I haven't received official rejections from most of my schools, but based on the decision postings here, I'm sure they're forthcoming. I've moved from depression to acceptance, and now want to start thinking positively about moving forward.
So to anyone here who has previously applied, been rejected, then tried again, and was accepted: any words of encouragement for us rejects? What did you do the second time around (or third) that improved your application and made the difference?
I've been out of school for eight years, and took a couple of post-bac classes to get back into the swing of academia, improve my grades, and get recent recommenders. It wasn't enough this time, but should I keep at it? Take more classes, improve my writing sample, hone my statement? Any practical advice, or just positive thinking advice, would be very welcome.