Reapplying to waitlisted school

[fasboo]

Hey All,

 

I just wanted to get some thoughts on those have experiences or feedback on reapplying to schools you were wait listed to in the first year. Here it goes: I was waitlisted to a very good social anthropology program, had an interview and then did not make it through. However, the fact that I was among a small group of waitlisted candidates I assume meant that my academic/professional record and my especially my SOP was good and pretty competitive. Now that I am reapplying to this particular department - what should i change or improve? My academic and professional record obviously has not changed much over the last few months since I applied and nothing I can change about that. In terms of my recommendations - i dont see any changes I can make there either. So that leaves my SOP that I can really only work on - now the fact that I was waitlisted means that the SOP was pretty good for this department and appropriate - I am a bit worried that if I redoing it will change too much and I may do something wrong - that may make me less of a 'fit'. So my question is really how much should my topic change? How much should my SOP change overall? I mean should the really good beginning paragraph be the same etc etc? Or should i improve the just writing? At the same time I also feel silly sending in exactly the same application? So how much should my application evolve?

 

Unfortunately, this particular department is very closed and I have not been able to get any feedback from the admissions folks or professors. 

 

Other than that, any experienced folks who are willing to give feedback on SOPs - I would like really like to share and get some input.

 

Thank you

[smg]

Hey All,

 

I just wanted to get some thoughts on those have experiences or feedback on reapplying to schools you were wait listed to in the first year. Here it goes: I was waitlisted to a very good social anthropology program, had an interview and then did not make it through. However, the fact that I was among a small group of waitlisted candidates I assume meant that my academic/professional record and my especially my SOP was good and pretty competitive. Now that I am reapplying to this particular department - what should i change or improve? My academic and professional record obviously has not changed much over the last few months since I applied and nothing I can change about that. In terms of my recommendations - i dont see any changes I can make there either. So that leaves my SOP that I can really only work on - now the fact that I was waitlisted means that the SOP was pretty good for this department and appropriate - I am a bit worried that if I redoing it will change too much and I may do something wrong - that may make me less of a 'fit'. So my question is really how much should my topic change? How much should my SOP change overall? I mean should the really good beginning paragraph be the same etc etc? Or should i improve the just writing? At the same time I also feel silly sending in exactly the same application? So how much should my application evolve?

 

Unfortunately, this particular department is very closed and I have not been able to get any feedback from the admissions folks or professors. 

 

Other than that, any experienced folks who are willing to give feedback on SOPs - I would like really like to share and get some input.

 

Thank you

 

I'd just work on making your SOP stronger even if that's just refining the writing a bit here and a bit there.  I can give feedback on an SOP.  I'm working on mine right now and would appreciate seeing what others are throwing out into the world. 

[AKCarlton]

I would probably address what improvements you've made to better yourself as a candidate. Did you study more? Retake the GRE? Volunteer at a museum? Partake in a field school? Just explain what makes you a better fit for their program this time around.