Optional essays when reapplying

carpediem

Hi!
I'm a reapplicant and I'm thinking of sending in my apps this month.
I was just wondering if I would have to rewrite my why x essays as a reapplicant.
I've wrote a completely new PS but I'm not sure if I can write a new why essay without sounding too forced and generic.
Any opinion would be appreciated.
Thank you!

Law and Yoda

IMHO I don't believe you want to submit the same application twice. It could be that the first time you applied the law school had a lack of open seats, but there is the possibility that something else about your application didn't compel the admissions office to immediately offer you a spot in that class. Try to re-write your optional essays, re-edit all of your work, and improve the aspects of your package that you can. You should be open to change, no matter how painful it may be to rewrite those application essays. I liked what one of the Deans said during a forum (going off memory), "While all your writing samples don’t have to be completely re-written, they can’t be identical to the materials the admissions committee saw previously. Revise them to demonstrate an additional year of maturity, insight, experience and self-knowledge. We want to see what makes you different from one year ago and why that makes you a better fit this year."