Do’s and Do nots for writing secondaries?

[amoxicillin_resistant]

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Hello! What are some common dos and do nots for writing secondaries? From speaking with a couple folks I have:

Do’s:
- Begin with the in state schools
- Make clear outlines to address the prompt specifically
- Be specific to the med school in question

Do Nots:
- Copy paste from other prompts unless very similar question
- Repeat the primary essay or W/Activities

Any other tips?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Write Your Secondary Essays First | Student Doctor Network | SDN

Secondary essays are a critical part of your application that ensure your picking the right schools and prepare you for the interview process.

www.studentdoctor.net

DO: pay attention to the character limit and your prompt.
DON'T: rely on the chatbots/generative AI to write your essay.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hello! What are some common dos and do nots for writing secondaries? From speaking with a couple folks I have:

Do’s:
- Begin with the in state schools
- Make clear outlines to address the prompt specifically
- Be specific to the med school in question

Do Nots:
- Copy paste from other prompts unless very similar question
- Repeat the primary essay or W/Activities

Any other tips?

Good list of do's and don'ts

Additional do's

- Make sure each essay is well written and a coherent piece of writing.
- Write so that each essay adds to the reader's knowledge of you.

Do Not:

- allow the essays to duplicate each other. (That's in addition to not repeating the primary)

I strongly recommend that you go school by school and not try to batch all leadership essays, all diversity essays, etc.

 

[Rachapkis]

Dos: Respond directly to the call of the question and know exactly what you are trying to convey about yourself before you put pen to paper.

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

Dos: Respond directly to the call of the question and know exactly what you are trying to convey about yourself before you put pen to paper.

Were secondaries ever on paper and pen? lol

 

[Goro]

Do: have multiple eyeballs vet your essays
Don't: use the name YCOM when the secondary is from XCOM
Don't: feel you you have to use word in the word count limit

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

Do: have multiple eyeballs vet your essays
Don't: use the name YCOM when the secondary is from XCOM
Don't: feel you you have to use word in the word count limit

Thanks for the reply!

I have pre written some secondaries for some schools in cali, should I have them looked at right now or wait until I have received the secondadies?

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the reply!

I have pre written some secondaries for some schools in cali, should I have them looked at right now or wait until I have received the secondadies?

Wait

 

[gyngyn]

The optional essay really is optional.
A generic answer is worse than leaving it blank.

 

[LizzyM]

Be extra careful when recycling essays. Don't tell Columbia you hope to attend Harvard (It has happened).

 

[gyngyn]

Be extra careful when recycling essays. Don't tell Columbia you hope to attend Harvard (It has happened).

All the time.

 

[Goro]

All the time.

Yup!