which time you earn very little.
This depends on the country. In the United States, you can generally go directly to a PhD with only a bachelor’s degree, as a master’s program is included as part of the doctoral program.
Elsewhere, you generally need to graduate from a research-intensive master’s degree before continuing to the PhD.
This varies by country. In the United States, PhDs usually take between 5–7 years: 2 years of coursework followed by 3–5 years of independent research work to produce a dissertation.
In the rest of the world, students normally have a master’s degree before beginning the PhD, so they proceed directly to the research stage and complete a PhD in 3–5 years.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
It’s best to ask in person if possible, so first reach out and request a meeting to discuss your graduate school plans.
Let the potential recommender know which programs you’re applying to, and ask if they feel they can provide a strong letter of recommendation . A lukewarm recommendation can be the kiss of death for an application, so make sure your letter writers are enthusiastic about recommending you and your work!
Always remember to remain polite. Your recommenders are doing you a favor by taking the time to write a letter in support of your graduate school goals.
This depends on the program that you are applying for. Generally, for professional programs like business and policy school, you should ask managers who can speak to your future leadership potential and ability to succeed in your chosen career path.
However, in other graduate programs, you should mostly ask your former professors or research supervisors to write your recommendation letters , unless you have worked in a job that corresponds closely with your chosen field (e.g., as a full-time research assistant).
Choose people who know your work well and can speak to your ability to succeed in the program that you are applying to.
Remember, it is far more important to choose someone who knows you well than someone well-known. You may have taken classes with more prominent professors, but if they haven’t worked closely with you, they probably can’t write you a strong letter.
The sections in your graduate school resume depend on two things: your experience, and the focus of the program you’re applying to.
Always start with your education. If you have more than one degree, list the most recent one first.
The title and order of the other sections depend on what you want to emphasize. You might include things like:
- Professional experience
- Voluntary and extracurricular activities
- Publications
- Awards and honors
- Skills and certifications
The resume should aim for a balance between two things: giving a snapshot of what you’ve done with your life so far, and showing that you’re a good candidate for graduate study.
A resume is typically shorter than a CV, giving only the most relevant professional and educational highlights.
An academic CV should give full details of your education and career, including lists of publications and presentations, certifications, memberships, grants, and research projects. Because it is more comprehensive, it’s acceptable for an academic CV to be many pages long.
Note that, outside of the US, resume and CV are often used interchangeably.
No, don’t include your high school courses and grades. The education section should only detail your college education.
If you want to discuss aspects of high school in your graduate school application, you can include this in your personal statement .
A resume for a graduate school application is typically no more than 1–2 pages long.
Note, however, that if you are asked to submit a CV (curriculum vitae), you should give comprehensive details of all your academic experience. An academic CV can be much longer than a normal resume.
Always carefully check the instructions and adhere to any length requirements for each application.
The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.
Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.
A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.
A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.
However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.
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Top 3 Reasons to NOT Reuse your Personal Statement
A topic that often comes up for repeat applicants or reapplicants (residency candidates who have applied for one or more applications cycles) is whether or not to reuse their ERAS Application documents. Gathering your ERAS Application documents year after year can be draining, and one of the most tempting documents to reuse or tweak a little is the Medical Residency Personal Statement .
It’s understandable really; most medical students or graduates do not enjoy the tedious task of writing the Personal Statement once– let alone twice or more! Writing the perfect Personal Statement that is engaging, professional, and reflects your best self, while still fitting on one page is time-consuming and difficult for the busy medical professional. You may even feel that you already had a strong document last year; so, if it isn’t broke, why fix it?
However, choosing to simply use the same Personal Statement you used last application cycle or even a slightly edited version presents some dangers. There are plenty of reasons why you should not choose to use your previous Personal Statement draft(s), but below are the top three most important reasons.
Reason 1: Past Performance
The reality is that if you weren’t successful during your previous residency application cycles, it is unwise to use the same documents you used before. It is possible that something within your Personal Statement or other documents could have gone amiss or presented the wrong message about you as an applicant. The best way to ensure you do not present the same flawed message is to have brand new documents.
Reason 2: The Risk Factor
While somewhat unlikely, it is still possible a residency program could recognize your used Personal Statement if you applied to that program in the past. There may be some element of your Personal Statement (positive or negative) that is recognizable enough for a program to realize they’ve read this statement before. Or, the program could run a plagiarism checker and your Personal Statement could not check out. No matter how slim the chance, you wouldn’t want to jeopardize a new application cycle with last year’s documents.
Reason 3: Live in the Present
You are not the same person or professional you were last year. Your Personal Statement should always focus on the person you are NOW. Assuming you are the type of residency candidate who moves forward and continues pursuing new Work, Volunteer, and Research experiences, those experiences should not be forgotten or only briefly mentioned. Residency programs are most interested in the person you are now, so your new Personal Statement needs to focus on your newest experiences to prove your resilience and growth.
The Medical Residency Personal Statement is one of the most important ERAS Application documents as it functions are your personal introduction to residency programs who do not know you in-person. It is also a document that residency candidates are most likely to want to cut corners or not put in their full effort, especially if you have applied before. Don’t fall into that trap! Residency programs need to see full effort every time you apply, and applying with a used Personal Statement definitely does not send the right message.
Need help creating new Personal Statements or editing your newly written Personal Statement draft? Get the professional help you need at: https://www.residencystatement.com/
Related Posts
Personal Statement’s Role in Post Match SOAP
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Updating your Personal Statement for SOAP
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Can You Use the Same Personal Statement for Different Schools?By accepted.com - Mar 17 , 09:15 AM Comments [0]  One of the questions we are asked most often by applicants to college and graduate programs is this: “I’m applying to six different schools, and each one requires 2-7 essays/personal statements . That’s so much writing! Can I reuse the same essay for different schools? How can I keep up the quality and not burn out while writing so many personal statements?” We understand. We even sympathize. Best of all, we have practical solutions about whether you can reuse some of your essays for different schools. First, if more than one school is asking a nearly identical question, it’s logical to use some or perhaps even most of it. However, the essay lengths may be different, and the wording will vary to some extent. Read each question out loud , so you actually hear exactly what they are asking. Many times, an essay prompt has more than one question within it. You don’t want to overlook any of their questions within the main question. Additionally, we have this advice: You can do this by developing different aspects even from a single experience. For example, if you plan to write about your first summer as a camp counselor at a sleepaway camp, in one essay you could describe how you worked to build a relationship with a lonely camper and help him or her develop more confidence and participate in more activities. During the same summer, you might also have been in charge of the drama group. This could offer the substance for a very different essay about teaching and organizing a group of highly energized, sometimes rowdy young teens. Don’t waste an opportunity to write about multiple aspects of the same experience that opened different doors to personal growth. You’ll be stretching your available material to cover more bases. With multiple essays/personal statements to manage, consider using a spreadsheet to list each question, the school asking it, and which experiences, accomplishments , and skills you can associate with those questions. This will help you avoid using the same experience, accomplishment, or skill for more than one question at a given school. Make a list of what you feel are your ten most positive qualities . Your list might include things such as: intellectually curious, eager for new experiences, sense of humor, strong DIY skills, and leadership. That was fun! Now, make a much shorter list (two or three at the most) of what you would consider your weakest traits. These might include: procrastination, too much binge-watching, and impatience. As you draft your essays, keep these different layers and textures of your personality in mind. (Sometimes, schools will ask you to identify a weakness and how you have worked to overcome it, so awareness of weaknesses doesn’t necessarily weaken your application!) Having this list front and center will spark additional insights and angles for your essays. In the process, you will reward the adcoms with a rich, multidimensional portrait of you as a human being. Check CAREFULLY (and then check again ) to make sure that you don’t forget to change a reference of “Michigan” to “Chicago” when you adapt or reuse your application essay. Sending a “Why I want to go to UPenn” essay to the Yale adcom, or sending a “Why I want to go to Columbia” to NYU doesn’t bode well for you! Do you need help writing (or recycling) your application essays? Could you benefit from an expert helping you identify the strongest elements of your experience and profile? We can help! Check out our Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED!  Related Resources:
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Copyright © 2022 Prep Club for GRE GRE® is a registered trademark of the Education Testing Services® (ETS ®). Prep Club for GRE website has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS  Can You Re-use Your Personal Statement For UCAS?In General , University by Think Student Editor May 10, 2022 Leave a Comment A personal statement is essentially a description of you. It is used to inform universities of your interests, talents and accomplishments. This will make you seem like a desirable applicant. Applying to university can be a stressful time. Your personal statement may seem daunting to write. But this article will help to put your mind at ease. By breaking it into steps, it can become much easier. Your personal statement is an account that you have written yourself. Therefore, you are able to reuse it for different UCAS applications because it is about you and written by you. There are copy catch systems in the personal statement library, owned by UCAS. These detect whether your personal statement is similar to previous entries. However, if your same name is used, then it is not plagiarism and can be reused. In this article, I will break down the most common questions regarding personal statements to hopefully make them easier for you to understand. Table of Contents Can you re-use your personal statement for UCAS if you have applied multiple times?As I have previously mentioned, UCAS can easily detect whether your personal statement is similar to other entries they have received. If your statement is similar to another by thirty percent or more, UCAS will be notified. To learn more about this, look here at this UCAS guide. However, if the similar statement was also entered by you, then it will not be classed as plagiarism. Your new personal statement will not be compared to your previous ones. Your statement will only be redundant if it is similar to another applicant’s personal statement. Do you have to change your personal statement if you are applying to the same university?You do not have to change your personal statement at all. However, it may be a good idea to do this if you didn’t get in the first time. It is not recommended to use the same personal statement if you didn’t get into your chosen university with it. This may be because certain things are missing. There are plenty of things you could add to make your personal statement even better. Universities may expect you to add new experiences to your personal statement, which you have collated over the previous year. If you want to discover how to boost your personal statement and stand out from the crowd, click here to visit the UCAS website. Should you re-use your personal statement when re-applying to medical school?The simple answer is no. Medical school universities expect you to write a new personal statement if you didn’t get a place the first-time round. It can of course be similar to your previous personal statement (as you are the same person!) but certain features would be expected to change. For example, you can write about the same qualities and experiences that have made you want to apply for the course. However, in your new statement, you could write about your experiences in the last year and how you have retained commitment to your goals. Therefore, if you don’t get into medical school the first time, it may be useful to have a productive gap year, meaning that you can add even more exciting things to your personal statement, which would make the universities want to give you a place. Why is it important to write your own personal statement?It is easy to think that writing a good personal statement can easily get you into university . However, you must remember the interviews. If you were to copy ideas from other applicant’s personal statements or write about things that you don’t know about, this could affect your chance of impressing the interviewer. This is because they may ask you questions about your personal statement. This means that you should never reuse other people’s ideas and should make the content as true to yourself as possible. You need to be prepared to talk about your personal statement, so make sure that you are familiar with what you have written and are ready to impress the interviewer! If you would like to explore more in-depth tips on how to smash that university interview, check out the Think Student article on top tips for interviews, by clicking this link . How long does the personal statement for UCAS have to be?A personal statement needs to contain a lot of information – considering its purpose is to summarise you! However, there is a 4,000-character limit. This results in an average of only 550-1,000 words. Your personal statement will therefore only be about a side of A4. However, you are only able to submit one personal statement when applying for five courses in one year. This means that your personal statement must be applicable for all of the courses you are applying to. This can be quite a challenging feat to achieve. If you need some guidance, the UCAS website can be helpful if you click here. What should your personal statement include?Your personal statement has quite a short word limit, because of this you need to make your sentences short but impactful with plenty of information which puts you in the best light. The best personal statements include reasons about why you want a place on the course. Therefore, it would be best if you check out each individual course’s website, this will show that you have researched the university’s courses and are eager to learn. You should also highlight any qualities and characteristics you have which you think will be beneficial to bring to the course. It would also be useful to mention any work you have done, for example volunteering, work experience or super curricular activities. The purpose of your personal statement is to present your best self to persuade a university to give you a place. Therefore, you shouldn’t rush it and you must proofread again and again to give yourself the best possible chance of success. To make sure your personal statement includes everything you need, check out this article on the Think Student website, by clicking this link. How do you write an Oxbridge personal statement?Oxford and Cambridge are two of the hardest universities in the world to get into. You must make sure that your personal statement is as good as it can possibly be in order to stand out from the crowd. It is best not to reuse any previous personal statements and focus on new experiences which could help you get into the course. The best tip for writing an Oxbridge personal statement is to start writing as early as possible. This is because it requires an immense amount of preparation. You also need to focus on being original and not falling into the trap of using clichés. The number of applications that say, “I’ve always been interested in this” and “ever since I was young” is too many. You should aim to stand out. Focus on your academic success and try and immerse yourself in as many experiences as possible. Tell them about unique hobbies you have and your goals for the future. Personal statements are your chance to look your best. Good luck with writing your personal statements!  Can I use the same personal statement for different law schools?As you can see, while one draft reflecting on a particular interest or story could respond to most of these law school personal statement prompts, you cannot - and should not - submit the same essay for all law schools . Make sure your essay is geared toward answering the question each institution asks. Should I use the same personal statement for all law schools?Can you use the same personal statement twice law school. If you are a re-applicant, consider adding a new recommender to your existing recommender pool, one that reflects your current activity and acts as an update to your application. Begin writing or re-writing personal statement/essay ; If you are a re-applicant do not use an essay from previous applications. Can you send the same personal statement to different schools?The good news is that you can submit the same personal statement to different schools . The personal statement is usually attached to the Common Application and the Coalition Application. The personal statement aims to get to know the applicant as a unique person. Can I reapply to law school with the same personal statement?Even though law schools may see your old materials, don't just submit the exact same essays. They will want to see a new personal statement and supplemental essays to show that you really are taking reapplication seriously . Some schools (like Penn Law) will ask you specifically why you didn't enroll in school. Applying to Multiple Law SchoolsCan I use the same personal statement if I reapply?You should contact your choices for further advice about your personal statement and provide any further information directly to them. I applied last year and I want to use my old statement – is this OK? It's OK to reuse your previous statement if you have applied before . Do law schools fact check your personal statement?Finally, this may go without saying, but don't stretch the truth or out-and-out lie in your personal statement. Law school admissions committees will be able to tell. And yes, they will check . Once you have a personal statement topic in mind, set aside some time to write—and just let yourself go. Is it okay to use the same personal statement?You shouldn't submit the same personal statement to multiple different schools , just changing the school and program names. Even though the application committee won't know this for sure, they'll get a sense that the whole statement is just a little too generic. Can you send the same personal statement twice?You should never use the same personal statement , when applying for multiple jobs you can use a similar statement for each, but it should be tailored to each individual role if possible. Is it okay to copy a personal statement?IMPORTANT: When writing your personal statement, it's vital you remember not to copy from anyone else's personal statement (not even just a sentence!). What not to say in law school personal statement?Lofty, pretty words that come off as vague should not be included in your law school personal statement. Be specific and look for overly abstract phrasings. If you notice one, try to determine if it's necessary and if so work on clarifying the point you are trying to get across. Are you allowed to reuse personal statements?If you're a reapplicant to medical school, you MUST rewrite your personal statement 100% . If you're applying with the same personal statement and applying to the same school, they'd look at your personal statement from last time and this time (they could!). And when they look the same but you're rejected last time. How long should you spend on law school personal statement?Law school applicants should plan to spend time brainstorming their topic, developing outlines, writing, proofreading, and revising their personal statements before submitting them. It can take law school applicants 2-4 weeks to write a good personal statement. How much do law school personal statements matter?The personal statement, one of the most important parts of your law school application, is an opportunity to highlight your writing ability, your personality, and your experience . Think of it as a written interview during which you get to choose the question. Is it bad to not write a diversity statement?Diversity statements are truly optional statements; there will not be a negative mark on your application if you don't have one . That said, it can offer a richer perspective on you as an applicant. Here are a few factors that may help you decide if writing a diversity statement would work for you. What should not be included in a personal statement?
Can you use the same personal statement as you did 3 years ago?It's OK to reuse your previous statement if you have applied before . However, if you are now applying in a different name, make sure you fill in the 'Previous Name' box when completing your application. Do you have to change your personal statement when reapplying?Your personal statement is the primary means by which you communicate your story in narrative form. It is also the one piece of your application that absolutely must be changed —and significantly so—if you are to be successful as a reapplicant. Do I need to rewrite my personal statement if I reapply?Yes, admissions committees expect you to write a new personal statement when reapplying to medical school . While your new essay can focus on a similar theme and communicate the same qualities from your previous personal statement, the anecdotes should change. Should you avoid using I in a personal statement?Consider The "I" Problem: This is a personal statement; using the first person pronoun "I" is acceptable . Writers often feel rather self-conscious about using first person excessively, either because they are modest or because they have learned to avoid first and second person ("you") in any type of formal writing. Do you need a different personal statement for each university?It is important that you personalize statements to individual schools . In doing so, be sure to remove all references to other schools. Law schools are fully aware that applicants apply to multiple programs; but schools want to feel as if you have a “special” interest in their program. Can you plagiarise your own personal statement?So long as the ideas are yours and you haven't copied someone else, you'll be fine . However if your personal statement's opening line is something like: “Ever since I was little I've wanted to be a…” then you should consider using something more original. Do law schools look at your Instagram?A study conducted by Kaplan Test Prep revealed that 43% of law school admissions officers have Googled or looked up applicants on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms . Furthermore, 37% said that they have found something online that negatively impacted an applicant's chances of admission. How do you write a killer personal statement for law school?
Who should read my law school personal statement?You should have a peer, professor, or admissions advisor read your essay. The core question to ask them to evaluate is, “Do you have a good sense of who I am and why I want to attend law school after reading this?” If the answer is no, revisions are necessary. For big changes, rewrite instead of editing.  Can You Use the Same Essay for Different College Applications?Personal statement or the primary essay, supplemental essays, additional information essay. I’m so confused! Can I use the same essay for all my college applications? You can use the same personal statement and additional information essays for all of your college applications. The supplemental essay is a bit different as it tends to be more specific school focused. Here is a breakdown of the types of application assays and whether or not using the same essay for different college applications is appropriate. Personal Statement or Primary Essay Can Be Used for All College ApplicationsYour personal statement will probably be the longest essay you will write. Although there are general prompts you can follow to write this essay, in reality, this can be any topic you choose, as long as it is about you. Many times Signature College Counseling doesn’t begin with the prompts, but rather delves into who the student is, uncovering their unique story. But, we digress here. Can you use this essay for different applications? Yes, that is the point of this essay! When you write it and copy the personal statement essay into the Common App or Coalition Application (or the like), it will be sent to ALL of the schools that you apply to using that application, if that school requires and allows you to do so (which really are 99% of the colleges you apply to). So, this is good news – one, single essay getting sent to many schools! Supplemental Essays Should Be Unique for Each School’s ApplicationSupplemental essays are responses to prompts asked by a specific school. They are typically shorter in length and more focused. Questions typically include “Why do you want to attend this school?” or “Why have you selected this major?”. Sometimes, the prompts can be more esoteric, like, “Select a person in history or who is currently living who you would like to have dinner with and tell us what you would like to discuss with them” or “Please tell us five interesting facts about you.” Here’s the thing, you may think that you can copy and paste “why this school” essay or “why this major” essay to another school that asks the identical question, but I will tell you that the exact opposite is the case. You want to be absolutely sure and do your research to express to that school why you have chosen them. Be specific and make sure you do your homework so the reader doesn’t feel that you have just copied this essay from one that you had written for another school. Trust me, they know when you do so. Do not speak in generalities, be specific and heartfelt. That being said, when we have students that have to write a series of essays, inevitably there is a series of themes that transcend throughout. So, you may not be able to copy an essay word for word, but you absolutely will be able to take portions of an essay, or essays, that you have written and apply it to another college’s supplemental essay. This doesn’t happen all of the time, but it definitely does occur. The Same Additional Information Essay Can Be Used for Different SchoolsAn additional essay is not required and is not used by every student. It should be used when you need to clarify or explain something in your high school career or personal life, or expand on an activity that is necessary to do so since the 150 characters in the activity section or your resume doesn’t do justice to. This just names a few reasons to use this section. And yes, this essay gets sent to ALL of your schools through the Common App or Coalition Application. What Does This All Mean for You?There are essays you will write that will go to all of your schools and there are essays you will write that you can take all or part of and apply them to another college’s supplemental essay prompts. The most important thing is that you put forth effort and give your all to writing your essays since this is a way for your application to come to life, for the readers to get to know you and who you are. Be thoughtful, make sure your essays are written to best reflect who you are, be sincere and genuine, and make sure they are grammatically correct. Everything speaks. Looking for help with the college admissions process? We help students and families through the entire college planning journey from search, and essays to interview prep, financial aid consultation and final school selection. Contact us at info@signaturecollegecounseling.com or by phone, 845.551.6946. We work with students through Zoom, over the phone and by email.  Via Zoom Across the USA! We work via Zoom with students and families throughout the USA. CONTACT US How Can We Help?Recent posts, when does fafsa open for 2025-2026, new act test changes coming in 2025, tips for writing a college application essay, do colleges look at extracurricular activities, college admissions stress – strategies to manage overwhelm, how to make a list of colleges, pros and cons of applying to college as an undecided major, can i ask for more financial aid, peeling back the layers of the signature college counseling team, how to plan a college visit.
Reusing Personal Statement
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SpoiledMilkYou can, but ideally you'd want to rewrite the PS and any 2nds to incorporate new experiences, etc...  AllBleedingStopsSeems like a bad idea. Have you improved or done anything different since your last application?  Moving up the totem pole again.Unless your personal statement is objectively flawless - which I would bet a very large sum of money it is not -, do not copy and paste your personal statement. It doesn’t have to be a total rework or a completely unique story. However, go over it and add another coat of polish. Clarify some things. Add some anecdotes. Remove some anecdotes. Do something.  I have heard from AdCom's directly to rewrite personal statements and experiences... the Dean of Admissions at the school I did my SMP at told me that it's viewed as lazy if you reuse. If you didn't get in last cycle, that should be an indicator that you might want to change up your primary/secondaries! While you can keep the same shell, you should revamp the personal statement to reflect how you've grown/experiences you've had since the past cycle. I pretty much had the same first paragraph for mine but I reworded it with better language. I highly advise working with people to help you change it up; other perspectives are very helpful when it comes to finding new, clearer ways to phrase things.
You don't necessarily need a bunch of new experiences to re-write your essay. You also should have grown emotionally and mentally, allowing you to incorporate new viewpoints and lessons you've learned from old experiences based on how 'mature' and 'enlightened' you are now.  @gonnif beat me to it. If you got numerous interview invitations, that would suggest that your PS was strong and you should "edit visibly but with discretion" rather than re-write it. If you didn't get many interviews, take the hint and do a re-write.  PreMedLed said: OOS, 506, 3.52 cGPA, 3.34 sGPA. One interview at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University For MD Click to expand... You gotta apply DO during reapplication along with changing your PS and essays... Similar threads
Can I reuse last year personal statement"<p>Hi I’m reapplying to the UC this year. I’m wondering if I can reuse my last year’s personal statement or would I have to come up with a new one?</p> <p>The old one is tainted with failure. Create a new one.</p> <p>^ damn…</p> <p>I’d be curious about that myself, my Personal Statement is a beautiful 10, I couldn’t write something as openly passionate and honest again and there’s a chance I might not get in where I want this year so…God forbid, if I have to take a 5th year at a CCC and want to reuse my fantastic personal statement a second time.</p> <p>I was about to ask myself. </p> <p>I actually did get in last year. Do you think it would be a good idea to use my personal statements again? I will however, add a few things to prompt #2 .</p> <p>Its totally fine to reuse them. But since you have the opportunity, I would edit them and make them nicer (assuming you don’t have a 10). Hopefully new things have happened in a year that’s worth noting about??</p> <p>Hey, </p> <p>I actually asked a UCD Admissions person that when I was rejected for freshmen admissions. Here’s what they said: </p> <p>Dear Dezziner,</p> <p>Yes the same topics can be discussed. However, we prefer for transfer students that the application discuss recent activities and accomplishments; one completed after high school. You will also find that one of the personal statement questions is different for transfer students than for freshman applicants. If you choose to use the same responses we wouldn’t know that they were the same ones you used before.</p> <p>I hope this helps, UCD Admissions</p> <p>^ lol That makes sense because the freshman personal statement has one different prompt than the transfers. And of course, transfers want to talk about their college life.</p> <p>But if you’re reusing an old statement from a previous transfer attempt, then that is fine.</p> <p>^YAY, because I seriously don’t think the personal statement could be made any better than it is now, thanks to ~5 months of tweeking it’s at the pinnicle of yumminess.</p> <p>As many can attest, that Davis admissions representative is probably lying to you, because according to the last page of this PDF <a href=“ http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/files/cc10_transfermatrix_final.pdf[/url] ”> http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/files/cc10_transfermatrix_final.pdf</a> , Davis is one of the 5 UCs that chooses not to review the personal statement for evaluating your admission. It’s likely that his/her answer was what they were “trained to say” by their supervisor.</p> <p>well in all fairness</p> <p>“While campuses vary in use of the personal statement, all use it to evaluate gaps in applicants’ educational history or in the evaluation of applicants for certain scholarships.”</p> <p>…in which experiences in the college level are needed.</p> <p>And more than likely an applicant would have more than just Davis on their list of schools. <em>lying</em> is such a strong word :)</p> nah, it’s fine</p> <p>Well, I said it was something I asked three years ago and I do know that Davis themselves don’t look at it. But I think they’re right in saying they don’t keep your application on file so they wouldn’t know you used the same statement.</p> <p>I’m re-using my second prompt. I tried to write a new one but all the people I had proofread it agreed my previous years essay was better so I just tidied it up and added a few things but it’s at least 85% the same as last year.</p>
Applying to university
We have a responsibility to our applicants, course providers, and stakeholders to screen applications for false, missing and/or misleading information, check personal statements for patterns of similarity, and to report our findings. Our aim is to avoid anyone gaining from an unfair advantage and securing a place by deception. If you provide true, complete, and accurate information, and if your personal statement is all your own work, then you have nothing to worry about. For more information about our processes, please view the documents below:  Read our FAQs about similarity in personal statements . You might also like to readFilling in your ucas undergraduate application, sponsored articles ucas media service, five reasons to sign up to the ucas newsletter, top 5 things to do at an open day, find your perfect nhs course today. This discussion is now closed.
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I would use the same general statement and modify it slightly, assuming that your original statement was well-thought out. You should have an admissions advisor from a medical school look it over if you haven't already (if possible, have several of them look it over).
Don'ts. Don't be modest or shy. You want your passions to come across. Don't exaggerate - if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement. Don't use quotes from someone else, or cliches. Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important ...
2. Chart your list of essays and the qualities you associate with them. With multiple essays/personal statements to manage, consider using a spreadsheet to list each question, the school asking it, and which experiences, accomplishments, and skills you can associate with those questions. This will help you avoid using the same experience ...
6 years ago. alleycat393. 21. Original post by NIchemistry. I'm reapplying to university this year and wanted to know if it is possible for me to use the same personal statement I used during last years application cycle. I'm applying for same course but my uni options differ slightly from last year, so wanted to know if I need to write a new ...
If you're a reapplicant to medical school, you MUST rewrite your personal statement 100%. If you're applying with the same personal statement and applying to the same school, they'd look at your personal statement from last time and this time (they could!). And when they look the same but you're rejected last time.
Learn why you should not use the same personal statement for every graduate school program you apply to. Find out how to adapt your personal statement to each program's prompt, guidelines and other essays.
Here are some personal statement pointers depending on how different the courses you're applying to are: 1. If there are only slight differences, or you've chosen joint or combined degrees with slightly different subject combinations... This shouldn't be a problem. Just try to make everything in your statement as relevant as possible to all ...
Reason 1: Past Performance. The reality is that if you weren't successful during your previous residency application cycles, it is unwise to use the same documents you used before. It is possible that something within your Personal Statement or other documents could have gone amiss or presented the wrong message about you as an applicant. The ...
With multiple essays/personal statements to manage, consider using a spreadsheet to list each question, the school asking it, and which experiences, accomplishments, and skills you can associate with those questions. This will help you avoid using the same experience, accomplishment, or skill for more than one question at a given school.
It's OK to reuse your previous statement if you have applied before. However, if you are now applying in a different name, make sure you fill in the 'Previous Name' box when completing your application. We will then know it's you when we process your personal statement.
Therefore, you are able to reuse it for different UCAS applications because it is about you and written by you. There are copy catch systems in the personal statement library, owned by UCAS. These detect whether your personal statement is similar to previous entries. However, if your same name is used, then it is not plagiarism and can be reused.
Score: 4.5/5 (9 votes) . As you can see, while one draft reflecting on a particular interest or story could respond to most of these law school personal statement prompts, you cannot - and should not - submit the same essay for all law schools.Make sure your essay is geared toward answering the question each institution asks.
Contact us at [email protected] or by phone, 845.551.6946. We work with students through Zoom, over the phone and by email. You can use the same personal statement and additional information essays for all of your college applications. Supplemental essays are unique for each school's application.
A. Solid.Snake. 12. Yes you can use the same personal statement again. It will get flagged up by UCAS's similarity checker but when they investigate it they will see it is the same person through the name and date of birth. Although, you may be tempted to use the same personal statement as last time, you might want to use this as an opportunity ...
Yes you are, last year i applied through ucas and recieved offers, however i didnt achieve my grades to meet those offers. this year i retook some a levels and reapplied through ucas, used pretty much the same personal statement with a few sentences here and ther changed but overall its an copy. they cant say anything as u cant plaigarise ur own work. i dont know why other people are saying ...
In order to apply, a student fills out an online form that asks basic information and asks a few specific questions (major, classes taken, etc). Then based on the answers, it recommends several scholarships that the student may be eligible for. Each scholarship asks for a few essays, which are submitted thru the college scholarship web portal.
Can you use the same personal statement for MD twice? This is my second year applying and I was wondering if I can reuse my personal statement for MD. Thanks. Members don't see this ad. S. SpoiledMilk Full Member. 7+ Year Member. Joined Nov 11, 2015 Messages 1,774 Reaction score 2,788.
<p>Yes the same topics can be discussed. However, we prefer for transfer students that the application discuss recent activities and accomplishments; one completed after high school. You will also find that one of the personal statement questions is different for transfer students than for freshman applicants.
Basically you need to show that your year has been put to good use, and if you use the same PS it doesn't look like you have changed at all in that time. There was someone I've talked to who applied once and got interviews but no offers - so assumed their PS was ok, took a gap year and reapplied with the same PS and got no interviews. Feedback ...
If you provide true, complete, and accurate information, and if your personal statement is all your own work, then you have nothing to worry about. For more information about our processes, please view the documents below: Fraud and verification - applicants' guide (226.98 KB) Similarity - applicants' guide (228.61 KB)
Yeah you can if you are reapplying the year after if you were unsuccessful the first time round, they don't say it is plagiarism if the same person sent the same statement twice, seeing as you wrote it the first time round. Obviously if you changed your statement they will still check. Reply 5. 13 years ago. A.
Above is nonsense, you can certainly use the same personal statement. When you create your new UCAS application, you will be (eventually) assigned the same UCAS ID as your last application, linking the two together and meaning you cannot plagiarize your own statement. Self plagiarism is a thing, but you really never know till you get caught.
19. 35 classic. can we use the same personal statement, thats been submitted this year for next year? The truth is that you can re-submit your own PS again quite safely but should update it to reflect your changed circumstances, the extra year's acheivements and lessons learned from the previous application. Reply 7.