Discuss a school's location in essays?

[akimbo]

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So a few of these secondary essays are basically "Why this school?" Part of my motivation for applying to each of these schools is the location - they're close to my family and I have strong ties to the area.

Is this something to mention? Not dwell on, but at least include?

It feels dishonest to do otherwise, but I don't want to come off as less-than-dedicated to getting a great education... Any thoughts?

 

[ms2209]

I discussed location in my secondaries (so far), but in a different sense. I talked about the benefits of locations such as Washington D.C. and NYC. Maybe you can combine some of your motivations (close to home, etc.) with the other benefits of location (research opps, etc.) in the statement. However, if the location in and of itself doesn't provide any other benefits (other than proximity to home), I'm not sure what to suggest! However, I hear you because there are definitely schools I chose due to proximity to home, etc.

 

[ms2209]

Sorry, I missed the part about strong ties to the area. I think that's pretty good, because it would show that you're devoted to the area and particularly if it's a state school, they might find it appealing in that you'd probably stay and practice nearby. Just my .02...

 

[angstrom55]

i think it should be okay to mention location in reference to family and relatives in the area. My friend did that to some of her out of state schools. Family support is very important during med school so why shouldn't it be a factor in choosing which school to apply to?

 

[docmemi]

noooooooooooooooo. if you discuss it i would only discuss it in the context of the community...like you want to work with a certain community because its underserved. i dont think its wise to use that...they are looking for more important reasons than your pref of weather, etc. thats not gonna make you a good fit for their school.

they could have rewritten the question as why are you a good fit for us? now you see...

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

In my opinion, family should be important to a doctor. Thus, if you want to stay close to your family, then I would encourage you to say that.

 

[bkmonkey]

I included location in all of my secondary essays. While it's super important to include the reasons you want to go to their school in particular (curriculum, rotations, match, etc.), you want the adcom to know that you will be happy there for the next 4 years.

 

[Wrigleyville]

Definitely include location if you are genuinely interested in it. Why you would pick their school over another school are definitely reasons that adcoms would favor you over other applicants. But don't generate a lot of sausage-talk just because you can, as it will come off as canned and disingenuous.

 

[dmk724]

The impression I got was that having strong ties to the school's geographical location was helpful, because, in some cases, it would make it easier for you to stay in that area as a practicing doctor after med school was over. So I thought it was useful. It's not something trivial like "I think it's a pretty area" or something like that.

 

[akimbo]

Definitely include location if you are genuinely interested in it. Why you would pick their school over another school are definitely reasons that adcoms would favor you over other applicants. But don't generate a lot of sausage-talk just because you can, as it will come off as canned and disingenuous.

I don't know what "sausage-talk" is. But I LOVE the phrase.

 

[bkmonkey]

I'm gonna have to take a big pass on the sausage talk (i'm a vegetarian)

 

[leechy]

I agree that it's good to discuss location if there are fairly important reasons for the location's attraction. Mentioning that you've got family in the area, for example, might assuage the med school's doubts about whether you'd really come if you got in. Your likelihood of attending if accepted is probably a factor in the admissions process (or at least in adcom's minds), so best to mention things that make you look like you'd really come if accepted.

 

[Heal&Teach]

noooooooooooooooo. if you discuss it i would only discuss it in the context of the community...like you want to work with a certain community because its underserved. i dont think its wise to use that...they are looking for more important reasons than your pref of weather, etc. thats not gonna make you a good fit for their school.

they could have rewritten the question as why are you a good fit for us? now you see...

I dunno folks.. I'm with docmemi on this one. I discussed location in terms of where I wanted to practice (e.g., underserved communities), but I'm not so sure that indicating proximity to family is necessary at this early stage.
However, location was important as far as being a discussion point in the interview process (I was asked several times about whether I had family in the area, settling in different places, etc.). Some schools (e.g., Wake Forest) are very family-oriented and support students who have special ties to a particular area. I'd say save the family talk for the interview stage, but you need to go with your gut on this one.