Are Secondaries More Important than Primary?

[kelpy]

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[Schaden Freud]

Most schools DO NOT screen before sending out secondaries.

Most schools screen applicants before sending out secondaries, so I'm assuming they read the primary app first. When they are evaluating applicants for interview after the secondaries are received, do they mostly look at the secondary answers or do they read over the primary app again? I'm just wondering because i feel like my PS is weaker than my secondaries, my secondaries are much more specific and since they are tailored to each school, I was able to convey myself really well.

 

[Gabujabu]

Is it just me, or do secondaries seem like a huge pool of money for schools. For instance, if 5000 people apply and the secondary costs $80 each, then the school gets $400k! No wonder few screen.

 

[kypdurron5]

Is it just me, or do secondaries seem like a huge pool of money for schools. For instance, if 5000 people apply and the secondary costs $80 each, then the school gets $400k! No wonder few screen.

Yes, but that's JUST from the secondaries. My understanding is that schools receive money from the primaries as well (thus why the price goes up for each school you apply to) AND, don't forget all those people who put down $100+ deposits to hold acceptances and then go to a different school instead! The application process is a HUGE fundraiser for schools. I've even seen schools that list "application income" as a separate line item in their financial statements.

 

[etf]

i figure that the primary is the thing that contains vital info like gpa/mcat. secondaries are just a source of revenue. i did not complete a single secondary that asked me something that one could not get from amcas. i don't count the "why this school" question, because i think it's stupid.

 

[Gabujabu]

application income!

Yes, but that's JUST from the secondaries. My understanding is that schools receive money from the primaries as well (thus why the price goes up for each school you apply to) AND, don't forget all those people who put down $100+ deposits to hold acceptances and then go to a different school instead! The application process is a HUGE fundraiser for schools. I've even seen schools that list "application income" as a separate line item in their financial statements.

 

[laurenem]

i figure that the primary is the thing that contains vital info like gpa/mcat. secondaries are just a source of revenue. i did not complete a single secondary that asked me something that one could not get from amcas. i don't count the "why this school" question, because i think it's stupid.

I def agree with this to some extent, it is a HUGE source of revenue for them; however, some secondaries do ask for things not in amcas. For example, Dartmouths essay explicitly asks you to write an essay about something NOT listed in your amcas app. I think it depends school to school which they use more, secondary vs primary. Some only use amcas and others use some combination of both.

 

[Law2Doc]

Most schools screen applicants before sending out secondaries, so I'm assuming they read the primary app first. When they are evaluating applicants for interview after the secondaries are received, do they mostly look at the secondary answers or do they read over the primary app again? I'm just wondering because i feel like my PS is weaker than my secondaries, my secondaries are much more specific and since they are tailored to each school, I was able to convey myself really well.

There is no "more important" in med school applications. Any portion of the application process can keep you out of med school if you screw it up. Treat everything as extremely important, and you will do fine. Most adcoms consider the primary and secondary applications as one giant application and treat it as a unit. Several interviewers will even have the whole mess stapled together when you get to the interview. Don't treat it as less important, any more than you would treat the second half of a term paper less important...