Reapplying with totally different personal statement?

bradk2so

I took my first LSAT last September, got a decent score for me, and applied to several schools. I got some nice scholarship offers, but I ultimately decided to hold off due to financial concerns. I'm retaking the LSAT this November and planning to take another shot at applying this December (some of the same schools as last year, some new ones). I've heard a lot of people recommend at least updating the old PS. However, I'm considering a topic that is totally different from last year's.

In my first PS, I wrote about the area of law I wanted to go into and my passion for that industry. Since then, I've been pondering a childhood hardship that I genuinely think has shaped me as a person and could make a pretty compelling story that directly ties into my desire to go into law.

But would it be a bad idea to apply to the same schools as last year with this completely different PS? I made no mention of the hardship in my first PS, and it's not like this was an experience that happened since my applications last year. I'm not quite sure why I didn't write about it in the first place. It's possible I didn't fully see how it would make sense as a personal statement, or it just felt strange to write about.

I haven't used this discussion tab much before... If I left out important details, please let me know. Thanks so much to anyone that takes the time to read this!