2ndary Questions that allow you to explain something that is not on Primary

[MD021]

Hello,

I'm having difficulty searching for old threads on this topic, so please bear with me if this is an overly redundant question.

How is everyone approaching secondary questions that ask for you to provide additional comments to the admissions committee?

Also, what about the questions that dig even deeper and ask for you to provide additional information that "may be concerning" to the admissions committee.
- only thing i can think of is quarters where I got below a 3.5 (none being below 3.2 however), but I didn't receive any C's. I want to explain these quarters but I don't want to go on a rant that may annoy adcoms haha.

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[colberag]

Hello,

I'm having difficulty searching for old threads on this topic, so please bear with me if this is an overly redundant question.

How is everyone approaching secondary questions that ask for you to provide additional comments to the admissions committee?

Also, what about the questions that dig even deeper and ask for you to provide additional information that "may be concerning" to the admissions committee.
- only thing i can think of is quarters where I got below a 3.5 (none being below 3.2 however), but I didn't receive any C's. I want to explain these quarters but I don't want to go on a rant that may annoy adcoms haha.

Wow, my life would be awesome if the only concerning thing I had was a couple semesters below a 3.5

 

[NickNaylor]

You shouldn't explain a 3.5 unless you have a real legitimate excuse, which most people don't. Usually you use that space to talk about some kind of activity or experience that you either didn't mention at all or didn't explain fully on the primary. If you have nothing to mention, I wouldn't try and add fluff.

 

[MD021]

^ ahhhh, well i might have some other things that would be considered "concerning" but i just dunno what else there could be besides grades...
my gpa isn't high, still below the md avg, i just didn't have any major fluctuations...

 

[MD021]

You shouldn't explain a 3.5 unless you have a real legitimate excuse, which most people don't. Usually you use that space to talk about some kind of activity or experience that you either didn't mention at all or didn't explain fully on the primary. If you have nothing to mention, I wouldn't try and add fluff.

Thanks Nick, I understand what you're saying. I'm gonna use that strategy for those "do you wish to include any other comments" questions.

But what about the ones that are like " .Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee." Is it ok to discuss maybe the times I got like a 3.2, 3.3? What else can I put?, I don't really want to give the impression that I don't think adcoms should be any concerned about my application. .

 

[NickNaylor]

Thanks Nick, I understand what you're saying. I'm gonna use that strategy for those "do you wish to include any other comments" questions.

But what about the ones that are like " .Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee." Is it ok to discuss maybe the times I got like a 3.2, 3.3? What else can I put?, I don't really want to give the impression that I don't think adcoms should be any concerned about my application. .

Well, again, IMO the grades aren't worth mentioning because it's likely you don't have an excuse that will be satisfactory to the committee. If you do, that's one thing. A 3.5, while not perfect, is by no means a deal breaker.

 

[MD021]

Well, again, IMO the grades aren't worth mentioning because it's likely you don't have an excuse that will be satisfactory to the committee. If you do, that's one thing. A 3.5, while not perfect, is by no means a deal breaker.

I gotcha, so should I just not answer the question?