Are Secondary apps even important?

[junkct]

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So looking at the 2008-2009 Secondary Application Thread, I've noticed that many of the schools don't really have extra essays for you to write (some just say stuff along the lines of "tell us what you have done if you had a gap during college" or "please list other ECs" or "please list honors/awards" or some just don't have prompts at all... mayo, penn). For the ones that do have essays, a lot of them don't really seem to be too important. How important are the secondaries really? is it the primaries that matter the most and determine whether or not you get an interview?

 

[Sangria]

So looking at the 2008-2009 Secondary Application Thread, I've noticed that many of the schools don't really have extra essays for you to write (some just say stuff along the lines of "tell us what you have done if you had a gap during college" or "please list other ECs" or "please list honors/awards" or some just don't have prompts at all... mayo, penn). For the ones that do have essays, a lot of them don't really seem to be too important. How important are the secondaries really? is it the primaries that matter the most and determine whether or not you get an interview?

it does seem like a lot of secondaries are just for the money, but you do send your LORs with your secondaries, so I guess schools do get additional information about you before they invite you to interview

 

[146233]

Send 'em back blank and see if the school thinks they're important. 🙂 Several schools give interviewers your personal statement and secondary answers.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Yeah. I would not do any of the essays if you think they are so pointless.

Seriously, they are very important. Schools ask certain questions for a reason.

 

[witness23]

I really would not take this mindset into an application season. Approach as if every bit helps

 

[PremedIowa]

Schools are not forcing their admissions committee members and interviewers to read an additional 1-7 essays for no reason. Yes, they are important and you should hold them to the same standard as your personal statement.

 

[Mattabet]

Sure, they're boring, redundant, often poorly constructed, and expensive, but that doesn't mean they're not important.

Unfortunately, a lot of the adcoms probably prefer their school's secondary as far as format and the information provided go, at least for certain things. So you're shooting yourself in the foot if you don't give it as much attention as the primary.

 

[Kaustikos]

Sure, they're boring, redundant, often poorly constructed, and expensive, but that doesn't mean they're not important.

Unfortunately, a lot of the adcoms probably prefer their school's secondary as far as format and the information provided go, at least for certain things. So you're shooting yourself in the foot if you don't give it as much attention as the primary.

much shorter

 

[longhorn09]

You can try to blank it and tell us if it matters or not next year =]

 

[RySerr21]

So looking at the 2008-2009 Secondary Application Thread, I've noticed that many of the schools don't really have extra essays for you to write (some just say stuff along the lines of "tell us what you have done if you had a gap during college" or "please list other ECs" or "please list honors/awards" or some just don't have prompts at all... mayo, penn). For the ones that do have essays, a lot of them don't really seem to be too important. How important are the secondaries really? is it the primaries that matter the most and determine whether or not you get an interview?

thats not true at all. very few that I applied to had NO extra essays to write. Most schools at least had one or two, some as many 6 or 7.

My favorite secondary was UCSF b/c it was such a load of crap.... their email notifying you of selection for a seconardy read something like "congrats, we would like to learn more about you!" and their secondary had absolutely zero questions, just a request for a 70 dollar (or something) check. haha.

 

[WaterBird]

Schools are not forcing their admissions committee members and interviewers to read an additional 1-7 essays for no reason. Yes, they are important and you should hold them to the same standard as your personal statement.

One of my interviewers said he reads the PS really fast (like less than 30 seconds) because they tend to be so looked over and polished, and spends more time with the secondaries, which have a greater range in quality.

 

[nick_carraway]

One of my interviewers said he reads the PS really fast (like less than 30 seconds) because they tend to be so looked over and polished, and spends more time with the secondaries, which have a greater range in quality.

Makes sense. That's why you want someone to proofread your secondaries too and make sure the writing sounds like it comes from the same person.

 

[Appless]

One of my interviewers said he reads the PS really fast (like less than 30 seconds) because they tend to be so looked over and polished, and spends more time with the secondaries, which have a greater range in quality.

I just wasted 2 months of my life for 30 secs of an adcoms time...lol. Id hope they put more effort into reading them then that 🙁🙁

 

[Siverhideo1985]

I just wasted 2 months of my life for 30 secs of an adcoms time...lol. Id hope they put more effort into reading them then that 🙁🙁

with up to 10,000 other applicants alongside you...doubtful...hehe 😀

 

[Appless]

with up to 10,000 other applicants alongside you...doubtful...hehe 😀

lol dammit. Thanks for crushing my hopes 🙁

 

[Siverhideo1985]

lol dammit. Thanks for crushing my hopes 🙁

I think if you get an interview based on that first review of your application, they will take a better look...I think 🙂

 

[junkct]

Yeah. I would not do any of the essays if you think they are so pointless.

Seriously, they are very important. Schools ask certain questions for a reason.

I really would not take this mindset into an application season. Approach as if every bit helps

Chillaax homies! I sure as heck am NOT going to take this mindset with my apps. I'll put in all my effort to making these secondaries good (and I'm a darn good writer IMO, so I'd like to show off my kickbutt writing skills at every opportunity I get)... I was just surprised that there really were several schools that requested very little or no additional information on the secondaries, so it got me wondering a little. Before I began applying I assumed that the primaries were just useless and adcoms simply looked at yoru scores to see if you made the cutoff, checked to see if you finished the required classes, and made sure your PS wasn't a piece of crap before sending you the secondary, which is REALLY important. But it just doesn't seem that way now that I look at it...

 

[Destro96]

You can try to blank it and tell us if it matters or not next year =]

I actually know someone who did this on a top 10 law school application and was still admitted.

He actually wasn't all that interested in going to law school--some of his friends were taking the LSAT and he signed up as well on a whim.

He scored 178/180 and the school he applied to is known as an LSAT cherrypicker.

 

[WaterBird]

I just wasted 2 months of my life for 30 secs of an adcoms time...lol. Id hope they put more effort into reading them then that 🙁🙁

Yeah, I read a survey where the average amount of time spent on the PS was 90 seconds. So that guy was a little fast but not outrageous. But, as someone pointed out, they may give it a closer read once you make the first (or second) cut.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

90seconds * 10,000 applications = roughly 10 days straight of reading personal statements...and that's just the P.S....hahaha, I man, I would not want that job 😀

 

[aznb0y129]

90seconds * 10,000 applications = roughly 10 days straight of reading personal statements...and that's just the P.S....hahaha, I man, I would not want that job 😀

Lol, assuming one person reads all 10,000 instead of a group of people

 

[Siverhideo1985]

Lol, assuming one person reads all 10,000 instead of a group of people

oh of course, haha...but still...no wonder they get tired of it by the end of the cycle.

Realistically these numbers get cut down also just by GPA and MCAT cutoffs...its just fun to think about how much 90 actually is when there is that amount of applicants.

 

[Appless]

oh of course, haha...but still...no wonder they get tired of it by the end of the cycle.

Realistically these numbers get cut down also just by GPA and MCAT cutoffs...its just fun to think about how much 90 actually is when there is that amount of applicants.

Sigh this cycle is going to suck...hopefully i get accepted like in oct so i can just chill and not fly all around the country🙁. But thats probably wishful thinking lol.

 

[LizzyM]

Lol, assuming one person reads all 10,000 instead of a group of people

Yes, it is a group but each member of the group reads 100-200. Then there is the group that reviews the comments made by the first group and then there is another layer of review before you get an interview. I'd estimate that your whole files has someone's eyeballs on it for 20-30 minutes during that initial assessment. It is true that some PSs are so homogenized that you get a better feel for the applicant by reading the secondary (less likely to have been highly edited by someone other than the applicant).

Not putting much effort into the secondary is sometimes taken to mean that the applicant isn't interested in the school (it is being treated as a safety or the application is being made to please/satisfy someone else -- like a parent).

 

[ODorDO]

So looking at the 2008-2009 Secondary Application Thread, I've noticed that many of the schools don't really have extra essays for you to write (some just say stuff along the lines of "tell us what you have done if you had a gap during college" or "please list other ECs" or "please list honors/awards" or some just don't have prompts at all... mayo, penn). For the ones that do have essays, a lot of them don't really seem to be too important. How important are the secondaries really? is it the primaries that matter the most and determine whether or not you get an interview?

Wow I'm extremely glad to hear this, do you mind tell us which schools are those? because i really doubt that I have time during school to write quality essays