Official 2008 Secondary Questions Thread

[Jaded03]

I'll leave the editing of the list to the expert SDNers. I just wanted to let everyone know that LSU-NO is sending out secondaries via emails. I know they accept mainly in-state residents but just wanted to let everyone know.

I think the whole point of the list is not so much what the process is for the schools (like sending out e-mails). Rather whether or not the secondary has been opened or distributed. The links are actually linked to posted prompts for the secondaries. At least, this is how I interpreted it. Apparently, this is very interesting stuff for people.

On this note, someone must've posted that they got something from Vermont. I guess someone should take it off if no such thing has happened.

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[Jaded03]

Thank you so much!!

Wow, an actual thank you. That made my day.

 

[DrVanNostran]

Where is the Buffalo secondary? Is it invite only, or is it hidden on their webpage?

 

[Jaded03]

Where is the Buffalo secondary? Is it invite only, or is it hidden on their webpage?

Ask this guy. Good luck!

 

[waitforme]

Got email invite but giving me technical difficulties as well.

as far as i can tell, no questions for cincinnati. just some 'have you ever been convicted' and gap year questions. plus establishing ohio residence.

 

[anotherpremed]

On this note, someone must've posted that they got something from Vermont. I guess someone should take it off if no such thing has happened.

I got vermont early this week- no essay except an optional additional info section with 1000 characters that i have no idea what to do with

 

[mvenus929]

yea, that is weird how they reject you pre secondary since secondaries are usually open to ALL applicants.... hmm

Some schools screen, remember? For example, you only get a secondary (in-state) from UNC if you'll be invited to interview. So secondary and interview invite are the same. They obviously can't interview everyone, so you can get rejected pre-secondary.

[1] Please list the cities and town in which you have lived from birth to the present. Please include the present approximate population of each.

Ha ha... I'd have fun with that one.

 

[Phoenix.]

I got vermont early this week- no essay except an optional additional info section with 1000 characters that i have no idea what to do with

anotherpremed: Did Vermont's secondary this year also ask last year's question: "Please list the cities and town in which you have lived from birth to the present. Please include the present approximate population of each."

I've lived in 11 different cities. It'll be amusing to look up the populations. But why do they ask this? Do they only want to admit people who are used to living in a town the size of Burlington? If so, I'm out. I've lived in mostly big cities.

 

[nyct]

Where is the Buffalo secondary? Is it invite only, or is it hidden on their webpage?

I got it via email last week. They sent a login ID and password.

 

[IzzyMarieDMD]

Has anyone received secondaries or emails from the following schools....
thanks

Case
Creighton
Emory
Georgetown
Toledo
U of Colorado
U of S. Alabama
USF
Vanderbilt
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest

 

[anotherpremed]

anotherpremed: Did Vermont's secondary this year also ask last year's question: "Please list the cities and town in which you have lived from birth to the present. Please include the present approximate population of each."

yes they did. and im screwed too if they only want small town folk- ive lived in two places one 1.2 million, one .5 million...

 

[EyeballLove]

Hey Guys,
I'm working on the JHU essays and I was wondering if people could help me clarify something.
They ask what "area of medicine are you interested in".
Do they mean specialty, ie. Derm, Peds, Family..., or do they mean primary care, academic medicine, health policy, etc.
Any thoughts?

I think area means primary, academic, community, etc. If they were to ask a specialty (as you have stated), they would've asked you that. Besides, as a pre-med, most of us are not supposed to know which speciality we want to go into unless we have a very, very strong reason, right

 

[RJain]

Random: I've noticed some of these secondaries ask the applicant to ensure that MCAT score reports are sent. As long as all your scores were submitted with your AMCAs, this is already taken care of...right?

 

[Bluesmurf314]

I think area means primary, academic, community, etc. If they were to ask a specialty (as you have stated), they would've asked you that. Besides, as a pre-med, most of us are not supposed to know which speciality we want to go into unless we have a very, very strong reason, right

I dunno, seems like the whole "area of medicine" question is looking for the area you answer with to the two million people who ask " so what specialty are you looking into?" when they find out you're pre-med. I think including primary care/research/academia might be a good idea if you know that at the time, but in general it seems like they're looking for what specialty generally you're interested in. We're all interested in something a little different!

 

[chudog15]

For Miami's secondary app there are portions where the character limit is 375. Does that include spaces or not? The online app doesnt seem to warn you if you post 500 or 5 characters.

 

[doctortobe2012]

just making sure, dartmouth doesn't have any character limits, correct?

 

[Tropicana100]

just making sure, dartmouth doesn't have any character limits, correct?

Yes, as long it fits in the alloted space.

 

[Phoenix.]

For Miami's secondary app there are portions where the character limit is 375. Does that include spaces or not? The online app doesnt seem to warn you if you post 500 or 5 characters.

When you try to save or move on to the next page it will tell you if you're over the limit.

 

[chickenlittle84]

ARGH. For Boston University, neither their website nor the current MSAR says that they require calculus. On BU's own website it says the required courses are:

- English Composition or Literature (1 year)
- Humanities (1 year)
- General Chemistry (1 year) with Lab
- Organic Chemistry (1 year) with Lab
- Physics (1 year)
- Biology (1 year) with Lab

However, in the secondary, it lists calculus as a REQUIRED course and you need to fill in how many semesters of it you have taken. It lists as RECOMMENDED a bunch of others like genetics, biochem, etc.

I'm just annoyed because I would have preferred to have not thrown $30 away for no good reason. I did my research, and trusted that the MSAR and BU's own website would set forth if calculus was required. It's too late to talk to the office now, so I guess I'll just have to wait until Monday to clear this up. I'm guessing that they changed calculus to a required course, but forgot to update MSAR and their web site. Anyone else think that's not quite fair of them?

If you read the fine print, calculus is not required, but it is recommended along with stats and other college level math. The fine print says the chart they are asking you to complete is not really for admissions purposes, but for them to understand what kind of preparation students are applying with/coming in with. Worry not!

 

[Phoenix.]

If you read the fine print, calculus is not required, but it is recommended along with stats and other college level math. The fine print says the chart they are asking you to complete is not really for admissions purposes, but for them to understand what kind of preparation students are applying with/coming in with. Worry not!

Did we read the same secondary? Didn't calculus have a superscript "1" next to it just like bio, physics, chem and organic? And didn't the fine print say that a 1 in superscript denoted a required course? And courses with a "2" after them mean they're recommended? I saw the "2" next to stats and college level math. But unless my eyes are REALLY bad, there was definitely a "1" after calculus.

 

[NFiasco]

Should I submit my secondaries right away?? One of my required LORs are coming in at the end of JULY, should I just wait until I receive that LOR...or would there be an advantage to submitting my secondary without the LOR early? Thanks.

 

[anotherpremed]

Should I submit my secondaries right away?? One of my required LORs are coming in at the end of JULY, should I just wait until I receive that LOR...or would there be an advantage to submitting my secondary without the LOR early? Thanks.

I dont think it matters- they will not review your file until its complete. that being said just sumbit it because then your mailing/submitting will not hold it up as soon as the LOR comes in

 

[Jaded03]

Should I submit my secondaries right away?? One of my required LORs are coming in at the end of JULY, should I just wait until I receive that LOR...or would there be an advantage to submitting my secondary without the LOR early? Thanks.

I'm actually in a similar situation, but from what I've read you should submit the secondary and submit the letters you do have. Hopefully, someone will clarify.

For me, the secondary does allow for extra letters to be sent and so I would submit the two I am waiting on as additional ones. Luckily, I have the benefit of their secondary site being wonky ATM.

 

[Tropicana100]

Should I submit my secondaries right away?? One of my required LORs are coming in at the end of JULY, should I just wait until I receive that LOR...or would there be an advantage to submitting my secondary without the LOR early? Thanks.

They won't review your file until everything is received. If it's an electronic secondary, you can send it in as late as the day before your LOR's are received. If it's a mailed secondary, you should send it earlier in case mail gets lost.

 

[anotherpremed]

bump- don't want to this to go to the 2nd page...

 

[nutrition]

RJain!

You are Jain. So am I. Cool.

Yay for more Jains in medicine.

 

[nyct]

Probably a stupid question, but does everyone fill out their general bio/chem/phy/eng classes into the application when they ask for the course requirements?

I've been doing that up to this point, but I have better grades in some of the upper level bio classes. My A in Human Physiology would look better than my B in Bio 2, but I'm guessing it would look like I'm trying to pull a fast one on them...

 

[Tropicana100]

Probably a stupid question, but does everyone fill out their general bio/chem/phy/eng classes into the application when they ask for the course requirements?

I've been doing that up to this point, but I have better grades in some of the upper level bio classes. My A in Human Physiology would look better than my B in Bio 2, but I'm guessing it would look like I'm trying to pull a fast one on them...

Upper division courses do not satisfy general requirements.

 

[nick_carraway]

For U. of Cincinnati's prompt regarding "major activities" in your gap year, is it okay to write a short blurb (3 sentences) about your job and add in another 2-3 sentences to talk about one thing that you do for fun (a hobby)? Or is it best to answer and move on?

 

[GoSouthernGo]

Random: I've noticed some of these secondaries ask the applicant to ensure that MCAT score reports are sent. As long as all your scores were submitted with your AMCAs, this is already taken care of...right?

From what I understand, yes. Once your MCAT scores come in, your AMCAS app is updated and sent off to your designated schools again. You can e-mail AMCAS to confirm this.

 

[GoSouthernGo]

For U. of Cincinnati's prompt regarding "major activities" in your gap year, is it okay to write a short blurb (3 sentences) about your job and add in another 2-3 sentences to talk about one thing that you do for fun (a hobby)? Or is it best to answer and move on?

I've been out of a degree-granting program for 7 years, so I wrote about my job and things I like to do to keep me busy. I wrote more about my research and post-bacc coursework in my primary essay so I tried not to focus so much on that.

 

[GoSouthernGo]

Any IL schools' secondaries out yet?

 

[mvenus929]

Upper division courses do not satisfy general requirements.

They do if you have AP credits for Biology, and sometimes Chemistry.

 

[RollSkins]

Does anyone have UAB or USA secondaries? I see that UAB is on the list of schools that have sent out secondaries but I don't see the questions anywhere.

 

[midn]

Ok, I have several questions. I apologize in advance because I didn't read this entire thread before posting my questions and I don't know of a way to search specific threads.

Anyways, there is one "essay" on Baylor's secondary that states: "Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. 2000 character limit."

Do I write this like a formal essay like the PS with an intro, etc?

Lastly, I have my preferred address set to my permanent address because I'll be moving soon to another apartment. Problem is though, my parents are going away for a month on vacation and telling the post office to hold all mail. Is this going to cause a problem in getting secondaries from other schools or do most of them do it electronically nowadays?

 

[Tropicana100]

Ok, I have several questions. I apologize in advance because I didn't read this entire thread before posting my questions and I don't know of a way to search specific threads.

Click Search and then click "Show posts" bubble. You can now search individual posts.

Anyways, there is one "essay" on Baylor's secondary that states: "Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. 2000 character limit."

Do I write this like a formal essay like the PS with an intro, etc?

If you want, but you only have 2000 characters, so use your best judgment.

Lastly, I have my preferred address set to my permanent address because I'll be moving soon to another apartment. Problem is though, my parents are going away for a month on vacation and telling the post office to hold all mail. Is this going to cause a problem in getting secondaries from other schools or do most of them do it electronically nowadays?

Check back a couple pages on this thread and you'll see which secondaries sent out by snail mail and which ones are electronic.

 

[GreenMudPhud]

Any IL schools' secondaries out yet?

neg

 

[AMPed]

Ok, I have several questions. I apologize in advance because I didn't read this entire thread before posting my questions and I don't know of a way to search specific threads.

Anyways, there is one "essay" on Baylor's secondary that states: "Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. 2000 character limit."

Do I write this like a formal essay like the PS with an intro, etc?

Lastly, I have my preferred address set to my permanent address because I'll be moving soon to another apartment. Problem is though, my parents are going away for a month on vacation and telling the post office to hold all mail. Is this going to cause a problem in getting secondaries from other schools or do most of them do it electronically nowadays?

How about a quick survey:

In general, how much space do you need to write a formal essay?

I think that fewer than 400 words or 2000 characters is too short for a traditional 5 paragraph essay and questionable for a 3 paragraph essay. I've been doing 1 paragraph responses for everything 300 words and under and more formal essays for the questions that allow 500 words or more.

 

[Jaded03]

How about a quick survey:

In general, how much space do you need to write a formal essay?

I think that fewer than 400 words or 2000 characters is too short for a traditional 5 paragraph essay and questionable for a 3 paragraph essay. I've been doing 1 paragraph responses for everything 300 words and under and more formal essays for the questions that allow 500 words or more.

I agree. I wouldn't say my answers were single paragraphs though, but definitely without formal intro's or conclusions.

 

[whateva07]

On the Mc of Wisconsicin application, they have these options for LORS.

Which type of Undergraduate Letters of Recommendation will you be supplying ?
One Premedical Advisory Committee Letter
Two separate letters from classroom professors
Undergraduate Institution packet of letters


I have a premedical advisory committee letter, but as part of the packet I have individual letters from professors included in it.

Then they ask...

Do you wish to add optional letters to your file?

Then they ask to add the names of the letter writers.

I am confused about wheter I do this, because I have additional letters to my premed committee letter...but they are a part of the whole packet so then do I not count those as extra letters. ANYONE know abt this????

 

[Phoenix.]

On the Mc of Wisconsicin application, they have these options for LORS.

Which type of Undergraduate Letters of Recommendation will you be supplying ?
One Premedical Advisory Committee Letter
Two separate letters from classroom professors
Undergraduate Institution packet of letters


I have a premedical advisory committee letter, but as part of the packet I have individual letters from professors included in it.

Then they ask...

Do you wish to add optional letters to your file?

Then they ask to add the names of the letter writers.

I am confused about wheter I do this, because I have additional letters to my premed committee letter...but they are a part of the whole packet so then do I not count those as extra letters. ANYONE know abt this????

I have the same thing - a premed committee letter which includes my individual LORs. I just picked the "one premed advisory committee letter" and said I would not be adding optional letters. I think they just want to know if your LORs are "complete" when they've received your committee letter, or if they should keep your file open until they receive other letters. I don't think it matters that there are other letters attached to the committee letter.

 

[premeddick]

On the Mc of Wisconsicin application, they have these options for LORS.

Which type of Undergraduate Letters of Recommendation will you be supplying ?
One Premedical Advisory Committee Letter
Two separate letters from classroom professors
Undergraduate Institution packet of letters


I have a premedical advisory committee letter, but as part of the packet I have individual letters from professors included in it.

Then they ask...

Do you wish to add optional letters to your file?

Then they ask to add the names of the letter writers.

I am confused about wheter I do this, because I have additional letters to my premed committee letter...but they are a part of the whole packet so then do I not count those as extra letters. ANYONE know abt this????

I chose undergraduate institution packet of letters. I figured my packet would include my committee letter, and my other letters of recommendation that my committee is sending with it. I then chose no for optional letters since all my letter were in the "packet."

 

[whateva07]

I have the same thing - a premed committee letter which includes my individual LORs. I just picked the "one premed advisory committee letter" and said I would not be adding optional letters. I think they just want to know if your LORs are "complete" when they've received your committee letter, or if they should keep your file open until they receive other letters. I don't think it matters that there are other letters attached to the committee letter.

Ok cool. Thanks.

 

[chickenlittle84]

is there any way to change the font size in the adobe acrobat form? (GW secondary)? Thanks!

 

[whateva07]

I chose undergraduate institution packet of letters. I figured my packet would include my committee letter, and my other letters of recommendation that my committee is sending with it. I then chose no for optional letters since all my letter were in the "packet."

Oh see now its confusing. I'm thinking packet of letters means LORS that you are sending electronically wout committee letter. I think phoenix is right that we should just check committee letter, which includes any other LORS with it.

 

[premeddick]

Oh see now its confusing. I'm thinking packet of letters means LORS that you are sending electronically wout committee letter. I think phoenix is right that we should just check committee letter, which includes any other LORS with it.

You can check whatever box you want. My application is complete at MCW and all my letters have been verified as received from Virtual Evals.

 

[Phoenix.]

Oh see now its confusing. I'm thinking packet of letters means LORS that you are sending electronically wout committee letter. I think phoenix is right that we should just check committee letter, which includes any other LORS with it.

Ok, so here is how I see it. They give you three options:

1) One Premedical Advisory Committee Letter
2) Two separate letters from classroom professors
3) Undergraduate Institution packet of letters

1) I believe ithis is just a pre-health committee letter, which may or may not include attached LORs on which it is based;
2) If you're having letters sent in separately;
3) If your undergrad institution provides a service of collecting letters for you and sending them out, but they don't write a premed advisory committee letter.

At least, that's my take on it. I don't think that there will be a real issue if you check 1 vs 3.

 

[emquiksilver]

I recall that it's possible to be rejected pre-secondary. How do you know if you are rejected pre-secondary? Do the schools tell you? Or do they just ignore you?

Shameless bumping of a question...

 

[FlowLimited]

is there any way to change the font size in the adobe acrobat form? (GW secondary)? Thanks!

I don't think so. If you could change the font size to fit more in, that'd defeat the whole purpose of limiting your response to a certain number of lines.

 

[Phoenix.]

Shameless bumping of a question...

I'm guessing that if you're rejected pre-secondary that you will: 1) initially just not get the secondary, and 2) that eventually they will send you some kind of notification via email or mail that you have been rejected pre-secondary.

I wouldn't stress about not getting a secondary if it's just June or July since schools are just starting the app process, some schools send their secondaries out in batches, or perhaps send them out first to instate and then to OOS, or other such distinctions.

I'm sure if you're rejected pre-secondary you'll get notification of the rejection. I have no idea how timely they send out pre-secondary rejections, or if they string you along for months. Oh, and this would only be by schools that screen, of course. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.