Official 2008 Secondary Essay Prompts Thread

little pebble said:

Umn, you start checking your status after you submit your secondary, right...? If not, how do you check it?

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It depends on if the school screens before the secondary or after the secondary. Some schools who screen give you a website to check and see your status before you receive a secondary- so you can see if your application has been reviewd or not.

VCU and Wake have done this for me. A couple of days after I received the initial email giving me the status website- my status was changed to say that I would reveive a secondary. I actually learned I was going to receive each school's secondary before I got an email from them.

boo-yeh said:

By the by, I'm thinking bad news awaits me in that email.

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me too here's to hoping!

what kinds of things do people write for the "tell us something thats not listed elsewhere" question? i was thinking of just saying why i'm interested in that school, but that seems trite.

Maybe im not gonna be the first to post this... but:

Dear XXX.

We are pleased to inform you that your application to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has been selected for further review. If you wish to remain under consideration, please complete your file by submitting the following information:

1. The Supplemental Information Form (available electronically by accessing the "2008 UCLA Application Status Database" at http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/prospective).



THERE IS A GOD. lol. i thought i would be below the cut offs, and I got this pretty early. I cant, however, FIND the prompt, once I log on. any advice?

Hey Guys-- I just got an email saying I've been invited to complete a secondary application at UCLA. I can't post any prompts yet, though, as there is a glitch in the system and I can't access the secondary yet.

cac08 said:

Hey Guys-- I just got an email saying I've been invited to complete a secondary application at UCLA. I can't post any prompts yet, though, as there is a glitch in the system and I can't access the secondary yet.

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Yea, I got it too but I'm having the same problem. Oh well, Im sure they'll fix it soon.

Ditto, glitches. Hurry up UCLA, you are my #1. Do I get "points" for having a parent alumni?

Does anyone know the character limits for the 6 essays on the Loyola App? The prompts are posted but have none of this info. Thanks!

soulspokn said:

Maybe im not gonna be the first to post this... but:

Dear XXX.

We are pleased to inform you that your application to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has been selected for further review. If you wish to remain under consideration, please complete your file by submitting the following information:

1. The Supplemental Information Form (available electronically by accessing the "2008 UCLA Application Status Database" at http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/prospective).



THERE IS A GOD. lol. i thought i would be below the cut offs, and I got this pretty early. I cant, however, FIND the prompt, once I log on. any advice?

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Congrats! I hope to get the same email soon.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=3946986&postcount=146 Here are the prompts from last year.

edit: nevermind!

onokentauros said:

Does anyone know the character limits for the 6 essays on the Loyola App? The prompts are posted but have none of this info. Thanks!

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I haven't gotten Loyola's secondary yet, but I've heard the limit is "25 lines." So, I guess they don't go by character or word limits for their essays.

To those who received the UCLA and/or UCSD secondaries: do they ask for a photo?

phoenix1 said:

I haven't gotten Loyola's secondary yet, but I've heard the limit is "25 lines." So, I guess they don't go by character or word limits for their essays.

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Yep 25 single-spaced lines or if you answered them in your PS it says you can type " please refer to my AMCAS application" following the question to which it applies

silverlining1 said:

To those who received the UCLA and/or UCSD secondaries: do they ask for a photo?

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UCLA: No photo required

There is a limit of 800 characters for essay responses. This includes spaces and punctuation. Please do not attempt to send more than the allotted amount since the system will not save your responses and your information form will be returned to you with an error. A character counter is provided to assist you with this limitation.

The committee would like to know about your interests, experiences, and personal characteristics which are relevant to a career in medicine. Please only provide information you believe is important. It is not necessary or required to supply information in all sections. Each response is limited to 800 characters. A character counter for each response has been included to assist you with this limitation. You can save your information by clicking either the 'Save' or 'Update' buttons at the bottom of this form. The information entered on this form will not be available to the Admissions Office until you electronically file the information by clicking the 'Submit' button and pay the document fee.

Extracurricular Interests and Activities

Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life?

What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated?

What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful?

Scholastic Activities

What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important?

What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor.

Personal

Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.

List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked (list the most recent first).

If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the box labeled 'Hardship' and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal?

why are people talking about UCSD's secondaries as if they are already sending them out? didn't they send an email saying they accidentally gave us access to the secondary and that they have removed it from the website?

blargh said:

why are people talking about UCSD's secondaries as if they are already sending them out? didn't they send an email saying they accidentally gave us access to the secondary and that they have removed it from the website?

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That's what I thought too. Didn't the admission office say that they are still getting people off of the wait class for the class that's starting this summer?

I probably missed it, but could someone post Michigan's essays? Thanks.

Also, I was wondering what kind of response people give to the "use this space to tell us something about yourself thats not listed elsewhere". I couldn't think of anything to write, aside from hobbies (which don't seem relevant), but i don't want to leave the space blank.

I got mine last monday or tuesday with instructions to mail it back within 30 days. I am a CA resident, however, with pretty solid #'s, 39R and 3.83 with early submission date.

rogerwilco said:

Anyone do their Vermont secondary yet? If so, what did you put (if anything) in the text boxes after each course you checked off as meeting the pre-reqs?

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I only wrote in a few. I noted if they were AP credit courses, or if I hadn't taken them yet.

PlayMeSomeMusic said:

Yep 25 single-spaced lines or if you answered them in your PS it says you can type " please refer to my AMCAS application" following the question to which it applies

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Not to sound stupid, but I want to make sure:

This is 25 lines PER ESSAY, right? Not 25 lines for the whole thing?

UCLA 2ND RCVD

has anyone heard from Upstate or Stony Brook yet?!

RocNYer said:

has anyone heard from Upstate or Stony Brook yet?!

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Upstate has been out for awhile now, but I don't know about Stony Brook.


Btw, they are handing out UCLA 2ndaries on a saturday?

onokentauros said:

Not to sound stupid, but I want to make sure:

This is 25 lines PER ESSAY, right? Not 25 lines for the whole thing?

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Yep You're correct... per essay

viciouz said:

Btw, they are handing out UCLA 2ndaries on a saturday?

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I checked my status today and I got one as of yesterday, but no email and nothing in my spam folder... check the ucla website if you got the confirmation that they received your app already (then you know you're in their system). hope this info helps any

not sure if this has already been posted....

Please state your reasons for applying to Creighton University School of Medicine.
Please limit your response to 2000 characters (approx. 250 words).

Describe a non-science course and/or professor that has had a major influence on your:
A: Desire to become a physician, or
B: Approach to the practice of medicine.
Please limit your response to 2000 characters (approx. 250 words).

Quick question about Rosalind Franklin. Since there secondary app is a pdf form, do they just expect us to write the essay by hand? Or type write it, not exceeding the length of space they gave us, and attach it.

badasshairday said:

Quick question about Rosalind Franklin. Since there secondary app is a pdf form, do they just expect us to write the essay by hand? Or type write it, not exceeding the length of space they gave us, and attach it.

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You can type in pdf form, but the thing is it doesn't automatically take you to the next line when you have filled up that line. So, you have to hit enter at the end of every line. I'm pretty sure this is what they want you to do.

alman said:

You can type in pdf form, but the thing is it doesn't automatically take you to the next line when you have filled up that line. So, you have to hit enter at the end of every line. I'm pretty sure this is what they want you to do.

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Yeah, for RF, I just opened the file as a pdf and filled the info in. For the essay, I wrote it in a word doc, and then I cut and pasted it into the pdf line by line.... Just be sure you print it when you're done. You can't save the pdf with your changes to it.

Hey Everybody,

Have you found that some of the secondary applications (Weill and Mt. Sinai in particular) remove your paragraph breaks when you are reviewing your application? Does anyone know if this is what the admissions committees see? One of my Mt. Sinai essays, for instance, is about four paragraphs long and it's been combined into one huge paragraph when I review my application. I'm trying to decide if I should rewrite it so that it's one (deliberate) paragraph b/c it doesn't work too well as it is (IF that's what the admissions committees see, that is, which I don't know). Thanks!

i had a problem on my jhu app...i put in spaces, but they werent removed and some of the sentences got cut off when i printed out the pdf version to mail in...ive been meaning to call in and ask if thats okay, but im already getting jaded enough to think theres nothing i can do

this may be a silly question, but when it says "1500 characters" are you guys including spaces in that?! like for UMich, it says "1500 characters, about 250 words" which i think would be more towards the no spaces included option??

RocNYer said:

this may be a silly question, but when it says "1500 characters" are you guys including spaces in that?! like for UMich, it says "1500 characters, about 250 words" which i think would be more towards the no spaces included option??

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Roc - I'm pretty sure you include spaces.

I posed this question before about Loyola, but:

Does anyone know how long the essay responses are supposed to be for Tufts? Or do those questions only require Yes/No responses?

You may want to review the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Requirements page before answering these questions. In college have you completed one or more years of the following:
English: No Answer Yes No
Physics: No Answer Yes No
Biology: No Answer Yes No
Mathematics: No Answer Yes No

I will have taken one year of math by december 2007. Im taking my second semester of calculus. How should I answer? Yes, No, or No Answer?

zcl02004 said:

You may want to review the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Requirements page before answering these questions. In college have you completed one or more years of the following:
English: No Answer Yes No
Physics: No Answer Yes No
Biology: No Answer Yes No
Mathematics: No Answer Yes No

I will have taken one year of math by december 2007. Im taking my second semester of calculus. How should I answer? Yes, No, or No Answer?

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i called UCLA on this too and they said it is ok to put "no." if you don't have it listed as a future course on AMCAS though, make sure to send them a note about the classes that you will be taking in the future.

onokentauros said:

I posed this question before about Loyola, but:

Does anyone know how long the essay responses are supposed to be for Tufts? Or do those questions only require Yes/No responses?

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if you answer "yes" you will be asked to briefly explain (1000 character limit)

EyeballLove said:

That's what I thought too. Didn't the admission office say that they are still getting people off of the wait class for the class that's starting this summer?

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blargh said:

why are people talking about UCSD's secondaries as if they are already sending them out? didn't they send an email saying they accidentally gave us access to the secondary and that they have removed it from the website?

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Unlike the scary quote about solid numbers. I have pretty average numbers. I had received SD last week. I'm sure they're doing it in batches. You should get yours soon.

Links to Available Secondary Prompts

Albert Einstein - online, e-mail invite
Baylor - online
Boston - e-mail invite
Case Western - e-mail invite
Cincinnati - e-mail invite
Columbia - email invite
Cornell - email invitation
Creighton
Dartmouth - online
GW - email invitation
ECU (Brody) - email invite
Eastern Virginia Medical School - email invitation
Emory - e-mail invite, on or before August 15th
ETSU-Quillen
FSU - email invitation
Georgetown - e-mail invite
Indiana - Snail mail
Jefferson - e-mail invite
Johns Hopkins - online
Loyola - snail mail invite, online application
Marshall
MCW - e-mail invite, no essays
Meharry - online
MSU-CHM - email invitation
Mt. Sinai - email
MUSC - E-mail invite
NYU and also NYU
Ohio state - email invitation
Penn State - email
Pitt - e-mail invite
Rosalind Franklin
SLU - e-mail invite
South Carolina - e-mail invite
SUNY Downstate - e-mail invite
SUNY Upstate - e-mail invite
Temple
Tufts
Tulane - online
UAB - e-mail invite
U at Buffalo - no essays
UChicago-Pritzker - e-mail invite
UCincinnati
UCLA - email invite
UConn - online
UCSD - email invite, 2 page personal statement
UF- email
UIC - e-mail invite
UKentucky - e-mail invite
U of Louisville - e-mail invite
UMDNJ-RWJMS - e-mail invitation, no essays
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School - email invite
UMiami - e-mail invite
UMich - e-mail invite
UMinn Duluth - e-mail invite
UMC - e-mail invite
UNC - e-mail invite
UPenn - e-mail invite, no essays
USUHS - e-mail invite
UTSW - TMDSAS should be submitted first
Rochester - snail mail invite, no essays
UOk - e-mail invite
USF - email invite
UVA
UVermont - e-mail invite, no essays
UWisc - e-mail Invite
VCU
Wake Forest - email Invite
WashU - email invite
Yale - online


This Year's Official Secondary Discussion Thread
Last Year's 2007 Secondary Thread

Got an email from Brown saying they'd be sending something in the mail later. There was a link to a PDF version, but it seemed like they prefer an online submission. Here are the questions:

Please indicate your activities for the 2007-2008 year. If you are in school, please list your courses. If you are working, please describe your
job, including duties and responsibilities.

What is your best attribute? Describe how this attribute will enhance the student body at The Warren Alpert Medical School.

I just found out that Loyola wont accept Research Letters as Science Letters. They specifically say it must be someone who you received a grade from, which I did in my research, but they still said "NO."

My Wake Forest Status changed to

"You will be receiving notification of your application status by e-mail."

I am guessing its a rejection email. =(

viciouz said:

I just found out that Loyola wont accept Research Letters as Science Letters. They specifically say it must be someone who you received a grade from, which I did in my research, but they still said "NO."

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How many science letters do they require? I have a letter from a research mentor who also taught two of my classes. I wonder if they'll take that. That is my second science letter.

Links to Available Secondary Prompts

Albert Einstein - online, e-mail invite
Baylor - online
Boston - e-mail invite
Brown - e-mail
Case Western - e-mail invite
Cincinnati - e-mail invite
Columbia - email invite
Cornell - email invitation
Creighton
Dartmouth - online
GW - email invitation
ECU (Brody) - email invite
Eastern Virginia Medical School - email invitation
Emory - e-mail invite, on or before August 15th
ETSU-Quillen
FSU - email invitation
Georgetown - e-mail invite
Indiana - Snail mail
Jefferson - e-mail invite
Johns Hopkins - online
Loyola - snail mail invite, online application
Marshall
MCW - e-mail invite, no essays
Meharry - online
MSU-CHM - email invitation
Mt. Sinai - email
MUSC - E-mail invite
NYU and also NYU
Ohio state - email invitation
Penn State - email
Pitt - e-mail invite
Rosalind Franklin
SLU - e-mail invite
South Carolina - e-mail invite
SUNY Downstate - e-mail invite
SUNY Upstate - e-mail invite
Temple
Tufts
Tulane - online
UAB - e-mail invite
U at Buffalo - no essays
UChicago-Pritzker - e-mail invite
UCincinnati
UCLA - email invite
UConn - online
UCSD - email invite, 2 page personal statement
UF- email
UIC - e-mail invite
UKentucky - e-mail invite
U of Louisville - e-mail invite
UMDNJ-RWJMS - e-mail invitation, no essays
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School - email invite
UMiami - e-mail invite
UMich - e-mail invite
UMinn Duluth - e-mail invite
UMC - e-mail invite
UNC - e-mail invite
UPenn - e-mail invite, no essays
USUHS - e-mail invite
UTSW - TMDSAS should be submitted first
Rochester - snail mail invite, no essays
UOk - e-mail invite
USF - email invite
UVA
UVermont - e-mail invite, no essays
UWisc - e-mail Invite
VCU
Wake Forest - email Invite
WashU - email invite
Yale - online


This Year's Official Secondary Discussion Thread
Last Year's 2007 Secondary Thread

for columbia's app, where they ask to list colligiate extracurricular activities, are u supposed to put it in complete sentences? and does colligiate EC include volunteering at hospitals? or just undergrad run clubs...

thanks!

4success said:

for columbia's app, where they ask to list colligiate extracurricular activities, are u supposed to put it in complete sentences? and does colligiate EC include volunteering at hospitals? or just undergrad run clubs...

thanks!

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If they say list, you should list. If they say describe, use sentences.
If they ask for collegiate EC, don't include experiences that happened before college.

Jaded03 said:

If they say list, you should list. If they say describe, use sentences.
If they ask for collegiate EC, don't include experiences that happened before college.

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i actually called up columbia. this is what they said.

Question 2 about activities: Straight up list them. no need for hours and no need for dates. adcom will refer back to your primary. even if you have been out of college for a while, do not list post-college activities

Question 3 about honors: same, they will refer to your primary (so hopefully your award was important enough to have been mentioned in amcas already)

Question 4 about work hours: just list activity, hours, and date.

Question 5 about work: includes everything unpaid during the school year (volunteering, leadership, research, etc), and everything paid or unpaid during the summer. list again and include hours and dates. they will refer back to your primary.

hope this helps.