Early Secondary Submission Confusion

[honeybee87]

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Hello, I’m a little confused on secondary submission. I’ve heard that you should take 1-2weeks tops to submit secondaries, but I also heard that if you have secondaries in by Labor Day you’re still early. How does that make sense?

I understand that it’s good to submit early, but by nature I’m a very slow writer and like to get things perfect, so having until Labor Day would clearly help me out. I know applying early is better, but is it bad if I submit by September? Does it put me at a disadvantage for most schools waiting that long (I understand it might for Tulane, but how about most other medical schools)? How is this seen? Any help please?
@Goro @gonnif @LizzyM @Catalystik

 

[907914]

Hello, I’m a little confused on secondary submission. I’ve heard that you should take 1-2weeks tops to submit secondaries, but I also heard that if you have secondaries in by Labor Day you’re still early. How does that make sense?

I understand that it’s good to submit early, but by nature I’m a very slow writer and like to get things perfect, so having until Labor Day would clearly help me out. I know applying early is better, but is it bad if I submit by September? Does it put me at a disadvantage for most schools waiting that long (I understand it might for Tulane, but how about most other medical schools)? How is this seen? Any help please?
@Goro @gonnif @LizzyM @Catalystik

Many schools started offering interviews this week and many many more will begin offering interviews next week. You should have secondaries in within two weeks of receipt for a lot of schools who specifically recommend it. Going over 2 weeks will not hurt you significantly at most schools (some it will). Being in and marked complete before Labor Day is considered early for most schools because 75% of interview slots are still available over the course of fall and early winter. However, after Labor Day interview invites spike. The before Labor Day interviews are mostly T20 schools and/or high stats applicants. If you are a high stats applicant who is competing with other high stats applicants, earlier in the cycle is primo. However, even as a high stats applicant, in before Labor Day is A-OK for the majority of schools. Earlier is always better, but don’t submit an incomplete product.

 

[Goro]

Hello, I’m a little confused on secondary submission. I’ve heard that you should take 1-2weeks tops to submit secondaries, but I also heard that if you have secondaries in by Labor Day you’re still early. How does that make sense?

I understand that it’s good to submit early, but by nature I’m a very slow writer and like to get things perfect, so having until Labor Day would clearly help me out. I know applying early is better, but is it bad if I submit by September? Does it put me at a disadvantage for most schools waiting that long (I understand it might for Tulane, but how about most other medical schools)? How is this seen? Any help please?
@Goro @gonnif @LizzyM @Catalystik

Primaries in by Labor Day for MD
By Tgiving for DO

 

[honeybee87]

Primaries in by Labor Day for MD
By Tgiving for DO

Wait, primaries in by Labor Day is considered early?!?!?

 

[907914]

Primaries in by Labor Day for MD
By Tgiving for DO

This does not feel right....

 

[Goro]

Wait, primaries in by Labor Day is considered early?!?!?

No, that about the deadline. June/July is early

 

[honeybee87]

No, that about the deadline. June/July is early

What’s early for secondaries then? Would early August be considered early for secondary submissions?

 

[Catalystik]

What’s early for secondaries then? Would early August be considered early for secondary submissions?

In general, yes. But if you got a Secondary invitation July 5 and it specifies you should return it by two weeks, and you wait another week past that to return it (July 26), then for that school, you'd be "late."

 

[LizzyM]

A school can see your AMCAS submitted date and your secondary received date. The school knows when it sent the secondary to you. Waiting too long (> 2 weeks) signals a lack of interest relative to whatever else you are doing. Rather than thinking about letters of intent in March, think about prompt submission of your secondary in July.

My Labor Day rule is that you should be complete by Labor Day including committee letter, if you have one. It is a deadline, not a date to shoot for when the secondary was sent to you two months earlier.

 

[honeybee87]

@MemeLord whixh schools on your list had a 2week return date?

 

[suomi24]

@MemeLord whixh schools on your list had a 2week return date?

For me so far UCSD, U of A Phoenix, and Case Western has a “strongly recommended” optional two week deadline.

 

[honeybee87]

In general, yes. But if you got a Secondary invitation July 5 and it specifies you should return it by two weeks, and you wait another week past that to return it (July 26), then for that school, you'd be "late."

I understand that, but if I recieve a secondary June 28th, and there’s a deadline in October for secondaries for example, would it be “bad” if I don’t submit within 2 weeks? Would I still be “early” if I submit Aug 1st even though it’s been 4 weeks?

 

[KD's burner account]

I understand that, but if I recieve a secondary June 28th, and there’s a deadline in October for secondaries for example, would it be “bad” if I don’t submit within 2 weeks? Would I still be “early” if I submit Aug 1st even though it’s been 4 weeks?

I would not get caught up over the terminology "early" vs "late" and "good" vs "bad." You want to take enough time to write secondary essays you are proud of and can stand by. BUT, it is to your advantage to have everything submitted as early as you can without rushing and writing garbage. Admissions for most schools are rolling, and every school has a limited number of interview invites to hand out. Thus, submitting earlier allows adcoms to look at your application before other applications are submitted, and theoretically gives you better odds of receiving interviews, which are huge deals.

TLDR: Take the time to write something you can stand by, but it is to your advantage to submit as early as you can without turning in poorly written responses. Waiting a certain time period will be subjectively viewed as "good" "bad" or "neutral" by individual adcoms. Control what you can control.

 

[rdyotz]

Definitely aim for 2 weeks, preferably earlier. Pre-write everything that you can, so you can expedite returning secondaries. You could also stagger applications to schools if you need more time (likely too late to that at this point). Realize that some people may get a secondary in August, in which case they can still be in before Labor Day by using the 2-week rule. Each school has different timeframes they look for.

To give you another example: If I sent you paperwork for a job you applied to, and it took more than 2-weeks for you to fill it out, I would revoke the offer. To me, it doesn't seem like you care enough to get the job.

 

[honeybee87]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like this 2 week submission or you don’t have a chance is an SDN thing (meaning that it’s what the top students do)? I feel like the majority of applicants finish secondaries within a month

 

[907914]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like this 2 week submission or you don’t have a chance is an SDN thing (meaning that it’s what the top students do)? I feel like the majority of applicants finish secondaries within a month

It isn’t a matter of “you don’t have a chance.”

There are in fact many schools who soft require 2 weeks, however they will say something like “we highly encourage you to submit or application within a timely manner of its receipt.”

The 2 weeks is also a good rule to follow simply to potentially be early. Most a applications are not reviewed in the order they are received, however even if you are at the bottom of the pile - that pile is only a few hundred deep in mid July, but several thousand deep in mid August-September.

For top applicants, you are correct. Most of us go in the same “stats” pile. Most of us are ORM. Most of us have very similar check-boxy type applications with a stand out or two. Applying early is really the only thing we have control over when we all go in the same pile.

You are right, however. Most applicants take a month or two even. Then again, most applicants also don’t get in anywhere.

 

[honeybee87]

There are in fact many schools who soft require 2 weeks, however they will say something like “we highly encourage you to submit or application within a timely manner of its receipt.”

Which schools have the “soft” rule of applying within 2 weeks?

 

[907914]

Which schools have the “soft” rule of applying within 2 weeks?

I only know of Case/CCLCM off the top of my head.

 

[honeybee87]

I only know of Case/CCLCM off the top of my head.

How do I figure out? Sometimes in the email they don’t say anything

 

[907914]

How do I figure out? Sometimes in the email they don’t say anything

My advice is to not worry about what specific schools want. Never submit an unfinished product, but earlier is always better.

 

[907914]

My advice is to not worry about what specific schools want. Never submit an unfinished product, but earlier is always better.

I know this is generic, neurotic, and unhelpful.

Real advice on the true true would be to go look at last year’s school specific thread.

 

[AnMDtoB]

A school can see your AMCAS submitted date and your secondary received date. The school knows when it sent the secondary to you. Waiting too long (> 2 weeks) signals a lack of interest relative to whatever else you are doing.

I would have to imagine they would give you some leeway here if you've indicated on your primary that you're working full time? (Not a lot, but hey application fees don't pay themselves)