Are Simple Answers Fine?

[JugglesMed]

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I've read some sample secondary answers and some people seem to go into great details and tell stories.

For some of mine, if the question is "Why this school"

I basically just say what I like about them, how it will help me, ect.

Is that fine or should we be going into a lot of detail and try to make it interesting like our PS?

 

[Phile98]

This is like asking if minimal effort is better than the best effort. Kinda self explanatory. Ideally, you should be concise and to the point, yet creative and genuine.

 

[Goro]

I've read some sample secondary answers and some people seem to go into great details and tell stories.

For some of mine, if the question is "Why this school"

I basically just say what I like about them, how it will help me, ect.

Is that fine or should we be going into a lot of detail and try to make it interesting like our PS?

Just answer the freaking question!

 

[Eleithyia]

Is that fine or should we be going into a lot of detail and try to make it interesting like our PS?

I think that telling stories can only help if you have a personal connection to the school.... i.e. "I was cured of cancer at this school's hospital" or "my best friend goes here and said XYZ about it". Just try to find things that you like about the school that aren't so cookie cutter. [...] Instead, talk about different resources a school has that you like/would utilize that are highly specific to that school.

I tried to highlight a few unique or very interesting aspects of the school and connect them to my interests, with the exception of the one place where my mom actually was cured of cancer at their hospital, lol (I still talked about unique opportunities in that one as well 😀)

In short: Yes, make your essays interesting or the adcoms will think you are not interesting.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I've read some sample secondary answers and some people seem to go into great details and tell stories.

For some of mine, if the question is "Why this school"

I basically just say what I like about them, how it will help me, ect.

Is that fine or should we be going into a lot of detail and try to make it interesting like our PS?

On average, my secondaries were 50 - 150 words in length per question 😉

 

[FroYoOreo]

On average, my secondaries were 50 - 150 words in length per question 😉

what about those schools that have 4000 characters word limit? Would 150 words be too short?

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

what about those schools that have 4000 characters word limit? Would 150 words be too short?

Nope. Schools love when you’re quick and straight to the point. Some of my word limits were even 10,000 characters. For those, I did like 250 words max

 

[LizzyM]

This is your letter of interest! You send it now with the hope of getting an interview rather than 10 months from now with the hope of getting off the waitlist. Show that you know something about what the school has to offer to medical students (curing your mama's cancer is not really relevant) and why you think you would be a good fit with the curriculum, active learning, mission, etc.

 

[FroYoOreo]

This is your letter of interest! You send it now with the hope of getting an interview rather than 10 months from now with the hope of getting off the waitlist. Show that you know something about what the school has to offer to medical students (curing your mama's cancer is not really relevant) and why you think you would be a good fit with the curriculum, active learning, mission, etc.

Dear LizzyM, should we max out the word limit for "why choose us" essay?

 

[LizzyM]

Dear LizzyM, should we max out the word limit for "why choose us" essay?

Do what you need to do. Don't fill the space for the sake of filling it but use at least 55% of the allotment.

 

[TypeADissection]

I've read some sample secondary answers and some people seem to go into great details and tell stories.

For some of mine, if the question is "Why this school"

I basically just say what I like about them, how it will help me, ect.

Is that fine or should we be going into a lot of detail and try to make it interesting like our PS?

Yes

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Do what you need to do. Don't fill the space for the sake of filling it but use at least 55% of the allotment.

Lol oops 🤣

 

[Kawi347]

Lol oops 🤣

Did you get any acceptances doing it your way?

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Did you get any acceptances doing it your way?

Perhaps 😉

 

[Isoval]

If it takes you fifty words to fully and completely answer the question, answer it in fifty words.

If it takes you five hundred, answer it in five hundred.

Do not answer a question that takes you fifty words to answer with fifty words of substance and 450 of fluff.