Applying June 1st. When to expect secondary applications? Scheduling volunteering/traveling abroad?

[abh5h3]

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Hello,

So i've read a few post on this but they are somewhat out dated, so I wanted to make sure its still the same.
Im planning on having my application in by June first and read that secondary applications usually come in around June30-July 15th ish. Is this the correct time frame? Are the prompts made public prior to this and these just the dates you can start submitting them, or are these the dates the prompts are released? Also, are the secondary prompts for a specific school usually very similar from year to year? So that if I wanted to, I could write most of the secondary answers ahead of time?

Im wanting to travel during the june-july range in Europe and Ghana to volunteer. Im taking an entire year off, but I don't want to travel during the major interview period for obvious reasons, nor the summer right before medical school because I want to make sure i'm 'mentally focused and prepared' for what i'm about to begin. Im also planning on get a stable job (research assistant, ect) for a year, so I wont be able to leave for very long when I start to travel in-between.

That said, I figure if I can get a lot of the questions done before I travel, that would be great. But, say I start my travels and have some remaining secondary applications to do, (ie. there was no prompt, couldn't do them ahead of time) do you think this would be difficult to do (in regards to 'being in a vacation state of mind'?) I would like to travel, but the application comes first so I want to center my plans around it.

In all essence, do you think I would be able to get enough secondary applications done before the prompt are actually out using previous/expected prompts to where it wouldn't be a problem to finish them up abroad?

Let me know your thoughts or have encountered a similar experiences with secondary applications abroad.

Ashley

 

[alpinism]

Im planning on having my application in by June first and read that secondary applications usually come in around June30-July 15th ish. Is this the correct time frame?

Yep. A few schools might send out secondaries a little later (end of July) but for the most part you should receive them all by mid July. There are some schools, however, that only send out secondaries to a select few applicants after reviewing your application or after inviting you to interview. You might not receive these secondaries till August, November, or even January.

Are the prompts made public prior to this and these just the dates you can start submitting them, or are these the dates the prompts are released?

You can find the previous years prompts on the SDN school specific threads. The above dates correspond to when the schools send out secondaries (email you a password to login to their secondary website). You won't know the specific secondary prompts until you log on to next years application, but the vast majority are the same as the year before.

Also, are the secondary prompts for a specific school usually very similar from year to year? So that if I wanted to, I could write most of the secondary answers ahead of time?

Yes. Most schools reuse the same prompts every year. However, there will always be a few schools who change 1 or 2 essay questions or who add/take off questions from year to year.

Most people (myself included) would recommend using SDN to pre write secondaries in June (or May in your case) while you're waiting for the actual secondaries to be released. That way it gives you more time to control your schedule and submit completed applications ASAP in July. Its easy to be overwhelmed when you receive 15+ secondaries (containing 30+ essay questions) in the 1st week of July.

In all essence, do you think I would be able to get enough secondary applications done before the prompt are actually out using previous/expected prompts to where it wouldn't be a problem to finish them up abroad?

Its definitely possible. The biggest problem would be making sure you'll have dependable internet access to submit the secondaries on time.

 

[mtbski]

This thread has the earliest dates that schools sent out secondaries. I found it to be extremely useful in pre-writing secondaries. You are definitely on the right track getting an early start! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/approximate-dates-for-school-sp-secondary-arrival.1015037/