2015 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Leslie_Knope said:
Thanks! I have no idea how you all with 20+ schools are doing this. I'm going to sleep on it. My husband has the next two days off from work so he can help with the baby while I escape to Starbucks or the like.
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Love it... Starbucks is the perfect place to escape to, it's like adult day care.
 
Thanks for the lulz! Adult day care indeed.

And I definitely log into each secondary and do all the "easy" parts - demographics, classes, etc. Then I write some stuff, save it, and come back to it a dozen times before it's "done." Really, it's not done. I am. Done with checking it! There's only so much polishing and editing one can do and then it's better to just send it!

Good night all.
ConsultantMD said:
Love it... Starbucks is the perfect place to escape to, it's like adult day care.
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Leslie_Knope said:
Thanks for the lulz! Adult day care indeed.

And I definitely log into each secondary and do all the "easy" parts - demographics, classes, etc. Then I write some stuff, save it, and come back to it a dozen times before it's "done." Really, it's not done. I am. Done with checking it! There's only so much polishing and editing one can do and then it's better to just send it!

Good night all.
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Yeah, I have the starbucks gold card so that you can get free refills on drinks and get a free one every dozen, it's pretty fantastic.

I'm going to be up for probably about another 2 hours doing non-secondary work. This is also my fault too because I decided that today would be a good day to hit up a Brazilian steakhouse... food induced coma for sure.
 
ConsultantMD said:
Yeah, I have the starbucks gold card so that you can get free refills on drinks and get a free one every dozen, it's pretty fantastic.

I'm going to be up for probably about another 2 hours doing non-secondary work. This is also my fault too because I decided that today would be a good day to hit up a Brazilian steakhouse... food induced coma for sure.
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Brazilian steakhouses are great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'm so glad to know I'm not the only person here who holes herself up at Starbucks and is losing steam after around 20 secondaries. I do almost the same thing everyone else does here! My husband's family from another country arrived last night and so it's been hectic and I'm wondering how I can sit in a corner and get these done without anyone noticing.

I recognize some of your names on specific school threads that I'm also participating in, good luck!!
 
Still having supreme difficulty in figuring out how to chip away at these secondaries. Maybe I need to put myself in adult daycare to change my mood...
 
ConsultantMD said:
Still having supreme difficulty in figuring out how to chip away at these secondaries. Maybe I need to put myself in adult daycare to change my mood...
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If I start slowing down I bounce off to an essay on another secondary that I feel like I have ideas for, then come back to where I was having problems. Then at least I'm consistently being productive instead of getting bogged down.
 
My two cents: just write something. It does not have to be ideal, it does not even have to be great. Write some semi-coherent thoughts on the subject and move on to the next one. You will come back and edit it a few times and it will turn out well. I guess what I am trying to say is that coming up with good, well written sentences right away is very hard. It is a lot easier and more productive to start from something not so good and re-edit it. Otherwise you can end up spending half an hour on each sentence...

Edit: It would seem that this post is a good example of something that you would start with. 😀 Fixed a few typos...
 
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juliuspepperwood said:
If I start slowing down I bounce off to an essay on another secondary that I feel like I have ideas for, then come back to where I was having problems. Then at least I'm consistently being productive instead of getting bogged down.
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Yeah, I am going the approach of figuring which ones are easiest and tackling them first. Also the two that I have to do first both have technical issues so I can't submit them right now as it is. I might as well get these shorter ones in quicker! 1 down, 7 to go...and fortunately my inbox has quieted down today as well.
 
ConsultantMD said:
Yeah, I am going the approach of figuring which ones are easiest and tackling them first. Also the two that I have to do first both have technical issues so I can't submit them right now as it is. I might as well get these shorter ones in quicker! 1 down, 7 to go...and fortunately my inbox has quieted down today as well.
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Keep at it! This time next month hopefully the only inbox flooding we have is interview invites 🙂

Personal approach when I'm sitting at work and get a sudden blast of 8 secondaries before 10AM- sneak away to the empty corner office and take a nap. BC what could be the better response.

But really, yes do the easier/shorter ones first- they kinda give you energy/fuel to keep going.
 
investmentdoc said:
Keep at it! This time next month hopefully the only inbox flooding we have is interview invites 🙂

Personal approach when I'm sitting at work and get a sudden blast of 8 secondaries before 10AM- sneak away to the empty corner office and take a nap. BC what could be the better response.

But really, yes do the easier/shorter ones first- they kinda give you energy/fuel to keep going.
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Haha yes so far so good with this approach. I am at 3.75 for today. I wonder what AdComs do when they see a typo. Like surely it doesn't throw out your whole application (we aren't applying to be journalists) but it would be interesting to have some perspective on that.
 
ConsultantMD said:
Haha yes so far so good with this approach. I am at 3.75 for today. I wonder what AdComs do when they see a typo. Like surely it doesn't throw out your whole application (we aren't applying to be journalists) but it would be interesting to have some perspective on that.
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Maybe that's when they take a break too and start reminding themselves why they signed up for this job.... But yes that's an interesting question. After some point I'm just like screw it, ain't no one got time to read the essay over a 18th time.
 
Also keen to know what ya'lls average turn around time for secondaries has been so far?

I'm trying my level best to keep it within two weeks of received date- do you guys think this is too much? I think if I did any more I would, in order of importance: a)lose my hair b) lose my job
 
investmentdoc said:
Also keen to know what ya'lls average turn around time for secondaries has been so far?

I'm trying my level best to keep it within two weeks of received date- do you guys think this is too much? I think if I did any more I would, in order of importance: a)lose my hair b) lose my job
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I think it depends on the school. I am basing my turn-around time on last years threads. If IIs go out within a week/two from Secondary date, I get those in first. If some have a month or so delay, I do those last.

Also, the schools you care most about should probably be done first, as shorter turn-around theoretically shows how interested you are..
 
My turn around time is about 3 to 5 days. My strategy is to add a few schools at a time. Finish secondaries. Add more. That way I don't get swamped and my turn around time looks good.
 
I have a 3.5 day average going right now. This UCSD one is my longest so far.

I agree about being done reading secondaries. My typos are like not the easy ones like misspellings. They're level two, like missing punctuation or wrong words.
 
I pre-wrote the majority of my secondaries, so average turn around time for me right now is 1-2 days.

I have 14 down, 4 to go...I'm complete at a number of schools now, so this waiting period feels a bit surreal.
 
kjw1024 said:
I pre-wrote the majority of my secondaries, so average turn around time for me right now is 1-2 days.

I have 14 down, 4 to go...I'm complete at a number of schools now, so this waiting period feels a bit surreal.
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Agreed, feels very weird to be here already. I'm slowing down on my secondaries because I feel like there's no rush to get them back at least within a week's time and I can focus on them more. I did 3 today, which I'm happy with! IIs are starting to trickle in so that is scary! Let's go non-trads!

Edit: I have 5.5 done today. There are two that are almost done, but I'm holding on to them, it's not like they're going to look at it at right now...
 
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Totally agreed with supporting the non-traditionals mentality! We can do this!
 
anyone have suggestions on getting secondaries read/edited? only have my dad reading them right now and he's not a native english speaker so he's basically helping me with content.
 
I'm still not verified, but I've gotten 4 secondaries submitted and one other written.
The MCG secondary timed out on me last night and deleted my essays (grrrr...), so I'll be doing that one again tonight. *tiny vent*
That will have me caught up until after verification, I think.
Still waiting on 3 letters, but I'm not fretting until AMCAS gives me the GO.

Lots of work and worry and investment$$$, but it's worth it, right?
 
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I just submitted my 25th secondary! I have 4 more on the table that I need to finish by next week, but many are 80% done at this point. Case is a monster application comparatively.

That said, I'm treating myself to a little day-getaway today: beach and tasty food here we come!
 
ConsultantMD said:
I just submitted my 25th secondary! I have 4 more on the table that I need to finish by next week, but many are 80% done at this point. Case is a monster application comparatively.

That said, I'm treating myself to a little day-getaway today: beach and tasty food here we come!
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Case is such a huge one!! I'm submitting mine today, making my tally at 29.. Us non traditionals are really getting at it 🙂
 
SPionic said:
I am struggling immensely with secondaries, particularly the diversity essays. My family went through a lot of rough experiences that taught me a lot about the world that a typical pre-med might not have experience with, but at the same time I was relatively sheltered from these problems/given opportunities my siblings didn't have, and I feel a lot of guilt about 'using' the horrible experiences of people I love as a launching board to my own career.
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I don't think you should look at it that way at all. These experiences are what taught you new perspective and as long as you are not maliciously using your loved ones' horrible experiences, I think it's valid. We can't control what happens to us, but learning from those experiences will only help you in the future, especially as a physician, so I wouldn't be afraid of talking about your past in that sense.
 
SPionic said:
I am struggling immensely with secondaries, particularly the diversity essays. My family went through a lot of rough experiences that taught me a lot about the world that a typical pre-med might not have experience with, but at the same time I was relatively sheltered from these problems/given opportunities my siblings didn't have, and I feel a lot of guilt about 'using' the horrible experiences of people I love as a launching board to my own career.
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Also here is another way to look at it that may help:

I myself have something that makes me "diverse" or different or whatever we want to call it. I know many other people who've had a similar experience. A lot of people do not talk about this experience because they either do not want to draw attention to it or are ashamed (they shouldn't be, but there is a social stigma). I chose to write about this experience as it has taught me a LOT. And a good reason I continue to talk about and share this experience is to bring awareness about. By staying silent you could be inadvertently missing an opportunity to bring awareness about your family's situation.
 
Discovered this thread today. Pretty excited about it. I've been feeling pretty alone in this process trying to figure things out on my own, hoping for some support here. I'm a non trad, and I seem to be the only crypt keeper at my school applying to med school. Low stats unfortunately, but had I known i'd be applying to med school 10 years ago things would have been different I think. (cGPA 3.51, sGPA 3.46, 30MCAT) I've applied to 19 schools and received 18 secondaries so far, though only 6 secondaries are submitted at this point. They all seemed to slap me in the face at once. On the bright side 1 interview. Heard about the two week rule...you really think they pay attention to how long it took you to complete your secondary? Seems a bit crazy to care whether it took 2 days or 2 weeks as long as it is well written etc.
 
Your stats are fine, and that 1 interview is huge! congrats! I think the 2 week rule should be abided to when you can because it implies efficiency in work/output, but I doubt people are looking through it with a fine tooth comb (ie no ones date checking unless its really far down the line)
 
Overanxious said:
Discovered this thread today. Pretty excited about it. I've been feeling pretty alone in this process trying to figure things out on my own, hoping for some support here. I'm a non trad, and I seem to be the only crypt keeper at my school applying to med school. Low stats unfortunately, but had I known i'd be applying to med school 10 years ago things would have been different I think. (cGPA 3.51, sGPA 3.46, 30MCAT) I've applied to 19 schools and received 18 secondaries so far, though only 6 secondaries are submitted at this point. They all seemed to slap me in the face at once. On the bright side 1 interview. Heard about the two week rule...you really think they pay attention to how long it took you to complete your secondary? Seems a bit crazy to care whether it took 2 days or 2 weeks as long as it is well written etc.
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Welcome and congratulations on your interview invite. Which school?
 
Reading this thread and all you accomplishments inspires me to move forward with my career change.

Question:

Did anyone hired an editor to read and fix your primary or secondary essays?

The process is already so expensive, why not spent the extra money to have a professional help you.

Good luck to all!!!
 
rangerdad said:
Reading this thread and all you accomplishments inspires me to move forward with my career change.

Question:

Did anyone hired an editor to read and fix your primary or secondary essays?

The process is already so expensive, why not spent the extra money to have a professional help you.

Good luck to all!!!
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No, because I don't have the money for that. I was lucky to find a few people on SDN to read my primary for me. I'm just reading secondaries aloud to my husband for feedback.
 
rangerdad said:
Reading this thread and all you accomplishments inspires me to move forward with my career change.

Question:

Did anyone hired an editor to read and fix your primary or secondary essays?

The process is already so expensive, why not spent the extra money to have a professional help you.

Good luck to all!!!
Click to expand...

Ditto to what's been said, I did not hire professional help. I had a couple people from SDN, some of my family and friends, but in the end I want this to sound like me. I'm already spending a ton of money on schools/secondaries, but this is a rite of passage, so the thought of hiring help never really crossed my mind. That said, you need to be super careful about rushing, at least I've been rushed at times. Taking a day or two before sending I think has been really helpful to avoid silly mistakes. Also not just quickly copying/pasting has been helpful too because all the word/character requirements are different. I am working full time now (not a lot of mental effort at the moment), so perhaps for you it's harder to put in the amount of time that this would take, and maybe paying someone else to do that for you makes sense, but I'd say this is your story to write!
 
rangerdad said:
Reading this thread and all you accomplishments inspires me to move forward with my career change.

Question:

Did anyone hired an editor to read and fix your primary or secondary essays?

The process is already so expensive, why not spent the extra money to have a professional help you.

Good luck to all!!!
Click to expand...

Similar response to what Leslie_Knope and ConsultantMD have said-- some extremely helpful people on sdn looked over one or two of my priority secondaries. Outside of that, I've had friends, post-docs, doctors and my fiance review my essays. I think it's quite difficult to keep your voice and writing style when outsourcing to professional editors, and it is certainly expensive. I would also suggest reading your responses aloud after receiving edits to ensure that it sounds like something you might say in normal conversation. I also highly agree with ConsultantMD about taking a day or two prior to submitting. Good luck!!
 
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rangerdad said:
Reading this thread and all you accomplishments inspires me to move forward with my career change.

Question:

Did anyone hired an editor to read and fix your primary or secondary essays?

The process is already so expensive, why not spent the extra money to have a professional help you.

Good luck to all!!!
Click to expand...

It never even occurred to me. My husband gets that lucky job.
 
I finalized my list and submitted primary to all schools today (added 10 more). I'm insane because I have 40 schools on the list, but I'm going to start spitting out secondaries, hope for some amount of overlap and try to get them all in by mid august.

Jeezum, this is going to be hell.
 
ridethecliche said:
I finalized my list and submitted primary to all schools today (added 10 more). I'm insane because I have 40 schools on the list, but I'm going to start spitting out secondaries, hope for some amount of overlap and try to get them all in by mid august.

Jeezum, this is going to be hell.
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Congratulations on submitting today! Secondaries are tough but the wait afterward is even harder. 🙂
 
My primary was in on july 5th. I just added a few more schools to the list.

I just made google docs with a schedule and found all the secondaries for the schools I'm applying to. Now to start writing...
 
ridethecliche said:
My primary was in on july 5th. I just added a few more schools to the list.

I just made google docs with a schedule and found all the secondaries for the schools I'm applying to. Now to start writing...
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Oh I see. My mistake.

My strategy I am starting to think was not very smart but I did it to save money and not overextend myself.

I add a few schools. Finish all secondaries. Add a few more. Rinse. Repeat. I'm up to 15 schools now, but I realize it's getting past early into late so I might cool it. I do want to add Columbia as a reach, though. Really, I feel like all these schools are a reach.
 
ridethecliche said:
My primary was in on july 5th. I just added a few more schools to the list.

I just made google docs with a schedule and found all the secondaries for the schools I'm applying to. Now to start writing...
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Spreadsheets are the best, definitely do this to stay on top of everything. I also use mine to calculate how much I've spent so far... d'oh!
 
I'm on FAP, so I figured I might as well just pay for the primaries and then do hail marys for the rest. I have a solid 10-15 reasonable schools. The rest are 'why nots'. I need to take some time off work to put together the essays.

I think the secondaries should be doable in batches, but I'm so behind now that I need to do all of them within the next few weeks so my apps get handled in a reasonable time frame.
 
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