Have you ever re-applied to a program/PI and get accepted after being rejected the first time?

[1|]010ls10o]

I know the sample might be biased, but I was wondering how common it was for people who reapply to the same program/PI to be admitted after a year (or more) of preparation. If you did, what did you change the second time around? Did you contact your PI?

My dream schools rejected me, but I'd like to try again next year. Not sure how viable of a plan that is. My grades and scores are good, so I'm assuming they rejected me after seeing my CV/statement/LORs.

The other poll asked how many cycles before someone entered a clinical psychology PhD program. This is a refinement. What do y'all think?

Edited January 31, 2018 by 21ny14

[FacelessMage]

I got accepted to my current program after 2 previous application attempts (one with an interview, one without). 

To be honest, grades and GRE scores will only get you so far. Assume everyone applying has a great GPA/GRE profile. You need to make sure you're excelling in your CV and SOP as well because that's where applicants will usually stand out. 

[1|]010ls10o]

Yeah my effort would be spent on working on publications, and mainly on writing a SOP that doesn't make me feel ashamed.

@FacelessMage so you applied to the same program/PI thrice? Did you have any contact with the PI after the 1st/2nd time? Wondering what you did to improve your shot after the 1st/2nd.

Edited January 31, 2018 by 21ny14

[HigherEdPsych]

I was granted admission into a program that I had previously been denied to the year before (no interview offered the first time) - given, I was not the first pick but an alternate. I used the same GRE scores and my GPA had not changed. In fact, I even used the same general SOP including what had changed during the course of the year. What did change was my number of publications and presentations and presumably my LORs given the time in between the application. 

[FacelessMage]

1 hour ago, 21ny14 said:

Yeah my effort would be spent on working on publications, and mainly on writing a SOP that doesn't make me feel ashamed.

@FacelessMage so you applied to the same program/PI thrice? Did you have any contact with the PI after the 1st/2nd time? Wondering what you did to improve your shot after the 1st/2nd.

I published a few papers (first and second author) and worked in a research/stats heavy job for a while that exposed me to some clinical work. I also did some networking, although ymmv depending on research speciality. 

[b_l91]

This is second-hand information, but it's pretty common to apply to programs twice. I wouldn't recommend *only* applying to the same programs (diversifying your applications is a good thing), but if your dream schools are still your dream schools in a year's time, go for it! On one hand, if there was something about your application that got it tossed early and you come back with a much stronger application, no one is going to remember it from a year ago. On the other hand, if you were a strong applicant and they do remember you, it will demonstrate your commitment to their program as well as some good character traits. What you have to remember is that nothing about this process is personal, and you shouldn't take rejections as a slight. Furthermore, there are SO many reasons an application can be tossed out. I was talking with a 5th year at a program I applied to, and one of the professors in that program does research in a super small niche field, so students will often apply for 2-3 cycles just to work with her. I hope this helps. Best of luck! I hope this next year will be productive for you.

[Sherrinford]

A lot of people have done this (I know a quite a few). But you should know it varies by program and faculty. I've heard of certain schools/programs that would not take students they rejected the first time, but it seems this is less common.

[1|]010ls10o]

1 hour ago, Sherrinford said:

A lot of people have done this (I know a quite a few). But you should know it varies by program and faculty. I've heard of certain schools/programs that would not take students they rejected the first time, but it seems this is less common.

Which programs?

[PsyDuck90]

I'm only in my 1st cycle, but the POI in my top choice program told me that they wished they could've extended me an interview invite and stated I should apply again next year if I don't enter a program this fall. I'm assuming not all programs operate like this, but given the low acceptance rate, many schools understand the importance of persistence. You could be an ideal candidate, but so can 2 other people, and all of you are vying for 1 or 2 spots. 

[ContentFaces]

Just happened to me! Take a year to get your bearings, gain more research/applied experience and sharpen (or expand) your goals. 

For me the biggest issue was that I tried to tailor one of my ideas to the program/POI, rather than opening myself and framing myself as a valuable contributor to their team. For me this meant throwing my statement of intent out the window and starting again from scratch.

Also if you have any external funding applications, it may be advantageous to write a proposal specifically off their research, so they can see that you're serious about their work and being a part of their lab.

Additionally I suggest broadening the variety of programs you apply to for the next round, and keeping your options as open as possible.

Edited February 11, 2018 by ContentFaces