2023-2024 Vanderbilt

[wysdoc]

2023-2024 Vanderbilt Secondary Essay Prompts (their site says ~ 2/3 of applicants will get a secondary)
Link: Vanderbilt Admissions Process

Link: Application tracker

1. Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (800 words)

2. Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently? (600 words)

3. Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words)

4. (Optional) : If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)

5. (Optional): If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 outbreak affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (200 words)

6. (Optional): How did you first become interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (200 words)"

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Interview Feedback

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[toastedbutter]

@wysdoc it looks like Vanderbilt posted prompts to their site: Admission Process

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (800 words)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently? (600 words)
Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words)
Optional: If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)
Optional: If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 outbreak affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (200 words)

 

[Labe]

Anyone have insights on the first prompt? Should it be approached like an autobiography (since that’s the one it seems to have taken the place of)?

 

[FoxyC]

Anyone have insights on the first prompt? Should it be approached like an autobiography (since that’s the one it seems to have taken the place of)?

yes it should be approached like an autobiography

 

[deleted1163194]

Anyone have insights on the first prompt? Should it be approached like an autobiography (since that’s the one it seems to have taken the place of)?

It can be approached like an autobiography, but I also think that you can choose a value or something important in your life and discuss how it has defined who you are. I think it is easy to say this is a simple autobiographical prompt, but looking at the wording it isn't really, especially when you compare it to UCSD's prompt that is obviously asking for an autobiography.

 

[peroxisome]

It can be approached like an autobiography, but I also think that you can choose a value or something important in your life and discuss how it has defined who you are. I think it is easy to say this is a simple autobiographical prompt, but looking at the wording it isn't really, especially when you compare it to UCSD's prompt that is obviously asking for an autobiography.

I got in this past cycle & I pretty much just reused my autobiography prompt that I used for UCSD's secondary! And my autobiography was pretty much a long drawn out version of my diversity essay. (Clearly, I got really lazy with secondaries and reusing essays became my best friend haha).

 

[deleted1163194]

I got in this past cycle & I pretty much just reused my autobiography prompt that I used for UCSD's secondary! And my autobiography was pretty much a long drawn out version of my diversity essay. (Clearly, I got really lazy with secondaries and reusing essays became my best friend haha).

Interesting. So do you think writing about one particular aspect of your life and how it has defined you would not be a good idea? That's what I interpreted it as. I just thought an autobiography would be too scattered to have a single central thesis about who you want to be.

 

[peroxisome]

Interesting. So do you think writing about one particular aspect of your life and how it has defined you would not be a good idea? That's what I interpreted it as. I just thought an autobiography would be too scattered to have a single central thesis about who you want to be.

I am basically using my diversity essay and integrating my upbringing

Yes - I think it helps it stay cohesive! Though it's totally up to you & your stylistic choice!

 

[longstoryshorty]

“App received” email this morning!

 

[StressedStudent71232]

+1 App received email

 

[pablo213]

“App received” email this morning!

+1

 

[Ajtbs06]

“App received” email this morning!

+1, 5am EST

 

[248pinkalicious]

+1 App received email

 

[toastedbutter]

Historically, how long does it take for the first secondary invites to start rolling out after their review?

 

[Ajtbs06]

Huh I just realized my “app recieved” email says it’s for the entering class of 2023 in the first paragraph… I’m sure my AMCAS app is for 2024 so hoping this is just a typo. Anyone else notice this?

 

[pablo213]

Huh I just realized my “app recieved” email says it’s for the entering class of 2023 in the first paragraph… I’m sure my AMCAS app is for 2024 so hoping this is just a typo. Anyone else notice this?

Same here. Maybe we both applied 2023 by accident

 

[toastedbutter]

The timeline on their website also still has 2022-2023 dates

 

[Ajtbs06]

Same here. Maybe we both applied 2023 by accident

Im certain I applied correctly so just hoping this is a mistake lol

 

[hatuey]

Anyone receive the md/phd secondary? If so, could you post the questions?

 

[RhymesWithFun]

Email received that application is being reviewed. It seems they have fixed the "Entering Class" portion as mine correctly says 2024.

 

[wysdoc]

Anyone receive the secondary yet?

First post of this thread!

 

[Labe]

Anyone receive the secondary yet?

Not yet according to the tracker on their website: Welcome to MD Admissions

 

[soundofsilence]

Their secondary tracker has been at 3,134 applications for more than a week. Do we think its not updating or has no one truly been applying lmao. I think the former.

 

[Labe]

Their secondary tracker has been at 3,134 applications for more than a week. Do we think its not updating or has no one truly been applying lmao. I think the former.

Almost guaranteed that it's not updating. My guess (and hope) is that we'll get secondaries starting to roll out this week and it'll update after that happens.

 

[kath00]

3134 apps today, multiple days later..... so not exactly a live update. But hey.

 

[blueonion28]

3134 apps today, multiple days later..... so not exactly a live update. But hey.

They just updated it, number of verified applications is now standing at 4,014.

 

[kath00]

That still seems low but yaaay for "updating" the live numbers. LOL. It is more info than we get from just about any other schoool.

 

[toastedbutter]

I'm confused - are they screening all applicants before sending out the secondaries?

Yeah vandy is one of the few that does a fairly robust screen for secondaries. They screen out 1/3 of their applicants before secondaries

 

[blueonion28]

I'm confused - are they screening all applicants before sending out the secondaries?

Yes, Vanderbilt screens applicants to determine who gets their secondary application.

 

[deleted1163306]

up to 4014 on the MD tracker now Welcome to MD Admissions

 

[dopaminedoc]

4268 as of 7/25

 

[OreoLover365]

Seems like Vandy updated their site at some point. Admission Process

There is now a new essay prompt in addition to those that @toastedbutter posted before: "Optional: How did you first become interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (200 words)"

I think this means that the essays on their site are the correct ones for this year?

 

[benzanthrone]

MSTP secondary received!

 

[Sunrizon]

MSTP secondary received!

+1

 

[thatmeticulouschick]

MSTP secondary here too!

 

[deleted1071450]

MSTP secondary received!

woo! prompts?

 

[benzanthrone]

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (Max Word Count 800)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently?(Max Word Count 600)
Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (Max Word Count 600)
If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (Max Word Count 500)
If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (Max Word Count 200)
How did you first become interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (Max Word Count 200)

 

[Sunrizon]

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (Max Word Count 800)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently?(Max Word Count 600)
Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (Max Word Count 600)
If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (Max Word Count 500)
If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (Max Word Count 200)
How did you first become interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (Max Word Count 200)

@wysdoc

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc

These look the same as the regular MD questions- are there additional questions for MSTP applicants?

 

[Pipi&Pomegranate]

These look the same as the regular MD questions- are there additional questions for MSTP applicants?

No additional essays besides uploading manuscript/abstract and choose field of interest.

 

[Sunrizon]

For my MSTP people, since I already have a section dedicated to presentations in my primary, should I list them all here again? It seems a little redundant

 

[gekyumewrld]

+1 OOS secondary received 7:45 PM EST

 

[slaythehouseboots]

Has anyone received a regular MD secondary yet or just the MSTP people?

 

[gekyumewrld]

Has anyone received a regular MD secondary yet or just the MSTP people?

Sorry should have specified - just received an MD secondary

 

[j_diggity]

Sorry should have specified - just received an MD secondary

When did you get verified and submit your primary to Vanderbilt?

 

[gekyumewrld]

When did you get verified and submit your primary to Vanderbilt?

Verified 5/31, primary sent same day

 

[OreoLover365]

Wait is the COVID essay 500 words or 200 words? On Vanderbilt’s website, they have 200 words. The post earlier today says 500 words.

 

[gekyumewrld]

Wait is the COVID essay 500 words or 200 words? On Vanderbilt’s website, they have 200 words. The post earlier today says 500 words.

On the portal it's 500 words

 

[oatmilkplease]

MD secondary received just now

 

[sparky21]

How heavily does Vanderbilt screen? Aka how many of applicants total get secondaries?