While I think we can never know for sure and I find it hard to believe that the adcom would NOT recheck your past application to see what notes they had before they actually admit a reapplicant,
I have a client this year who called all of the top programs about this and it seems like Kellogg is the only one who said they definitely will look back at the past app upon their first review of a reapplicant's new submission. (The other schools said they would NOT look back at it... but I'm wondering if that's only for their first review/interview-invite determination and they still would before actually admitting something.)
That being said, if you feel like you didn't put your best foot forward in your previous application with your WMM answer and have thought it through more thoroughly now, then yes, I do think you should rewrite it. But I would NOT mention anything about your past application or actually say anything comparing it to what you wrote before. No need to call attention to it!
Good luck!
mvictor wrote:
SBCErikaOlson wrote:
Hi there -
I have worked with some successful Stanford reapplicants (note: they had all been interviewed in past attempts) and they mostly kept their What Matters Most essay the same. Because, I mean... wouldn't it be weird to CHANGE What Matters Most to you in the course of a year or so? Doing so would imply you hadn't really thought it through last time around. However, if there are additional examples/stories you can include in your response to provide further proof that you are "walking the walk" and actually DOING something about what matters most to you, that would be a worthy update to the essay. And if What Matters Most to you can somehow be tied to reapplying to Stanford then you could add that in as well (again, only if it makes sense -- not if it seems forced).
As for Essay 2, it's OK if you have tweaked your career goals (which would in turn slightly change your Why Stanford? details in that same response) -- perhaps you've done something else since the last time you applied that further solidified your goals or opened you up to a new direction. But if nothing has changed on that front either, that's OK too. Leave the essay the same.
Reapplying is mostly about taking the chance to see if you stack up better in the adcom's eyes with the new applicants you'll be compared to this year. But when it comes to a school like Stanford where the odds are so low in the first place, I would obviously recommend candidates apply to other schools as first-time applicants as well.
Best of luck!
actually, some really good questions...as a re-applicant, I would love to know what to do with essays as well...should I keep the same or should I re-write everything from the scratch?
Thank you, Erika,
What if, say, I did not reflect enough on my "what matters to you, and why?" essay, and now I think I need to have it completely changed? just wondering - Does the admission committee check the app for last year for the re-applicants?
_________________
I've been an admissions consultant with Stacy Blackman Consulting since 2008. I went to Harvard Business School for my MBA and Michigan Ross for my BBA. I currently host SBC's podcast, "B-Schooled," which can be found on all major podcasting apps. I have helped clients gain acceptance into all of the top programs and am a big believer in letting your voice and your personality shine through in your application materials. Best of luck!
Interested in a free 30-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Sign up here: https://stacyblackman.com/contactErika Olson | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | https://www.StacyBlackman.com
15 Jul 2017, 09:47
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