Citing Statistics in Secondaries?

[993444]

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I am filling out the secondary for a school that only takes about ~20% of their class from OOS. I am putting in some statistics about the state in my secondary essays for the "Why Us?" essay. Do I have to cite these statistics?

 

[907914]

I am filling out the secondary for a school that only takes about ~20% of their class from OOS. I am putting in some statistics about the state in my secondary essays for the "Why Us?" essay. Do I have to cite these statistics?

What statistics are you using?

 

[993444]

What statistics are you using?

Homelessness, medical bankruptcies, healthcare outcomes, etc about the area the school is located in.

 

[deleted480308]

Homelessness, medical bankruptcies, healthcare outcomes, etc about the area the school is located in.

You don’t need statistics. Adcoms live there, they know if there are homeless people

This is a short prompt, not a thesis

 

[Moko]

Statistics just show that you're capable of googling. I would advise against including this.

 

[993444]

You don’t need statistics. Adcoms live there, they know if there are homeless people

This is a short prompt, not a thesis

Statistics just show that you're capable of googling. I would advise against including this.

I’m trying to highlight the similarities in the communities that I’ve grown up in with the community this school is located in. If I use actual numbers it will be more powerful.

 

[deleted480308]

I’m trying to highlight the similarities in the communities that I’ve grown up in with the community this school is located in. If I use actual numbers it will be more powerful.

nothing about that is powerful, you are overthinking this

 

[993444]

nothing about that is powerful, you are overthinking this

I’m not doing a full-on thesis. I’m just mentioning one or two very basic facts to give more clarity to my writing.

Here’s an example:

“... my clinical work with underserved populations will help me serve patients in the state of [insert state] where [blank] percent of the population is uninsured”.

 

[deleted480308]

I’m not doing a full-on thesis. I’m just mentioning one or two very basic facts to give more clarity to my writing.

Here’s an example:

“... my clinical work with underserved populations will help me serve patients in the state of [insert state] where [blank] percent of the population is uninsured”.

I've shared my opinion. You do you

 

[993444]

Can I just respectfully say that this is the problem with SDN? I just want to add a bit of extra info to my secondaries. And instead of getting my question answered I‘m getting slaughtered for it.

 

[deleted480308]

Can I just respectfully say that this is the problem with SDN? I just want to add a bit of extra info to my secondaries. And instead of getting my question answered I‘m getting slaughtered for it.

sometimes the answer to "how do I this thing?" is actually "don't do that"

You are an adult and can take the advice or leave it, but it's not a flaw of the site that you hear it

 

[993444]

sometimes the answer to "how do I this thing?" is actually "don't do that"

You are an adult and can take the advice or leave it, but it's not a flaw of the site that you hear it

You never gave a reason besides “you don’t need it”. People have their own styles of writing and expressing information. This is simply a matter of personal preference.

 

[deleted480308]

You never gave a reason besides “you don’t need it”. People have their own styles of writing and expressing information. This is simply a matter of personal preference.

Then by all means, ignore the guy who has been through this as a successful applicant. It is your right to exercise your preference

Just drop that notion that hearing advice you don't agree with is somehow "the problem with SDN"

 

[993444]

Then by all means, ignore the guy who has been through this as a successful applicant. It is your right to exercise your preference

Just drop that notion that hearing advice you don't agree with is somehow "the problem with SDN"

How can I even agree or disagree with your advice? All you said was “I don’t need it” without even offering a reason as to why it may hurt my application.

Saying I don’t need to add a few extra words to my application isn’t even advice since my whole app (primary + secondary) is probably 4,000 words long.

 

[deleted480308]

How can I even agree or disagree with your advice? All you said was “I don’t need it” without even offering a reason as to why it may hurt my application.

Saying I don’t need to add a few extra words to my application isn’t even advice since my whole app (primary + secondary) is probably 4,000 words long.

I'll just end my involvement here by going back to "you do you". Good luck

 

[Engrailed]

I am filling out the secondary for a school that only takes about ~20% of their class from OOS. I am putting in some statistics about the state in my secondary essays for the "Why Us?" essay. Do I have to cite these statistics?

I also think stats are a bad idea. It will make your essay sound more robotic and more like a scientific article than a narrative.

 

[gonnif]

Stats can be viewed as pompous, arrogant, and even antisocial in the context of secondary. If your area and theirs are similar then say that in a narrative and not stats

 

[deleted972488]

n = 1 (hehe, more statistics) but I used a statistic in my personal statement that I think was really powerful. You don’t need to cite sources. But in the example you gave, you could consider saying something like “a substantial portion of the population” rather than the exact percentage.

 

[Gorpu]

Personal anecdotes will say a lot more than stats

 

[LizzyM]

It can hurt you if a reader disagrees with the number you've cited as either too high or too low and has a different source with a different figure and then decides that you are a misinformed carpetbagger and your application gets clicked into the electronic trash bin.

 

[907914]

carpetbagger

You have such a way with words.

 

[Goro]

I am filling out the secondary for a school that only takes about ~20% of their class from OOS. I am putting in some statistics about the state in my secondary essays for the "Why Us?" essay. Do I have to cite these statistics?

I'm beginning to worry about you, Rex.

 

[deleted996731]

I'm beginning to worry about you, Rex.

Maybe you should test him again...he seems crazy

 

[gyngyn]

If I use actual numbers it will be more powerful.

It is a bit irksome when an applicant does this.
It gives the impression that you need to educate us...or that your statement requires confirmation.

 

[beattheprocess]

Can I just respectfully say that this is the problem with SDN? I just want to add a bit of extra info to my secondaries. And instead of getting my question answered I‘m getting slaughtered for it.

Lmao bro you’re just as guilty of this as everyone else in here

 

[993444]

So can I instead write in generalities about the area without using numbers?

 

[Cornfed101]

So can I instead write in generalities about the area without using numbers?

It's not a very good "why us?" reason. Why does it matter if the percentage of uninsured is similar? What if they had more uninsured? Would you not want to go to that school?

 

[Goro]

It's not a very good "why us?" reason. Why does it matter if the percentage of uninsured is similar? What if they had more uninsured? Would you not want to go to that school?

Or less?

 

[Engrailed]

So can I instead write in generalities about the area without using numbers?

OP, after all of the advice on this thread from premeds and adcoms on avoiding stats or numbers in general, why do you feel so compelled on using numbers?

Inquiring minds want to know.

(Also what @gyngyn said above about potentially giving the vibe of educating readers/adcom and irking them is also a great point.)

 

[993444]

OP, after all of the advice on this thread from premeds and adcoms on avoiding stats or numbers in general, why do you feel so compelled on using numbers?

Inquiring minds want to know.

(Also what @gyngyn said above about potentially giving the vibe of educating readers/adcom and irking them is also a great point.)

I'm confused. I said "without using numbers".

 

[Engrailed]

I'm confused. I said "without using numbers".

Dont use numbers. Yes that’s fine.

 

[Cornfed101]

Dont use numbers. Yes that’s fine.

I think even the direct comparison is unnecessary. Just say you have worked with uninsured people in the past and you want to do it at X school because they work with lots of uninsured patients. Done. (preferably with a story)

 

[Goro]

OP, after all of the advice on this thread from premeds and adcoms on avoiding stats or numbers in general, why do you feel so compelled on using numbers?

Inquiring minds want to know.

(Also what @gyngyn said above about potentially giving the vibe of educating readers/adcom and irking them is also a great point.)

Not singling out Rex, but a pattern I've noticed with some SDNers is that they come here with a thesis in mind....and they have to, just HAVE TO get validation for using it.

A common theme is that they've done some sort of library research and then they want to go into that particular field because all of the sudden, they're now the world experts on the effect of A on disease B, although they've never, ever set foot in a lab to do any real research on the subject. Sometimes I get a whiff of obsessive behavior from this.

 

[993444]

Not singling out Rex, but a pattern I've noticed with some SDNers is that they come here with a thesis in mind....and they have to, just HAVE TO get validation for using it.

A common theme is that they've done some sort of library research and then they want to go into that particular field because all of the sudden, they're now the world experts on the effect of A on disease B, although they've never, ever set foot in a lab to do any real research on the subject. Sometimes I get a whiff of obsessive behavior from this.

I am perfectly okay with not using statistics. As I said earlier, the only issue I had was the person earlier simply said "you don't need it" without giving a reason as to why it would harm or hurt. When the adcoms started chiming in and giving specific reasons why it would hurt, I asked for an alternative in which I wouldn't use numbers. I was totally willing to be open minded.

 

[Goro]

I am perfectly okay with not using statistics. As I said earlier, the only issue I had was the person earlier simply said "you don't need it" without giving a reason as to why it would harm or hurt. When the adcoms started chiming in and giving specific reasons why it would hurt, I asked for an alternative in which I wouldn't use numbers. I was totally willing to be open minded.

It's a teaching moment.

More pernicious are those SDNers who come here looking for hugs and kisses, and then go off the deep end when get realistic advice. You usually see them end up on r/premed, railing at SDN (and never making it into med school, either).

 

[993444]

It's a teaching moment.

More pernicious are those SDNers who come here looking for hugs and kisses, and then go off the deep end when get realistic advice. You usually see them end up on r/premed, railing at SDN (and never making it into med school, either).

Which is why I said I won't use numbers when someone actually cared to give a reason for it.

 

[Goro]

Which is why I said I won't use numbers when someone actually cared to give a reason for it.

You can let go of this now, Rex.

 

[deleted976595]

Not singling out Rex, but a pattern I've noticed with some SDNers is that they come here with a thesis in mind....and they have to, just HAVE TO get validation for using it.

A common theme is that they've done some sort of library research and then they want to go into that particular field because all of the sudden, they're now the world experts on the effect of A on disease B, although they've never, ever set foot in a lab to do any real research on the subject. Sometimes I get a whiff of obsessive behavior from this.

That Alzheimer’s “expert” from a few weeks ago was golden

 

[993444]

Alright I learned my lesson. I won't use numbers. Thank you.