Official 2008 Secondary Questions Thread

[skinnylindsay]

Is anyone else having trouble logging into the Wake Forest applicant website? Do they screen secondaries?

It took me a few tries before I was finally able to log in. When I got through, it basically just said that they were reviewing my AMCAS app and would email me if I was invited to fill out a secondary.

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[AMPed]

For the people who have received VCU- are you all in-state?

I'm out of state. I'm applying to their MD/PhD program too. Don't know if that makes a difference, but just throwing it out.

 

[babyg801]

I am instate, verified 6/22 and I haven't received secondaries from VCU or EVMS yet. VCU has acknowledged my application though. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.

 

[Straight Cali]

Hey,
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. When I go to print my chicago essays, the text is no longer seperated into paragraphs like it was in the prompt window. Any suggestions?

 

[spanamit]

I had the exact same problem! Hehe. I submitted anyways.

 

[FlowLimited]

I am instate, verified 6/22 and I haven't received secondaries from VCU or EVMS yet. VCU has acknowledged my application though. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.

You shouldn't be worried about EVMS. They've been sending theirs out very gradually as opposed to in batches. Also, if you're in-state, I would almost guarantee that you'll get a secondary from both VCU and EVMS.

 

[josh999123]

Anyone else get that email from USF?

 

[Samus Aran]

Anyone else get that email from USF?

yep, i got the same email this morning

 

[viciouz]

If its been about a week since I sent my letters in... and my app status hasn't changed to "Complete," should I call the schools and find out whats going on?

 

[FlowLimited]

If its been about a week since I sent my letters in... and my app status hasn't changed to "Complete," should I call the schools and find out whats going on?

I'd give it some time. It's still early in the application season, so I wouldn't start worrying. Maybe give it another week. Then again, there's nothing wrong with calling.

 

[AMPed]

I'd give it some time. It's still early in the application season, so I wouldn't start worrying. Maybe give it another week. Then again, there's nothing wrong with calling.

Depends. Some schools specifically ask you not to contact them about your app for a certain amount of time. I'd double check - don't want to irritate them.

 

[chudog15]

Unfortunately, the login and password they gave me doesnt work. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[whateva07]

So just got Wake Forest's email. I dont know if its for a secondary or just to check your status...but anyways it says technical difficulties. I guess everyone else is in the same boat.

 

[Phoenix.]

Unfortunately, the login and password they gave me doesnt work. Does anyone else have this problem?

I had a problem with Tufts at first too. But I found that if you retype the password in instead of copying and pasting it in, it works!

For anyone that's gotten into Tufts' secondary yet, what did you think of the following question?: "Is there any compelling personal reason or circumstance/history that motivates you to attend TUSM in particular or to study in Boston, as opposed to attending another school or studying in another city?" Do you guys think this is just another of those "tell us "why us?"" questions, or do they only want you to answer if you have a "COMPELLING personal reason," which sounds to me like they don't want to hear me talking about how I like their curriculum or focus or special opportunities there. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

I have yet to be able to get into Wake Forest's web site.

 

[waitforme]

Hey,
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. When I go to print my chicago essays, the text is no longer seperated into paragraphs like it was in the prompt window. Any suggestions?

oh gosh. i thought i was the only one. i submitted it and then saw that! probably just a problem with the prgm. just to confirm, there's no place to check the status of the UChicago application right?

 

[boardem101]

just to confirm, there's no place to check the status of the UChicago application right?

there is a place:

https://secure.bsd.uchicago.edu/pritzker/secure/login.shtml

 

[peechykeen513]

Come on, at least spell my 7th grade aim name right! ;-) I was varified late June, but I know people are getting UCSD's secondaries everyday. They screen pretty heavily so it will take longer as more people send in their AMCAS app's. Hope that helps!

 

[Fiddlergirl]

Hopefully someone understands application-speak better than I. On the VCU secondary, it asks ".Please share with us your thoughts on specialties and how you plan to choose yours (limit of 250 words.)" I'm not sure what exactly they want. Do you all think they want a comparison of different specialties or a paragraph or two on what I think I would like to be, based on my current experience?.

 

[gujuDoc]

Hopefully someone understands application-speak better than I. On the VCU secondary, it asks ".Please share with us your thoughts on specialties and how you plan to choose yours (limit of 250 words.)" I'm not sure what exactly they want. Do you all think they want a comparison of different specialties or a paragraph or two on what I think I would like to be, based on my current experience?.

I'd assume a paragraph or two on what you think you'd like to be and how you arrived at that conclusion.

 

[doinmybest5840]

Has anybody received secondaries from Loyola, University of Toledo, University of Louisville, or Wayne State?

 

[Jsmooth]

did anybody else leave the additional information section of Uchicago's secondary blank??

 

[boo-yeh]

Has anybody received secondaries from Loyola, University of Toledo, University of Louisville, or Wayne State?

I got Louisville's two days ago.

 

[doinmybest5840]

I got Louisville's two days ago.

Hmm... things aren't looking for me then. Your grades aren't that much higher and your MCAT is pretty much the same, so I guess either the cut-off is between our scores, or I'll get it later maybe. Meh.

 

[bullishMD]

I had a problem with Tufts at first too. But I found that if you retype the password in instead of copying and pasting it in, it works!

For anyone that's gotten into Tufts' secondary yet, what did you think of the following question?: "Is there any compelling personal reason or circumstance/history that motivates you to attend TUSM in particular or to study in Boston, as opposed to attending another school or studying in another city?" Do you guys think this is just another of those "tell us "why us?"" questions, or do they only want you to answer if you have a "COMPELLING personal reason," which sounds to me like they don't want to hear me talking about how I like their curriculum or focus or special opportunities there. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

I have yet to be able to get into Wake Forest's web site.

yeah i dont know what i am gonna do for that question yet either

 

[boo-yeh]

Hmm... things aren't looking for me then. Your grades aren't that much higher and your MCAT is pretty much the same, so I guess either the cut-off is between our scores, or I'll get it later maybe. Meh.

I think it might be because I'm from Virginia and they prefer in-state and border state applicants. My guess is we got the first batch of secondaries. I'm sure you'll get yours soon enough.

 

[bhollowp]

Wake's website worked fine for me this afternoon, but it won't now, so I guess they had some bugs they discovered after they first launched it. Or maybe some bandwidth issues. No worries though if you haven't seen it - it only said that they received the primary application and would be screening them and contacting us by email with further updates.

 

[Jsmooth]

yeah i dont know what i am gonna do for that question yet either

yeah same here..the wording seems to suggest that they are looking for some sort of particular circumstance/reason and not just any attractive qualities of the school though...i'm leaning towards leaving it empty...but any other suggestions would be very helpful. thanks.

 

[Bre]

I went ahead and just left it empty, maybe it will come back to haunt me who knows.

 

[Phoenix.]

did anybody else leave the additional information section of Uchicago's secondary blank??

Yup, after much deliberation, I decided that I'd pretty much said everything I wanted to say in my PS and the additional "fit" essay, so I left it blank.

 

[Phoenix.]

Has anybody received secondaries from Loyola, University of Toledo, University of Louisville, or Wayne State?

I got a snail mail letter from Loyola today saying that they would review my application once my MCAT score was available, and not to send them anything in the interim. Guess I'm on a pre-secondary hold until my MCAT arrives. You guys might want to check your mailboxes for correspondence from Loyola this week. Then again, I'm in Chicago, so if you're out of state it might take longer to arrive.

 

[doinmybest5840]

I got a snail mail letter from Loyola today saying that they would review my application once my MCAT score was available, and not to send them anything in the interim. Guess I'm on a pre-secondary hold until my MCAT arrives. You guys might want to check your mailboxes for correspondence from Loyola this week. Then again, I'm in Chicago, so if you're out of state it might take longer to arrive.

Thanks for the update! I will definitely keep an eye out this next week.

 

[Phoenix.]

yeah same here..the wording seems to suggest that they are looking for some sort of particular circumstance/reason and not just any attractive qualities of the school though...i'm leaning towards leaving it empty...but any other suggestions would be very helpful. thanks.

What do you think about Tufts' diversity question? I put "yes" and then just answered with a one liner. So far. Debating whether I should expand upon it or not. I wonder if people get interviews who don't put anything down for those quasi-optional questions. Their blurb at the top of the page certainly sounds like they don't hold it against you. Or do they?

 

[Jsmooth]

i'm not liking tufts so far...its so ambiguous...but i'm figuring for the diversity thing it wouldn't hurt to write something in..

 

[UberCaffeinated]

Thanks for the reply. I got the Initial Contact one yesterday at 6pm and I still have yet to get my login info. I don't think it went in my spam...I've been deleting things in there, and I don't think I saw it there, although I'm panicking now and doubting myself. Did the login email go into your spam box? I have gmail...

Thanks!!

Nope, no SPAM. I have gmail, too. Maybe call them?

 

[Boogsie]

I was so happy about getting the VCU secondary until I saw this...

The admissions committee requests that you write another essay that provides us with some insight into you as a person. The content should NOT repeat anything that we can learn from the AMCAS essay. However, other than that you may discuss any topic you choose. The essay has a limited length, so be certain that you know your material will fit in the allotted space (approximately 500-600 words).

Ummmmm, I wrote every interesting thing about myself in my PS, and that is what I thought most people did...any general ideas? I, and I'm sure others, would really appreciate it!!

 

[AMPed]

I was so happy about getting the VCU secondary until I saw this...

The admissions committee requests that you write another essay that provides us with some insight into you as a person. The content should NOT repeat anything that we can learn from the AMCAS essay. However, other than that you may discuss any topic you choose. The essay has a limited length, so be certain that you know your material will fit in the allotted space (approximately 500-600 words).

Ummmmm, I wrote every interesting thing about myself in my PS, and that is what I thought most people did...any general ideas? I, and I'm sure others, would really appreciate it!!

Some things I'm thinking about for this essay are: expanding on one or two activities that I touched on in my PS, discussing how some of my ECs effected my personal development and motivate me to pursue medicine, recycling and expanding on Columbia's "What satisfaction do you expect to get from being a physician" essay, or one of the other secondary essays I've already written (maybe Chicago's "Difficult situation you've overcome"). I think all of these things offer them insight into who you are as a person, your thought process and motivation.

 

[SoccerMD12]

Just received University of Pennsylvania's secondary via email. No essays if you didn't know... took me 5 minutes to complete and pay.

 

[ccahr]

Am I the only loser that hasn't gotten the BU secondary yet? It's been 2 weeks since the first person on SDN got his/hers.

 

[GreenMudPhud]

Am I the only loser that hasn't gotten the BU secondary yet? It's been 2 weeks since the first person on SDN got his/hers.

i still don't have it. they are sending in batches. stop worrying.

 

[nskittles57]

i still don't have it. they are sending in batches. stop worrying.

I think this is the forth or fifth time I have seen you write this in this thread...don't you wish people would search a little before getting worried in early July!!!!

 

[mvenus929]

I got University of South Carolina's secondary this morning. No, I am not a resident (at least, I didn't claim to be on my AMCAS).

No major essays, just a couple explanations to "I am not a SC resident" or "I have previously applied to USC school of medicine", plus the SHORT essay "What are your medical practice goals?"

 

[Phoenix.]

I just called BU to check on my status since my LORs were available via VirtualEvals a week ago, and they're still not registered as having been received on BU's status page. The woman I spoke to said that they're using a new system, and that once it's up and running it should only take a few days to show receipt of electronic LORs. However, she said that it could be a couple of weeks before it's fully up and running and people start to see that their letters are marked as received on their staus page. Just an FYI.

 

[letitgo]

Does anybody know how Penn determines state residency? Is it the permanent or temporary address you list on AMCAS (or something else)?

 

[ccahr]

I think this is the forth or fifth time I have seen you write this in this thread...don't you wish people would search a little before getting worried in early July!!!!

hehe Just another nervous premed here

 

[GreenMudPhud]

I think this is the forth or fifth time I have seen you write this in this thread...don't you wish people would search a little before getting worried in early July!!!!

It is getting a bit redundant yes. Just read the stupid posts people!

 

[relf]

Just got RFUs secondary: "At Rosalind Franklin University, we celebrate and support a Life in Discovery. Briefly describe what a Life in Discovery means to you."

 

[Jsmooth]

so i submitted chicago yesterday and this morning checking the status page, it still says my secondary has not been submitted and that my fee hasn't been paid...anybody else seeing this?

 

[boardem101]

so i submitted chicago yesterday and this morning checking the status page, it still says my secondary has not been submitted and that my fee hasn't been paid...anybody else seeing this?

It takes a couple of days for it to change, but it will.

 

[doinmybest5840]

Just got RFUs secondary: "At Rosalind Franklin University, we celebrate and support a Life in Discovery. Briefly describe what a Life in Discovery means to you."

Do they screen?

 

[prznpremed]

does anyone have any advice as to how to approach this 'life in discovery' essay??? It's a little strange for a prompt... Any successful people from last year?