2020-2021 Vanderbilt

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TheDataKing

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Please tag a pre-allo moderator when the secondary prompt is posted.

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: Vanderbilt University

Secondary Prompts 2020-2021:
Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 words)

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (1200 words)

Section to enter presentation/posters/pubs and select research interests from a list

Secondary fees waived for MSTPs!
Members don't see this ad.
 
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Secondary received. MSTP OOS

Prompts were the same as last year:

Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 words)

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (1200 words)

Section to enter presentation/posters/pubs and select research interests from a list

Secondary fees waived for MSTPs!

@TheDataKing
 
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Members don't see this ad :)
Secondary received too. Based on their website, the do pre-screen.
 
Dumb question, but after I make a password, what is my username? I don't think I made one when creating the password?
 
Their website says the earliest people would receive secondaries is 7/13? How are they already coming out if they screen?
 
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kittensneezes said:
Secondary received. MSTP OOS

Prompts were the same as last year:

Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 words)

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (1200 words)

Section to enter presentation/posters/pubs and select research interests from a list

Secondary fees waived for MSTPs!

@TheDataKing
Click to expand...
1200 words! First read that as 1200 Characters and didn't think it was that bad. Now re-reading and I have some work cut out for me.
 
Are we supposed to write roughly 1200 words or is anything below 1200 okay (like 500)?
 
ChemEtoMD23 said:
I think it’s always best to write only as much as you need. The folks reading these essays get tired too, so writing succinctly increases the likelihood that they will read the entire essay and pay attention to the content instead of skimming it. With that said (and maybe I’m being hypocritical here), I feel like if you only wrote 500 words, maybe you didn’t go into enough depth. Then again, mine is only about 850 words. I’d recommend thoroughly checking to see if there is any more meaningful content you can add that doesn’t sound forced or unnatural. If you’ve nothing else to add, then 500 is probably fine.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your explanations. That makes a lot of sense.
 
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Agreed with ChemEto. I suggest quality over quantity, at least that's how I will tackle the problem :)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Just received the secondary! There's an optional 500 word COVID-19 essay
 
+ 1 secondary! i have updates for gap year plans, because there's no option for additional information, do you guys recommend sending it as a separate document in their application portal?
 
sputniksweetheart said:
+ 1 secondary! i have updates for gap year plans, because there's no option for additional information, do you guys recommend sending it as a separate document in their application portal?
Click to expand...
In the autobiography question they state ' If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation.' so I assume you could add it there
 
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Anyone going to add in a "Why Vanderbilt" segment into the autobiography; perhaps towards the end? The reason I ask is:
1. There is no other place for it (based on their prompts)
2. But if I do that, because their prompt doesn't really ask for it, adding this section in may potentially have Adcoms thinking I don't follow instructions.

Hope to hear from everyone :)
 
Has anyone received a secondary with stats below their screen's cutoff? Does it look like they are screening this year?
 
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I received a secondary with a 514 MCAT, not sure if that counts for their cutoff. Anyone else get a secondary with an MCAT less or equal to 514?
 
SprayBottle said:
Has anyone received a secondary with stats below their screen's cutoff? Does it look like they are screening this year?
Click to expand...
according to their website, they don't have a minimum gpa or mcat cut-off. if they aren't screening this year, it's not reflected anywhere on msar or their website.
 
Is the optional COVID essay just to explain any obstacles that resulted from the pandemic? I was super fortunate not to be affected much, so I don't want to list anything (my research project being cut short + volunteering program transitioned to being online) and sound totally privileged. It's not like NYU's essay about how the pandemic has affected our view of going into medicine, right?
 
sputniksweetheart said:
according to their website, they don't have a minimum gpa or mcat cut-off. if they aren't screening this year, it's not reflected anywhere on msar or their website.
Click to expand...

Interesting that they were able to look at so many people's apps so quickly. Hopefully I'll hear back soon about my own app
 
sputniksweetheart said:
according to their website, they don't have a minimum gpa or mcat cut-off. if they aren't screening this year, it's not reflected anywhere on msar or their website.
Click to expand...

i’m pretty sure that i’ve heard that in years past, there’s been a cutoff that gets you automatically through the screen (something like 3.8+ and 518 or 520+), so the really high stat applicants get through and then everyone else is looked at holistically. i don’t think it’s official or advertised, but that’s what i’ve heard
 
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Got a secondary earlier this morning, 513 MCAT if that means anything for their cutoff.
 
Are you guys making your autobiography medicine related? or just about you personally?
 
garbage2048 said:
i’m pretty sure that i’ve heard that in years past, there’s been a cutoff that gets you automatically through the screen (something like 3.8+ and 518 or 520+), so the really high stat applicants get through and then everyone else is looked at holistically. i don’t think it’s official or advertised, but that’s what i’ve heard
Click to expand...

FWIW >/= to these and still nothing
 
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garbage2048 said:
i’m pretty sure that i’ve heard that in years past, there’s been a cutoff that gets you automatically through the screen (something like 3.8+ and 518 or 520+), so the really high stat applicants get through and then everyone else is looked at holistically. i don’t think it’s official or advertised, but that’s what i’ve heard
Click to expand...

My GPA is higher than that value but my MCAT lower and I received a secondary earlier today. They might not be doing a screen this year?
 
So did they have their usual screen or were more lenient because of COVID?
 
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No secondary but no pre-2 rejection is just as good lol.
 
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No secondary and I'm above their 518/3.8 screen so maybe they are doing a holistic review
 
Secondary this morning. 515 & 3.6-ish but career changer with unique experiences.
 
I got a secondary with a 514, 3.9 and ORM. Traditional af but I guess they liked something lol
 
They are still screening this year. It says so on their secondary tracker.

Secondary received this morning. OOS.
 
Anyone else with an MCAT around 514 receive a secondary? My LM is 72
 
Yo this autobiography essay is crushing me. I feel like I need a day or two just to brainstorm it.
 
Verified/Submitted on Friday, secondary received this morning, OOS
 
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